306 
Psyche 
[September-December 
1. Thyreodon laticinctus Cresson 
(Fig. 1) 
Material Examined: 2 females, Texas ( Kleberg County: 
Kingsville, 10 September 1972, P. W. Treptow; 30 September 
1970, W. F. Granberry). (In collection of Texas A. & I. University, 
Kingsville, Texas). 
In addition to the key characters, laticinctus differs from niger 
in its convex temples which in females are 0.87-1.0 as long as 
the eye in lateral view; differently shaped prescutellar ridge (Fig. 
1); more dorsally intercepted postnervulus (lower abscissa 2. 3-2. 5 
as long as upper); and larger size (length of fore wing 23.3-23.6 mm.). 
It ranges from south Texas to Bolivia and may occur in almost 
any habitat from rainforest to semidesert. I have collected lati- 
cinctus at Tingo Maria, Peru in lush tropical wet forest and once 
observed but failed to catch it at the Bentsen Rio Grande Valley 
State Park near Mission, Texas. It tends to fly near the ground 
but at great speed and thus is hard to net, in spite of its conspicu- 
ousness and exceptional size. 
2. Thyreodon niger Cresson 
(Fig. 2, 3) 
Material Examined: 6 females and 1 male, Texas (Hidalgo 
County: Bentsen Rio Grande Valley State Park, 1-9 September 
1976, C. C. Porter; Valley Botanical Garden at McAllen, 16- 
31 May 1974, C. C. Porter; Kleberg County: Kingsville, 27 April 
1970, P. M. Kalisek, 19 September 1969, C. L. Zassow, “Site 55”, 
21 September 1973, Gillaspy and party; Starr County: Rio Grande 
City, 2 August 1975, J. E. Gillaspy). (In Collection of Texas A. 
& I. University, Kingsville, Texas and Collection of Charles C. 
Porter, 301 N. 39th Street, McAllen, Texas.) 
Niger differs from laticinctus in several characters besides 
those mentioned in the key. The temples are receding and viewed 
laterally measure 0.70-0.75 as long as the eye in females and 1.0 
as long in males; the prescutellar ridge is of different conforma- 
tion (Fig. 2); the postnervulus is more ventrally intercepted (lower 
abscissa 1.0 1,4 as long as upper); and the average size is smaller 
(length of fore wing 16.0-17.6 mm.). 
