T
E í í t e a : -
P H A L Æ N A E L E G A N S .
S P E C I F IC CHAKACT ER.
F irll wings ferruginous, with th ree greenifli fpots edged with liiver, the anterior one hooked : pofterior
wings reddifli.
Ph * l* na E le sans: alis anticis ferrugineis: maculis tribus anteriore hamata viridibus argenteo-cinftls,
pofticis rufefcentibus.
This pre tty undefcribed fpecies is found in the vicinity o f N ew South Wales.
P H A L Æ sN A O C U L T A R I A .
S P E C I F IC CHARACTER.
Wings rndented, greyilli, flreaked w h h fufcous : anterior pair beneath fpotted with brown, and a
fanguineous ftre ak; on th e pofterior ones a ftreak o f fanguineous, bordered exteriorly with fiifcous
and marked with wh ite fpots.
PHiLiEXA Oc u l ta r ía : alis dentatis griféis fufco-flrigofis fubtus anticis fufco-maculatis ftriga fanguioe.a,
pofticis fafcia fanguinea extus fufca, albida.notata.
^ In all the Infefts o f th e Phalæna trib e we are a t prefent acquainted w ith , the fapcrlor furface o f the
wings fo conftantly e.xcel the lower one in point o f beauty, or th e brilliancy o f colouring, th a t we are to
regard our new Auftralafi.an fpecies not only as a very interefting infeft, but as a novelty, iu which the
ordinary courfe o f n a tu re appears reverfed. I t foould be obferved, th a t this diffiniilarlty is not by aiiv
means unfrequent in th e Papilio genus, the lower furface o f which are commonly the moft beautiful but
th a t I t fcarce y ever occurs in any other o f the Lepidopterous kinds o f infefts. O f th e Geómetra tribe to
which onr Phalæna Ocultaría belongs, we have certainly fome few fpecies th a t are equally beautiful’ on
both furface.,, b u t no one, perhaps, has hith erto been difcovered in which th e difference is fo remarkable
in favour o f th e lower furface as in the in fe ft before u s ; the upper furface being o f a plain and pale
grey, with a few dark ftreaks, while th at is embellillaed w ith a rich variety o f colours, and’ thofe d lf
pofed m ftreaks and fpots in a very elegant manner.
T here are fpecimens o f this curious in feft in the principal entomological cabinets in London It is
found m th e neighbourhood o f th e Englifli fettlements in New South Wales, and has not to our
knowledge been defcribed by any author.