JOHN B. SMITH, SC.D. 377 



The species is quite characteristic by its powdery surface, the 

 ' sharply marked and irregular s. t. liue and the general resemblance 

 to the Deltoid genus Bleptina. There are no apparent secondary 

 sexual characters on the wings or abdomen of the male. 



Pleoiiectyptera finitiina Smith. 



1893. Smitli, Insect Life, v, 333, Pleonectyptera. 

 Ground color gray, with a reddish or yellowish tinge, ranging from ashen to 

 almost brick-red and dull luteous. Palpi brown at sides. Primaries powdery to 

 iri'orate with minute darker scales that may tend to smoky or to reddish. Eeni- 

 form dusky to blackish, contrasting, not outlined, more or less kidney shaped. 

 Median lines double, consisting of a yellowish and a darker line, the latter from 

 a trigonate costal patch following in the t. a. and preceding in the t. p. lines. 

 T. a. line upright or a little oblique, rigid, even. T. p. line a little outcurved 

 over cell and a little incurved below ; the curves about equalling each other and 

 a little variable in extent. Usually the wing is darker beyond the t. p. line, but 

 it may extend absolutely concolorous to the outer margin. S. t. line irregular, 

 punctiform, the points sometimes outwardly emphasized by white scales, a 

 darker shade often connecting them more or less completely. A series of dark 

 terminal lunules which may be quite distinct or scarcely traceable. Secondaries 

 from pale smoky or yellowish at base to a lighter shade of the primaries at outer 

 margin, with or without a traceable extra-median line. Beneath : pale, pow- 

 dered with reddish, varying in tint and in amount until some examples are uni- 

 form powdery brick-red. Usually there is a distinct dJ^cal spot, an extra-median 

 line and sometimes an s. t. shade; but any one of these may be missing on pri- 

 maries and on secondaries all may be absent. Expands .88-1.05 inches = 22- 

 26 mm. 



Hub. — California: March 21st; Los Angeles Co., July and 

 October ; Argus Mts., April ; Pasadena, June 20th ; Plumas Co., 

 May 1st. Claremont, Colorado, without date or specific locality. 



This seems to be among the more common forms and is quite 

 vvidely distributed. The powdery appearance is characteristic and 

 identifies the species in all its forms. The range of variation is in 

 the relative distinctness of the marks, lines and spots and in the 

 color of the suflTusion. There is also a greater range in size than is 

 usual in the species of this genus. There are no obvious tuftings on 

 the wings, legs or abdomen of the male, and the antennse are but 

 feebly fringed with just noticeably longer hairs on each side of each 

 joint, and these indeed are scarcely to be made out in some examples. 



In the series before me four males and eight females are repre- 

 sented ; two or more examples having been also used up to make 

 slides illustrating venation, etc. 



Types of the species are in the U. S. National Museum and in 

 my own collection. 



TBANS. AM. ENT. SOC. XXXIII. (48) DECEMBEK, 1907. 



