304 



PSYCHE. 



[August 1S92. 



(Thomas), while Walker reports a 

 specimen, perhaps by error, from Oaja- 

 ca, Mexico. 



There is much variety in the mark- 

 ings of this species, so that I have been 

 inclined at times to separate several dis- 

 tinct forms. Specimens fromNepigon, 

 north of Lake Superior, for instance, 

 are very dark, while those from Ne- 

 braska not only have the outer half or 

 even more of the tegmina hoary pallid, 

 seen to a certain extent also in some but 

 not all specimens from Manitoba, but 

 the pale vitta which separates the hum- 

 eral and axillary areas of the hind wings 

 involves not only the anal vein but also, 

 at least in the outer half of the wing, 

 the posterior ulnar vein and the attin- 

 gent cross veins as well, considerably 

 broadening the vitta. The arcuate dark 

 band of the wings is of variable width ; 

 usually broad and involving the pos- 

 terior margin, it sometimes is very nar- 

 row and in both cases may not reach 

 the posterior margin, .and in one 9 

 from Manitoba there is no trace of a 

 band on the anal area but only a nearly 

 uniform infuscation of the wing beyond 

 the colored base. The depth and ex- 

 tent of the darker markings of the teg- 

 mina, as w r ell as the amount of contrast 

 with the paler portions are also ex- 

 tremely variable, giving these organs a 

 very different appearance in different 

 individuals ; but in no case do they 

 strongly resemble any other species, so 

 that this species may readily be distin- 

 guished from them in the almost total, 

 usually total, absence of any maculation 



in the ulnar area of the tegmina, or indeed 

 often of the basal discoidal field. Speci- 

 mens from east of Long. 90 , too, usually 

 have the extreme tips of the wings dis- 

 tinctly and deeph' infuscated, especially 

 in the $ , and those west of it scarcely 

 ever show any sign of it, but exceptional 

 instances occur. 



I append a description of the colors 

 of living females taken in Massachu- 

 setts : — 



Prevailing color a light ashy plumbeous, 

 slightly darker above, specked with dark 

 plumbeous, tinged slightly beneath with 

 reddish. Head uniform; mouth parts uni- 

 form and tinted like under surface of body. 

 Eyes dark brown, specked with yellowish and 

 with a narrow slightly curved transverse 

 median streak of yellowish brown, turning 

 upward posteriorly. Antennae dirty yellow- 

 ish at the base, beyond of the color of the 

 head. Pronotum with a longitudinal dark 

 brown streak with indistinct edges along the 

 middle of the lateral lobes, and from the 

 middle of this a descending vertical streak 

 scarcely paler than the ground; posterior 

 edge of pronotum a yellowish brown of the 

 color of box wood. Tegmina of the body 

 color blotched with fuscous and black, and 

 with the axillary fold yellowish brown. 

 Wings coral red at base, the arcuate band 

 fuscous deepening to black, the humeral line 

 pale yellow and the apex nearly hyaline. 

 Legs of the body color, the inside of the hind 

 femora having the basal half a prussian blue, 

 the distal half very dull lemon yellow with a 

 transverse streak of deep [blue at one third 

 the distance from the middle; hind tibiae 

 dull lemon yellow, hind tarsi tinged with 

 reddish. Abdomen above tinged on the first 

 three segments with reddish brown, espec- 

 ially toward apex ; ovipositor of the color of 

 the body when not black. 



