1884.] NATURAL SCIENCES OF PHILADELPHIA. 283 



DESCRIPTIONS OF NEW SPECIES OF NORTH AMERICAN HETEROCEEA. 



BY HERMAN STRECKER. 

 Smerinthus astarte. 



S expands 3 inches; head brown; thorax above dark brown, 

 patagije whitish gra}^ ; abdomen grayish brown above, more ashen 

 beneath. 



Primaries dentated exteriorly, but not as deeply notched as in 

 Gerysii, but more so than Opthalmicus. Pointed apical!}' more 

 as in the latter, not so squarely cut off as in Geryaii. Secon- 

 daries larger in proportion and more evenly cut on outer edge. 



Upper surface. Ground-color whitish gray, variegated with 

 brownish shades and bands as in Cerysii and Opihalmicus, not 

 as much broken and zigzag as in the first, neither as cleai'ly 

 defined as in the last ; the white discal lune and accompanying- 

 line, extending half way along the median nervure, are boldly de- 

 fined, as in Gerysii. 



Secondaries ros}- with white at inner margin, grayish at costa 

 and inclined to brownish at exterior margin. An anal ocellus 

 black, with a bisected blue ring enclosing large black centre. 

 Fringe white. 



Under surface resembles closely that of the two allied species 

 alluded to. 



Taken, in several examples, by Mr. David Bruce, near Denver, 

 Colorado. 



This remarkable insect, whether a good species or a variety of 

 Opthalmicus or Gerysii, it seems impossible to determine; geo- 

 graphically considered one might be led to the conclusion that it 

 was a link between the two, and to compare it placed aside of 

 examples of either it is an impossibility to decide to which it 

 belongs ; the strongest point (and not a very strong one either) 

 is the bisected blue ring of the anal ocellus, which would denote 

 a closer affinity to Gerysii. Were it a h^'brid, the product of the 

 aforementioned two species it could not be more difficult to draw 

 the line of separation, or to say to which species (or form?) it 

 was most closely allied. Future captures in various localities 

 may eventually lead to the knowledge that all three, Opthalmi- 

 cus, Astarte and Gerysii are but forms of one species : to which 

 belief I am most strongly inclined at the present writing. 

 Ecpantheria caeca. 



$ expands If inches ; head white above, black in front and 



