3o6 



ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. 



[Dec. 



02 



type of wheeleri was easily accounted for by the fact that it had 

 been in alcohol. 



Last August, however, I obtained both sexes of a species of 

 Leprtis at the electric lights at Roswell, New Mexico. I was 

 quite sure this was the ordinary form, until I looked at the 

 wings, and found that they were not blue ! The whole area 

 inside of the black band is a very pale primrose yellow, except 

 that the extreme base of the wing is blue. Here, then, was an 

 insect just like Thomas' figure of wheeleri, and differing only 

 from the blue- winged wheeleri in color. The hind femora and 

 tibiae of the female were marked with blue exactly as in the 

 blue-winged species, but the blue on the hind tibiae of the male 

 was replaced by whitish on the outer side. 



How is it possible to decide whether the type of wheeleri was 

 in fact the Roswell species, or L. cyaneus discolored by alcohol ? 

 I find only one character available beside those just mentioned, 

 and that is the banding of the tegmina. Notwithstanding much 

 variation, I find that L cyaneus always has the tegmina more 

 dusky ; with the light band opposite the black band of the hind 

 wings sometimes broad, sometimes linear, but always white or 

 nearly so, conspicuously lighter than the rest of the tegmen. 

 The apical portion of the tegmen, beyond this band, is either 

 plain or feebly marked. 



The Roswell species has the tegmina more variegated, with 

 prominent contrasts between the light and dark shades, the 

 former being reddish-grey. 



It seems to me, therefore, that the Roswell species is the 

 real Leprus wheeleri, as the tegmina accord much better with 

 the original figure than do those of L. cyaneus. I propOvSe, 

 therefore, to regard the latter as a valid new species, taking 

 Raton, N. M., as the type locality. The new interpretation of 

 L. wheeleri brings it close to L. clcphas (Sauss. ), but I believe 

 they are distinct. In the length of the tegmina, the Raton L. 

 cyaneus vary from 30 to 33 mm. in the 9 , and 25-30 in the 

 male. A large 9/-. cyaneus captured at Mesilla Park, N. M., 

 Septeml>er, by Prof. E. O. Wooton, has the tegmina 40 mm. 

 A i cyaneus caught by Jose Mendoza at Dripping Spring, Organ 

 Mountains, has the tegmina 30 mm. An unusually reddish 



