10 Journal New York Entomological Society. [Voi. xi. 



Oncocnemis aurea Grt. 



This was described as a Pseudanaita by Mr. Grote and was un- 

 known to me when I wrote my revision of Pseudanarta in 1889. I 

 saw the type in the British Museum in 1891, and in my Catalogue 

 (1893) I note that the species has armed anterior tibiae; but I con- 

 sidered it rather Heliothid than otherwise from the examination then 

 made. A more careful study of the type was made in 1900 and, on 

 my return, I identified the species in my box of Oncocnemis — where 

 it belongs. Six exam-ples are before me at present, five of them from 

 various lexan localities, one from Hot Springs, New Mexico, 7,000 

 feet alt., and there is on the whole a close resemblance between 

 them. One specimen from Shovel Mountain, Texas, is larger than 

 the others and the outer half of the wing is gray, quite sharply defined 

 from the basal dark portion ; but a tendency to this is noticed in a 

 form from San Antonio, and is probably within the range of variation. 

 Oncocnemis nigerrima, sp. nov. 



Head, thorax and primaries black or smoky over a gray base. On the head and 

 thorax gray scales intermingle with the black, and the collar is narrowly gray-tipped 

 over a blackish line. There is a black line between the antenna; and a paler line 

 across the middle of the collar. Basal line of primaries indicated by black scales on 

 the subcostal vein. T. a. line single, black, outcurved, a little irregular, preceded 

 by a shading of gray scales. T. p. line single, evenly curved over the cell and as 

 deeply incurved below it ; a shading of gray scales on both sides giving a slight re- 

 lief. S. t. line gray, broad, linear in the costal region, else diffuse, irregular, pre- 

 ceded by black lines in the interspaces. A black terminal line. Fringes long, gray- 

 ish at base, interlined with smoky and cut with smoky beyond the interline. Clavi- 

 form concolorous, outlined by separate black scales ; short and broad. Orbicular 

 small, round, gray with a smoky center, outlined by black scales. Reniform large, 

 broadly oval, oblique, defined by a white ring, the center smoky brown. Secon- 

 daries deep orange, with a broad black border which extends also along the costa. 

 Beneath, primaries black, with the reniform white. Secondaries as above. Ex- 

 pands .75 inch =: 19 mm. 



Habitat : Yuma County, Arizona, in July. 



One good male from Mr. Geo. S. Hutson, taken in the desert 

 area. The resemblance is to aurea Grt., than which the new form is 

 smaller, blacker, with better defined markings, orbicular, clearly de- 

 fined and the secondaries more deeply colored. The well-defined s. 

 t. line which is lacking in aurea and the well-defined white-ringed 

 reniform are the most striking characters of this species. Corrusca, 

 which belongs to this same little group, is larger than either aurea or 

 fiigerrima and does not have the costal area of secondaries black. 



