Dec . 1903.] Weeks : Evolution of Secondaries of Catocala. 221 



Of the above noted eighty species of Cicindelidre thirty* occur in 

 the United States, four species {^Cicindela trifasciataY ., flavopunctata 

 Chev., carthagena Dej. and Tetracha Carolina L. ) are known from the 

 United States, Mexico and countries south of Mexico. The species 

 with the widest geographical distribution is the last one, which runs 

 down to the north of Chile. The four tropical genera ( Ctenostovia, 

 Hiresia, Beckerium and Odontochila represented all together only by 

 five species!) belong all to the extreme south of Mexico (south of 

 Vera Cruz). 



THEORY AS TO EVOLUTION OF SECONDARIES 

 OF MOTHS OF THE GENUS CATOCALA. j 



Archibald C. Weeks. 



The conspicuous beauty of the secondaries of the members of this 

 genus, the delight and admiration of every collector, is so wonder- 

 fully and handsomely differentiated from that of their plainer congeners 

 of the noctuidaj as to entitle it to some speculation as to its origin. 

 Although there is something to admire in the colorative arrangement 

 of the subdued and modest hues of the species of allied genera, never- 

 theless, in both primaries and secondaries of the latter prevail shades 

 ranging from black, brown, pale yellow, red, green and gray to white, 

 all calculated to make their wearers invisible by reason of their more 

 or less perfect blending with the color scheme of earth, rocks, and 

 dead or living vegetation, and so escape observation of enemies and 

 perpetuate their species. The Catocala, however, though provided 

 with primaries similarly marked and obviously for the same purpose 

 yet possess secondaries adorned with brilliant red, scarlet, magenta, 

 pink, yellow, blue, black or white, as startling a contrast of vestiture 

 as could possibly be imagined. Instead of a coloration developed 

 along the lines of agreement or identification with environment we 

 here find one which apparently scorns concealment and openly and 



* 29, if Cicindela soinmeri Mann, would not belong to the fauna of the United 

 States. 



t Read before the Entomological Department of the Brooklyn Institute of Arts 

 and Sciences, February 26, 1903, and Brooklyn Entomological Society, April 2, 

 1903- 



