NO. 1140. NORTH AMEPxIC AN KOCTUIDAE-SMITH AND DYAR. 91 



through the kindness of Mr. Hanham; the other au electric-light cap 

 ture and a little rubbed, from Dr. Barnes. The S|)ecies is very distinct 

 aud differs from anything else in the series. It is the only one with the 

 ordinary spots tied that has pure white secondaries. The peculiar clear 

 ashen-gray color with the dense powder! ngs will also serve to make the 

 species recognizable. In frontal structure it resembles lobeliae. The 

 anterior femur of the male is quite heavy and short, the thickest part 

 central. The tibia has the epiphysis attached above the middle and 

 extending nearly to the tip. The harpes of the male are quite broad 

 and very slightly dilated before the tip. The clasper is stout and well 

 developed, the superior process moderately curved. 



ACRONYCTA THORACICA Grote. 

 (Plates III, fig. 8, adnlt; XX, fig. 15, male genitalia.) 

 Apat'ela thoracica Grotk, North Am. Ent., 1880, I, p. 94; Papilio, 18)^3, 111, p. 68. 



Ground color bluish ash gray, a little mottled with yellowish shad- 

 ings. Head and thorax well powdered. Head with the front black 

 marked, the thorax with the disk yellow. Primaries with the trans- 

 verse lines tending to become imperfect, while the veins are so empha 

 sized as to give the species a somewhat strigate chai-acter. The basal 

 line geminate on the costa. Transverse anterior line geminate on tiie 

 costa, but beyond that vague and in none of my specimens tra<'eabie 

 across the wing. On the costa the line is blackish; beyond that point 

 it has a yellowish tinge. The median shade is marked obliquely and 

 quite prominently on the costa, and extends between the ordinary spots. 

 Transverse posterior line widely outcurved, lunulate, narrow, blackish, 

 followed outwardly by a yellowish dusky shading which merges into 

 the ground cohu^ before the outer margin. There is a series of bla^ik 

 terminal dots, beyond which the fringes are cut with blackish, and 

 from which rays are sent inwardly in the interspaces. There is no sub- 

 terminal line. The basal black line is distinct, extending through 

 the transverse anterior line and into the median space, in one case 

 nearly meeting the well-marked black dash which crosses the transverse 

 posterior line in the submedian interspace. There is a distinct dagger 

 mark crossing the transverse posterior line opposite the cell. At the 

 extreme base of the wing inferiorly there is a patch of yellow scales. The 

 ordinary spots are incompletely defined. The orbicular is oval, a little 

 paler than the ground color, incompletely ringed with blackish. The 

 reniform is well marked inwardly, kidney shaped, marked with yellowish. 

 There is a distinct connecting line between the ordinary spots, and the 

 narrow space between them is filled by an extension of the median 

 shade. Secondaries whitish; in the female with a feebly developed 

 outer line. Beneath white somewhat powdery, with a more or less 

 complete outer line and discal spot. 



Expanse, 1.60 to 1.70 inches (40 to 43 mm.). 



