NO- 3546 MOTHS OF GENUS EUSCEPTIS — TODD 7 



Eusceptis effusa (Druce), new combination 



Figures 4, 5, 24 



Eugraphia effusa Druce, 1889, zn Godman and Salvin, Biologia Centrali-Ameri- 

 cana, Insecta, Lepidoptera, Heterocera, vol. 1, p. 304, table 28, fig. 12; 1898, 

 ibid, vol. 2, p. 492. — Hampson, 1910, Catalogue of the Lepidoptera Phalaenae 

 in the British Museum, vol. 10, p. 794. — Strand, 1913, Arch. Naturg., vol. 

 79 (A), nos. 7-9, p. 62. — Draudt, 1939, in Seitz, Gross-Schmetterlinge der 

 Erde, vol. 7, p. 397. 



This species and the following one, E. atriora, new species, differ 

 from the other species of the genns in which the ground color of the 

 hindwing is orange, yellow, or white (figs. 1-3, 9-18) in that the 

 forewing distad of the postmedial band (excluding the costal pale 

 spot) is dark (figs. 4-6), lacking the yellow or orange line that extends 

 from tornus toward apex in the terminal area of the forewing of the 

 other species. They also have a medial line of metallic scales in the 

 basal and distal black costal marks of the forewing. The costal 

 marks are uniformly dark in the other species. In addition, the 

 hindwings of males of efusa and atriora are modified. The inner 

 margin of the hind^dng is expanded, upturned and curved over the 

 abdomen. This modified area of the hindwing forms a concavity on 

 the ventral surface and contains a tuft of long hairs. E. effusa 

 (Druce) and E. atriora, new species, are extremely closely related 

 entities; however, there are a number of differences in maculation 

 and in the male genitalia. One of the more obvious differences is 

 the degree of development of the dark marginal band of the hind- 

 wing. In effusa males the marginal band of the hindwing is nearly 

 uniform in width and extends from the apex to about Cui. In 

 males of atriora the marginal band at Rs+Mi is about twice as wide 

 as at Cu2, the band being distinctly tapered and extending from apex 

 to beyond Cu2. In the females of effusa the marginal band is rather 

 similar to that of the males of atriora, but usually it is broader and more 

 truncate at about Cu2. In females of atriora the marginal band is 

 much like that of effusa to Cu2, but continues to taper on to the anal 

 angle. One female specimen from Cayuga, Guatemala does have the 

 marginal band terminating in a tapered point, but the band does not 

 extend to the anal angle. There are other differences in maculation 

 between the two species. Those differences and the differences in the 

 male and female genitalia will be discussed in the description of atriora. 

 Length of forewing: male, 14 mm.; female, 14 to 15 mm. 



Type: The type, a female from Volcan de Chiriqui, Panama, is in 

 the collection of the Konigliche Zoologische Museum, Berlin, Germany. 



Distribution: Southern Texas to Panama. Specimens from the fol- 

 lo\ving localities have been examined. Texas: Brownsville. Mexico: 

 Misantla, Tamazunchale, Poza Rica. Guatemala: Cayuga, Quirigua. 



