ABAGROTIS ERRATICA, Sm. 



1890. Sm., Trans. Am. Ent. Soc, XVII, 41, Aqrotis. 



1890. Sm., Bull. U. S. N. M., XXX^'II1, 50, Jhagrotis. 



1893. Sm., Bull. U. S. N. M., XLIV, 60, Abai/roilt. 



1895. Grt., Abh. Nat. Ver., Bremen, XIV, 19,'Acirotu (Abagrotu). 



1903. Hamp., Cat. Lep. Phal. B. M., l\, 623, cut p. 623, Triphneiut. 



1S03. Holl., Motli Book, 180, cut p. 180, Abaf/rotis. 



AGROTIS ERRATICA sp. nov. 



General color ashen gra_y to brick red, smooth and dense in appear- 

 ance. Palpi dark at side. Head and thorax immaculate. Primaries evenly 

 clothed, the lines not much darker and not prominently relieved. Basal 

 line indistinct geminate. T.a. line geminate, the lines very narrow, faint, 

 outwardly oblique, not very much angulated. T.]). line rather regularly 

 outcurved, geminate, inner line narrow, broken below vein 3; outer line 

 punctiform. S.t. line pale, very slightly less so than ground color, re- 

 lieved by a dusky preceeding line, and a general dusky coloring of the 

 terminal space; its course very slightly irregular. In the reddish forms 

 the transverse lines are almost entirely obsolete. Claviform wanting. Or- 

 dinary spots evenly dark filled, with a narrow defining line, small in size. 

 Orbicular slightly oval, oblique; reniform rather narrow, upright ,very 

 slightly constricted. Secondaries glistening, smoky fuscous, somewhat 

 paler basally. Beneatli ]:)ale, powdery fuscous, with a darker outer line 

 and cliscal spot. Expands 1.36-1.50 inches. 34-37 '""'. 



Habitat. — Sierra Nevada, Cal. (McGlashan), Calif. (Neumoegen). 



This species is very distinct from any other known to me by tlie pe- 

 culiar association of structural characters, combining the habitus of the 

 cupicla group with tlie antennae but not frontal characters of the 

 jntychrous section, and peculiar and different from all by the distinct 

 ridge or crest to the thorax. In this feature it resembles Glaea or allies, 

 but the form is not depressed. It will probably form a new generic type 

 characterized by smootli front, palpi with second joint clavate, third joint 

 minute, forming a short snout witii the frontal vestiture; anterior tibia 

 unarmed, middle and posterior spinose, thorax witii vestiture smooth, 

 consisting of flattened hair and scales, with a distinct crest anteriorly. 

 The genital structure is not unlike that of the cupida group, and the in- 

 sect is not unlike cupidissima in character. The thoracic crest is perfect 

 in but one specimen before me. 



Types are in collection Rutgers College, Coll. Hy. Edwards, and 

 Coll. B. Neumoegen. 



Type Locality: Sierra Nevada, Calif.; Calif. 



Number and Skxes of Types: 



Types in: Neumoegen Collection, 1 $ ; national Museum, 1 $ ; Henry 

 Edwards Collection, ; Rutgers College. 



Specimens Examined: A long series of both sexes; from, Truckee, 

 Loma Einda, Mission San Jose, Shasta Retreat (Siskiyou Co.), and San 

 Diego, Calif. One S]iecimen marked, compared with type, exact, William 

 Barnes, from California; another "Typical, agrees with type in Collection 

 Brooklyn Museum" (Jacob Doll's handwriting), from Truckee, Calif., 

 (Topotype?). 



Genitalic Slides: 1, Calif.; 2, Shasta Retreat, Calif.; 2, Truckee, 

 Calif. Total, 5. 



This is a smooth looking species warying from dull ashen gray to 

 brick red, through straw color. The maculation is decidedly variable in 

 density, the orbicular and reniform often filled in, concolorous with the 

 ground; sometimes scarcely visible. 



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