Vol. XXX] ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS 297 



Hesperia syrichtus and montivagus (Lep.). 

 By Henry Skinner. 



Dr. J. L. Reverdin has published an interesting article * on 

 Hesperia syrieJitits l^'ah. He gives the synonymy of the species 

 and has made an extensive study of the genitalia from num- 

 erous specimens. As this is a North American species, it is 

 of interest to our students of the butterflies. He describes and 

 figures the typical form and also two new varieties, funiosa 

 and syrichtides. Fumosa is the common form at Key West, 

 Florida. The whole underside of the secondaries is light brown. 



It has been a matter of considerable interest to know what 

 the Pyrgiis montivagus of Reakirt is. I have previously 

 pointed outt that nio'ntivagits Reak, is a synonym of svriehtus 

 Fab. The evidence that this is so is very good, but it is hard- 

 ly possible to know these things absolutely. Montivagus has 

 been treated in different ways by a number of authors. The 

 original description says : "Hab. — Rocky Mountains, Colorado 

 Territory. (Coll. Tryon Reakirt)." "Mexico, near Vera 

 Cruz." "Wm. H. Edwards." "Most probably an Alpine 

 modification of the common Pyrgus oileus." Pyrgus oilcus 

 West. -Humph, pi. 38, fig. 14-15, is said by the authors to be 

 a North American insect and the figures probably represent 

 syrichtus Fab., where it is placed by Kirby in his catalogue. 

 The Tryon Reakirt collection was purchased by Herman 

 Strecker and it is now in the Field Museum, Chicago, Illinois. 



Strecker citesj as the types of montivagus, "One S , one 9 , 

 Rocky Mts., Colorado, Coll. Reakirt." 



Mr. W. J. Gerhard, of the Field Museum, has supplied me 

 with information in regard to these types. 



'There are in his collection (Strecker) two specimens, a male and 

 a female, with a red-bordered pin label on each and with the inscrip- 

 tion, 'Pyrgus montivagus, Colorado, Reak. Ori^. type. Coll. Reakirt.' 

 The male, which is spread to show the under side, is of average size, 

 and, with one exception, agrees exactly with the specimen you sent as 

 syrichtus. The exception is that the color of the secondaries below 



♦Bulletin of the Lepidopterological Society of Geneva, Vol. IV, 

 p. o6, 1919. 

 tEnt. News, 17, 277, 1906. 

 tStrecker, Rhop. and Het., Suppl. 3. 



