June, iQii.] Bird: On Xanthcecia buffaloensis Grt. 89 



among such common weeds, though the probability that it might work 

 in any aquatic plant would be cjissipated. The European flora now 

 supporting flavago can be little like primordial conditions whereas we 

 may expect to find buffaloensis still boring its primitive food-plant. 

 Failure to discover this larva at Buffalo served to intensify interest 

 in the species, so it was with much gratification that an example from 

 Mr. F. Marloff, taken at Oak Station, Pa., October i, 1910, was 

 recently identified for him as the lost Grote species. In replying to 

 congratulations over the re-discovery Mr. Marloff stated he had cap- 

 tured the specimen at a street lamp, in a prolific locality where a 

 roadway winds down from the high country into a valley. At this 

 point Papaipcma furcata, P. merriccata and Chccphora fungorum 

 have been taken, the varied flora of the imnnediate vicinity offering 

 special advantages for the commingling of desirable species. 



There could not be dispelled, however, the notion that the insect 

 had been seen before and the impression finally became strong that in 

 Papaipema latia Strk. we had previously met a counterpart. Some 

 years ago Stecker's type of latia had been seen and upon comparing 

 my notes and pencil sketch of the same with the Marloff specimen 

 and Hampson's figure it seemed quite clear that but one species could 

 be involved. Though the type of latia was not examined for a tuber- 

 culate frons, my note reads : " It seems probably an Ochria." Still 

 further confirmation was needed and application was made to Mr. 

 W. J. Gerhard, of the Field Museum, Chicago, who has the Strecker 

 collection in charge. He very kindly compared /a/ia type with Hamp- 

 son's figure of buffaloensis, following my suggestion to examine for 

 a tubercle on the frons of latia. 



Mr. Gerhard reports that my surmise is undoubtedly correct, stat- 

 ing that he "fails to see any difference that would justify anyone in 

 regarding them as being two distinct forms." The slight difference 

 he can detect is that Strecker's type is less highly colored and that 

 the postmedial line is more fasciate than Hampson's figure, both of 

 which features were apparent in the Marloff specimen. Most impor- 

 tant of all, he states that " the front between the eyes has a distinct 

 tubercle, which, however, is not so pronounced as on the other species 

 of the genus, namely, flavago of Europe, which was likewise exam- 

 ined." Had latia a smooth frons no matter how close the superficial 

 resemblance, it would remain distinct from buffaloensis, but with the 



