SATURNIA EPIMETHEA.Plate XIII. fig. 1. Order: Lepidoptera. Section: Nocturna. Family: BombycidÆ, Steph. Genus. Saturnia, Schrank. Attacus, Germar. PhalÆna (Attacus), Linn. Saturnia Epimethea. Alis subfuscis strig communi subapicali albÂ, posticis acutÈ angulatis, ocello disci fulvo margine nigro. Syn. PhalÆna (Attacus) Epimethea, Drury, Append. vol. 2. Fab. Ent. Syst. III. 1. 414. No. 23. Gmel. Linn. S. N. 2404. 472. Cramer, Ins. 15. tab. 176. f. A. Oliv. Enc. MÉth. 5. 29. 21. Habitat: New Calabar, Coast of Guinea. Upper Side. AntennÆ strongly pectinated; the extremities appearing like threads. Thorax light brown, tinged with red. Abdomen grey brown. Anterior wings light grey brown, tinged with red at the base; having a narrow dark-coloured bar verged with grey running from the anterior to the posterior edges, parallel and at a little distance from the external margin. Posterior wings grey brown, terminating behind in points like acute angles; a dark narrow bar, edged with white, crosses these wings from the upper corners to the abdominal edges, dividing them into two compartments; in the uppermost of which are placed two eyes, whose centres are yellow, surrounded with black irides edged with red, and which also are encircled with ash-coloured rings. Above these eyes the wings are dark-coloured, almost black; but next the body are of a reddish hue. Under Side. Legs black. Thorax and abdomen same colour as on the upper side. Wings nearly the same colour as on the upper side; the bars being plain and distinct, but the eyes are not observable here. DRYOCAMPA VIRGINIENSIS.Plate XIII. fig. 2. Order: Lepidoptera. Section: Nocturna. Family: BombycidÆ, Steph. Genus. Dryocampa, Harris in Hitchcock's Report on the Geology, &c. of Massachusets (Amherst Mass. 1834. roy. 8vo.) Dryocampa Virginiensis. Alis cervinis, anticis puncto parvo discoidali albo, fasciÂque obliqu pallidiori. (Expans. Alar. 2 unc. 7 lin.) Syn. PhalÆna (Bombyx) Virginiensis, Drury, Append. vol. 2. PhalÆna pellucida, Abbot & Smith Ins. Georg. t. 58? PhalÆna Astynome? Oliv. Enc. MÉth. 5. 43. 73. Habitat: Virginia. Upper Side. AntennÆ setaceous. Head, thorax, and abdomen dark orange. Wings faint fox-coloured; immaculate, except the anterior ones, which have a faint light spot on each, about a third of Under Side. Legs, sides, thorax, and abdomen dark orange. Wings with a faint narrow bar crossing them near their external edges, dividing the wings into two partitions; the lower ones being of the same colour as on the upper side, but those above the bar are of a yellowish fox-colour. Margins of the wings entire. It is questionable whether this figure represents the PhalÆna senatoria or pellucida of Abbot and Smith, by whom the transformations of both species have been illustrated; Smith citing Drury's figure with doubt, as belonging to pellucida. I have much pleasure in adopting the present well-marked genus proposed by Dr. Thaddeus W. Harris, one of the most distinguished American entomologists, in the appendix to the work above referred to; and respecting which I am indebted to that gentleman for the following communications:—"The male of Dryocampa senatoria, of Abbot and Smith, has the basal half of the antennÆ pectinated on both sides, and the apex simple, as in Bombyx (Cerocampa, Kirby; Ceratocampa, Harris's Cat.) regalis and imperialis; and as they are described to be in the genus Zeuzera. The larvÆ are naked, striped, rigid, with acute tubercles, and two thread-like horns on the second segment. They devour the leaves of forest trees, particularly oaks, and enter the earth to become pupÆ. The edges of the segments of the pupÆ are denticulated. On account of these peculiar characters, I have ventured to assign to this a new generical name; under which will be included also Bombyces pellucida, and Stigma, Fabr., figured in Abbot and Smith's Lepidopterous insects of Georgia; together with B. rubicunda, F. all of which are now found to inhabit Massachusets." In addition to the characters mentioned by Dr. Harris, the peculiar form of the posterior wings of the males of these moths may also be noticed, and which are of a triangular form, somewhat like those of Erycina menetas (see vol. 3. pl. 8. fig. 3.), but extending to the extremity of the abdomen. This genus is not far removed, in its natural affinities, from that of Ceratocampa, (see vol. 1. pl. 9.) ÆGOCERA AMABILIS.Plate XIII. fig. 3. Order: Lepidoptera. Section: Crepuscularia? Family: SesiidÆ, Steph. Genus. Ægocera, Latr. Boisduval. Ægocera Amabilis. Alis anticis rufis, maculis (nigro marginatis) margineque interno, albidis; posticis fulvis macul discoidali margineque postico nigris. (Expans. Alar. 1 unc. 6 lin.) Syn. PhalÆna (Noctua) Amabilis, Drury, App. vol. 2. Ægocera Amabilis, Boisduval Hist. Nat. Lepid. pl. 10. B. f. 6. Habitat: Coast of Guinea. Upper Side. Head brown. AntennÆ filiform. Thorax and abdomen yellow brown. Superior wings fine darkish red, with several yellow spots thereon of different shapes, each encircled with black; the posterior and external edges having yellow margins. Posterior wings deep yellow, inclining to Under Side. Legs, sides, thorax, and abdomen pale orange. Anterior wings entirely pale orange and dusky black, without any mixture of red, &c. Posterior wings as on the upper side; the colours being less distinct. Margins of the wings entire. TRIPHÆNA MATERNA.Plate XIII. fig. 4. Order: Lepidoptera. Section: Nocturna. Family: NoctuidÆ, Stephens. Genus. TriphÆna, Ochs. Treit. Steph. PhalÆna (Noctua), Linn. Drury. TriphÆna Materna. Alis anticis grisescentibus aut luteis, fusco irroratis et undulatis, posticis fulvis, macul margineque (albo punctato) atris. Syn. PhalÆna (Noctua) Materna, Linn. Syst. Nat. II. 840. 117. Drury, App. vol. 2. Noctua Materna, Fabr. Ent. Syst. III. 2. p. 16. No. 27. Gmel. Linn. S. N. 2533. 117. Oliv. Enc. MÉth. 8. 259. 39. Noctua hybrida, Fabr. Ent. Syst. 593. 11. Habitat: Bengal. Upper Side. AntennÆ setaceous. Tongue spiral. Palpi yellow, blue at the tips. Head tinged with blue. Thorax olive. Abdomen yellow. Anterior wings light brown and shining; appearing of several colours according to the position they are held in. Posterior wings yellow, with a round black central spot. Margins black, beginning at the middle of the anterior edges, and ending at the abdominal corners where the margin is narrowest; having eight small white spots thereon, placed on the external edges. Under Side. Thorax, abdomen, and sides yellowish ash-coloured. Anterior wings yellow; tips brown, and separated from the yellow by a black streak running from the lower corner to the anterior edge. Posterior wings coloured as on the upper side; the black margin being rather fainter. Margins of the wings dentated. |