ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS 



AND 



PROCEEDINGS OF THE ENTOMOLOGICAL SECTION 



ACADEMY OF NATURAL SCIENCES, PHILADELPHIA. 



VOL. XX. 



DECEMBER, 1909. 



No. 10. 



CONTENTS: 



Allen Variations in the Wing Scales of 



Anosia plexippus 401 



Calvert The First Central American 



Cord ul inc.. 409 



Lovell The Bees of Virginia Proso- 



pis, Sphecodes, Osmia 412 



Fenyes New Aleooharinae (Staphyli- 



nidae, Col.) of the LI. S 418 



Smith Concerning Culex perturbans 



at Dublin. New Hampshire 425 



Braun Notes on Chambers' Species of 



Tineina 428 



Editorial 435 



Notes and News 436 



Doings of Societies 440 



Variations in the Wing Scales of Anosia plexippus.* 



By ANNA ALLKX. 



(Plates XX, XXI, XXII) 



In studying the Lepidoptera, there has often arisen the ques- 

 tion as to whether scale characteristics might be used as a 

 means of identification. In 1762, Lyonet stated that "butter- 

 flies" might be recognized by their scales, and made an exten- 

 sive study of those of the goat moth. Schneider, '78, describes 

 typical scales from characteristic regions of a large number 

 of species. Kellogg, '94, made an extensive study of the taxo- 

 nomic value of butterfly scales, and gives a classification of the 

 Jugatae upon that basis. 



The present study was undertaken because of the interest 

 aroused in the "scent pocket" of Anosia plexippus, our com- 

 mon milkweed butterfly. Certain peculiarly modified scales. 

 the androconia. are found within this pocket. In introduction 

 to the study of these scales, a study of all the wing scales was 

 made. An astonishing variety of forms was found, with indi- 

 cations of definite arrangement upon characteristic region- 

 of the wing. For this reason, a detailed regional study, more 

 especially of the hind wing was undertaken. 



* Contribution from the Entomological Department of Cornell University. 



401 



