Report on the zoological collections made in the Indo-Pacific Ocean ...

677LEPIDOPTERA.BYA. G. BUTLEE.The only Lepidoptoroiis insect worthy of special notice is a speciesof Moth of the family Litliosiida3 ; this moth is very distinct fromany species of the genus hitherto descrihed, being unusually freefrom the beautiful spotting peculiar to the group.Deiopeia lactea.Primaries above cream-coloured, in the female with two blackdots, one above the other, upon the discocellular veinlet ; a marginalseries of black spots, the largest of which is placed at the apex ; agreyish indication of an irregular discal belt seen through the wing.Secondaries pure pearly snow-white, the apex broadly black fromcostal margin to third median branch, with a conical white spot atthe apex ; two small depressed black marginal spots upon the medianinterspaces ; an extremely slender sordid brownish marginal linebetween the black spots and the anal angle. Thorax cream-coloured,with the usual black dots— that is to say, two on the collar and twoon each tegula ; a spot of pale ochreous on each shoulder. Abdomenpure white. Under surface pure white : the primaries slightly tintedwith cream-colour, strongly so on the costal border ; a more or lessinterrupted, externally irregularly dentated black band across thedisk, commencing upon the subcostal vein, and terminating in amore or less distinct furca near the external angle ; a more or lesacomplete marginal series of black spots as above, and, in the female,a black augulated bar across the end of the cell upon the discocellularveinlet ; two or three obliquely-placed rose-red subapicalspots : secondaries with a black spot at apex, an irregular blacksubapical oblique band, and from one to four marginal spots. Pectusslightly cream-tinted, with one or two minute lateral black dots.Proboscis pale ochreous. Anterior tibise and tarsi fuliginous greyin front. Venter with pale ochre-tinted anal segment ; female witha blackish spot on each side of the opening. Expanse of wings37 millim.One pair, Providence Island (Mascarenes), April 1882.The entire absence of the usual scarlet markings from the uppersurface of the wings in this species renders it conspicuously distinctfrom every Deiopeia hitherto described ; it bears more resemblanceto pale examples of D. pura (from Guatemala) than to any otherspecies.2p