Publ. 7. VII. 1933. 
RHYACIA. By Dr. A. Corti & Dr.. M. Draudt. 
65 
Rh. collina Bsd. (Vol. 3, p. 47, pi. 12 b). The illustration in Main Volume is not good, being much collina. 
too broad in the wing and too large. A better illustration is now given here (8 h). — The following aberrations 
are described: — ab. roseggeri Schaw. has violet-brown ground colour instead of greyish red. From Krieg- rosegyeri. 
lach. — ab. loebeli Rebel has paler brownish grey ground colour, which is not darker towards margin, the veins loebeli. 
therefore appearing more distinct; besides the cell is not black. Also from Krieglach. — ab. nigroniarginata nigro- 
Lange (Hoffm. i. 1.) has the entire marginal area from posterior transverse line and including the fringes, marr J inala - 
a deep black-brown, so that the subterminal line is invisible. Mountains of Saxony. — kenteana Stgr. is a lcenteana. 
paler form with fainter markings, which we are illustrating (8i). Ground colour is pale brownish grey, the 
black basal streak is absent; both transverse lines are less distinct. Besides, this form is somewhat smaller. 
From Kentei. 
Rh. Jordami Trti. (12 k). The position of this curious moth is indeed rather doubtful. It has been com- jordani. 
pared to obscura, to hyperborea and then again to molothina, porphyrea and agathina and now finally Corti 
seems to consider same as being nearest to collina, owing to similarities in the genitalia and we are therefore 
classifying same here. Forewings monotonous brown to violet-black with intermixture of grey. The double 
transverse lines are more or less distinct; the pale orbicular stigma is small, bi-pupillate, reniform stigma 
with black centre and pale inner edge; black sagittate marks before the subterminal line. Hindwings dusky 
grey with paler fringes. Antennae yellowish, bipectinate — chalybaea Trti. is a greyer, more boldly marked form chalybaea. 
with colouration like that of senna. From Sardinia and Corsica. 
Rh. devota Chr. (Vol. 3, p. 55, pi. 15 i). With this species a very difficult group of closely related species devota. 
commences. The illustration in Main Volume being unsatisfactory we are again illustrating this species (8 k), 
that is so very like renigera. The transverse lines are much less pronounced than is generally the case in renigera. 
Compare what is said under renigera in regard to this species. From same it will be observed that devota is held 
by some to be a form of forficula. 
saturatci. 
funestissi- 
ma. 
nigrescens. 
argentina. 
caerulescens. 
Rh. argentea Kozh. is placed in the renigera group and is most like devota. Ground colour is a glossy argentca. 
pale grey with faintly darker grey or blackish marking; the stigmata are completely absent, transverse lines 
are only faintly visible and slightly undulate, being often only discernible in their commencements on costa. 
On the other hand the central shade is often rather heavy. Hindwings paler at base, without discal spot. Wing 
expanse: 36 mm. Semiretshje (Pishpek). 
Rh. renigera Him. (Vol. 3, p. 55, pi. 13 e). Corti has published several notes regarding this species, renigera. 
According to his views, Staitdinger’s creation of the forms intermedia and turana was not justified, as there 
are too many transitions in this exceedingly variable species. Even the common european form varies to an extra¬ 
ordinary degree. Specimens occur from grey-white to orange-yellow and grey-black with yellow, black and orange 
coloured admixtures. Similarly the hindwings vary from pale grey to orange-brown and again to black in almost 
all possible graduations of shades. The same applies to the distinctness of the markings, which are occasionally 
very definitely clear and then again scarcely discernible. In asiatic specimens there is an inclination towards 
reddish colouration ( erubescens Stgr.) (8 k). Bang-Haas has denominated an especially extreme erubescens 
as: — saturata i. 1. — funestissima Bub. denotes a good form from Sierra Nevada, which is characterised by 
very dark grey-black fore wings. We are illustrating a specimen of this denomination from the Pyrenees (8 1) 
which Corti had classified here. — nigrescens Kitt. is a transition to same. Corti would have preferred to 
include this form under funestissima . It was described from Le Vernet in the East Pyrenees. — argentina 
Car. ( = argentea Car.) (8 k as “argentea”) is a very fine, thoroughly justified subspecies of pale silvery grey 
colour from the southern Dobrudja (Balcic) on the Silver Coast. — caerulescens Wgnr. (8 1) is a remarkable 
grey-blue race from Sultan-Dagh in Asia Minor and this is especially noteworthy, as in the neighbouring steppes 
of Akshehir exclusively the form erubescens occurs. Corti has therefore expressed the opinion that this may 
possibly be a genuine species; caerulescens has diffuse markings and a rosy tinge in marginal area. Underside 
with strikingly wide, dark and sharply defined marginal area and wide white margin, which is characteristic 
of the forficula and hadjina forms. — contermina Corti (81) has almost unicoloured very pale sandy coloured contermina. 
fore and hindwings which are more delicately suffused with rose in the $ than in the <£, markings more or 
less distinctly marked with deep brown and ochreous. From Aleppo. — furiosa A. B.-H. (81) is a large form, furiosa. 
dusted with violet-reddish, boldly marked with deep black costal spots and grey-black hindwings; from Garni 
(Peter the Great Mountains). As the illustrations in the Main Volume of the type, as well as of the form funebris 
are not good, we are giving fresh illustrations of both again here (8 k and 1). 
Kozhantschikov has made a special study of the group of forms around renigera and he would group 
them quite differently. According to his researches the species belonging here can be divided into 2 groups 
according to the genitalia. The first type would include all the species with equally wide valves which are 
slightly chitinous and having narrow pointed harpes; the superficial characteristics of this group are obtuse- 
angled wings with delicate markings. The following would thus be classified here: forficula Ev. (= dumosa 
Donz., caucasica Stgr.) with ab. hadjina Stgr., ab. zeituna Stgr., ab. turana Stgr., ab. intermedia Stgr., ado. erubes¬ 
cens Stgr., ab. devota Chr., ? ab. furiosa B.-H., ? ab. nigrescens Kitt., ? ab. funestissima Bub. The 2nd type 
would embrace the species with firm, heavily chitinous valves having a sharply curved upper edge and wide 
Supplementary Volume 3 9 
