Insecutor Inscitiae Menstruus 



Vol. II SEPTEMBER. 1914 No. 9 



UTETHEISA IN PORTO RICO 



{Lepidoptera, Arctiida) 

 By HARRISON G. DYAR 



Neither Butler ( 1 8 7 7) nor Hampson (1901), both of whom treat the 

 species fully, record any specimens of Utetheisa from Porto Rico. A 

 form, however, is not uncommon, or possibly two forms, and I possess 

 good series of adults and larvae, through the kindness of Mr. Thos. H. 

 Jones and his associates. It was figured by Stretch (Zyg. & Bomb. N. 

 A., pi. ii, fig. 1 7, 1872) without nzime. Subsequently the name stretchii 

 was applied by Butler to Stretch's figure (Trans. Ent. Soc. Lond., 1877, 

 361), but he added the erroneous locality, Honduras. The relation of 

 this form to the other recognized species is somewhat peculiar. 



The latest authority recognizes but two American species. Of these 

 ornatrix Linn, is distinguished by the white hind wings, and ranges from 

 Brazil to Mexico, including the Lesser Antilles, the GcJapagos and Mar- 

 quesas Islands. It reaches southern Texas, as I have a specimen before 

 me from Bastrop County (collection O. Meske). In this connection, the 

 occurrence in the Lesser Antilles is of importance. Hampson cites An- 

 tigua, St. Kitts, Nevis, St. Lucia, and Barbados, to which I can add 

 Grenada, Dominica, and Martinique. The species is very constant, 

 being subject to only two variations, one, an increase in the red markings 

 on the wing, sometimes amounting to an almost complete suffusion, the 

 other a partial restoration of the lines of black dots across the wing, 

 accompanied by some red. 



The first variety may be named variety daphoena, new variety. 

 The type is a made from Jalapa, Mexico (Schaus collection). The black 

 dots are normal, but the fore wing is shaded with crimson, in broken bands 

 outwardly, zJong median vein and inner area. The disced venules remeuD 

 white, and white areas surround all the black dots. 



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