THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST 121 



NEW SPECIES AND HISTORIES IN PAPAIPEMA 

 SM. (LEPIDOPTERA.) NO. 19. 



BY HENRY BIRD, RYE, N.Y. 



With the hope of further disclcsures under this heading, an 

 investigation of the flora in the vicinity of Washington, D.C., was 

 undertaken in June, 1915. Papaipema nephrasyntheta Dyar, de- 

 scribed from this locaHty and unknown in the larval stage was par- 

 ticularly in mind, but results for this species were unsuccessful. 

 The perennial plant life showed some departure from that of the 

 latitude of New York, one instance of easy notice occurring with 

 Polymnia uvedalia L. At the first occurrence of this plant a con- 

 tained larva was noted, and it seemed different from any. of the 

 congeners. While conspicuous on account of size, but few examples 

 of the plant were found, and only six larvae resulted from the search 

 of that year. After observing several of the larval stages, it was 

 evident an unknown one had been discovered, but it seemed too 

 small to be the wished-for desideratum. Eventualities claimed all 

 of these larva? prior to pupation, so it remained for a search in 1916 

 to uncover a sufficient number in late July, when near maturity, 

 whereby a convincing series of adults came to hand. Though the 

 departures with the adult are slight, with the sum of evidence it is 

 very clear an undescribed species is involved. From the fact the 

 genus Polymnia is restricted to America, in itself suggestive of a 

 possibly ancient relation between the two, and because of it clearly 

 proving to be a preferred food plant in the faunal area where dis- 

 covered, we propose as a name: 



Papaipema polymniae, n. sp. 



Head generically normal and smooth on frons; heavily clothed 

 with long, erect scales of brownish colour mixed with grey and per- 

 vaded with a purplish tone, which colouring holds for the entire 

 thoracic vestiture. At the base of the antenna a ring of light, but 

 not pure white scales occur; the antennae are simple, under magni- 

 fication showing minute cilia and with scarcely any sexual disparity.  

 The thorax is heavily clothed, the collar margined above with 

 yellowish usually; the erect, spreading anterior thoracic tuft of the 

 normal pattern; the tegulae more or less powdered with yellow; 

 the posterior tufts prominent and spreading; legs have long hairs 

 on femur, the fore- without, the mid- with one pair, and the hind 



April, 1917 



