346 



*'The species under coDsideration appears to be quite generally dis- 

 tributed over most of the Gulf States wherever its food plant ( Urena 

 lohata)^ and possibly other nearly related plants, are found growing. 



"The belief that the eggs of the species now under consideration were 

 those of Aletia was strengthened in the minds of those who first found 

 them by the inference that after the disappearance of cotton, Aletia 

 would have to search for other suitable plants to sustain its offspring 

 until new cotton should commence to grow the following spring ; but, so 

 far, neither its eggs nor its larvae have ever been discovered ujion any 

 other plant than cotton. 



" The eggs of this Anomis, which so far have been found only on the 

 leaves of Urena, appear, if examined with a common hand-lens, to be 

 structurally indistinguishable from those of Aletia, and were sent to the 

 Department from Florida by Dr. J. O. I^eal, with the assurance that they 

 really belonged to that insect, and that its winter food plant was dis- 

 covered. An examination under the microscope, however, showed con- 

 siderable differences, notwithstanding the great similarity in size and 

 sculpture. The color is, moreover, paler, and not of the peculiar bright- 

 green characteristic of Aletia, and it is by this character that the egg of 

 the Anomis may be distinguished from the other, when fresh, by the ordi- 

 nary observer. 



"The radial ridges are more numerous, ranging between 35 and 40, 

 and the transverse ribs from 12 to 14. The radiating ribs of the Aletia 

 egg are considerably rounded, with the spaces between them rather 

 narrow, appearing like deeply -impressed striae, while the ribs of the 

 Anomis eg^* are sharp and triangular if viewed from above, with the 

 spaces between them shallower and broader. The intersection of the 

 transverse with the radial ribs of Aletia are not sharp, and are only 

 marked by low, rounded elevations. Anol her quite marked feature of 

 the eggs of Aletia is the arrangement of the radial ribs in five groups, 

 connected with each other by an elevated ridge which forms around the 

 center a large pentangular cell, into each angle of which one of the 

 radial ribs terminates, the other ribs between them being somewhat 

 shorter and connected by the terminal transverse rib. This arrange- 

 ment is quite noticeable in fresh eggs, but still more in dry ones. The 

 radial ribs in this Anomis, however, are not arranged in separate 

 groups, and the longest ones surround the center in a perfect circle with- 

 out terminating in a circum-central rib. 



" This Urena Anomis is exclusively a Southern species, and it con- 

 tinues breeding with scarcely any intermission throughout the whole 

 year. Moths have been captured in various parts of the South from 

 August, throughout the winter, till May, and the eggs and larvae of dif- 

 ferent sizes are found in Florida throughout the winter. 



" The general habits of the larvae are quite similar to those of Ale- 

 tia, though as a rule the Anomis larvae are less active, especially after 

 they have attained one-half their growth. The newly-hatched larvae 



