
Tee a ENA OOS 

AND THEIR TRANSFORMATIONS. 248 
holding its body much bent, and standing only on its prolegs ; the moth is very rare; it flies about thistles in 
blossom, growing in hot dry places, in June and July, and has occurred in Battersea Fields, and several parts 
of Kent. 
MICRA Gutniéz. (HRASTRIA, p., Srepnens, Curtis.) 
The antennz are short and filiform in both sexes; the palpi are elevated, with the terminal joint distinct ; the 
thorax and abdomen not crested ; the wings with deep cilia, acute at the tip, and with distinct lines. The 
caterpillars have only 12 feet: they are thick and setigerous, with the extremities attenuated ; they feed on low 
growing plants, and the chrysalides are inclosed in cocoons spun amongst leaves or moss. ‘The perfect insects fly 
during the day in dry and exposed situations, 
SPECIES 1—MICRA HAWORTHANA. Puare LIII., Fie. 30. 
Synonymes.—Phylometra minuta, Haworth; (but not of Hiibner, Treitschke, &c.) Stephens; Wood, Ind. Ent. pl. 17, fig. 423. 
This species measures about 2% of an inch in the expanse of the fore wings, which are of a creamy white, 
varied with brown, lead-coloured, luteous, red and olivaceous tints, the basal portion being white, followed by a 
broad bar arising from two spots, one before and the other beyond the middle of the costa, and which unite 
behind the stigmata, being much darker behind than towards the costa; the subapical striga is pale and deeply 
angulated towards the anal angle, terminating towards the costa in a dark dot ; and the apical margin has a row 
of small black dots resting upon an irregular olivaceous yellow cloud; the hind wings ashy-white, with the 
margin darker. This species has not been taken in this country for many years; few specimens only of it 
occurring in cabinets, whence it has been regarded as a doubtful species. As there are, however, eight or nine 
continental species of this group, this species may possibly be identical with one of them. It differs from 
M. minuta of Hiibner, with which Haworth united it, as may be seen by comparing our figure with that of 
Hiibner, copied in our plate 53, fig. 19. 

SPECIES 2.—MICRA OSTRINA. Puare LIII., Fre. 21. 
Synonrmes.—Voctua ostrina, Hubner; Curtis, Brit. Ent. pl. 140; Stephens ; Wood, Ind. Ent. pl. 17, fig. 418. 
This species measures 3 inch in the expanse of the fore wings, which are slightly cinereous towards the base, 
with a ferruginous line in the middle; a dull, irregular, orange space across the middle, in which is a dusky circle, 
and followed by a lilac fascia, darker externally, where is a much-dentated, white striga, emitting black dashes, 
directed inwardly ; the costa with four white dots ; the apical margin luteous, and the cilia long and pale ; the 
hind wing whitish-ochre, with the margin dusky. Taken in June, 1825, in a dry lane near Bideford, Devon, 
by the late Captain Blomer. Boisduval gives it as distinct from M. purpurina, and states that it appears in the 
spring as well as the summer, and that the eestival specimens vary considerably. 


PHYTOMETRA, Sreruens (Haworts, sect. 3, Pars). ANTHOPHILA, Ocusenueimer. 
Mr. Haworth, with great justice, separated the great group of Noctuideous moths into three sections or 
Ist, Noctua, containing the great mass of the group ; 2nd, Phytometra,* or the day 
genera as. he named them ; | 
the wings with indistinct stigmata, and the flight 
half-loopers, containing those species with a rather thick body ; | 
diurnal, as well as vespertinal, and of which the caterpillars have only twelve feet ; and, 3rd, Hemigeometra, the 
——— 
* Misnumbered by him 10 instead of 11. 
ee 

~ 
a. 
1 tL SL ener mn srens 
== rs 

Pr 7) a. } 
