THE KANSAS UNIVERSITY 

 SCIENCE BULLETIN. 



Vol. VIII, No. 5] JULY, 1913. W^frCs. 



Notes on Three Sesidse (Lepidoptera) Affect- 

 ing the "Missouri Gourd" {Cucurbita 

 foitidissima H . B. K ) in 

 Kansas. 



BY FRANCIS X. WILLIAMS. 

 Plates XXXI and XXXII. 



Melittia gloriosa Hy. Edwards. 

 (Bull. Brook. Ent. Soc, III, 71; 1880.) PI. XXXI, fig. 6. 



THIS, a near relative of our common "squash-vine borer," 

 is a very large and handsome "clearwing" moth, with 

 brilliant red, pale yellow, and blue-black markings, 

 strongly tufted legs, and an alar expanse in some of the large 

 females of somewhat more tlian 65 mm. 



As far as I am aware, M. gloriosa'has not been reported here- 

 tofore from Kansas, where it was taken on the Kansas Uni- 

 versity Biological Survey, in two counties, viz., Seward, in the 

 southwe.st, during August, 1911, and Graham, more towards 

 the northwestern portion of the state, in August, 1912. In 

 the latter county but one specimen was taken, while upwards 

 of two dozen were secured in Seward county. An extensive 

 field of sandy soil on the banks of the Cimarron river supported 

 a number of large, wide-spreading Cncurbita, and it was about 

 these ill-.smelling vines that glnrio.m was taken. The majority 

 of the moths were in fresh condition, for many were just 

 emerging. This seemed to take place during the morning 

 hours, and at least as early as 8 A. M., for at 8 :30 a fine $ , but 

 a few minutes from the pupa, was found sitting on a ripe 



(217) 



