Art. VI.— Preliminary L«ist of the JVortli American 

 Species of Agrotis, TFith descriptions. 



By A. R. Grote. 



To the kindness of many correspondents I owe a large amount of 

 material in the genus Agrotis, and although this is insufficient to allow 

 'Of a complete revision of our numerous species, yet it has enabled me 

 to prepare the present preliminary list, which will, I hoj^e, be of service 

 to future students. In my collection I have representatives of nearly 

 all the species here cited, and the types of a majority of the forms described 

 by authors in America. Lederer divides the genus into groups, deijend- 

 ing on the tibial armature, vestiture, the shape of the genitalia, and the 

 structure of the antennae. I cannot follow this arrangement now, since 

 of several species I have only one sex, and of others in my specimens 

 the feet are imperfect. The list is then mainly of value for the synonymy ; 

 its issue at this time is demanded by the increased attention which is 

 being paid to this department of natural history. The perfect insects 

 belonging to this group are characterized by the eyes being naked, the 

 tibise armed (either all or only the middle and hind pair), and the body 

 untufted. The front tibiae never have a claw, but sometimes the two 

 terminal straight spines on the sides of the joint are notably longer than 

 the rest [Fleonectopoda). I have included in this list two species, aratrix 

 and cJiortalis, which undoubtedly belong to Ammoconia, a group which 

 seems to me to differ only from Agrotis by a mesial ridge of scales on the 

 thorax ; two other species, xmrentalis and decipiens, also show this ridge, 

 but in other characters are more like the typical Agrotids. It remains 

 to be seen whether other species, as yet separated by me, Avill not come 

 to swell the large genus, such as Pseudorthosia variabilis aud the spe- 

 cies of Fseudoglcea and Ghcephora. It must be remembered that Agrotis 

 saucia has a divided thoracic crest. 



In the European fauna 170 species are enumerated by iStaudiuger. 

 Our forms are doubtless much more numerous, since our territory is larger 

 and is but partially explored. In my Check List of 1875 I enumerate 

 165 North American species. I now cite 205 names. With Europe we 

 have Ghardinyi, haja, G-nigrtim, fennica, ijpsilon, saucia, carnea, plecta, 

 prasina^ occulta, in common. The Iceland species islandica and rava are 

 iilso found in our territory. It is uncertain whether this list is to be 



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