PSYCHE. 



THE AMERICAN SPECIES OF THE 



SEIRA. 



THYSANOURAN GENUS 



BY F. I.. IIAKVEY, ORONO, ME. 



The only species ot" the genus 

 Seira that liave been reported from 

 North America are Seira biiskii 

 Lubbock and Seira purpurea Schott, 

 tlie former from New York and the 

 latter from California. Below is given 

 a description of a new species from 

 Maine belonging to this genus and 

 notes upon 6". buskii Lubbock from 

 specimens taken in Maine. Tliere is 

 another a])parently undescribed species 

 in this region which is related to 6". 

 pruni Nicolet, in having the head and 

 first thoracic segment yellowish and the 

 body purple. W^e withhold a descrip- 

 tion of it at present prefering to study 

 it farther. Tlie detailed notes on S. 

 buskii Lubbock may aid in further 

 defining this species, and the description 

 of .S'. purpurea Schott may prove 

 interesting to entomologists who have 

 not access to Schott's paper. 



Seira mimlca, n. sp. Body tusit'onn. 

 slightly broadest at the fourth segment. 

 General color pale dirty yellow or grayish 

 with silver reflections. A deep purple inter- 

 rupted band extending along the sides of the 

 body. Body armed with numerous long 

 dark loXaxti flumose bowed hairs, which are 

 very conspicuous on the head and anterior 

 part of the mesonotum giving a shaggy 



appearance to the insect. These bowed 

 hairs are arranged in transverse rows upon 

 the middle of the dorsum of the mesonotum, 

 metanotum, and on the first three body seg- 

 ments, the long fourth segment bearing 

 about three or four rows. 



Head broadly oblong, one-fifth longer than 

 wide. A purple band along the anterior 

 border, connecting the antennae, including 

 the darker eye patches, and extending to the 

 cheeks when it broadens and covers most of 

 the anterior side of the head. 



Antennae nearly two-thirds tlie li-ngth of 

 the head and body; ratio 8:13 nearly , rather 

 stout, purple, plumose hairy; basal joint and 

 base of second joint pale, distal ends darker, 

 third and fourth joints full purple; basal 

 joint short about one-half second, second 

 and third nearh' equal, fourth slightly 

 longer. Mesonotum bordered anterioilv and 

 at the sides with purple which does not show 

 plainly in the dorsal view as the dense fringe 

 of hairs conceals the color which shows well 

 in rubbed or balsam specimens. 



Metanotum and the first and second body 

 segments unmarked on the dorsu'ii. hut 

 purple spotted on the sides. Posterior 

 border of the third, fourth and fifth body 

 segments and the whole of the sixth purple. 

 The fourth segment, which is as long as the 

 live preceding togetlier, bears a purple spot 

 upon each side near the middle and outer 

 edge of the dorsal view. 



Elater long, slender, pale yellow, hairv. 

 Dentes annnlated, the ventral edges tuber- 

 cled with about two tubercles to each ring, 



