52 
AGROTIS. By Dr. A. Corti and Dr. M. Draudt. 
justified denomination of the form with browner ground colour with reddish brown superficial dusting in 
outer area and sharply pronounced transverse markings; also the hindwings are suffused with grey-brown. 
It appears to be a local race from Tunis, but also occurs in Cyrenaica. — Still more pronounced than cata- 
andreasi. launensis, there is - aildreasi Trti. (Ccrti i. 1.) (6e) with almost pure white ground colour and bold black 
transverse markings and stigmata. This form was first bred from the ova by K. Andreas from Monastir. —- 
radius, radius Haw. As the illustration in the Main Volume leaves something to be desired, we are giving a fresh 
lignosa. illustration (6d). This is certainly the most widely distributed form. - lignosa God. considered by many to 
be the usual dark $ form, which, however, also occurs in the $ sex and denotes here specimens of very dark 
dull grey-brown ground colour, from which stigmata and transverse lines are only faintly visible. Still darker 
nigra, brown CC are named — obscura Tutt and quite black — nigra. Other forms described are —- amartia 
amarha. R c Ji aw _ from 2 aberrative C6'- forewings remarkably pale brown with whitish subterminal. Only the reniform 
joannisi. stigma and base of costa are somewhat brownish. From Bosnia-Her zegowina. — joannisi Dufrane denotes a 
similar pale aberration: forewings pale greenish yellow, base of costa somewhat browner, transverse lines very 
faint, stigmata with delicate black-brown circumscriptions, only the reniform stigma with a slight brownish 
centre; hindwings pure white. Algeria (El Golea). The following further aberrative forms have been describ- 
nuda. ed: — nuda Dili, yellowish white-grey, entirely devoid of markings and — subrubra Dhl. with reddish ground 
sub) ulna. cc q our; which is similar to that of renitens, without transverse lines, with pure white hindwings; from central 
Italy. In the Taurus (Marash) radius occurs, as also elsewhere, in 2 generations, in March and again in 
renitens. September, October. Whilst the spring form corresponds to renitens Hbn., which is the common form in cen¬ 
tral and southern Europe, the autumn form lias a different appearance, which varies so constantly from all 
syricola. otherwise known radius forms, that it should be separated and designated — syrieola /. n. (Corti i. 1.) (6e); 
these specimens are usually larger, the CC grey without any brown, very clearly marked, the $$ correspond 
in the majority to the usual lignosa form, but they are usually rather less dark on hindwings and with fairly 
saracenica. clear markings. Under the name - - saracenica Tams (6 e) there are in the collection of Corti unusually 
large specimens with wide wings from northern Arabia; grey with especially well developed transverse shadow 
roiroui. markings. We are illustrating one of these specimens. — rotroui Rothsch. (6 e) described from Oran, are red- 
brown specimens with remarkably heavy black marks on costa of which the anterior one merges with the 
silvestrii. claviform stigma. A more extreme form — silvestrii Trti. (6 f) is quite dark coppery brown with hindwings 
suffused with dusky brown. Corti considered this most decidedly to be a radius form, whilst Dorati described 
same as a genuine species. From a single specimen from Benghasi (Cyrenaica). 
A. spinifera Hbn. (Vol. 3, p. 27, pi. 5 g). 
obsolescens. A. simplonia Hbn.-G. (Vol. 3, p. 30, pi. 6 e). — obsolescens Strd. is a form that occurs chiefly in southern 
umbratilis. european localities. Forewings are suffused with brown with dark speckles. - umbratilis Wgnr. is dark slate- 
grey, also the hindwings being much darker, only the fringes remaining yellowish buff. From the Ortler region 
nigricans, and Lower Austrian Alps (Diirrnstein). —nigricans Iioffm. from the Trawies Alp. With dark grey-black ground 
colour with still darker transverse stripes and undulate lines. It is probably the same as the preceding 
svffusa. form, in which case this name would have right of priority. - suffusa Hoffm. are transition specimens, some¬ 
what darker than type form, but distinguishable by their very indistinct markings, so that the wings appear 
calcigena. almost unicolourous; Styria. — calcigena Sohn-R. (6f) denote the opposite, a much paler, silvery grey, 
sometimes almost chalky white form from the Abruzzi (Gran Sasso); the wing contour is somewhat narrower, 
the build more delicate than in simplonia, markings reduced and finer; except for the dark reniform stigma 
and the two transverse lines the forewings are devoid of markings, the dark shading and the marginal spots 
being absent. Body almost pure white. This fine form occurs at an altitude of 1800 -2400 m in July. To 
the areas of distribution already given, one must add Styria and Carinthia; it is also found in the illyrian- 
adriatic zone. Its emergence is relatively early for the altitudes at which it occurs, the imagines being found from 
mid-June; the golden-yellow scales that are loosely superficial on freshly emerged specimens are soon lost. 
The inert larvae are typically subterranean, grey-brown with pale central discal line, 2 closely approximated 
subdorsal lines and a somewhat wider undulate lateral line; warts pale brown, blue-grey ventrally; head 
and scutellum stout, brown with pale subdivision. When touched it rolls up. It feeds on grasses and is full 
montana. fed at end of August. — montana Kozh. held to be a species by the author and described from a single 3, 
is classified here by Corti with a query. It is similar to simplonia, of darker ground colour with heavy ad¬ 
mixture of black and white scales; somewhat smaller than simplonia , otherwise similarly marked, with 3 black 
distinct transverse lines, the stigmata somewhat smaller, but with more distinct black circumscriptions; 
claviform stigma absent; hindwings dark grey with white fringes. Head and thorax with dense grey hairs. 
Wing expanse: 32 mm. Pamir. 
jlavina. A. flavins H.-Schdff. (Vol. 3, p. 41, pi. 12 c). A. very difficult group of forms. Corti has partly put 
down his views in an exchange of letters with F. AVagner and Caradja. From these there is no doubt that 
ochrina. also — ochrina Stgr. (Vol. 3, p. 41, pi. 12 b) belongs to the same species and is only a more ochreous browny 
form, that occurs in Anatolia among typical specimens. There is no difference in the outer physical structure 
brunneopic- or in the genitalia. brmwseopicta Corti i. 1. (6g) is a very large cinnamon-brown, very well marked form 
ta. 
