65 



wings, its smaller size, and less iridescent hind-wings. The thorax 

 lacks the two longitudinal stripes seen in commelinw. There is a sub- 

 marginal vein of the hind-wings which shows very distinctly, and all 

 the veins of the hind-wings, particularly the inner ones toward the 

 abdomen, are more distinctly marked than in the preceding species. 

 The average wing expanse is a little less than one and one-half inches 

 (36 mm ), and the length of the body is about seven-eighths of an inch 

 (22 mm ). One individual of this species taken recently measures a little 

 less than If inches. There is considerable variability in the depth of 

 coloration, fresh specimens being as dark as commelinw, but soon fad- 

 ing. The general appearance of the moth of this species is shown at 

 figure 2, a of Plate IV. 



In the year 1875 Dr. Leon. F. Harvey described this species (Bui. 

 Buff. Soc. Nat. Sci. , Vol. II, pp. 274, 275) under the name lineatella, 

 but Dr. Smith's recent studies show that this name is antedated by 

 Guenee's omithogalli. The latter description appeared in 1852 (Spec. 

 Gen. Noct., Vol. I, p. 163). 



P. jlavimedia Harv. (which is now recognized as the c of the 

 Missouri figure above referred to) in like manner becomes eudiopta Gn. 



It has several times been described in print, but a thoroughly satis- 

 factory comparative description has not appeared. 



Technical descriptions of several of the stages of the larva drawn 

 up by Dr. Dyar are appended: 



LARVAL STAGES OF PRODENIA ORNITHOGALLI. 



Stage I. — Similar to commelinse. Whitish, the head, tubercles, and shields black. 

 The newly hatched larva is unspotted, but toward the end of the stage the body 

 becomes faintly green from the food with faint subdorsal, dorsal, and stigmatal white 

 lines, a red lateral patch on joint 5, and a diffuse streak on joints 11 and 12. Head 

 rounded, slightly bilobed, polished black ; mouth squarely projecting. Cervical shield 

 small, black, transverse, slightly pointed centrally in front. Tubercles small, black, 

 normal, nosubprimaries; ia to iib of thorax all separate, iia minute. Anal plate and 

 leg-shields black. 



Stage II. — Head rounded, slightly bilobed, clypeus high; shining translucent light 

 brown with a reddish shade at the vertex; ocelli black. Body gently enlarged at 

 joints 3 to 5 and 12, rather robust, normal. Green, slightly tinged with reddish 

 especially dorsally posteriorly; a rounded, elevate, red-brown spot laterally on joint 5 

 and a shade on joints 11 and 12. Dorsal line white, upper subdorsal faint, lower 

 distinct; a fainter lateral line and two parallel fine ones below the spiracle. Tuber- 

 cles black, distinct, normal. Cervical shield brown, cut by whitish lines; anal shield 

 small, dusky. Feet normal with dusky plates. 



Stage III. — Head as in the next stage, pale brown, the paraclypeus pale. Body 

 greenish, with lines as in commelinx, but more numerous, consisting of dorsal, sub- 

 dorsal (upper and lower), lateral (upper and lower), suprastigmatal, substigmatal 

 (upper and lower); a black subdorsal spot on joint 3, and a large elevated lateral one 

 on joint 5. Substigmatal line, hump of joint 12 and subventer faintly shaded in 

 vinous. Feet all pale. 



Stage IV. — Head rounded, wider than high, slightly bilobed,* the lobes full in front, 

 the clypeus reaching two-thirds to the vertex, brownish testaceous, subreticulate, 



j 19288— No. 27—01 5 



