THESPIEUS.— VACERRA. 521 



8. Thespieus ovinia. (Tab. XCVII. figg. l, 2, <? .) 



^ - Hesperia ovinia, Hew. Traus. Eut. Soc. (3) ii. p. 496 1 . 



Alis fuscis, stigmate grisescente ; anticis macula geminata in cellula, tribus in serie obliqua infra et ultra earn, 

 una triangulari submediana, secunda majore et subquadrata inter ramos medianos primum et secundum, 

 tertia ultra earn, punctisque tribus in linea transversa subapicalibus, omnibus albo-hyalinis ; posticis 

 maculis tribus in linea transversa ultra cellulam, exteriore bifida, coloris ejusdem : subtus ut supra, sed 

 dilutioribus, anticis margine interno pallidiore et litura albida notatis, apicem versus et posticis omnino 

 squamis griseis dense vestitis, his alis maculis variis in dimidio basali ornatis. 



$ mari similis. 



Hab. Nicaragua 1 (Delattre, in Mus. Brit.). 



There are two males and one female of this distinct species in the British Museum ; 

 the males are contained in the Hewitson collection, the female was obtained by Delattre 

 many years ago. T. ovinia is nearest allied to T. opigena (Hew.), from an unknown 

 locality, the coloration of the underside of the secondaries differing considerably from 

 that of T. dalmani and its allies. Unfortunately, no specimens are available for 

 dissection. Our figure is taken from one of the types. 



VACERRA, gen. nov. 



The four Tropical-American species referred to this genus, of which we take Hesperia 

 litana, Hew., as the type, are very nearly allied to Thespieus ; but differ from it in the 

 form and position of the brand on the primaries in the male, and also, to some slight 

 extent, in the neuration of these wings, the lower radial nervure at its point of origin 

 being more distant from the lower angle of the cell and the first median branch arising 

 nearer the base. The brand, too, is covered by the larger scales, and not easily 

 seen till these are removed. The genitalia of the males are formed very much as in 

 Thespieus. 



Antennas and palpi as in Thespieus. The primaries somewhat pointed at the tip ; 

 the cell nearly two-thirds the length of the costa; the discocellulars oblique, the upper 

 one twice ( V. egla) or three times ( V. litana) the length of the lower, the latter a little 

 shorter than the third median segment; the first branch arising considerably before 

 the middle of the median nervure, the second at some little distance before the lower 

 angle of the cell. The secondaries are slightly lobed at the anal angle ; the disco- 

 cellulars faint. The body is robust. The middle and hind tibiae are spined, the latter 

 with two pairs of spurs. The primaries of the male have an inconspicuous brand 

 formed of two longitudinal streaks : one short, just below the proximal portion of 

 the first median branch, and the second, very much longer, immediately above the 

 submedian nervure towards the base. 



In V. canente the upper piece of the brand is reduced to a small dot, and the 

 secondaries have a long white stripe on the underside towards the outer margin ; but the 

 general structure, including that of the genitalia of the male, is exactly that of V. litana. 

 Of V. lachares the female only is known, and its position is therefore not quite certain. 



