AMERICAN LEPIDOPTERA. 203 



wards tlie apices shows a darker shade thau elsewhere. A very faint 

 series of minute points before the margin. On internal margin before 

 the angle and just beyond the base of the t. p. line are a few aggrega- 

 ted chalybeous scales. 



Secondaries paler at the base with a median dark shade band, beyond 

 which the paler color of the wing appears as a coincident band becom- 

 ing wider, more diffuse and obsolete superiorly. External margin with 

 a wide dark band tapering to internal margin within the angle and 

 leaving the latter pale. Before the angle, on the external margin, is 

 a large ocellate maculation consisting of bluish chalybeous scales^ on 

 the margin within which are deep black scales which relieve a few 

 white scales on the nervules, the whole surmounted by an arcuated 

 pale band. Fringes pale, contrasting with the darker fringes of the 

 primaries on which they are concolorous with the wing. Beneath paler 

 than above ; both wings show two transverse shaded bands, and the sec- 

 ondaries in addition an obscure discal mark. 



Uxpanse 38 mil. Length of hody 20 mil. 



Habitat. — Florida (Linden). 



As yet the only described United States species of the genus, and 

 showing the affinity of the Lepidopterological fauna of the Floridian 

 Peninsula with that of the West Indies. D. futilis is allied to the Cu- 

 ban D. hatuey, Poey sp. and apparently more closely to D. confligens 

 Walker., from "Honduras" and the '"West Coast of America". It 

 differs from the description of the latter by the prominent irroration 

 of the primaries without the transverse posterior line of which no men- 

 tion appears in Mr. Walker's description, as also in the absence of the 

 "three rows of brown spots along the costa" etc., described as character- 

 izing the anterior wing of D. confligens. The secondaries of D. futilis 

 would seem to be similar in ornamentation with those of D. confligens, 

 but as the bluish chalybeous scales of the ocelloid patch do not "in- 

 clude" the superior black portion of the spot biit simply extend be- 

 neath, and without it a very ready distinction would be offered. The 

 third or terminal article of the labial p dpi is subspitulate and contras- 

 ted with the third by its being more closely scaled in our species. M. 

 Guenee gives the palpi as " a 3e article court, conique, confoncln, avec 

 le precedent.'' • It is to be presumed that this conformation applies to 

 the South American species comprising the first group of the genus 

 (according to M. Guenee), and that D. hatuey, as also D. futilis and 

 probably D. confligens, fall into the second Group proper to Mexico and 

 the West Indian Islands and which exhibits a different palpal structure. 



