206 REVISION OF MAMESTRA — SMITH 



ordinary spots. Claviform dusky. Secondaries blackisb, fuscous, with 

 paler outer margin and a row of terminal black lunules. Beneath as 

 in nimbosa. Head and thorax concolorous, with primaries irregularly 

 mottled with gray. The thorax has a divided crest, similar to that of 

 nimbosa. Tlie $ antennae are distinctly serrate, or "pyramidal toothed," 

 the joints furnished with lateral long bristles and bunches of stiff hair. 



Expands 47-50""^ (1.88 to 2 inches). 



Habitat. — Canada, Eastern and Middle States. Six specimens are in 

 the Museum series, labeled as follows : Orouo, Maine (C. V. R., J. B. S ) ; 

 Sharon, New York, July 24 (Meske) ; Schenectady, Xew York, July 1 

 (0 V. R.) ; Centre, New York, July 5 (Riley). 



Tliis is more common than nimbosa, and easily distinguished from it 

 by the distinctly serrate antennae, the darker color, narrow median, and 

 wider s. t. space, and by the pale and rather broad even s. t. line. 



The male genitalia consist of the curved harpes, strongly dilated and 

 Bomewhat securiform at tip, the superior angle furnished with a single 

 stout corneous spine, and the inner surface of tip else rather densely 

 clothed with small spinules. There is also a corneous, finger-like process 

 similar to that in nimbosa. Clasper very broad, convex, with the harpes 

 forming nearly half a cylinder. Superiorly there is a long, stout, curved 

 prong or hook, the inner edge of which is somewhat serrate. 



The antennal structure of these, our three largest eastern species, is 

 interesting, and shows how little real reliance can be placed upon this 

 feature in grouping. In discaUs they are nearly simple, the joints only 

 furnished with tufts of hair. In nimbosa the joints are scarcely more 

 serrate, but have distinct lateral bristles. In imbrifera the joints are 

 distinctly serrate, the lateral bristles longer, and the bunch of hair is 

 more distinct. Yet these species certainly can not be separated in any 

 natural arrangement, and they are therefore associated here, though it 

 is straining the term to speak of the antennae of discalis as serrate. 



Mamestra purpurissata Grt. 



18f)4. Grt., Proc. Ent. Soc. Pliila., in, 82, PI. I, f. 5 ; Eurois. 

 1873. Grt., Buff. Bull., i, 102; Mamestra. 



var. JUNCiMACULA Smith. 

 1882. Smith, Bull. Bkln. Eat. Soc, v, 67 ; Hadena. 



Prim^iries pale purplish gra.y, tinged with blackish along costa, and 

 reddish on the discal space. Transverse lines obsolete or but faintly 

 indicated, single, blackish, approximate, irregular. S. t. line irregu 

 lar, forming an imperfect W near middle ; inwardly defined and shaded 

 with purplish black. The ordinary spots are large, outlined by nar- 

 row ])urplish black lines. Claviform obsolete or very small, scarcely 

 traceable. A series of black terminal lunules. Secondaries in the S 

 pale, with soiled outer margin ; in the $ dusky. Beneath, primaries 

 dusky, in the male with paler terminal space; secondaries pale gray. 

 Head and thorax concolorous with primaries. Collar with a black line. 

 AntenuiG of the S thickened, joints serrate and bristled. 



