  EREBUS FLUCTUOSUS.Plate XIV. fig. 1. Order: Lepidoptera. Section: Nocturna. Family: NoctuidÆ, Steph. Genus. Erebus, Latr. Thysania, Dalm. Noctua, Fabr. Erebus Fluctuosus. Alis fuscis, fasci communi pallidÂ, marginibus latÈ nigris internÈ dentatis, anticis ocello magno auriformi. (Expans. Alar. 3 unc. 1½ lin.) Syn. PhalÆna (Noctua) fluctuosa, Drury, App. vol. 2. Habitat: Sierra Leone. Upper Side. AntennÆ setaceous. Head and thorax brown. Tongue spiral. Wings dark hair-coloured, or russet brown; divided into two compartments by a clay-coloured line, which beginning at the anterior edges of the anterior near the middle, and crossing them and the posterior, meets at the extremity of the body: the inner compartment being brown, the outward one clay; which is again separated by an irregular waved line, beginning at the tips and ending at the abdominal corners. All the outward part is brown. Two black spots are placed on the anterior wings next the anterior edges, and near the middle. Under Side. Palpi distinct, and like bristles at their extremities. Breast, legs, and wings light brown. A row of cream spots, angularly shaped, are placed along the wings; the outward part being furnished with about twenty-eight small cream spots irregularly placed. Margins of the posterior wings dentated, of the anterior entire. According to Mr. Smeathman this species is easily disturbed during the day. It flies exceedingly rapid, and has a method of striking a leaf or bough at two or three feet distance from the place where it really settles. Whether this be done to break the violence of its motion, and enable it to settle without injury to its body; or for the purpose of deceiving its pursuers, is not easily ascertained; it has, however, the latter, and probably both effects; most of the locusts do this, for they certainly strike some branch with a good deal of violence just before they alight, the motion of which deceives the eyes and baffles the pursuer. GEOMETRA ARGENTATA.Plate XIV. fig. 2. Order: Lepidoptera. Section: Nocturna. Family: GeometridÆ, Steph. Genus. Geometra, Auct. Subgenus. ——? Geometra Argentata. Alis pallidÈ griseis, anticis fasciis duabus, posticis unic flavis, utrinque argenteo-marginatis his ocello marginali obscuro. (Expans. Alar. 1 unc. 9 lin.) Syn. PhalÆna (Geometra) Argentata, Drury, App. vol. 2. Habitat: Jamaica. Upper Side. AntennÆ filiform. Body grey. Wings pale yellowish grey. A narrow yellow bar rises near the middle of the anterior wings, which, crossing them and the posterior, ends a little below the body on the abdominal edges; another small bar crosses the anterior wings near the shoulders, both of them being verged with silver. A small dark spot, surrounded with silver, is also placed close to the external edges of the posterior wings; and above it is a yellowish patch reaching to the upper corners. Under Side. Wings pale light-coloured, almost white, immaculate. Margins of the wings entire. PETASIA? MINISTRA.Plate XIV. fig. 3. Order: Lepidoptera. Section: Nocturna. Family: NotodontidÆ, Steph. Genus. Petasia? Stephens. PhalÆna (Noctua), Drury. Petasia? Ministra. Alis anticis rufescenti-fulvis, strigis quinque transversis, posticis pallidioribus ?. (Expans. Alar. 2 unc.) Syn. PhalÆna Noctua Ministra, Drury, App. vol. 2. PhalÆna Ministra, Abbot & Smith Ins. Georg. t. 81. Oliv. Enc. MÉth. 5. 69. 155. Habitat: New York. Upper Side. AntennÆ filiform. Head and thorax reddish brown. Abdomen clay-coloured. Anterior wings brown orange, with five small dark lines crossing from the anterior to the posterior edges. Posterior wings clay-coloured, fringed with orange brown. Under Side. Tongue indistinct. Breast and legs red brown. Abdomen and posterior wings clay-coloured. Anterior ones brown orange, without any marks or lines thereon. Wings a little dentated; especially in the anterior wings. The larva of this insect is long, smooth, and shining, of a black colour, with eight longitudinal continuous yellow lines, with the base of the legs and a spot on the neck red. When alarmed it throws up its head and tail into the air. From the structure of the larva it is therefore nearly allied to Ptilophora and Petasia, Steph., and not to the buff tip-moth (PygÆra bucephala). Its food, according to Abbot, consists of the Andromeda mariana, vulgarly called the male hackleberry, which grows round ponds and on the margins of running streams; it eats also several species of walnut and oak. One went into the ground on the 31st of July, and the moth came out the 23rd of August; another went in the 8th of June, and came forth the 3rd of July. They likewise sometimes go into the ground in autumn, and come out in the spring. The whole brood of caterpillars feed together in society. Abbot also states, that when they eat walnut leaves they are always black, with white hairs;[3] when their food is the oak, they are more yellow. HYDROCAMPA? NIVALIS.Plate XIV. fig. 4. Order: Lepidoptera. Section: Nocturna. Family: PyralidÆ, Leach. Genus. Hydrocampa? Latr. Cataclysta, HÜbn. Steph. PhalÆna (Pyralis), Drury. Hydrocampa? Nivalis. Alis margaritaceo-albis, cili anticarum fuscÂ. Syn. PhalÆna (Pyralis) Nivalis, Drury, App. vol. 2. Habitat: New England. Upper Side. AntennÆ filiform and brown. Head, thorax, abdomen, and wings white. The latter of a fine glossy hue, and immaculate. Cilia of the anterior wings brown. Under Side. Tongue spiral. All the parts on this side are of the same white glossy colour as on the upper. LIPARIS? RIVULOSA.Plate XIV. fig. 5. Order: Lepidoptera. Section: Nocturna. Family: ArctiidÆ, Steph. Genus. Liparis? Ochs. PhalÆna (bombyx), Drury. Liparis? Rivulosa. Alis fuscis, strigis transversis undulatis pallidioribus et obscurioribus, anticis fasci lat centrali alterÂque basali badiis. (Expans. Alar. 3 unc.) Syn. PhalÆna (Bombyx) rivulosa, Drury, App. vol. 2. Oliv. Enc. MÉth. 5. 38. 54. (Bombyx r.) Habitat: Surinam. Upper Side. AntennÆ pectinated. Head, thorax, abdomen, and wings pale reddish brown, or Under Side. Tongue obsolete. Palpi, breast, abdomen, and wings brown, as on the upper side; the latter immaculate, except a dark patch on each wing near the shoulders. Margins of the wings slightly dentated. |
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