Addenda: ZYGAENA. By H. Reiss. 
263 
Z. nobilis Reiss. (= armena car. Rom.‘I) (16 1) was discovered in 1914 near Oni (N. E. Kutai) in the nobilis. 
Caucasus. I presume that nobilis is related to sedi, but its classification as a subspecies will only come into 
question, when intermediary forms are found. The striking blue (more rarely green) gloss of the ground 
colour in both sexes is common to nobilis and sedi. The brilliant carmine red of the spots and hindwings, 
which in nobilis is even a shade more brilliant, the 3rd basal spot (2 a) towards the inner margin of fore¬ 
wings, the narrow margin of hindwings and the confluence of the spots on underside despite their considerable 
reduction as compared with sedi, are all common to both. The whitish collar is distinct in $, sometimes 
even there is a double collar. Thorax and abdomen are black both in sedi and nobilis, having a faint bluish 
sheen. The antennae have rather heavier clubs than those of sedi. The sexes, which do not vary much in 
themselves, vary in the arrangement and size of the spots. I refer in this respect to the illustrations of the 
types of and $ from my collection. In the $ only spot 4 is completely narrowly circumscribed by yellowish 
white. Spot 3 is more or less rudimentary and more narrowly edged than spot 4, spot 2 has an outward narrow 
edge, the twin spot (6, 6) generally shows at spot 5 and below spot 6 traces of a circumscription, spots 1 
and 2 a have no'surround at all. In one of the series of types, spots 5 and 6 which are otherwise confluent, 
are almost separated; two have on the upperside of abdomen in the usual situation a very narrow, scarcely 
discernible red belt. 
In the $ spots 1 and 2 outwardly are edged by yellow, spots 3 and 4 are conjoined with one another 
by yellow circumscriptions. Both more widely so than in the $ and the apical spot (5, 6) is completely 
surrounded by yellowish. Spot 2 a is separated by the yellow surround of the confluent spots 1 and 2. In 
comparison to nobilis <$, sliwenensis shows a greater reduction in the spots and narrower edges to same. 
Spots 3 and 4 in nobilis are always separated by the ground colour whilst in sliwenensis the yellow cir¬ 
cumscriptions merge. The nobilis which are exceedingly constant cannot be mistaken for sliwenensis $2 
which have only slightly reduced spot markings as compared to sedi $$ and with which in general they are 
very similar. 
4. fraxini Group. 
p. 22, line 10 from top. Z. fraxini Menetr. The types (2 SB) originate from around Lenkoran on 
the Caspian sea. The second area indicated “Persia” really referred to those territories of Transcaucasia, which 
at the time of the description belonged to Persia. The present day Persia was not intended. The author 
compares the species to Z. olivieri Bsd. As differentiating characteristics he mentions the steely blue ground 
colour of forewings, the absence of the red collar and the red abdominal belt. Thorax and abdomen are a 
nice glossy black. The two central spots (3 and 4) are completely encircled by yellowish white, the double 
apical spot (5 and 6) however is only edged in this way on its inner side. Menetries described the 9 as if 
it were a separate species from fraxini. It differs from scovitzii S and the $ specimen happened to have a 
carmine red abdominal belt on one segment that was indistinct on dorsum, but distinct ventrally. This 
scovitzii Men. (= scovitzii Lederer ) did not emanate from Ferghana, as has hitherto been erroneously presu¬ 
med, but the $ type was also captured in the neighbourhood of Lenkoran. In regard to the second specimen 
mentioned in the original description as from Persia, refer to what was mentioned above under fraxini. The 
denomination scovitzii Men. can only be utilised for $$ of fraxini that have distinct red abdominal belts. 
It is assumed that the usual fraxini $ is without a red abdominal belt, but that is has a white collar and 
rather heavy yellowish white circumscriptions to the spots of forewings. Hindwings in both sexes have bluish 
black margins which are most pronounced at apex and inner angle. 
Should the race of fraxini from Elisabethpol and Helenendorf prove to be different from the type 
race from Lenkoran, which I think likely, then it must be denominated var. oribasus H.-Schdff. The follow- oribasus. 
ing are to be enumerated as synonyms: carneolica Freyer n. praeocc., rognada Bsd., fraxini H.-Schdff ., oribasus 
Freyer, fraxini Seitz (Vol. 2, pi. 7 e). The var. oribasus H.-Schdff. is a transitionary race to var. perdita 
Stgr. Specimens occur with spots 5 and 6 separated in S, other specimens have been found with very wide 
yellowish white circumscriptions to the spots and wider margins to hindwings. In this race $$ with red ab¬ 
dominal belts, ab. scovitzii {Men.) Stgr. are not rare. Transitions are fairly frequent. The denomination scovitzii. 
cingulata Shelf, is a synonym. — The ab. confluens Shelf, mentioned on p. 22, line 12 from top, belongs to 
merzbacheri Reiss not to fraxini. 
p. 22, line 12 from top. The var. perdita Stgr. (16 1) originates from around Nucha in the southern 
Caucasus and was discovered by Christoph. In this form the apical spot 5 and 6 dissolves into two separated 
spots, in the <$ spot 6 is fairly often quite absent, so that a five-spotted Zygaena is evolved. The whitish 
surrounds to the spots of forewing are much enlarged at the expense of the carmine rose spots which are 
thus reduced in size. The blue-black margin to hindwings is enwidened There is occasionally a blue-black 
patch like a streak projecting from base towards the rather considerably enlarged bulge (dentation) of the 
margin of hindwings at inner angle. The have a faint whitish grey collar. The <2 type ex Staitdihger’s 
collection is illustrated. 
