152 
CIDARIA. By L. B. Prout. 
centrostriga- 
ria. 
polygram- 
mata. 
fas data, 
triangulata. 
mesotypata. 
triangulife¬ 
ra. 
decurrens. 
excurrens. 
insargens. 
illitata. 
capitata. 
capitulala. 
mariesii. 
pryeri. 
C. centrostrigaria Woll. (Vol. 4, pi. 13 b, as centrosignaria). The correct spelling of the name is as given 
here and in the text of Vol. 4, not as on the plate. This was first described from Madeira. An additional and 
somewhat unexpected locality is S. E. Peru. Until something is known of its bionomics, it is useless to attempt 
an explanation of its distribution. 
C. polygrammata Blch. (Vol. 4, pi. 131). N. L. Wolff records 14 from Froslev (Sonderjylland), 2 with 
dark band, the rest agreeing with specimens which were collected at Loghoj Mose 70 years earlier and best 
referred to f. conjunctaria. Urbahn has recently investigated the life history and obtained, in captivity, no 
less than 5 broods in a single year (1935); in the warm July the cycle from egg-laying to appearance of the moths 
occupied only 30 days. He challenges Rossler as regards the alleged fewness of the eggs laid, having obtained 
as many as 50 from a single The pupa hibernates. His careful experiments (instigated by those of J. W. H. 
Harrison) failed to induce, in 11 generations, any trace of melanism through the introduction of a 1: 1000 
solution of nitrate of lead or manganous sulphate into the food. - - ab. fasciata Hannern. Lines of the median 
area of the forewing consolidated into a broad dark band. Founded on a Berlin $. — ab. triangulata Heinrich 
has the costal part of the proximal section of the median area of the forewing developed into a dark triangle, 
containing the black cell-dot. Finkenkrug, Berlin, also founded on a single specimen. — ab. mesotypata Co- 
stantini. “Forewing subfalcate, median area of forewing dissolved into slender transverse strigulae; hindwing 
much smaller than that of typical polygrammata (an hybr. inter istam et Mesotype virgataV.).” I can throw 
no light on this. 
S u b g e n u s Ecliptopera Warr. 
Characters almost as in Eustronia (Vol. 4, p. 207), but without the hair-pencil. Readily separable from 
Euphyia by the habitus, the hindwing generally more rounded costally, with the costal vein anastomosing more 
shortly with the cell. Warren created two genera; Ecliptopera, with the hindwing irregularly shaped (exem¬ 
plified by triangulifera Warr.) ; and Diactinia , with more rounded wings (exemplified by silaceata Him.): but 
there is no very sharp line of demarcation. Swinhoe added a third, Urolophia , which will be considered in 
Vol. 12. Very prevalent in the group is the terminal dark patch of the forewing, bounded anteriorly by an 
oblique (generally white or quite pale) mark from the apex. 
C. triangulifera Moore (Vol. 4, pi. 8 e). This and its nearest allies ( Ecliptopera , sens, str.) are evidently 
Indo-Malayan in origin and even triangulifera itself, as indicated by the distribution given in Vol. 4 (p. 250), 
has only a very tenuous claim to inclusion in the Palaearctic fauna. 
C. decurrens Moore (15 d). The Indian form, which is name-typical (the type came from Nainital), is 
rather dark and broad-winged and belongs chiefly to the Himalayas, but occurs also in Szechuan. - excurrens 
Prout (14 b), from Japan (also Corea and probably Central China), shows less sharp contrasts in coloration, 
the ground-colour not being quite so dark, the forewing less suffused with whitish between cell and tornal patch, 
the dark element in this patch less extended, less intense, the 3rd white line from costa (at 4 or 5 mm) apparently 
always slender; the two white lines on the middle of hindmargin are less extremely oblique. — f. (? sp. div.) 
insurgens Prout (15 d). distributed on Hondo, is generally somewhat larger and longer-winged, termen of fore¬ 
wing generally slightly more bent in the middle; forewing browner, more inclining to cinnamon, subbasal line 
indistinct and curved, postmedian group almost always consisting of 3 only (in decurrens almost always 4), 
tornal brown shade still more uniform than in d. excurrens ; hindwing and underside generally rather paler. It 
makes the impression of a separate species, but the genitalia have revealed no difference. 
C. illitata Wileman (Vol. 4, p. 250) has not again been taken and I still incline to the view that it is a 
remarkable aberration of the preceding species. One hopes not, however, as the name would be valid for the 
entire Japanese race ( excurrens ). 
C. capitata H.-Sch. (Vol. 4, pi. 10 k). The names mariesii and pryeri should be deleted from the syn¬ 
onymy; see below. Probably really typical capitata are confined to Europe, where it seems to vary little - 
chiefly in the degree of development of the irregular row of spots of the distal area, which occasionally reaches 
the hindmargin. Stern ecu has recorded a <$ from Pekin, without comment. — capitulata Stgr. (15d). We now 
give a figure of this small dark E. Siberian race. — mariesii Btlr., from Japan, is somewhat intermediate, but 
on an average slightly larger than capitata, median band scarcely so dark (more brown), its proximal edge 
rather less strongly sinuous, distal yellowish tone scarcely so well developed. 
C. pryeri Btlr. (15 d). Larger and darker than capitata, the forewing with relatively broader, differently 
shaped median band, rather recalling that of fastigata. The genitalia show considerable differences from those 
of capitata. Only known from Japan. 
