NOTES ON PERLIDyE 1 
By Nathan Banks 
Holliston, Mass. 
1. Perlesta 
The species of Perlesta are of moderate size ; they have 
three ocelli; the antennae have basal joints as long as 
broad, with many tine appressed hairs, each joint with one 
or more longer erect hairs (sense hairs). The femora 
have not only tine hairs below but also longer bristles scat- 
tered among the hairs (most noticeable on the front fem- 
ora). In the fore wings the anal cell at base of wings 
gives rise on the lower edge to a recurrent vein (the anal 
brace), the anal lobe is small, but, with the wings spread, 
readily seen, and the outer part of the anal brace crosses 
it; in the hind wings there are usually several cross-veins 
in the cubital area, but sometimes only one besides the end 
cross-vein and rarely only the end cross-vein ; there are no 
cross-veins in apical part of wings, except in costal area. 
The setae are rarely as long as the abdomen, with many 
stout hairs, and near tip of each joint one or two much 
longer erect hairs, often as long as the joint, the first few 
joints are hardly longer than broad, but soon the joints 
are extremely long. The last joint of maxillary palpi is 
usually hardly one-half of the third joint. The V-mark is 
two slightly diverging arms, quite broad throughout and 
reaching about half way to the front margin. The geno- 
type is Perla placida Hag. 
Perlesta placida Hag. is common at and near Washing- 
ton, and is found generally from Canada to Louisiana, east 
of the Appalachian Mountains, except in New England. 
Normally it has a pale yellowish head, with a shining black 
spot covering the ocelli, but not extending to the front of 
head; the pronotum is brown to yellowish brown, some- 
times with a pale median stripe ; the thorax, abdomen and 
legs are yellowish ; the wings are clear, the veins pale or 
i Published with a grant from the Museum of Comparative Zoology at 
Harvard College. 
113 
