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New species of Californian Moths 



By Henry Edwards. 

 FAM. jEGERIADAE. 



Pyrrhotaenia Elda, n. sp. (?) 



Closely allied to P. heliardhi, P.fragarice and P. Behrensii. The forewings 

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

 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 rments of abdomen, fore 

 femora, and all the tibise fiery copper red. Both pairs of wings are quite opaque. 

 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 Q of /■'. Behrensii, the 

 lower wings of which are transparent, and should this prove to be the 

 case it may also be concluded that P. helianthi with opaque wings is the 

 9 of P.fragarice, in which the wings are transparent. The fact of 

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

 but a careful study of the group has convinced me that the sexes differ 

 considerably, and in P- animosa Hy. Edw. , described in Papilio, Vol. 3, 

 p. 1 56, they are distinguished by the character referred to, the lower wings 

 of the $ being transparent, while those of the 9 are opaque. In other 

 of the genera this peculiarity appears, especially so in Sannina exitiosa 

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

 (Scs/'a) grande Streck. will prove to be the $ of M. gloriosa Hy. Edw. I 

 have seen none but <$$ of the former of these species and none but Q 9 

 of the latter. But further observation 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/ 3 . Behrensii {20 mm.) and is described from 2 Q 

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



FAM. BOMBYCIDAE. 



Nadata Behrensii, 11. sp. 



Paler in color than either N. gibbosa or N. Doubledayi, 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 .V. 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 tips. 



Exp. wings (^ 45 mm:, 9 5 2 mm - Length of body 24 mm., 9 

 26 mm. 1 rf Butte Co., Cal. (R. H. Stretch). 1 9 Siskiyou Co., 

 (J. Behrens). 



ENTOMOLOGICA AMERICANA 8 



