from the Rio Nautla^ State of Vera Cruz. 287 



less completely black, second and tliinl segments with a 

 median black line always interi"U|)t(.'d at sutures and often 

 very indistinct, iVnirtli scjrnient with a black triangle, fifth 

 wholly blackish, 'i'he .specimens agree very well with Say's 

 description, which, however, is very brief. 



X. atripennis is closely allied to this species, differing only 

 in the wings being almost wholly black, and tiie abdomen of 

 male (female uti known) almost win^Uy yellow, the rust- 

 brownish markings often subobsolete. Say's s|)ecimen of 

 Phasia atripennis must have been a male, in which the pre- 

 sutural golden of mesonotum was not so much developed as 

 in the present specimens, and with the median row of blackish 

 spots obsolete. This species is known from Indiana, District 

 of Columbia (Towns.), and Florida. My specimens from the 

 District of Columbia were taken on the flowers of Aster sp. 



X. arcuata is now for the first time recorded from Mexico. 

 It is known elsewhere only from Indiana and Illinois. 



Both of these species are quite different from A^ articidata, 

 Wulp and Giglio-Tos, to judge from the latter's figure and 

 description, the antennee being much elongate in articalata, 

 and the abdominal segments bearing a lateral marginal macro- 

 cliajta, which characters are not possessed by arcuata and 

 atripennis. 



Wulp's short descriptions (Tijdschr. voor Ent. xxxv. 1892, 

 p. 188), supplemented by Giglio-Tos's description and figure 

 (Ditt. Mess. pt. iii. pp. -4-5, pi. fig. 12), place the genus 

 XanthomeJana with sufficient certainty. The name should, 

 however, as I have pointed out (Can. Ent., July 1893, p. 1G7) 

 be changed to Xanthomelanodes , the other name being rightly 

 precluded by its close similarity to XantJiomelon in MoUusca, 

 even thougli the derivation be not identical. Tlie petiole of 

 apical cell, as I have mentioned in the description of atri- 

 pennis, is rather long, and not short as described by Wulp in 

 his generic diagnosis. I believe that the genus should be 

 restricted to the forms similar to arcuata and atripennis, with 

 their venation ; with antennaj short, having second and third 

 joints nearly equal in length ; and with the front wide in 

 both sexes. The two species anceps and articulata, included 

 in the genus by Wulp, are disturbing elements in its proper 

 characterization and should be excluded. Wulp says nothing 

 of the genital characters, by which it is very easy to dis- 

 tinguish the sexes. The male abdomen is blunt and laterally 

 compressed apically, and the hypopygium is easily seen on 

 the underside near tip. The female abdomen is more pointed 

 at tip, and the segments are narrowed and drawn in. This 

 genus belongs in the Phaniidae. 



