158 



ARCTIA GENEURA, Strecker.^— Female. 

 By G. H. French, Carbondale, 111. 



I have recently received from my correspondent in Colorado a fine 

 female specimen of this species taken at the same place where I found 

 the male in 1874. As it is the first time I have known of a female 

 being taken a description may be in order. 



Expanse 1.65 inches. Head flesh colored between the eyes, orange 

 tinted above, otherwise as in the male. Abdomen the same as the 

 male, but the lateral spots much enlarged, and the anterior edge of 

 joints between these spots flesh color instead of scarlet; the underside 

 of abdomen black, continuous with the lateral black spots, the flesh 

 color on the anterior edge of the joints not reaching the centre. Upper 

 surface of primaries black, this being the prevailing color, marked with 

 flesh color as in the male, but the lines much contracted; the basal 

 half line represented by a dot on the costa and an upward angle on the 

 longitudinal line; the second, third and fourth lines present, but not 

 more than one-half as wide as in the male, the fourth becoming absolete 

 before reaching the hind margin; the lines forming the terminal M also 

 narrow; costal margin black, except where flesh colored by the ex- 

 panded ends of the lines; fringes black; hind margin flesh colored to 

 the end of second line, the end of the third a little expanded, the rest 

 of the margin black. Secondaries scarlet as in the male, with the same 

 black markings, but these marks are heavier; edge of the wing and the 

 fringe black; the anal spot united with the black edge, the marginal 

 border sending two low teeth between the three large submarginal 

 spots, the elongate costal spot in line with these three united with the 

 narrow black costal border but not, as in the male, with the spot 

 adjoining; the two spots within this row, one on costa and one at the 

 end of cell, are not united as they are in the male; the median row ot 

 three spots have the same position as in the male but are a little larger. 



Underside of primaries the same as above, the marks more of a 

 nankeen than flesh color, the black a little yellow tinted, the basal third 

 of costal vein yellow. Secondaries as above, the red a little paler, 

 yellow tinted along costa. 



Mr. Strecker in describing the male says the fringe is pale yellowish. 

 The fringes of the specimen are distincly black; all the other marks 

 are the same as the male, only in degree, for which reason I doubt not 

 this is the female of Geneiira, notwithstanding the black fringe. I 

 have another species of Arctia from Colorado in which the males have 

 fringe nearly clear white and the female black. A male Utcthesia Bella 

 has the fringe white, a female blackish on the hind wings. This shows 

 that the color of the fringes cannot be relied on as a specific character 

 in this group. 



