AND THEIR TRANSFORMATIONS. 183 
Insects.—Fig. 6. Trachea atriplicis (the wild arrach), 7. The Caterpillar. 
os Fig. 8. Valeria oleagina (the green brindled dot). 9. The Caterpillar. 
E Fig. 10. Miselia bimaculosa (the bouble spot brocade). 
7 Fig. 11. Miselia templi (the brindled ochre), 
re Fig. 12. Miselia oxyacanthee (the green brindled crescent). 
as Fig. 13. Miselia aprilina (the marvel du jour). 14, The Caterpillar. 
ss Fig. 15. Miselia compta (the marbled coronet). 
5 Fig. 16.- Miselia albimacula (the white spotted coronet), 
Prants.—Fig. 17, Erica tetralix (the cross-leaved heath), 
Figs. 1, 3, 5, 6, 8, 10, 15, and 16, are from specimens in the British Museum; 11 is from a specimen in the cabinet of Mr. Bentley, and 
12 and 13 are from specimens furnished me by Mr. H. Doubleday. There is a dark variety of M. Oxyacanthe, which, however, I have not 
thought necessary to add to this plate, as the remarkable serpentine white line near the posterior angle of the fore wing is always sufficiently 
clear to identify the species ; indeed all the other markings remain perfectly defined, though the general deep brown colour, and the absence of 
the glittering green scales, or some of the principal nervures, give it a different aspect at a first glance. 
The caterpillars are all from Hiibner. H. N. H. 
LYCOPHOTIA, Hisyer. (SCOTOPHILA, Srzpn. nuc Borsp.) 
The species upon which this genus is founded has been much misunderstood as to its natural relations. By 
several modern authors it has been united with Achatia spreta (piniperda Kob), from which it was generically 
separated by Mr. Stephens. By Boisduval it is united, together with A. rectangula, plecta,” musciva, and some 
others, into a genus under the name of Chersotis; whilst Guénée introduces it into his genus Noctua, 
corresponding, for the most part, with our genus Graphiphora ; and it is impossible, on comparing our figures of 
the larvee of these groups, not to be convinced that it is certainly allied to the Hadene and Graphiphore. As 
there is much discrepancy in the employment of the generic name Scotophila, by Hiibner, Boisduval, and Stephens, 
the name having been taken from a species (Noctua livida, Fab. ; N. scotophila, Esper, which ought to be 
retained for its type), I have employed Hiibner’s name, Lycophotia. The thorax is not crested; the antenne 
of the males are slightly pectinated ; the wings are entire and deflexed ; and the palpi with the basal joints clothed 
with long scales, and the terminal joint naked and subacute. The caterpillar feeds upon heath, and the 
chrysalis is enclosed in cocoons of earth and dry leaves, at the foot of the plant on which the caterpillar fed. 
- 
SPECIES 1.—LYCOPHOTIA PORPHYREA. Pratt XXXIX., Fie. 1, 2. 
Synonymes.—Voctua porphyrea, Wien. Verz.; Hiibner; Stephens ; Noctua birivia, Borkhausen. 
Wood, Ind. Ent. pl. 13, fig. 286. Ph. Noct. varia, Villers. 
Noctua picta, Fabricius. Noctua Erica, Donovan, vol. x., pl. 360, fig. 1 ; Haworth; Harris 
. » 5 i 
Noctua concinna, Esper. Expos. pl. 5., f. 6. 
Noctua lepida, Esper. 
This species measures rather more or less than an inch in the expanse of the fore wings, which are of a 
reddish ash-colour, clouded with blackish ; the costa with alternaté black and white dots; near the base of the 
wing is an undulated white striga, edged with black, bearing several short whitish dashes; the anterior stigma 
is small, round, and white; the outer one kidney-shaped and greyish, with a white border; there is also a 
teliform, supplemental, cinereous-coloured stigma, edged with black; the third striga is white, very much arched, 
and dentated with another series of white dashes next the apical margin, which has a row of black dots; the 
cilia are rufescent ; the hind wings are ashy, with a marginal row of black dots. The caterpillar is brownish buff, 
with longitudinal dusky lines at the sides, and pale diamond-shaped spots edged with dusky lines on the back. 
The perfect insect is found on heaths at the end of July, but is not common. 


