180 THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 



A SUGGESTION AS TO THE IDENTITY OF CYCNIA DUBIA, 



WALKER. 



BY HARRISON G. DYAR, ROXBURY, MASS. 



In Vol. XXII., p. 1 20, of Can. Ent., Prof. Smith calls attention to the 

 fact that the above name awaits identification, and says : "There should 

 be no difficulty in identifying this species, should it turn up." The moth 

 was described by Walker as Cycnia, referred by Grote and Robinson to 

 Phragmatobia, and lastly by Kirby to Estigmene ( = Leucarctia). It has 

 occurred to me that this form has already been turned up, and by Mr. 

 Bruce, as described in Entom. Amer., Vol. III., p. 140, where it was 

 shown to be a form of Spilosoma virginica. Compare the following 

 descriptions : — 



1. By Walker. "Female. Pale brown. Antennae and legs with 

 whitish tomentum. Thorax fawn colour, whitish behind. Abdomen some- 

 what ferruginous, with three stripes of black spots. Wings with two 

 oblique, incomplete, indistinct, brown bands, composed of blackish spots. 

 Forewings with whitish v«eins. Length of body, 5 lines; of wings, 16 

 lines. Hudson's Bay." 



2. By G. & R. " Wings semi-translucent, brown or mouse colour ; 

 veins on both wings whitish above ; eyes margined narrowly with white ; 

 legs shaded with whitish outwardly ; abdomen with three rows of brown 

 spots." 



3. By Bruce. " Head, body and legs sooty brown, small black dorsal 

 spots on body; all the wings brownish mouse colour. The veins on fore- 

 wings distinctly white." 



Mr. Bruce adds : — " If my friend had not preserved the eggs, and I 

 had not reared the larvae, this would certainly have been named as a new 

 species, and would have been a standing puzzle to entomologists." If my 

 surmise be correct, this has taken place. 



C. dubia may be provisionally referred as follows : — 

 Spilosoma virginica, Fabr. 



var. dubia, Walk. 



1856— Walk., C B. Mus., III., 682, Cycnia. 



1868 — G. & R., Tr. Am. Ent., Sc, II., 7 2, Phragmatobia. 



1887 — Bruce, Ent. Amer., III., 140, Spilosoma. 



1890 — Smith, Can. Ent., XXII., 120, Fhragmatobia. 



1892 — Kirby, Cat. Lep. Het., I., 227, Estigmene. 



