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Vol. XL. LONDON, MARCH, 1908. No. 3. 



DESCRIPTIONS OF SOME NEW SPECIES OF AMERICAN 



NOCTUID.E. 



BY HARRISON G. DYAR, WASHINGTON, D. C. 



Gortyna ochroptena, n. sp. — Pale stramineous, only sUgliUy tinted 

 with brown, the lines faint and obscure, arranged as in riitila^ Guen., and 

 allies. Ordinary spots white, claviform and orbicular forming an oblique 

 row of three spots, the middle one smallest ; reniform with white central 

 line, all the surrounding spots white ; subterminal shade purplish, defining 

 a yellow apical patch. Hind wings whitish. Expanse, 33 mm. 



One $ , Denver, Colorado (collection of Wm. Schaus). 



Type, No. 11411, U. S. National Museum. 



A Western species of the rutila series, distinguished by its very pale 

 colour. The colour is much the same as in furcata. Smith, but without 

 the expanded spots of that species. 



Gorty7ianepheleptena,\\. ^\). — Fore wing very heavily shaded with 

 brown down to and including the submedian fold, the space between 

 that and the inner margin as far out as the outer line clear yellowish, 

 irrorated with red-brown ; an apical yellow patch, from which the sub- 

 terminal line is clearly indicated as a series of little scallops to the anal 

 angle ; ordiliary lines lost in the dark colour ; basal spots yellow in the 

 dark ground, two near the costal edge, followed by a very narrow yellow 

 line ; orbicular and claviform forming three rounded white spots, nearly 

 equal, the middle one eroded on the inner side; orbicular a slender curved 

 yellow line, surrounded by the full complement of spots, all white, none 

 large. Hind wing tinged with fuscous to the outer margin, which is 

 somewhat broadly and contrastingly pale. Expanse, 33 mm. 



One $, New York [exact locality unknown], (collection U. S. 

 National Museum). 



Type, No. 11412, U. S. National Museum. 



The specimen was identified by Prof. J. B. Smith as '' Hydroecia 

 appasionata, Harv.," at some date, apparently many years ago, for it has 

 nothing to do vrith that pretty and now well-known species. It belongs 

 to the rutila series, but it is much more heavily dark-shaded than any 

 described form. It is perhaps nearest to Merriccata, Bird, but that has 

 the brown shading powdered and diffused, not obscuring the ordinary 

 lines. 



