
——<— 
944 BRITISH MOTHS 
half-loopers, or those with the body slender ; the wings without distinct stigmata ; the flight occasionally diurnal ; 
the caterpillars half-loopers, but with sixteen feet, and the cocoons never subterranean. 
The Phytometre are divided by him into three sections :— 
Ist, Metallica, or the genus Plusia of modern authors. (See Plates 51 and 52.) 
9nd, Graciles, with slender bodies; and f comprised a our Plates 63 and 64 - 
3rd, Solares, with more robust bodies, and variegated wings, ;' 
whilst his Hemigeometre occupy our Plates 55 and 56. 
The name Phytometra has been restricted to the pretty little insects next described, by Mr. Stephens, who 
has entirely rejected Ochsenheimer’s name, Anthophila, which has been used in other departments of Entomology. 
Guénée and Boisduval, however, still retain the latter name, Guénée, giving it to other insects, and using 
Phytometra for our species, which is distinguished from all the allied species by its long, ascending, compressed | 
palpi, with a long, ensiform, terminal joint ; the antennz are slender and setaceous ; the thorax and abdomen not 
crested ; the fore wings are somewhat triangular, acute at the tip, and without stigmata; the perfect insect flies 
by day in heathy places in July and August. 
SPECIES 1—PHYTOMETRA ZENEA. Puare LIV., Fie. 2. 
Synonymes.—WVociua @nea, Wien; Verz; Hiibner; Haworth; Noctua olivacea, Vieweg. 
Stephens; Wood, Ind. Ent. pl. 17, fig. 428. Noctua laccata, Scopoli. 
Noctua latruncula, Esper. 
This species measures 2 inch in the expanse of the fore wings, which are brown, olive-brown, or pitchy brown, 
with an oblique, purple fascia beyond the middle of the wing, and a broad apical margin of the same colour, 
separated from each other by an undulating darker striga; hind wings olive-brown, with the margin purplish. 
This species is very variable in the colour of the fore wings, which are occasionally destitute of the subundulated 
a 
fascia, or purple colour. It is not uncommon on heaths in the south of England. 
ACOSMETIA, Svrsruens. 
The species of this group have the body long and slender ; the palpi short, with the terminal joint short and 
obtuse ; the antenne slightly pectinated in the males ; the head slightly tufted ; the thorax not crested; the fore 
wings elongate, triangular, and destitute of markings. 
SPECIES 1.—ACOSMETIA LUTESCENS. Prare LIV., Fie. 3. 
Synonyur.—Phytometra lutescens, Haworth ; Stephens; Wood, Ind. Ent. pl. 17, fig. 429. 
This species measures 1 inch in the expanse of the fore wings, which are of a pale reddish luteous nearly 
unicolorous, and destitute of markings, but rather redder on the costa; the hind wings brownish ; the cilia of all 
the wings rufescent ; those of the fore wings darker. Very rare. Taken at Lyndhurst, Hampshire, in July. 

SPECIES 2.—ACOSMETIA CALIGINOSA. Purare LIV., Fie. 4. 
Synonymes.— Noctua caliginosa, Hiibner ; Haworth; Stephens ; Wood, Ind. Ent. pl. 17, fig. 430. 
Anthophila infida, Ochsenheimer, 
This species measures rather more than 1 inch in the expanse of the fore wings, which are grayish or reddish- 
brown, with two more or less obscure strige across the middle of the wings ; 
the second more curved, and 
indicated by dots on the veins ; also a paler, waved, but almost obliterated subapical striga ; hind wing's 
darker towards the anal angle. Very rare. Taken in the New Forest in June. 
gray, 

