OF WASHINGTON, VOLUME XIII, 1911 



NOTES ON THE GRASS-FEEDING HEMILEUCAS AND THEIR 



ALLIES. 



[Lepidoptera; Saturniidae.] 

 BY HARRISON G. DYAR. 



The discovery by Professor Cockerell that a species of Hcitii- 

 lenca feeds upon grass in the larval state (Psyche, vin, 298, 

 1898) was an interesting addition to our knowledge of the food- 

 plants of species of this genus. Recently it has transpired that 

 the species is of economic importance by destroying the pastures 

 and so injuring the cattle industry. Considerable interest in 

 the matter has therefore developed, and I have been asked by 

 Mr. Webster to look into the specific identity of the form con- 

 cerned. This has been described by Professor Cockerell as 

 Hemileuca sororia race olii'i<r, with its habitat in New Mexico. 

 The species soron'us was described by Henry Edwards from a 

 single female from La Paz, Lower California. A third form, 

 which has been listed also as a race of sororius, was described 

 from a single female from southwestern Arizona under the name 

 hnul(iptri\)y B. Neumoegen. Allied forms extend well through- 

 out Mexico as far south as the State of Vera Cruz, and one 

 divergent form is before me from Parana, Brazil. On com- 

 parison of all the known forms of Hemileuca allied to our 

 grass-feeding species, I have reached the conclusion that the 

 three names in our list, sororius, hualapai, and oliricr, repre- 

 sent distinct species, not races of one species. Therefore the 

 name sororins will hereafter be omitted from the North 

 American list, while hualapai and o/h't'tr will be contained 

 therein as distinct species. I am inclined to the opinion that 

 all of the species here listed will be found to feed upon grass 

 as larvae, except perhaps the aberrant species dukinfieldi 

 Schaus. The species referred to may be separated as follows: 



TABLE OP SPECIES OF THE HEMILEUCA ALLIED TO OLIVLE. 



Veins of the wings lined with ocher yellow: 

 Ground-color of fore wing blackish, inner line absent. 



dukinfieldi Schaus 

 Ground-color of fore wing pale gray, both lines present. 



Hind wing without submarginal pale band rubridorsa Felder 



Hind wing with submarginal pale whitish band. 

 Larger: disk of thorax roseate; discal mark of fore wing 



narrow norba Dru ce 



Smaller: disk of thorax gray; discal mark of fore wing 



large, white minctte Dyar 



