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On the American species of the genus Utetheisa, Huelner. 



By H. B. Moeschler, Kronfoerstchen bei Bautzen. 

 Mr. Stretch in his valuable work "Illustrations of Zygsenidoe and 

 Bombycidce of North America"' describes three species of Utdheisa, viz: 

 bella Linn., speciosa Walker, and ornatrix Linn. Besides this he men- 

 tions a fourth species or variety, and he gives beautiful figures of all. 

 The author is doubtful whether these forms are specifically distinct, or 

 merely varieties of one species. 



It seems indeed difficult to decide this question, for the preparatory 

 stages of bella alone are known. But even if known, the larva; might dif- 

 fer in size and color without proving the distinctness of the imago, for 

 the larva of a species often varies under the influence of food and climate. 

 I shall attempt to clear the subject as far as possible at present, and 

 detail the descriptions: Linne described two species, bella and ornatrix, 

 placing them in the Noctuida3. Cramer also describes and figures them, 

 but he mistook bella, and mixed two species under this name, that form 

 being figured as bella, which Walker afterwards described as speciosa. 

 Cramer says, Vol. II, p. 20, "Le fond des ailes superieures des males est 

 pour l'ordinaire d'une jaune obscure ou orange, tandisque les femelles 

 comme celle nous representons ici, ont ce fond rouge. On le trouve 

 dans l'amerique meridionale, a la New York, et dans 1' Isle Jamaique. " 

 This description proves that Cramer saw only males of the yellow bella 

 and females of the red speciosa. It seems also that later authors, Hiib- 

 ner, Herrich-Schaeffer, Walker and Stretch, have not compared Cramer's 

 description and figures of bella otherwise they would not have cited pi. 

 109, f. C, I), as bella L. It is most strange that Walker has not cleared 

 up this matter, for he describes the form figured by Cramer as a new 

 species under the name speciosa, and yet cites the figure with bella L. 



If we compare only a few specimens of these two species, and of or- 

 natrix there seems to be considerable difference between them; but with 

 a great number of specimens for comparison there are specimens grading 

 from one into the other. My friend Dr. Staudinger was kind enough to 

 send me all the specimens of his rich collection for comparison, and these 

 with my own collection gave 35 examples for comparison, viz: 10 bella, 

 22 speciosa, and 20 ornatrix from various parts of North and South 

 America and the West Indies. 



I compare bella from the United States, and from Cuba, speciosa 

 from Cuba, St. Domingo and Jamaica W. I., and ornatrix from Panama. 

 St. Croix, and St. Kitts, W. I., Surinam, Columbia and Peru. 



If we carefully compare the three species we will observe certain 

 peculiarities of maculation common to all, viz: primaries having four 

 black dots at the costa, extended to rows of dots in bella and speciosa; a 

 Entomologica Americana, Vol TI. 11 July 1886. 



