Oct., '06] ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. 277 



Studies of Pyrgus syrichtus, tessellata, occidentals 



and montivagus. 



BY HENRY SKINNER. 



(Plate XII) 



There has always been much confusion in the literature in 

 regard to syrichtus, tessellata and montivagus. W. H. Ed- 

 wards placed the latter as a variety of tessellata. Scudder put 

 his tessellata as a synonym of montivagus. Godman and Sal- 

 vin in the Biologia also place tessellata under montivagus. 

 Reakirt's original description gives the locality of montivagus 

 as Rocky Mountains, Colorado Territory. (Coll. Tryon Rea- 

 kirt, "Mexico, near Vera Cruz.") 



The Reakirt collection was purchased by Herman Strecker, 

 and in the third supplement to his Rhop. et Het. he says he 

 possesses the types of montivagus, "one $ , one 9. , Rocky 

 Mts., Colorado." 



Some years ago I examined these types, and they are 

 syrichtus Fab. The original description also applies better to 

 syrichtus than to tessellata, and I quote as follows: "Hind 

 wings with a marginal and sub marginal row of rounded 

 spots," secondaries (below) "two transverse white maculate 

 bands; one near the base of three spots, edged posteriorly with 

 brown lines, the other is mesial, of irregular outline, and bor- 

 dered with black lines on both sides." The maculate bands in 

 tessellata are of a light greenish color, and in syrichtus there are 

 no real mocular bands except as an outline in black.* I have 

 never seen syrichtus from Colorado, and it is possible there 

 may be an error in regard to Reakirt's locality, such mistakes 

 being common enough in those days. I have a svrichtus from 

 southwestern Texas and Key West, Fla.. but from no other 

 places in the United States. There can be no question as to 

 what is means by tessellata. The original description says 

 "marginal row of spots on upper side of hind wing reduced to 



*In some specimens the inferiors below are light brown as though 

 covered with a thin wash of this color, and the bands are more or less 

 distinct, but hardly as well marked as in tcsscllala and not greenish in 

 color. 



