AMERICAN LEPIDOPTERA. 41 



dusky marked, with a faint extra median line, as well as a smoky discal lunule. 

 Beneath pale straw yellow, powdery. Both wings with a brownish, extra median 

 line; secondaries with a blackish discal spot. Expanse 1.36 in.; 34 mm. 



Hub. -Los Angeles Co., Calif., collected by Mr. Coquillet and 

 numbered 421. 



The specimen is a male from the U. S. National Museum and is 

 in good condition, save that the abdomen is a little greasy. In 

 sexual characters the insect is typically like the white-spotted forms ; 

 but there is no trace of white marks in the example before me. On 

 close comparison it will be seen that the markings are like nitela, 

 and the insect has its relations most evidently with the series, of 

 which that species forms a part. The male characters in this spe- 

 cies revert to the type. As usual in this section of the genus we 

 have the forked tip set with spines ; and the rather long, curved, 

 pointed clasper, the edges of which, in the single specimen that I 

 have had under examination, seem to be even. 



Hydrcecia cataphracla Grote, pi. 2, fig. 29, % genitalia. 



1864.— Grote, Proc. Ac. Nat. Sci. Phil., iii, 81, pi. 2, f. 3, Gortyna. 



1873.— Grote, Bull. Buff. Soc. Nat. Sci., i, 111. 142, Hydrmcia. 



1881.— Grote, Bull. Geol. Surv., vi, 269, Gortyna. 



1891. — Dyar, Can. Ent., xxiii, 157, larva. 



1893.— Smith, Bull. 44th U. S. Nat. Mas., 176, Hydrcecia. 



1898.— Bird, Can. Ent., xxx, 128, larva. 

 Ground color yellow, with purplish powderings and shadings. Head and 

 thorax almost entirely purplish ; the tip of the collar and the disc of the thorax 

 remaining of the ground color. Primaries with all the markings fairly evident. 

 Base, within the geminate basal line, of the ground color. T. a. line geminate, 

 rather evenly outcurved, or almost upright to the submedian vein, and then 

 with a long outcurve. From the costa to the submedian vein the basal space is 

 purplish, except as already stated. T. p. line geminate, the inner line very nar- 

 row, brown, outcurved over the cell and a little incurved below. The inner line 

 more or less lunulate, and this indeed may be the case with the outer line, 

 though, as a rule, it is almost even. The s. t. space is purplish and usually con- 

 trasts with the terminal space, which is more nearly of the ground color and 

 relieves the irregular, outwardly dentate s. t. line. The fringes are purplish, a 

 white dotlet marking the end of each vein. The apex is of the ground color, 

 and below that the terminal space is more or less powdered with purplish. The 

 median shade line is variably distinct, sometimes a mere vague powdering, some- 

 times quite sharply defined as a narrow line, which is bent at the lower end of 

 the reniform. The median space is powdered with rusty brown, except in the 

 ordinary spots, which are thus relieved, though not differing in any other respect 

 from the ground color. Orbicular moderate in size, round, or with a tendency 

 to become triangular, narrowly ringed by brown scales. Secondaries smoky, 

 tending to become shaded with purplish, which is the case also with the abdo- 

 men. Beneath the ground color is yellowish, strongly powdered with gray and 

 brown. Both wings with a smoky outer line, the secondaries with usually a dis- 

 tinct discal spot, which may be indicated on the primaries as well. Expanse 

 1-1.80 in.; 25-45 mm. 



TKANS. AM. ENT. SOC. XXVI. (6) MAY. 1899. 



