BOTYS (DESMIA?) SERICEA.Plate VI. fig. 1. Order: Lepidoptera. Section: Nocturna. Family: PyralidÆ. Genus. Botys, Latr. Subgenus: Desmia? Westw. in Guer. Mag. d'Ent. Botys (Desmia?) Sericea. Alis sericeis viridi-margaritaceis, anticarum margine antico luteo. (Expans. Alar. 2 unc. 3 lin.) Syn. PhalÆna (Pyralis) Sericea, Drury, App. vol. 2. Habitat: Gold Coast of Africa. Upper Side. Head light green. Eyes black. AntennÆ thread-like, and very long; appearing at the middle as if they had been broken, and had branched out again to their proper length. Thorax and abdomen light green. Tail dark brown. Wings fine light green, almost transparent, and resembling mother of pearl. Anterior edges of the anterior wings pale orange-coloured. Under Side. Palpi, neck, breast, abdomen, and legs light green; except the anterior tibiÆ, which are pale orange. Tail dark brown. Wings of the same colour as on the upper side, immaculate. Wings entire. The curious structure of the antennÆ of this insect (which is, doubtless, peculiar to the males alone) is very similar to that of Desmia maculalis, (Westw. in Mag. Zool.) but the larger size, pearly wings, and different quarters of the globe in which these two species are found, make it doubtful whether the two insects belong strictly to the same subgenus. It is evidently nearly allied to the British genus Margaritia. Mr. Smeathman informed Drury that this is one of the PhalÆnÆ which fly during the day. A little noise or rustling disturbs it, when it takes rapid flights of twenty or thirty yards, hiding itself with great ingenuity, which makes it difficult to catch. SATURNIA CYNTHIA.Plate VI. fig. 2. Order: Lepidoptera. Section: Nocturna. Family: BombycidÆ, Steph. Genus. Saturnia, Schrank. Attacus, Germar. Bombyx p. Fabr. Saturnia Cynthia. Alis falcatis luteo-fuscis, fasci communi albid strig basali lunulÂque discoidali; anticis ocello parvo apicali. (Expans. Alar. 5 unc. 3 lin.) Syn. PhalÆna (Attacus) Cynthia, Drury, App. vol. 2. Oliv. Enc. MÉth. 5. 30. 26. Habitat: China. Upper Side. Head greyish brown. AntennÆ strongly pectinated. Thorax and abdomen greyish. Anterior wings with a bar rising near the middle of the anterior margin, continued along the posterior wings parallel with the external edges, and ending near the abdominal corners; the inner part forming an equilateral triangle. The outer part of this triangle is ash colour, the inner part pale brownish grey, but darker than the rest of the wings. The tips of the superior wings are adorned with a small eye, the lower part of which is black, and the upper part white; from whence a faint white serpentine line runs to the very extremity of the wing. The spaces between the ash colour mentioned above, and the external edges of all the wings, are filled up with light brownish grey, appearing as if powdered thinly with black dust. A small narrow black line runs along the external edges of all the wings, which, beginning at the abdominal corners and ending at the tips, appears as if broken or interrupted just below the eyes. A narrow ash-coloured bar begins on the posterior edges next the shoulders of the superior wings, which, running towards the tips, suddenly turns off, and ends on the anterior edges about half an inch from the shoulders. On the middle of the posterior wings is an ash-coloured crescent, verged at top with black; and about a quarter of an inch above this is another crescent, larger and much fainter, running from the anterior to the abdominal edge, and ending at the extremity of the body. Under Side. All the parts on this side are nearly of the same colour as on the upper, but not quite so distinct and bright. The angular bar on the anterior wings next the shoulders, and the faint crescent on the posterior, not being discernible. The margins of all the wings are entire; the superior ones being hooked at their tips. From Dr. Roxburgh's interesting memoir upon the silk-producing moths of the East Indies,[1] it appears that this species is named the Arundi or Arrindy silk-worm, the caterpillars feeding upon the Arrindi, Ricinus, or Palma Christi. It is capable of being reared in the same way as the common silk-worm, the eggs are hatched in about ten or fifteen days; in about a month the caterpillars attain their full size, during which period they cast their skins three or four times. The caterpillar is from two and a half to three inches in length, each segment being furnished with several small soft conical tubercles, the prevailing colour being pale green. In this state they are very voracious, devouring daily many times their own weight of food. The cocoons are white or yellowish, of a very soft and delicate texture; in general about two or three inches in length, and three in circumference, and pointed at both ends. In this cocoon the chrysalis remains from ten to twenty days, the moth appearing at one end, the period of its final state not extending beyond from four to eight days. The moths are quiet, seldom attempting to fly from the apartment in which they are reared. The silk is so exceedingly delicate and flossy, that it is impracticable to wind it off; it is, therefore, spun like cotton, and the thread thus manufactured is woven into a coarse kind of white cloth, of a loose texture, but of surprising durability, the life of one person seldom being sufficient to wear out a garment made from it, the same piece descending from mother to daughter. It is used not only for clothing, but also for packing light clothes, &c. Some manufacturers in England to whom it was shewn seemed to think that it could be made here into shawls equal to any received from India. DEIOPEIA ASTREA.Plate VI. fig. 3. Order: Lepidoptera. Section: Nocturna. Family: LithosiidÆ, Steph. Genus. Deiopeia, Steph. PhalÆna (Noctua), Drury. Deiopeia Astrea. Alis fulvis; anticis fasciis septem albidis nigro-punctatis, posticis fulvis nigro-punctatis. (Expans. Alar. 1 unc. 7 lin.) Syn. PhalÆna (Noctua) Astrea, Drury, App. vol. 2. Oliv. Enc. MÉth. 8. 261. (Noctua A.) PhalÆna (Bomb.) Pylotis? Fabr. Ent. Syst. III. 1. 479. Gmel. Linn. S. N. 2440. 575. Phal. Geometra cribrata, Gmel. Linn. S. N. 2482. 751. Habitat: The Gold Coast, Africa. Upper Side. Head deep yellow. AntennÆ filiform, dark brown. Neck and thorax yellow, with two small black spots on the former, and four on the latter. Abdomen yellow. Wings deep yellow; the anterior being nearly orange-coloured, and having several rows of small black spots crossing them from the anterior to the posterior edges, most of which are very irregular and uneven; the two last next the external edges being the least so. The number of spots on each of these wings is forty. Posterior wings with black spots, but much larger than those on the anterior, except three, which run along the external edges; the whole number being eleven. Under Side. Palpi yellow, tipped with black. Tongue spiral. Legs, breast, and abdomen yellow, the last spotted with black. Wings deep yellow. The anterior spotted with forty black spots, larger and stronger than on the upper side. Posterior wings also spotted as on the upper side. Edges of all the wings entire. CALLIMORPHA? GLAUCOPIS.Plate VI. fig. 4. Order: Lepidoptera. Section: Nocturna. Family: ArctiidÆ, Steph. Genus. Callimorpha? Latr. ZygÆna p. Fabr. PhalÆna (Bombyx), Drury. Callimorpha? Glaucopis. Collari sanguineo, alis nigricantibus, anticis fasci obliqu niveÂ. (Expans. Alar. 2 unc. 3 lin.) Syn. PhalÆna (Bombyx Spiriling.) Glaucopis, Drury, App. vol. 2. Cramer, tab. 322. f. D. ZygÆna Glaucopis, Fabr. Ent. Syst. III. 1. p. 400. No. 47. Gmel. Linn. S. N. 2397. 140. (Sphinx.) Habitat: Bengal (Drury). Carolina (Fabr.). Upper Side. Head black. AntennÆ black, and very large and deeply pectinated. Neck fine scarlet. Thorax and abdomen black, tinged with mazarine. Wings black, immaculate; except the anterior, whereon is a white bar, beginning near the middle of the anterior edge, crossing the wing, and ending at the lower corners. Under Side. Palpi small and black. Tongue spiral. Breast mazarine, intermingled with black. Legs long and black. Thighs mazarine. Abdomen black, tinged with mazarine. Wings coloured as on the upper side. Edges entire. |