107 



race mutata nov. 



"Porosagrotis" vetusta Wlk. and race catenuloides Sm. present 

 a difficult problem, varying in habitus, structure, and genitalia, often 

 within a limited area, generally running to local forms in various lo- 

 calities. In short, the species is a distinctly unstable one from the 

 evolutionary standpoint. 



"P." vetusta vetusta: in the east the males have rufous to grayish 

 primaries, with the maculation, or some of it at least, usually obscure. 

 The secondaries are usually immaculate, occasionally marked by some 

 fuscous in both sexes. 



"P." vetusta catenuloides is generally slightly larger than typical 

 vetusta, the males usually with pure white secondaries, the veins and 

 outer margins sometimes tinged with a few fuscous scales. The fe- 

 males seldom have the crescent-shaped spots on the secondaries altho 

 the margins and veins are sometimes tinged with fuscous, the trans- 

 verse maculation is usually more distinct than in vetusta, while the 

 abdomen, especially basally is more densely hairy. The ground color 

 of the primaries is variable, as in vetusta, but is frequently much paler. 

 British Columbia produces a race which shows dark grey primaries and 

 complete, or nearly complete, maculation in both sexes ; even the orbic- 

 ular being at least indicated, and often with a few fuscous scales on the 

 veins and along the outer margins. The females are similar but usually 

 show crescent shaped black marks on the secondaries between the veins 

 along the outer margins. Washington produces a similar form. The 

 bodies are hairy as in catemiloides rather than vetusta. Manitoba pro- 

 duces a dark form apparently a parallel development to the British 

 Columbia- Washington form, but the body seems smoother, nearly as 

 in Eastern vetusta. 



Some entomologists would advocate the sinking of the name 

 catenuloides to vetusta for there are all gradations when material is 

 examined in quantity. However, the present tendency is to split 

 rather than lump, which the authors believe is a good thing if not 

 carried to excess with insufficient material Therefore they believe 

 that catenuloides may be retained for the ordinary western race of 

 vetusta. This will leave the extremely dark forms from British Col- 

 ulbia and Washington described above, without a name, for which is 

 proposed the name mutata. This race corresponds in its relation to 



