SPEUEEOPHTHALMA.— BEACHYCISTIS. 395 



more than the apical half black. The wings do not reach much beyond the apex of 

 the third abdominal segment ; all the nervures, with the stigma, are pallid yellow ; the 

 smoky cloud commences beyond the apex of the radial cellule, and extends to the 

 extreme apex of the wing, it being separated from the radial cellule by a clear hyaline 

 band ; the second recurrent nervure is received shortly before the middle of the cellule 

 in one of our examples, but not in another. Both the recurrent nervures are quite 

 distinct, but there is no trace of the third transverse cubital nervure. The transverse 

 basal nervure is completely interstitial. 



The colour of the body is variable, the hair also varying in being whiter in some 

 examples than in others ; the apical cloud on the fore wings may also be darker and 

 larger ; and the third abdominal segment may be for the greater part black. 



S. (Photopsis) orizaba, Blake, agrees with the present species in having a cloud in 

 the wings, but among other points it may be separated by the median segment having 

 "three short, longitudinal carinse not extending to the middle"; and the ventral 

 segments are described as " polished," instead of being strongly punctured as in our 

 species. In S. frugala, apart from the reticulations, there are no keels on the median 

 segment. 



BRACHYCISTIS. 



Brachycistis, Fox, Proc. Calif. Acad. Sci. (2) iv. p. 7 (1894). 

 Photopsis, Blake, Trans. Am. Ent. Soc. xiii. p. 257 (part.). 



In general appearance the species of this genus resemble closely the Photopsis- 

 section of Sphcerophthalma, with which they were at first united by Blake. From these 

 they may be known by the middle tibiae having only one spur. The second cubital 

 is narrowed at the top ; in his generic definition, Fox (loc. cit.) describes it as usually 

 " triangular and sometimes petiolate." In all the Central -American specimens I have 

 examined the second cubital cellule is certainly much narrowed at the top, on account of 

 the transverse cubital nervures converging there, but they do not meet, and in none of 

 them is it petiolate. The abdomen may have the petiole longer or shorter compared 

 to the second abdominal segment, and may be distinctly petiolated at the base ; it may 

 be shorter than, or equal in length to, the second segment. The appendicular cellule 

 at the end of the radial is seldom complete, its nervure in none of the specimens I have 

 seen reaching to the costa. The recurrent nervures are received by the second and 

 third cubital cellules, and one or other of them may show a tendency to become inter- 

 stitial with the transverse cubital nervures. There may be three or only two cubital 

 cellules. The species do not exhibit much sculpture ; some of them have the hair on 

 the body long and thick, but still not thick enough to hide the colour or sculpture. 

 They are very uniform in coloration, being brownish, with black heads. 



So far, we only know the males. The species are nocturnal in their habits, and, 

 according to Cockerell (Ent. News, 1885, p. 64), they come to light at night. 



3 EE 2 



