12 



TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION OF MONOPTILOTA NUBILELLA HULST. 



Expands 21-23 mm. Palpi dark fuscous, lighter on inner side; front fuscous, 

 much darker in front of eyes, and in one specimen purplish in middle; antennae 

 fuscous; thorax fuscous, with purple tint, more marked in front, and lightening into 

 grayish behind; abdomen fuscous to light fuscous gray, somewhat purplish on ante- 

 rior segments. All the segments darker lined; fore wings dark fuscous, broadly 

 shaded with blackish longitudinally on veins, and lightened with white scales on 

 anterior half and submarginally making these portions gray, with blackish dashes 

 of ground color, the gray being most decided on subbasal and central anterior por- 

 tion. Over the wings on the intervenular spaces is a purplish stain more evident 

 posteriorly; cross lines faint, whitish, the inner shown mostly by the heavier dark 

 angulate, somewhat diffuse blackish outer shading, the outer fine, rounded outwardly 

 in middle with indistinct dentations; discal spots geminate, black; marginal line 

 broken, black; fringe fuscous. Hind-wings dark, smooth fuscous, lighter basally 

 and along inner margin, the lines darker; beneath even smooth fuscous, the fore 

 wings the darker; marginal line blackish. (Hulst.) 



DISTRIBUTION. 



It seems probable, in spite of the few ascertained localities which 

 we have concerning this insect, that its range extends well through 

 the austral portions of Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Colum- 

 bia, southward to Florida and Alabama, if not to a few neighboring 

 Gulf States. It is obviously extremely local, and the abundance of 

 individuals at Cabin John, Md., would appear to indicate that it per- 

 haps extends some little distance farther north where the climate is 

 suitable. At present it seems likely also that the species is a southern 

 one and that it does not occur very far north in the Carolinian portion 

 of the Upper Austral life area. 



DESCRIPTIONS OF THE EARLIER STAGES. 



The egg. — From a crippled female eggs were obtained August 16, 

 but as they were not fertile and exceedingly variable in form a per- 

 fectly satisfactory detailed description was impossible. These were dull 

 gra} r in color, irregularly oblong oval in form, and the surface was 

 finely, distinctly, and rather regularly reticulated. The best formed 

 specimens of egg obtained measured about 0.70 mm. in length by 

 0.10 mm. in diameter. 



TJie young larva. — The youngest larvae seen have polished, perfectly 

 black head and thoracic shield; the body is dull light gray; the pilif- 

 erous warts and a few dots showing distinctly on each segment, a lit- 

 tle darker gray in color. The hairs naturally are longer in propor- 

 tion and nearly white in color. 



The larvae between 10 and 12 mm. in length are darker, and those 

 which have come under observation that are a little larger are dull 

 green, darker above with dull carneous just beginning to show. 



