March 1897.] Beutenmuller : On Melittia Satyriniformis. 35 



Bull. Brooklyn Ent. Soc. Vol. VI, 1883, P- 1° 5 Lintner, Country Gentleman, Vol. 

 XLIX, 1S84, pp. 477, 487 and 517; 2d Rep. Nox. Ins. N. V. 1885, pp. 57-68; 

 Smith, Insect Life, Vol. IV, 1891, p. 30; Beutenmuller, Bull. Am. Nat. Hist. 

 Vol. VIII, 1896, p. 113. 



Trochilium cucttrbitce Morris, Synop. Lepid. N. Am. 1862, p. 139. 



yEgeria {^Melittia) cuctirbita Packard, 9th Rep. U. S. Geol. Geograph. Sur- 

 vey (Hayden), 1877, p. 769; French (in Thomas' 2d Rep,), 7th Rep. Nox. Ins. 

 111. 1878, p. 173; 



Melittia amcejia Hy Edwards, Papilio, Vol. II, 1882, p. 53; Beutenmuller, 

 Bull. Am. Mus. Nat. Hist. Vol. VIII, 1896, p. 113. 



In my paper entitled, "Critical Review of the Sesiidae, found in 

 America, north of Mexico," page 113 (Bull. Am. Mus. Nat. Hist., 

 Vol. VIII.) I made the following statements regarding our common 

 quash-borer Melittia aiairbitce. "This well-known species was de- 

 scribed by Harris as Algeria ciicm-bitce, and later by Westwood as 

 Trochilium ceto; consequently the former name must be used. Double- 

 day (Harris corresp., 1869, p. 161) states that ^Sgeria cucurbitcB is 

 Melittia satyriniformis Hiibner, and, if so, this latter name would have 

 precedence. Mr. Samuel Henshaw kindly examined for me Hiibner's 

 work (Zutrage Exot. Schmett., 1825), in the library of Harvard Univer- 

 sity, and writes me as follows: "The figure oi Melittia satyriniformis 

 differs from all ciiciirbitiB that I have seen in coloration ; the abdomen 

 is dark blue-black with light blue margins to lack segment and without 

 a trace of the orange so conspicuous in cuciirbitce.'''' In view of this 

 fact I thought it best to retain Harris' name until more light could be 

 obtained on the subject. Since then Prof. John B, Smith was kind 

 enough to examine for me Hiibner's Zutrage in the library of the Acad- 

 emy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, and he writes me as follows : 

 "The insect which Hiibner figures as satyriniformis is without any 

 sort of question the moth of our common squash-borer. In this copy 

 the coloring is good and represents our insect in a male specimen. 

 The description is more full than usual and calls attention to several 

 little details that correspond perfectly with our insect, and I have no 

 doubt that Hiibner's figure refers to our species." 



It seems to me quite evident that the plates of different copies of 

 Hiibner's works are differently colored and misleading. I have no 

 doubt as to Prof. John B. Smith's conclusions regarding the identifica- 

 tion of satyriniformis, and I would propose that hereafter M. cucurbita; 

 be called M. satyriniformis. The type of M. amivna was kindly sent 

 to me for examination by Prof. Snow, and it is absolutely the same as 

 satyriniformis, there being no differences whatever between the two. 



