—49— 



New species of Californian Moths 



Bv Hknrv Edwards. 

 FAM. ^GERIADAE. 



Pyrrhotaenia Elda, n. sp. (?) 



Closely allied to P. //e//«/(//u', P. fraijm-hr and P. BelirensU. The forewings 

 are bright bluish green, with the internal margin fiery copper red, this color behig 

 broadest at the base, ceasing before reaching the interior angle. The lower wings 

 are fiery copper red, the fringes of both pairs golden purple. Front, pectus, palpi, 

 sides of thorax and abdomen, caudal tuft, three posterior se jments of abdomen, fore 

 femora, and all the tibi;v fiery i opper led. Hoth pairs of wings are (|uite o]5aque. 

 Beneath there is on secondaries a black discal spot, and the upper wings are coppery 

 red with a purple flush, and purplish toward the posterior half. 



It is by no means unlikely that this is the 9 "f ^* BJiitiisii. the 

 lower wings of which are trans|)arent. and should this prove to be the 

 case it may also be concluded tliat P. kcliaulhi \\\i\\ opaque wings is the 

 9 o^ P./ragaricp, in wliich the wings are transparent. The fact of 

 liie different disposition of the abdominal band is against this conclusion, 

 but a careful study of the group has convinced me that the .se.xes differ 

 considerably, and in P- animosa Hv. Edvv. , described in Papilio, Vol. 3, 

 p. 156, thev are distinguished by the character referred to, the lower wings 

 of the (^ being transparent, while those of the 9 ^''C opacpie. In other 

 of the genera this peculiarity appears, especially so in Samiina cxitiosa 

 Walk., and in Falua denudata Harr., and I shrewdly suspect that Rlelittui 

 (Sesi'a) grande Streck. will prove to be the^ of iJ/. gloriosa Hy. Edw. I 

 have seen none but (^(^ of the R)rmer of these species and none but 9 9 

 of the latter. But further observatic>n is needed, and we may have some 

 time to wait for definite conclusions as the insects are remarkably rare. 

 P. Elda is the size of/*. Behrcnsii {20 mm.) and is described from 2 9 

 taken in Siskiyou Co , California, by Mr. James Behrens. 



FAM. BOMBYCIDAE. 



Nadata Behrensii, n. sp. 



Paler in color than either 3'. (fihhosa or iV. Doubhdai/l, the markings therefore 

 standing out in bolder relief. The apex of the primaries greatly produced and the 

 scalloped margins strongly defined. The anterior line is more bent in on the costa 

 towards the base, thus leaving a much wider space between it and the posterior line 

 than in either of the other two species. The white discal spots are ovate in shape, 

 not round as in K. gibbosa. and they are surmounted by a very conspicuous dusky 

 shade. The secondaries have a well defined median band, which in the (^ is paler 

 than the ground color of the wing, but in the 9 somewhat darker. The underside 

 is very pale buff, almost sordid white, a reddish shade on apex of primaries, and a 

 pale brown median band common to both wings. Antennae tawny. Thorax, legs, 

 abdomen and palpi all sordid white, the latter without black lips. 



Exp. wings (^ 45 mm:, 9 5^ in™- Length of body 24 mm., 9 

 26 mm. I ^ Butte Co., Cal. (R. H. Stretch). i 9 Siskiyou Co., 

 (J. Behrens). 



ENTOMOLOGICA AMERICANA 8 



