172 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. [September, 



face with strong, transverse folds, which become obsolete medially; suture 

 between meso- and metapleune marked by small fovece; last dorsal and 

 ventral segments with long, black hairs. Legs black, the tibiae and tarsi 

 more or less armed with distinct spines; the anterior tibiae and tarsi 

 clothed with a sericeous pile; tarsal claws armed with a large, acute tooth 

 at base. Wings very dark, with a slight violaceous reflection, apical 

 margins darker. Length 14 mm. 



Two specimens; San Diego, Cal. (Blaisdell) Related to P. 

 Icevifrons Cr. and P. vicinus Cr. The fact of this species having 

 three submarginal cells would place it in Parapompilus Cress, 

 (non Smith), which is but a section of Planiceps. Parapompilus 

 Sm. has the wings much abbreviated. 



Sphaerophthalma anthraciua n. sp..J\ Entirely black, densely clothed 

 with long, black pubescence. Head strongly punctured; scape clothed 

 with black pubescence; thorax strongly punctured, the metathorax with 

 very large punctures or pits, with the pubescence sparser. Wings strongly 

 fuscous, with three submarginal cells, the third of which has the outer 

 nervure angulate. Abdomen strongly punctured; first abdominal segment 

 sessile with the second. Length 9 mm. 



Two specimens; San Diego, Cal. (Blaisdell) This is our only 

 species that is entirely black. 



-o- 



ELEMENTARY ENTOMOLOGY. 



LEPIDOPTERA-HETEROCERA (Moths). 

 By Prof. JOHN B. SMITH, New Brunswick, N. J. 



The Agaristidae, as they are represented in our fauna are rather 

 unsatisfactorily denned, and the position of Eudryas and allies is 

 not settled. Good authorities have referred these forms to the 

 Bombyces or Noctuidse, and tl*e characters allying Eudryas to 

 Alypia are in the larva rather than the imago state. Species of 

 Alypia are found in all parts of our country and the family char- 

 acters are drawn from this genus. The antennae are slender, 

 thickened beyond the middle and then gradually drawn out to a 

 point. The body is moderate in size, the head rather small, with 

 .1 pointed front; ocelli present, palpi distinct. The primaries are 

 12-veined, the internal (v. i) simple, not forked at base, ^, 4 and 

 5 rather close together from the end of the median; 6 to 10 sur- 

 rounding or out of an accessory cell at the tip of the subcostal. 

 This is almost exactly as in the Noctuida- save that the internal 



