320 AMERICAN PSYCHODID^. 



almost straight ; twice as long as breadth of plate ; tapering gradually to rather 

 acute tip. 



Hab. — Columbia, Missouri. Single female taken in laboratory 



by light, September 23, 1906. 



Psyclioda signala Banks. 

 Psychoda signata Banks, Canadian Entomologist, XXXIII, p. 274 (1901). 

 "Head and thorax clothed with white hair, some tufts of gray at bases of 

 wings; antennje white, about as long as width of wing; legs whitC; last few tar- 

 sal joints black, and a black ring on base of the first tarsal joint of hind legs; 

 abdomen clothed with white hair. Wings marmorate with pale gray and black- 

 ish, rather thinly clothed with hair; a blackish patch near base, another rather 

 before the middle from costa to center of wing, one on posterior part about behind 

 this one, a long one along the apical costal third of wing, often interrupted by 

 three pale spots, and a few small patches on the apical third of hind margin ; all 

 these spots are blackish, irregular, and of indistinct outline. The fringe on cos- 

 tal margin is largely gray, but with two white patches and the apex white; on 

 middle of hind margin is a long white portion, the rest of the fringe is blackish ; 

 the fringe on the hind margin is about one-third the width of the wing. Length 

 of wing 2 mm." 



Hab. — Washington, D. C, in May. 



Psychoda alteruata Say. 

 Psychoda alternata Say, Williston, Entomological News, IV, p. 114 (1893) ; 

 Banks, Canadian Entomologist, XXVI. p. 330 (1894) ; XXVII, p. 324 

 (1895); Kincaid, Entomological News, XII, p. 193 (1901); Banks. 

 Canadian Entomologist, XXXIII, p. 274 (1901) ; Eaton, Ent. Mo. Mag., 

 IX, p. 123 (1898). 



This is evidently a most variable and widespread species. Ps. 

 sexpanctata, found throughout Europe and Northern Africa, has 

 recently been identified as Ps. alternata Say, which has been found 

 to range throughout the United States, from the Atlantic to the 

 Pacific. The writer collected quite a number by light between 

 August 15th and September 27th, here at Columbia. These vary 

 considerably among themselves, and differ in man.y respects from 

 Banks' description of Ps. alternata, especially in size and darker 

 shade. The thorax and anterior portion of abdomen varies from 

 light yellowish to brownish black ; the posterior portion of the 

 abdomen being lighter. In some specimens the patches at the tips 

 of the veins are brown, and the wings conspicuously marked Avith 

 black. The patches at the tip of veins 4 and 6 are usually bordered 

 within with a patch of white, and sometimes white patches are 

 present next to other of the apical blotches of black ; posterior 

 fringe almost one-half breadth of wing. The antennae are 14- 



