86 THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 



female has the markings of a male, something never seen in Asterias 

 unless in bi-formed examples, of which for aught I know this may be 

 one. If it is not, a good species is wandering without name. The male 

 is described as characterized by a single row of seven spots on second- 

 aries, the usual (i. e. in Asterias) eighth spot at end of cell being absent. 

 Now males of this type are common enough. I have repeatedly raised 

 them at Coalburgh from eggs of the normal Asterias, and have them from 

 many localities, even to Costa Rica. But I have never seen such wings 

 attached to a female body. 



I have lately received from Mr. F. H. Godman two males from Costa 

 Rica, marked Asteroides, one of which answers Reakirt's description very 

 closely. It has the discal band of primaries obsolete, represented only by 

 little clusters of yellow scales, and extending across the wing. On 

 secondaries this band is partly present, there being a small spot on costa, 

 and spots in the four posterior interspaces ; but of these last the one in 

 upper median is almost gone. The clusters, of blue are small and round, 

 and the tails are shorter than Asterias perceptibly. On the under side the 

 spots of discal row are distinct on both wings and as in Asterias ; also 

 they are fulvous. This is in agreement with Reakirt's type. In Asterias 

 female there is often an imperfect row of yellow spots on secondaries, 

 varying in fact from a complete row of distinct but small spots, to nil, 

 except that the costal spot is always present. Therefore, when looking at 

 the male I have described, Reakirt's general comparison to female Asterias 

 seems natural. It is in respect of the discal band only, for he calls atten- 

 tion to the smallness of the blue clusters, which is a characteristic of 

 Asterias £ , while in ^ they are always very large. 



The other male from Costa Rica has the discal band on primaries 

 absolutely wanting— not even a scale being there — on both surfaces ; the 

 marginal spots of both wings are very small. On secondaries the discal 

 band is represented by a minute cluster of yellow scales on costa and in 

 three posterior interspaces. On the under side this row is complete, but 

 of smaller spots than I ever have seen in Asterias, and they are fulvous. 

 The tails are not shorter than in Asterias. This absence of the discal 

 band on both sides of primaries is so remarkable that this example may 

 be of a distinct species, especially as there are other points of difference 

 from Asterias. But the one I have first described is apparently Reakirt's 

 Asteroides, and there is no evidence that it is a variety of Asterias. Till 

 such evidence is produced it should be regarded as a good species. 



