Lepidoptera of New York and Neighboring States 555 



39. LOXOSTEGE Hiibner 



(Phlyct anodes Guenee, Eurycreon Lederer) 



Similar to Pyrausta, but with the lower part of the front drawn out into 

 a sharp cone, or, in some western species, a more complex process (fig. 339). 

 Hind wings usually more simply marked than fore wings. Eyes normal in our 

 species, reduced in some western ones. 



Key to the species 



1. Expanse 10 mm 10. ophionalis. 



1. Expanse 15 mm. or more. 



2. Fore wing falcate 1. extemalis. 



2. Fore wing with apex at most marked. 



3. Fore wing mostly white, with yellow costa 7. dasconalis. 



3. Fore wing yellow, nearly or quite immaculate. 



4. Hind wing concolorous 8. mweulenta. 



4. Hind wing white 3. similalis, variety posticata. 



3. Fore wing contrastingly marked, oi" fuscous. 



4. Fuscous with a contrasting light yellow terminal band and square 

 between orbicular and reniform. 

 5. Postmedial line denticulate and fine in its upper course. 



4. sticticalis. 

 5, Postmedial with its outer side even, ofte'n represented by a series of 



black wedges 5. commixtalis. 



4. Less mottled, terminal space and space between orbicular and reniform 

 not contrastingly pale. 

 5. Cream-white, with contrasting gray or olivaceous veining, and dentate 

 postmedial and subterminal lines, checkering the outer part of the 



wing 6. chortalis. 



5. Veins concolorous; postmedial line evenly sinuous; ground not cream- 

 white with contrasting dark markings. . 

 6. Lemon yellow, with broad contrasting rusty marks, including a 



terminal line on hind' wing but no subterminal 2. helvalis. 



6. Straw yellow, with light brown to obsolescent markings, and sepa- 

 rate subterminal and terminal lines on hind wing, or with the 

 subterminal line only. 

 7. Postmedial line strongly .denticulate; hind wing with postmedial 



line distinctly curved above Cu 2 - 8. marculenta. 



7. Postmedial very slightly denticulate or even, on hind wing 



straight to below Cu 2 9. mancalis. 



6. Fuscous to cchreous, hind wing with, at most, slight diffuse mark- 

 ings, usually immaculate in pale forms 3. similalis. 



I. Fore icing falcate; hind wing with M 2 and M 3 closely approximate. Frontal 

 prominence broad at the end, someiohat chisel-shaped. 



1. L. externalis Warren. Front with white side-lines. Light dull brown; lines 

 fine, single, dark ; antemedial irregular, excurved ; postmedial sinuous, denticu- 

 late, not bent in opposite cell; orbicular a dot and reniform a curved vertical 

 line, all faintly defined with paler; no subterminal line. Hind wing slightly 

 paler, with obsolescent postmedial only. 22-25 mm. ( maclurce Riley ) . 



Larva on Osage orange. 



Plummer's Island, Maryland; western Pennsylvania, Illinois, and St. Louis, 

 Missouri,, south to North Carolina and Texas. 



