Szekessy Vilmos (szerk.): A Magyar Természettudományi Múzeum évkönyve 59. (Budapest 1967)

Kovács, L.: Data to the knowledge of Hungarian Macrolepidoptera II. Comparative population studies on three arctiid species by the aid of light traps

time of flight. As a matter of fact, the decurrence of the flight graphs of the two groups is almost identical, they agree in ascendance, culmination, and decline. Their sole significant difference lies in the constantly identical distance expressing the time lag in the flight of the group beyond the Tisza. Hungarian forms. O. parasita is an extremely varying species, rich in forms (cf. Plate Figs 1—6). Unfortunately, this fact had not been given full attention hitherto, causing a number of disagreeable results. This, for instance, is the reason why literature carries divergent, indeed, contradictory, descriptions (cf. SEITZ, II, p. 77 and BERGE-REBEL, p. 429, respectively). This, also, would account for STAUDINGER having considered features as the main characteristics of ssp. intermedia which occur also in specimens from Hungary. To prevent any further misunderstandings, I shall endeavour in the folio wings to submit a detailed description of the colour and pattern characteristics of our home parasita forms, based on more than 100 set specimens, derived from the material of the light traps. A. Fore wing. Basic colour. A multitude of hues from a light creamy grey to a dark blackish grey can be observed, but the most frequent is a greyish cream or grey basic colour with a light brownish shade. The brownish hue is invariably suppressed. The basic colour is, if I should say so, restless, because it is invariably mottled by a greater or smaller amount of dark grey punctation. The pinkish tint of the hairs of the thorax and the abdomen might extend onto the wings, but only exceptionally to any greater extent. Pattern. As basic might be regarded the form in which there are 9 entirely distinct spots on the fore wing, arranged in threes, in three vertical rows. This form is rather rare, and it is usually concurrent with the reduction of the size of the spots. The outer row may consist of also 4 spots, also a rather rare occurrence. In the majority of cases, the size of the spots is different, they frequently elongate, indeed, also widen. It is especially the spots of the middle row which tend to create this form ; in such cases they are usually conjoined or become confluent with the respective spots of the basic row. They are occasionally conjoined by a fine black line also with the outer spots. The confluent spots usually take a lath-shaped form ; the uppermost pair of spots is either entirely adnate to, or excised in one or two places along, the costa. The free spots are usually triangular in shape, or guttiform, or linear. The pattern of spots can also be strongly reduced, indeed, some spots may be entirely absent. The black spots are usually not situated directly in the basic colour, but surrounded by a fine drab or yellowish frame. The frame might occasionally widen, attaining a width of 0.5 mm; in such cases, if the basic colour is deep enough, they are well discernible. B. Hind wing. Its colour conforms with that of the fore wing, but it is smoother, with hardly any irroration or at most with a very fine one and then also in the area of the outer margin only. In the marginal zone, there are 3, usually indistinct, rounded, greyish white spots : one above the apex and two below it ; but neither is a completely patternless hind wing rare. In exceptional cases, the spots are a deep, true black. C. Cilia. The fringe is usually concolorous with the basic hue, or only slightly different. In rare cases, the cilia are strikingly lighter or darker than the wing, and then the dissimilar hue of the fringe may extend also onto the marginal zone of the wing.