JOHN B. SMITH, SC.D. 3-15 



NOTES OIV THE SPECIE>« OF AMATHES Hbn. 



BY JOHN B. SMITH, SC.D. 

 (Plates IX-X.) 



Under the term Orthosia Ochs. we have long had in our lists a 

 number of species which divided normally into two groups or series. 

 One of these was rol)ust, large, heavily built, with quadrate thorax 

 like helva Grt. The other was much slighter, smaller, with smoother, 

 convex thorax like fer rug ijioides Gn. That these could not remain 

 united has been recognized ; but partly because of lack of material 

 and partly because there was doubt as to the identity of some spe- 

 cies, n)atters have been left as they were. In his vol. vi, Sir George 

 F. Hampson unites the slighter species of our "OriAosm" with the 

 genus Amathes Hbn., and makes it possible to identity and place all 

 our species. 



As thus defined Amathes Hbn. has the "Proboscis fully devel- 

 oped ; palpi obliquely porrect, fringed with long hair in front, the 

 3rd joint short ; frons smooth ; eyes large, rounded ; antennae of male 

 typically ciliated ; head and thorax clothed with hair only ; the 

 tegulae produced to a dorsal ridge, the pro- and metathorax with- 

 out distinct crests; abdomen dorsally flattened, with lateral tufts of 

 hair and some rough hair at base but without crests. Forewings 

 with the termen evenly curved." The eyes are naked and the legs 

 are without spinulation or other armature save the normal spurs. 

 As a minor character it may be noted that in all the species the 

 reniform is dusky filled inferiorly. 



Within this genus are three sections, two of which contain Ameri- 

 can species: Section II with antennae of male minutely serrate, with 

 fasciculate cilia, and Section III with male antennae ciliate only. 



Section I contains no recognized North American species. 



Section II contains two species only, both belonging in the series 

 in which the antemedial or t. a. line of primaries is single, and the 

 costal area of the secondaries is pale. Verberaia is said to have the 

 "frons black at sides," while bicolorago is one of those having the 

 " frons concolorous at sides." 



TEANB. Ak. ENT. SOC. XXXIII. (44) NOV KM BEK, 1907. 



