THE LEPIDOPTERIST 55 



Notes on the Pola— Minuta Croup of Melitaeas, 

 With Description of a New Species 



By John Adams Comstock, M. D., D. O., F. E. S. 



Curator of Entomology, Southwest Museum, 



Los Angeles, Cal. 



In examining a series of Melita^a secured in the 

 Alonache Meadows of Tulare County, during the 

 summer of 1917 I was led to an intensive study of 

 the Pola-Arachne-Nympha group. 



The result of this investigation has led to the con- 

 viction that we have in California a distinct species, 

 or perhaps well differentiated local race of this group. 



In defining the special characteristics of these nearly 

 related forms, a few notes are in order. 



The various memhers of this group which have re- 

 ceived descriptions are : 



MELITAEA 



minuta, Edwards 



Proc. Acad. Nat'l. Sciences, Phila. 161, 1861. 



Type loc. "Texas" 

 pola, Boisduval 



Ann. Soc. Ent. Belg. xll, 56, 1869 



Type loc. "From one specimen caught in 

 Sonora." 

 arachne^, Edwards 



Trans. Am. Ent. Soc. 11, 372, 1869. 



Type loc. "One female, Colorado." 

 nympha, Edwards 



Pap. IV, SX 1884 



Type loc. So. Arizona, 

 approximata, Strecker. 



Authorities are agreed that a])pro\imate is synony- 

 mous with minuta. 



{To be conthvued) 



