June, i 9 o6.] Dv'AR : NYMPHULIN/E AND SCOPARIIN/E 81 



i $, no. 279 coll. Prof. C. H. Fernald, compd. with type of 

 cretacealis ; 6 9> Holyoke, Mass., July 14, 27, 28, 1898 (C. H. 

 Fernald); Florida (coll. C. H. Fernald); 2 9> Cayugo Co., Ohio, 

 Chicago, 111. (coll. W. D. Kearfott); 1 Q , Chicago, 111. (A. Kwiat); 

 14 cf, 23 5> Palm Beach, Cocoanut Grove and Miami, Fla., March, 

 August (Barnes, Schwarz, Dyar and Caudell). 



The larva appears to be undescribed. Hart remarks that it is 

 probably related to that of the European strationata, which differs 

 from that of Nymphula obscuralis Grote in the lesser development of 

 the respiratory filaments. 



Nymphula obscuralis Grote. 

 Oligostigma obscuralis Grote, Pap., i, 18, 1881. 



Oligostigma obscuralis Grote, New ch. list No. Am. Moths, 54, 1882. 

 Hydrocampa obscuralis Fernald, Smith list Lep. Bor. Am., no. 4169, 1891. 

 Paraponyx obscuralis Hart, Bull. 111. Sta. Lab. Nat. Hist., iv, 167, pi. 1, ft". 1-7, 



I895- 

 Nymphula obscuralis Hampson, Trans, ent. soc. Lond., 142, 1897. 

 Nymphula obscuralis Fernald, Bull. 52, U. S. Nat. Mus., no. 4493, 1903. 



$ . White, the fore wings shaded with blackish brown ; outer line white, 

 wavy, bent inward at median vein and obsolete, followed by a broad, dark shade ; a 

 dark half-band at middle of inner margin ; base dark ; terminal line black, incised 

 subapically ; fringe dark. Hind wing with slender mesial line, broad, dark outer 

 mesial band ; a broad marginal orange band with a slender dark line within and row 

 of geminate spots without in the base of the white fringe. Expanse 17 mm. 



9- Similar. Expanse 21 to 29 mm. 



N. Y., Wis., September (Grote) ; Urbana, 111. (Hart). 



1 <$, Algonquin, 111., August 22, 1904 (W. D. Kearfott) ; 1 

 9, Fla., no. 259 (coll. Prof. C. H. Fernald); 7 9> Harpers Ferry, 

 Ya., July, August, 1892, U. S. Dept. Agr. no. 4330 (T. Pergande) ; 

 1 9, Ohio, 1 9 without label (coll. U. S. Nat. Mus.). 



The larva has been described by Mr. Hart. He says the favorite 

 food of the larva is Vallisneria spiralis and that it has also been found 

 upon Potamogeton nutans. They feed at first exposed on the leaf but 

 later two or even three leaves are loosely webbed together face to 

 face by each larva. The cocoon is fine and dense. Full grown lar- 

 vae and pupae were obtained in July. Later they occurred in floating 

 cases made by cutting loose the larval retreats and they were still to 

 be found in September and October. The method of hibernation is 

 not proven though a larva is recorded in December and they doubt- 

 less hibernate as larvae in the water. 



