74 
TIRACOLA. By W. Warren. 
line sinuous, generally pale; the terminal area beyond it, except at apex, and a triangular blotch at middle 
of costa enclosing the reniform stigma, darker; in the $ this triangular blotch is much more conspicuous, 
by reason of the reniform being black; hindwing fuscous, the fringe pale. Larva dull purple brown, dusted 
with grey; a dorsal row of grey triangular blotches; sublateral stripes pale; head small; 12tli segment 
dorsally humped; dorsum with a few fine hairs; feeds on Emilia. A very widely distributed tropical 
insect; found commonly throughout India, in Ceylon, Singapore, Borneo, Java, Solomon Islands, New (Guinea, 
Australia, -— Queensland and New South Wales —, Tahiti, Marquesas Ids. The examples from India and 
most of the other localities vary little; those from the Solomon Islands and New Guinea are somewhat 
paler in ground colour and smaller in size, but I have seen only two or three from each source; the majo¬ 
rity of the New Guinea examples of Tiracola belong to the next species rufimargo ; and it is very probable that 
the two forms which are herewith described as a subspecies and its aberration of plagiata, from Australia, 
nebulifera. will ultimately prove a distinct species; -— subsp. nebulifera subsp. nov. (9h, i) <$. Forewing uniform 
dark grey, slightly speckled with black; markings indistinct; the lines indicated by black vein-dots, con¬ 
versely lunulate dentate; the reniform stigma of the ground colour with dark brown edging and sometimes 
traces of a pale interrupted annulus, joined by an oblique dark bar from costa; orbicular a pale dot; 
subterminal line distinct only in costal half of wing; fringe concolorous; the terminal dots pale redbrown or 
absent; hindwing uniform dull fuscous; the fringe whitish; underside of forewing dull reddish, of hindwing 
reddish-tinged; $ pale grey, densely and coarsely striated with dark olive fuscous, the striations thickest 
in outer half of median area and in terminal area; lines and median shade blackish; reniform stigma as in 
<J; but a large pale oval space with darker central streak represents the orbicular; hindwing blackish 
fuscous witlTwhite fringe. Described from 3 <$<$ and 3 $$ from Queensland; all the $$ from ToAvnsville (Dodd), 
uniformis. 2 from Mackay and Geraldton respectively, the third withQut special locality; in its ab. uniformis ab. nov. 
(9 i) the whole wing in the $ is more or less suffused with olive striae, except the space between outer 
and subterminal lines extending to apex above, the basal area itself, and the pale oval space represent¬ 
ing the orbicular stigma; all the lines, except the subterminal, and the median shade obscured; hindwing 
pale olive brownish with white fringe; the <$ is uniform dull grey, but with a strong reddish undertone, and 
without striations; the lines all indistinct; reniform stigma and costal bar well-marked; the orbicular 
a white dot; hindwing as in $. Described from a pair from the Barnard Collection, Australia. Both 
forms are distinguishable at once by their deep pink underside. 
rufimargo. T. rufimargo Warr. (9 i, k). Forewing greyish ochreous faintly tinged or often wholly suffused with 
deep pink; the costal edge often whitish; sometimes the median area, at others the terminal, more rarely 
both, deeper red or brownish red; lines marked by black vein dots, those of the inner line sometimes con¬ 
nected by a grey thread; orbicular stigma a white dot; reniform conspicuous, the inner edge consisting 
of a narrow black crescent, with grey scales preceded by 5 velvety redbrown or black brown spots, 
the outer edge also of 5 spots, the two between veins 5 and 6 confluent; joined at the inner lower 
end by an oblique black bar from costa representing the upper part of median shade; submarginal 
line inconspicuous, slightly paler, with darker edges; apex always pale; the whole wing is covered with 
faint elongate striae of dull olive scales mixed with black atoms; fringe concolorous, with a bright pale 
line at base beyond a row of dark terminal dots; hind wing dull greenish fuscous; the costal area above 
vein 6 and the terminal area dull pink; the fringe pinkish grey, beyond black terminal spots; under¬ 
side of forewing deep pink, with the costal and terminal margins ochreous, of hindwing ochreous, 
with the costal and terminal margins reddish with dark speckling. New Guinea. Of this species, 
separated at once by the deep pink margins of hindwing from T. plagiata Walk., — which also 
grisescens. occurs in New Guinea, — 3 quite distinct aberrations also come from the same locality; — ab. grises- 
cens Warr. (9 k) has the whole forewing olive grey, with the costal edge whitish and dotted with 
black; the lines less distinct, except the teeth of the outer line; the reniform stigma and costal bar 
equally obscured; hindwing with the fuscous and pink areas both darker and more contrasted; — ab. 
pallidistig- pallidistigma Warr. ( 9 k) is larger than the type form, the foreAving suffused with deeper red, and dark- 
ma. en ed by oliA r e fuscous striations and black atoms; the dots of the lines accompanied by dark shades; 
the median shade dark and diffuse throughout, the upper arm not forming a black bar; the reniform 
stigma filled up Avitli whitish ochreous more or less mixed with grey and outlined Avith dull red brown; 
venata. the subterminal line paler and more conspicuous; the Avliole underside deeper red; — ab. venata Warr. 
(10 a) is a development of the last, being darker, oAving to the greater intensity of the olive fuscous stria¬ 
tions; the median area and the terminal as well are deeper than the rest of wing; the subterminal line 
standing out finer and paler; the centre of the reniform stigma is darker grey, while the median shade 
is sometimes continuous across Aving, at others confined to the dark costal portion; the veins, espec¬ 
ially towards termen, are finely whitish. 
