186 BULLETIN 190, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



genus is angular but not produced, M. cucurbitae also exhibits rough, 

 white-tipped scales on the forewings and on body, although these are 

 less conspicuous than in M. grandis. 



The food plant is Cucurbita foetidissima, the wild gourd so common 

 in western arid regions. The larvae bore in the underground tubers, 

 which grow to enormous size. Guided by pupal shells above ground, I 

 have found larval excavations but no living material for rearing. Ap- 

 parently the insect congregates in colonies. H. B. Parks reported find- 

 ing large tubers, laid bare in the course of road construction, fairly honey- 

 combed with larval tunnels. I have not been so fortunate. My long 

 series of moths was obtained by capture, the males usually in flight and 

 the females resting on foliage of the food plant. A 2-year life cycle is 

 expected. The available material is from Austin, Tex., male and female 

 in copulation, April 29, 1930, and a female, June 9, 1933, H. Parks ; San 

 Antonio, Tex., males and females, May-June 1934, H. P. Parks and 

 Engelhardt ; Alpine, Tex., male and female, July 20, Barnes collection ; 

 female, Arizona, no definite locality or date. 



MELITTIA GRANDIS HERMOSA, new variety 



Plate 31, Figure 177 



Female. — Forewing opaque, pale olive-green. Hindwing transparent, 

 veins orange, darker at margins. Abdomen broadly pale olive-green along 

 back, banded with red and black at the sides only. 



Expanse : 44 mm. 



Distribution. — Arizona. 



Type. — U.S.N.M. No. 56853, female. Described from two females 

 from Arizona. 



MELITTIA SNOWII Hy. Edwards 



Melittia snozvii Hy. Edwards, Papilio, vol 2, p. 53, 1882. — Beutenmuller, Bull. 

 Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist., vol. 4, p. 171, 1892; vol. 8, p. 114, 1896; vol. 12, p. 150, 

 1899; Mem. Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist., vol. 1, pt. 6, p. 234, pi. 29, fig. 2 (male), 

 1901._F. X. Williams, Kansas Univ. Sci. Bull., vol. 8 (1913), p. 219, pi. 31 

 (egg, larvae, cocoon, pupa, and adult), 1914. — McDunnough, Check list of 

 the Lepidoptera of Canada and the United States of America, pt. 2, No. 8778, 

 1939. 



Male. — Antennae gray-black, bipectinate, dark brown iDcneath and ru- 

 fous at tips. Labial palpus white, tinged with black above. Head gray, 

 face glossy white, occipital fringe thin, gray and white at the sides. Collar 

 lustrous blue-black. Thorax speckled gray, tawnier beneath. Abdomen 

 gray on the back, orange-yellow at the sides, spotted sordid white and 

 black in center beneath; anal tuft short and blunt, gray above, sordid 

 white beneath. Fore and middle legs sordid white, edged with orange; 

 tibiae and tarsi of hindlegs sordid white on outer side, densely covered 

 with long, deep orange and bluish-black hair on inner side. Forewing 



