86 



America. Stretch in 1874 (Zyg. & Bomb. N. Am. p. 192) sinks both 

 rufttla and punctata to vagans, caUing attention to the fact that larvae 

 producing $ 's are differently colored from those producing 9 's and 

 proving that Boisduval's characteristic point of distinction for riifula 

 will not hold good in a bred series; he errs in quoting Boisduval as 

 saying the size of vagans is that of "very small specimens of fuligin- 

 osa" ; Boisduval uses the words "plus grands" in this connection. 



On the strength of Stretch's synonymy Hy. Edwards described 

 (1874, Pac. Coast Lep. 27) Spilosoma pteridis from Vancouver Island 

 as new but later (1. c. p. 43) states that he and Stretch had come to 

 the conclusion that pteridis was a synonym of vagans Bdv. which was 

 after all distinct from the Central Californian rufida Bdv. (punctata 

 Pack.) 



A recent examination of the type specimens shows that pteridis 

 Hy, Edw. is exactly the same thing as danbyi Neum. described from 

 Victoria, B. C. (1893, Ent. News, IV, 141) as a variety of rubra 

 Neum. which still further involves the synonymy as rubra has been 

 listed as a good species by both Hampson and Dyar and also in our 

 recent Hst ; after studying the types we can see nothing except color 

 whereby to separate rubra and danbyi and believe they are correctly 

 listed as forms or races ; however, pteridis Hy. Edw. must certainly 

 take priority and if Hy. Edwards' conclusions be followed then the 

 correct name for this species would be vagans Bdv. This is a matter 

 impossible to be determined by us without a knowledge of the actual 

 type specimens, presumably with M. Oberthur in Rennes, France. The 

 size given by Boisduval for vagans rather contradicts Edwards' the- 

 ory as pteridis is much smaller than the largest fuliginosa; judging 

 by descriptions alone we incline to think that vagans was originally 

 based on rather dark immaculate 5 's and rufida on a 9 of one 

 and the same species and that later (1869) Boisduval, having received 

 more specimens, tried to divide them up between his two so-called 

 species with rather indifferent success as he himself states they may 

 be mere varieties of one species and again makes no mention of the 

 quite obvious difference in size to be found between pteridis and 

 rufula. For the present therefore we shall follow Stretch in listing 

 vagans Bdv. rufula Bdv. and punctata Pack, as referring to a single 

 species which we figure on PI. XIV, Figs. 1 and 3. 



