156 BULLETIN 190, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



characteristic of all the grapevine root borers 1 have examined from the 

 United States, Mexico {Tirista prasilla Druce), and Japan {Sciapteron 

 regale Butler). I regard cupressi as a western race of polistijormis but 

 refrain from relegating it to subspecific rank until sufficient and better 

 material has been obtained. The male type is in fine condition and well 

 illustrated by Beutenmiiller ; the allotype is a dwarfed, imperfect speci- 

 men. One more imperfect female from the Grand Canyon of Arizona 

 completes the available representation. 



In the West, cupressi has not yet been reported injurious to cultivated 

 grapes or otherwise. It occurs there, however, and as a possible menace 

 to grape culture in the West it should be given serious attention. 



VITACEA SCEPSIFORMIS (Hy. Edwards) 



Sciapteron scepsiformis Hy. Edwards, Papilio, vol. 1, p. 183, 1881. — Beutenmuller, 



Bull. Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist., vol. 8, p. 121, 1896. 

 Memythrus scepsiformis Beutenmuller, Mem. Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist., vol. 1, pt. 6, 



p. 250, 1901. 

 Paranthrene scepsiformis McDunnough, Check list of the Lepidoptera of Canada 



and the United States of America, pt. 2, No. 8797, 1939. 



Male. — Antennae broadly bipectinate, black, orange at tips and be- 

 neath. Labial palpus rough, chestnut-red, black mixed with brown at 

 base and on the sides, mentum pale buff. Head purplish brown, occipital 

 fringe chestnut-red. Collar black-brown, grizzly at lower edge and yel- 

 low beneath. Thorax purplish black-brown, tegulae touched with red- 

 brown, metathorax marked transversely with pale yellow and a yellow 

 spot at wing base above and one beneath. Abdomen shiny black on 

 segments 1 and 2 ; reddish black on segments 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 ; segment 

 2 narrowly banded with pale yellow above and at the sides; underside 

 not banded; anal tuft with four pencils, the two lateral ones short, the 

 two dorsal ones long, rusty black with brown edges. Coxae and femora 

 black touched with red-brown, posterior tibiae black, yellow and red- 

 brown mixed anteriorly, black edged with red-brown between the spurs ; 

 tarsi yellow. Forewing opaque, purplish black, yellow at base and 

 streaked faintly with red-brown to the indistinct discal mark; fringes 

 broad, brownish black ; underside shaded with yellow on basal half. Hind- 

 wing transparent, veins, narrow discal mark, and broad margin brownish 

 black; between veins 2 and 3 a heavy suffusion of scales to beyond the 

 discal mark and vein Ic progressively broadening from base to outer 

 margin ; inner margin to wing base touched with yellow. 



Female. — Differs only by its larger size, heavier body, and simple an- 

 tennae. One female, the only available specimen from Florida (Alachua 

 County), has the hindwings densely suffused from the outer margin to 

 beyond the discal mark, leaving only the basal part transparent. Another 

 female, a dwarfed specimen from Mobile, Ala., August 19, 1928, has the 

 hindwings broadly margined, but otherwise transparent. 



