192 
PARAPSESTIS; POLYPLOCA. By Dr. A. Seitz. 
S ‘ pseudomaculata Houlb. (15 g). The outer 2 / 3 rds of forewing, which are a milky pale colour, contrast 
• sharply from the dark brown of the basal %rd, which has a somewhat irregular outer outline. Besides the 
fore wing has a dark marginal hand, which is bounded on the upperside by the dark apical stripe. W. China 
8. Genus: Parapsestis Warr. 
For this Genus, which was established in Vol. 2, p. 329, a further form has now become known: 
meleagris. Ps. rneleagris Houlb. (15 g). In this the wide white bands that in argenteopicta Oberth. (Vol. 2. p 329 
pi. 49 g) traverse the forewings, are replaced by chains of small white dots. From Ta-tsien-lu in W. China. 
Ps. plumbea Btlr. which in Vol. 2, p. 329, pi. 56 b, was enumerated as an aberration of argenteopicta 
(ibid. pi. 49 g) is held by Houlbert to be a genuine species; however in the Tring Museum there are tran¬ 
sition forms. 
asema 
variegata 
hartwiegi. 
anglica 
interrupta 
nigrescens , 
haverkamp- 
fi 
unimacula- 
ta. 
obscura. 
fasciata. 
unifasciata. 
flavistig- 
mata. 
serenoides. 
9. Genus: Polyploca Hbn. 
P. diluta F. (Vol. 2, p. 329, pi. 49 f). Dannehl describes from the S. Tyrol an ab. asema Dhl which 
has unicoloured dark grey forewings on upperside, devoid of markings. — variegata Splr. has narrow trans- 
. veise bands, edged with brown and yellow-white, near the base an ivory coloured patch. — hartwiegi Beis- 
ser (= diluta Hbn. nec F.) has on forewings a very prominent dark antemedian transverse band of abt 2 mm 
width and a somewhat narrower similar postmedian band. Between these bands the pale ground colour 
contrasts very clearly. According to Reisser this is the north german form, whilst the typical diluta F. is 
the southern, especially austrian form. There are however innumerable transition forms. — bipuncta Dup 
should not have been stated as synonymous of diluta , but of duplaris (Turner). 
P. flavicornis L. (Vol. 2, p. 330, pi. 49 h). To the subforms enumerated in Vol. 2, p. 330 we have to 
add ab. rosea Tutt with reddish or violet suffused forewings and the subspecies anglica Houlb. with yellow- 
grey or greenish tone to the ground colour of forewings; from England. To these is to be added the ab. 
interrupta Houlb. in which the oval discoidal spot is somewhat elongated, so that it touches the two first 
lines of the inner group of lines. The aberration is found in an english collection, there being one such 
aberration among 8 specimens. It is only labelled “Perth”. — nigrescens Houlb. (15 g) refers to a sinole 
specimen from Perthshire (Scotland) in which on forewing dark and light transverse bands alternate. This 
is probably an accidental variation. The value of denominating such colour variations is illuminated by 
a remark of Engramelle, who says, that in this species no two specimens are identically alike — ab 
haverkampf. Lamb, has unicoloured silvery grey forewings, only the discoidal spot and an undulate line 
are retained as markings. — In the form unimaculata Splr., which is mentioned as having been found 
on the Amur, the orbicular stigma is absent. — obscura Splr. are specimens of dark shade, in which 
this duskiness especially spreads on to the hindwings. — fasciata Teich are also dark specimens, but here 
in the basal area inwardly of the central band there are 3 and outwardly of same 2 remarkably wide 
blackish transverse lines. — ab. unifasciata Splr. in contrast hereto are pale specimens in which the 
inner transverse band area is darkened, whilst the outer transverse lines have become obscure. — terrosa 
Tiaes. ( ol. 2, pi. 49 f) appears to be a constant Amur form, in which the stigmata are almost completely 
extinct. — On the other hand flavistigmata Tutt, originating from England, appears to be an accidental 
variation. In it the stigmata stand out prominently and are dark yellowish. 
P ' r ^ ens ^■ (Vol. 2, p. 330, pi. 49 i and 56 c). For this and the following species Hoitlbert establishes 
w w U ; S Parmdina ~ - The form serenoides Gn. (16 c) seems rather to be a form of the british xanthoceros 
Hbn (Vol. 2, p. 330,^ pi. 56 c), than of the nominotype. It more closely resembles the form concinna Warr. 
(Vol. 2 , p. 330, pi. o6 c), however not the whole outer area is white, but the forewing is widely dark grey 
rx O _9 1/ _ T71 SV . t* . . , ° J oJ 
nigricans, anteriorly to an extent of 1 
variegata. 
mm. 
From Great Britain. — ab. nigricans Splr. is a melanic form, confined 
to no particular locality, in which the ground colour of forewings is very dusky and even the whitish markings 
are obscured. — ab. variegata Splr. has also darker forewings, but the whitish markings are inclined to be more 
extensive Also in this species there is an interrupta Tutt (Vol. 2, p. 330) of which the author creates the 
following further combinations of names to accord with rather more whitish or yellowish colour tones- inter¬ 
rupta-alba Tutt ed interrupta-ochrea Tutt. — The illustration that Esper gave of this species about 150 years 
ago, has been designated as an illustration of a “variety” and the name given at that time of erythrocephala 
usp. has been revived for similar specimens, which have a warm dark tone and thorax of somewhat reddish 
brown colour. - The name ridens (latin for “the laugher”) has nothing to do with the bright colouration 
which some continental authors seem to indicate, but with the markings of the head of the larvae, which 
have a deriding look”. 
P. korbi Bbl. from Asia Minor varies considerably, can however certainly be distinguished from ridens 
by the smoother scaling of the forewings on which the outer transverse streak does not bend inwards on 
erythroce¬ 
phala. 
