Vol. Xxiv] ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS 273 



A New Noctuid (Lepid.)* 



By the late JOHN B. SMITH, Sc.D.* 



Mamestra gertana n. sp. 



Dull ashen gray without marked contrasts. Head a little darker 

 in front ; collar with a distinct black median line ; disc of patagia 

 paler gray, the borders more or less margined with black. Primaries 

 with all the markings fairly well-defined, but none of them contrast- 

 ing or sharply outlined. Basal line geminate, black, broken, incurved 

 toward base on the median vein. T. a. line geminate, well removed 

 from base, outwardly oblique and a little outcurved. Outer portion 

 of line usually best marked and a little outcurved on the interspaces ; 

 inner line narrower and less well-defined, tending to become lost. 

 T. p. line geminate, blackish, with a moderate outcurve over the cell 

 and a deep incurve below, greatly narrowing the median space; but 

 this varies in the specimens. The inner portion of line is usually con- 

 tinuous and a little marked on the veins ; the outer portion tends to 

 become punctiform and to become marked on the veins by white dots 

 set in a black streak. S. t. line narrow, irregular, pale, often marked 

 only by the difference in shade between terminal and s. t. spaces ; 

 sometimes a little outwardly edged with black or marked with yellow- 

 ish scales, while usually there is a little yellowish preceding mark op- 

 posite anal angle and a blackish streak beyond that to outer margin. 

 A series of distinct black terminal lunules at the base of the long and 

 slightly waved fringes. Usually the median space is the darkest and 

 the s. t. space the palest portion of the wing, but in many cases the 

 median area is only a little darker and the rest of the wing uniform 

 in tint. Claviform broad, concolorous, outlined in black, extending 



* EDITOR ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS : 



Shortly after Dr. Smith's death I found the enclosed description of 

 Mamestra gertana, n. sp., in his desk, which he had written during the 

 summer of 1911, and was no doubt holding it until he had described 

 some other specimens. Dr. Smith's illness, of course, prevented him 

 from doing any systematic work, although he was able to attend to 

 routine and office work until a few days before his death. 



I did not send the description to you immediately as I feared that 

 Dr. Barnes, who had described a great many new species, might in 

 the meantime have described this same species. Dr. Barnes was here 

 recently to look over the collections and he assured me that he had 

 not described anything like this species, and that I should send the 

 description to you for publication. 



Very truly yours, 



AUGUSTA MESKE. 



New Brunswick, N. Jersey, March 11, 1913. 



