Hampson
(1909) Vol. XII pp 143-7. Description and Key to the Genus EPHESIA
(Catocalinae, Noctuidae)
Genus EPHESIA.
Ephesia, Hubn. Verz. p. 278 (1827)............. Type. fulminea.
Proboscis fully developed; palpi upturned, the 2nd joint reaching to
about middle of frons and rather broadly scaled, the 3rd moderate; frons
smooth, with tuft of hair; eyes large, round; antennae of male ciliated;
thorax typically clothed with hair and hair-like scales, the pro- and metathorax
with spreading crests, the mesothorax with small paired crests; tibiae
moderately fringed with hair, the fore and hind tibiae not spined, the
mid tibiae spined, the mid tibiae of male dilated with a fold containing
a tuft of long hair; abdomen with dorsal ridges of hair and hairy crests
on basal segments. Fore wing triangular, the apex rounded, the termen evenly
curved, crenulate; veins 3 and 5 from near angle of cell; 6 from upper
angle; 9 from 10 anastomosing with 8 to form the areole; 11 from cell.
Hind wing with the cell about one-third length of wing; veins 3, 4 from
angle; 5 fully developed from just above angle; 6, 7 from upper angle;
8 anastomosing with the cell near base only.
KEY to the Genus EPHESIA
SECT. I. Thorax clothed chiefly with scales.
A. Hind wing black-brown.
- a. Hind wing without white apical patch ...............................miranda.
- b. Hind wing with white apical patch.
- a1 Hind wing without medial white patch from costa ..... dissimilis.
- b1. Hind wing with white medial patch from costa.
- a2. Hind wing with the white medial patch ending at vein 5 and with
faint white spot below it in submedian fold ......................... sancta.
- b2. Hind wing with the white medial patch extending to vein 2 and with
distinct, white patch below it in submedian fold......................
actaea.
B. Hind wing yellowish white ............................. nivea.
C. Hind wing crimson.
- a. Hind wing with the medial black band obliquely and almost evenly
curved.
- a1. Fore wing strongly irrorated with fuscous black, the veins of terminal
area not streaked with black ................................
circe.
- b1. Fore wing much less strongly irrorated with black, the veins of
terminal area streaked with black ...........................
coccinata.
- b. Hind wing with the medial black band excurved below vein 5.
- a1. Forewing with the postmedial line not dentate between veins 4 and
2 ...........
ophelia.
- b1. Fore wing with the postmedial line dentate between veins 4 and
2.
- a2. Fore wing with the ante- and postmedial lines distinct and defined
on outer side by rufous .......
violenta.
- b2. Fore wing with the ante- and postmedial lines very indistinct and
not defined on outer side by rufous...
herodias.
D. Hind wing scarlet.
- a. Hind wing with the medial black band obliquely and almost evenly
curved ..............
ultronia.
- b. Hind wing with the medial black band excurved below vein 5.
- a1. Fore wing clouded in parts with blackish ...........
verilliana.
- b1 Fore wing not clouded with blackish .................
verneri.
E. Hind wing. yellow or orange-yellow.
- a. Hind wag with the medial black band obliquely and almost evenly
excurved.
- a1. Hind wing pale yellow, the basal area suffused with brown; underside
of both wings yellowish white ... intacta.
- b1. Hind wing and underside of both wings golden yellow.............ella.
- b. Hind wing with the medial black band excurved below vein 5.
- a1. Fore wing with the postmedial line dentate between veins 4 and
2.
- a2. Hind wing with the medial black band angled inwards in submedian
fold.
- a3. Fore wing not suffused with red-brown and blackish ..........................
helena.
- b3. Fore wing largely suffused with red-brown and blackish.
- a4. Fore wing with the antemedial line angled outwards below costa
minuta.
- b4 Fore wing with the antemedial line oblique from costa to median
nervure
olivia.
- b2. Hind wing with the medial black band not angled inwards in submedian
fold.
- a3. Hind wing pale yellow, the inner area suffused with brown.
- a4. Fore wing with the basal area suffused with dark brown ….. strecceri.
- b4. Fore wing with the basal area suffused with white ................
jonasi
- b3. Hind wing ill submedian fold and on inner margin.
- a4. Fore wing with the reniform not whitish ............................
praegnax.
- b4. Fore wing with the reniform whitish .................................
hetaera.
- b1. Fore wing with the postmedial line incurved and not dentate between
veins 4 and 2.
- a2. Fore wing with black streak below base of cell.
- a3. Fore wing with the ante- and postmedial lines closely approximated
at inner margin, the media1 area slightly tinged with greenish white..........
crataegi.
- b3. Fore wing with the ante- and postmedial lines well separated at
inner margin, the medial area strongly tinged with greenish white.
- a4. Fore wing with the basal area suffused with brown, the medial area
strongly tinged with green .................................................
pretiosa.
- b4. Fore wing with the basal area not suffused with brown, the medial
area slightly tinged with greenish.
- a5. Fore wing with distinct red-brown band beyond the postmedial line,
the terminal area of the ground-colour ................
praeclara.
- b5. Fore wing with the red-brown band beyond the postmedial line obsolescent,
the ter- minal area suffused with brown ...
dulciola.
- b2. Fore wing without black streak below base of cell.
- a3. Fore wing with the medial part of inner area suffused with rufous
...
grynea.
- b3. Fore wing with the medial part of inner area not suffused with
rufous.
- a4. Fore wing faintly tinged with olive-green, the lines distinct ....
alabama
- b4. Fore wing strongly tinged with moss-green, the lines very indistinct
.............................. titania.
- c1. Fore wing with the postmedial line curving downwards below vein
5 and forming a very broad sinus below end of cell ....................
puella.
- c. Hind wing with the medial black band oblique to submedian fold,
then more or less bent inwards towards inner margin.
- a1. Fore wing with the ground-colour brownish ochreous.
- a2. Fore wing without dark brown patch from middle of costa to the
postmedial line between veins 6 and 3.
- a3. Fore wing not suffused with black; hind wing with the terminal
band interrupted at submedian interspace.
- a4. Hind wing with the medial black band narrow and not expanding into
a patch at middle .............. andromache.
- b4. Hind wing with the medial black band broader and expanding into
a patch at middle ............... flavescens.
- b3. Fore wing suffused in parts with black; hind wing with the terminal
band not interrupted at sub-median interspace ........... butleri.
- b2. Fore wing with dark brown patch from middle of costa to postmedial
line between veins 6 and 3 ....................... eminens.
- b1. Fore wing with the ground-colour grey.
- a2. Fore wing with red-brown patch on postmedial costal area extending
to lower angle of cell and vein 4.
- a3. Fore wing with the costal patch prominent and extending to apex
................................. mirifica.
- b3. Fore wing with the costal patch much less prominent and not extending
to apex………............. .larqetaui.
- b2. Fore wing without red-brown patch on postmedial costal area extending
to lower angle of celt and vein 4.
- a3. Hind wing with the inner area not suffused with brown.
- a4. Hind wing without brown fascia in submedian fold ......
desdemona.
- b4. Hind wing with brownish fascia in base of submedian fold .. separans.
c4. Hind wing with brown fascia in submedian fold extending to the medial
band which is interrupted at discal fold .......................... davidi.
- d4. Hind wing with brown fascia in submedian fold extending to the
spot on termen, the inner margin slightly brown .........................
rutha.
- b3. Hind wing with the inner area suffused with brown.
- a4. Fore wing with the postmedial line strongly angled outwards below
vein 5.
- a5. Fore wing without oblique dark shade from termen below apex.
- a6. Hind wing with the terminal band not interrupted at submedian interspace.
- a7. Fore wing on underside with the postmedial band white .............
inconstans.
- b7. Fore wing on underside with the postmedial band yellow.
- a8. Fore wing largely suffused with black and brown ...... dotata.
- b8. Fore wing much greyer.
- a9. Fore wing without black-brown mark beyond lower angle of cell between
bases of veins 4, 8 ...... nubila.
- b9. Fore wing with black-brown mark beyond lower angle of cell between
bases of veins 4, 3 ........... musmi.
- b6. Hind wing with the terminal band interrupted at submedian interspace
..... persimilis.
- b5. Fore wing with oblique dark shade from termen below apex ..............................
micronympha.
- b4. Fore wing with the postmedial line slightly angled outwards below
vein 5.
- a5. Hind wing with the terminal band connected with the media! band
at veins 2 and 1 ......
- b5. Hind wing with the terminal band not connected with the medial
band at veins 2 and 1.
- a6. Fore wing.with the medial area not white.
- a7. Fore wing with the postmedial line dentate between veins 4 and
2.
- a8. Hind wing with the terminal band more or less completely interrupted
in submedian interspace nymphaea.
- b8. Hind wing with the terminal band not interrupted in submedian interspace.
- a9. Fore wing not variegated with white ... duplicata.
- b9. Fore wing variegated with white ....... diversa.
- b7 Fore wing with the postmedial line very slightly waved between veins
4 and 2.
- a8. Fore wing without oblique clark shade from termen below apex.
- a9. Fore wing largely suffused with dark brown ...... disjuncta
- b9. Fore wing much greyer brown.
- a10. Fore wing with the postmedial line slightly oblique below vein
5 and not connected by a sinus with the spot below end of cell.. cutychea.
- b10. Fore wing with the postmedial line very oblique below vein 5 and
connected by a sinus with the spot below end of cell .. distorta.
- b8. Fore wing with oblique dark shade from termen below apex ......
similis.
- b6. Fore wing with the medial area white.
- a7 Fore wing with the medial area bluish white and without brown suffusion
beyond lower angle of cell ........ amasia.
- b7 Fore wing with the medial area pure white and with brown suffusion
beyond lower angle of cell ........ connubialis
- d. Hind wing without medial black band.
- a1. Fore wing with the postmedial line present and forming a sinus
below end of cell triphaenoides.
- b1. Fore wing with the postmedial line obsolete vallantini.
SECT. II. Thorax clothed with hair with a few scales mixed.
*7262. Ephesia miranda.
Catocala miranda, H. Edw. Papilio, i. p. 118 (1881); Smith, Cat. Noct.
N. Am. p. 351.
Head and thorax grey; tegulae brown; abdomen grey-brown. Fore wing clear
grey, the lines distinct, black; antemedial line oblique, slightly dentate;
reniform grey defined by diffused white; postmedial line bent outwards
below costa, then oblique and sinuous, angled outwards above and below
vein 5, then waved, strongly bent inwards at vein 1 and reaching the inner
margin near the antemedial line. ]lind wing black, the cilia pure white.
Underside fuscous brown, fore wing with a subterminal white band; both
wings with the apical area white; hind wing with the cilia white.