70 BULLETIN 190, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



Expanse : Male 16 to 18 mm., female 16 to 20 mm. 



Distribution. — Kerrville, Kerr County, Tex. 



Type. — Male. In the United States National Museum. 



Remarks. — Known onl}^ from the type locality at Kerrville, Tex. H. 

 Lacey, the collector, reported the moths confined to weedy places on his 

 ranch, which supports my suspicion that the insect is a root borer in 

 herbaceous plants. The examples collected by Mr. Lacey are dated Octo- 

 ber 1916. One male from the same locality, collected by F. C. Pratt, is 

 dated April 11, 1907. This record, considered doubtful, would indicate 

 a 2-brooded species. 



CARMENTA AURITINCTA (Engelhardt) 



Plate 21, Figures 125, 126 



Synanthcdon auritincta Engelhardt, Bull. Brooklyn Ent. Soc, vol. 20, p. 216, 

 1925. — McDuNNOUGH, Check list of the Lepidoptera of Canada and the United 

 States of America, pt. 2, No. 8711, 1939. 



Male. — Antennae black, with small white area on upper surface near 

 tips. Labial palpus pale yellow, black above on second and third joints. 

 Head black, front glossy whitish, a coarse brush on top black and pale 

 yellow mixed. Collar yellow above, white at the sides and beneath. Thorax 

 above black-violaceous, with two lateral stripes and posterior margin 

 golden yellow ; beneath, the wing base laterally with yellow patches. Ab- 

 domen slender, violaceous-black, segments 2, 3, 4, 6, and 7 narrowly 

 banded with yellow above and at the sides, not beneath; anal tuft fan- 

 shaped, violaceous-black, touched with pale yellow at the sides. Coxae and 

 trochanters of forelegs shiny white; hindlegs with tibiae violaceous-black, 

 tufted with pale yellow at the spurs ; tarsi ringed with pale yellow at the 

 joints. Forewing transparent, costa and broad outer margin violaceous- 

 black, with coppery rays between the veins ; rectangular discal mark and 

 narrow inner margin metallic black ; fringes dark, bronzy black ; underside 

 shaded more strongly with yellow on basal half. Hindwings transparent, 

 narrowly margined, black with coppery reflections above and beneath. 



Female. — Antennae lustrous black, usually, but not always, inarked with 

 white before the tips. Labial palpi bright yellow, tips black. Head viola- 

 ceous-black, face black and white. Collar golden yellow above, pale yellow 

 at the sides and beneath. Thorax shiny blue-black, deep golden yellow at 

 the sides and at anterior and posterior margins ; ventral parts with pale- 

 yellow or whitish patches. Abdomen bluish black, all segments narrowly 

 banded with deep yellow, except segments 4 and 6, which are nearly or 

 entirely deep yellow; beneath, only segment 3 remaining black, all other 

 segments much suffused with yellow ; anal tuft golden yellow, mixed with 

 black at base. 



Expanse : Male 16 inm., female 16 to 21 mm. 



