LEPIDOPTERA OF NEW YORK AND NEIGHBORING STATES 501 



Key to genera: imago 



1. Fore wing with R 8 running to costa, or, rarely, to apex. 

 2. Hind wing with M 3 and Cu x separate; wings nearly smooth (fig. 289). 



4. Phalonia. 

 2. Hind wing with M 3 and CUj connate or stalked; wings with scale-tufts. 



3. Commophila. 

 1. Fore wing with Rj running to outer margin. 



2. Hind wing with R and M x stalked 2. Pharmacia. 



2. Hind wing with R and Mj approximate (fig. 288) 1. Hysterosia. 



1. HT8TER08IA Stephens) 

 (Idiographis Lederer) 



Rather large, ample-winged moths with long beaklike palpi. Colors dull browns 

 or grays; antemedial line running up obliquely from basal angle to cell at one- 

 fourth way out, then obscure, or curving in to costa; postmedial line running 

 obliquely across apex, with a dark shade beyond and a pale shade before it. Gen- 

 eral wing surface obscurely mottled; hind wing light, distinctly reticulate. 



Key to the species 



1. Postmedial band contrasting, clearly defined, and followed by a blackish shade; 

 antemedial line less distinct. 



2. Head, except close to eyes, contrasting pale luteous 2. terminana. 



2. Head concolorous dark smoky gray ; fore wing with slight purplish tint. 



1. bird ana. 

 1. Postmedial line inconspicuous or absent; if present, diffuse; antemedial line 



often distinct. 



2. Head luteous, fore wing shaded or dusted with yellowish, especially in fold. 

 3. Smaller; 'base of fore wing dull clay-color ;* ground gray-brown. 



5. baracana. 

 3. Larger; base of fore wing bright ochre, followed by a yellow-brown 



shade 6. cartivrightiana. 



2. Head concolorous; fore wing all dark. 



3. With a clearly defined, but not pale-edged, dark apical patch. . . .3. riscana. 

 3. Apex concolorous 4. modestana. 



1. H. birdana Busck. Dark fuscous gray, slightly purple-iridescent, dusted with 

 black-brown. Head and palpi concolorous. Antemedial band fairly defined in 

 inner side, showing as a dark shade not reaching costa. Postmedial band slightly 

 concave outward, from costa at three-fourths way to apex toward outer margin 

 just above anal angle, but not quite reaching margin; formed of a fine pale line 

 followed by a heavy blackish shade. A fine black discal dot in a blackish shade, 

 the dot partly defined with pale, not conspicuous. Hind wing much paler, reti- 

 culate with fuscous. Fore wing below dark, with reticulate costal edge; hind wing 

 light, crisply reticulate, with a bar in outer part of discal fold. 22-27 mm. 



August. Larva boring in roots of Helianthus, accompanying Papaipema nelita. 

 New York to Delaware, especially along the coast. New York: Ithaca, Rye. 



2. H. terminana Busck. Duller lighter fuscous, without purple tint; the mark- 

 ings about as in H. birdana, but head, except above eyes, contrastingly pale. 

 Beneath about as in H. birdana, but without the blackish bar in the discal fold, 

 a character which is perhaps more distinctive than the color of the head. 18-22 mm. 

 (merrickana Kearfott). 



Apparently general in distribution ; usually reported as inopiana Haworth, which 

 does not occur in the New World. 



