REVISION MALACOSOMA HUBNER IN NORTH AMERICA 165 



ADULT FEMALES (figs. 278-284).— Basically same color as males, 

 though more often brownish or grayish without as much of a yellowish 

 tint. Lines on forewings with indentations as in males, but rarely meet- 

 ing to form "islands." Median area usually darker than inner and 

 outer areas which vary from brown to gray-brown to nearly pure, pale 

 yellowish-gray in rare specimens (fig. 280). Wings usually conspicuous- 

 ly dusted with light scales. Hindwings usually somewhat darker than 

 forewings, dusted with some lighter scales and often crossed by a con- 

 trasting line of scales. Lower surface of forewings and hindwings about 

 same color as upper surface ; both wings crossed by a single contrasting 

 line which divides wing into a darker inner region and a lighter outer 

 region. 



ADULT DIAGNOSIS.— Both males and females usually can be 

 easily separated from other populations of M. calif ornicum by the dis- 

 tinctive grayish color in combination with the light veins and indenta- 

 tions which often meet to form "islands" in the males. It intergrades 

 with populations of M. californicum to the north, northeast, and east, 

 and many specimens from these areas of intergradation will be inter- 

 mediate between typical c. fragile from the desert area, and the darker, 

 more orange-brown specimens of M. californicum from adjacent areas. 

 Specimens from adjoining populations generally do not have lighter 

 scales along the veins, and the indentations of the lines on the forewings, 

 if present, will usually be reduced in number, although they may still 

 form "islands." The only species found in the same area which can 

 possibly be confused with c. fragile is M. incurvum discolor atum. See the 

 adult diagnosis for M. incurvum discoloratum for the best characters to 

 separate them (page 178). 



MATURE LARVAE (figs. 366-369, 380-382).— Head blue, motded 

 with black, sparsely covered with fine white and black setae. Middorsal 

 area of body usually marked by an elongate, blue-white, somewhat 

 pointed dash on each segment which together form a broken middorsal 

 stripe; this stripe is sometimes absent (fig. 382) or reduced (fig. 381), 

 especially near the zone of intergradation. Addorsal area black, with 

 a few irregular orange longitudinal lines which are often faint. Sub- 

 dorsal and supraspiracular areas blue-white to blue. Anterior and 

 posterior subdorsal blue-white spots not visible since they have either 

 been expanded to form the subdorsal and supraspiracular blue-white 

 areas, or they have been engulfed by these areas. Area around setal 

 group D2 usually black and appearing as a small spot (fig. 380) which 

 may be partially or wholly obscured by the addorsal black, depending 

 on how extensive it is. Area around setal group SD also black and 

 varying in size and shape from a small dot to an elongate longitudinal 

 dash; some specimens from the areas of intergradation may have a 



