126 SMERINTHUS IMPERATOR. 
what, dorsally and with a faint dorsal line of violaceous extending the whole length. Beneath pale fawn ; legs 
violaceous. 
Upper surface ; primaries, general style of ornamentation somewhat as in Marietta, Harr. Basal third of 
wing very pale violaceous grey, yellowish at base, and traversed in its middle from costa to inner margin by an 
irregular darker shade; the outer edge of the basal third is very irregular and produced in a sharp angle at the 
innermost median nervule, and is narrowly shaded where it joins the median space by darker tint; the inner 
half of the median space is tinted with brownish, the outer half is same pale violaceous grey as the basal part; 
the outer edge of the median space is scalloped and shaded with darker grey; a large pale discal mark; the 
third or terminal space is of the same pale grey as the major part of rest of wing, shaded on costal half with 
pale yellowish fawn, a darker patch on inner margin not far from inner angle. Secondaries dull crimson, yel- 
lowish white at inner margin, and a large pale grey patch covers that part of the wing at and near the anal 
angle, within which patch is a blackish dash parallel with outer margin, between which latter and said dash is 
a faint grev abbreviated line extending from the anal angle inwards to where the crimson colour commences. 
Under surface of all wings very pale yellowish fawn with a broad terminal band but a shade darker ; basal half 
of primaries dull crimson, which colour does not however extend to either costa or inner margin, and the discal 
mark is designated by the pale fawn of ground colour of wing. v 
Hab. Arizona. One 9, Mus. Strecker. 
This differs from its nearest ally, Modesta, Harr., in the far greater breadth of wing, the great robustness 
of body, the entirely different colour and in the difference of the undulations of the transverse lines and shades, 
also in the shape and greater size of the discal mark or bar. In Modesta and its Pacific coast var. Occiden tails, 
Hy. Edwds , the colours are even, smooth shades, well defined and separated from each other by demarkation 
lines, whilst in Imperator the colours are blended more or less into each other and have a heavy powdery ap- 
pearance, the scales being far heavier and rougher as seen through a lens than in Harris’ species. Imperator 
approaches the var. Occirientalis somewhat, and somewhat only, in the paleness of the ground colour, but be- 
yond this there is no nearer approach than to the stem form typical Modesta, to which Occidentalis assimilates 
in every respect except being paler in colour and generally of larger size. 
For this species, which I consider one of the grandest acquisitions our Heterocerons fauna lias for a long time received, as well 
as for a large number of other rare and new species from inner Arizona and Utah, I am indebted to the energy and perseverance of 
Mr. B. Neumoegen of New York. Heretofore, owing to its being mainly in possession of the Indians, as well as to its unfavorable 
climate and general sterility, the representation of the Lep. fauna of Arizona was of the most meagre description imaginable, comprised 
in a few examples in the coll, of W. H. Edwds., and fewer still in the Mus. of the Agricultural Dep. at Washington, all derived from 
the same source, the chance collections of government exploring and surveying parties. For years Argynnis Nokomis was known only 
by a single tattered r?, and later for a long time by a few more, H and 9- When my friend Neumoegen commenced a few years since 
to study and collect Lepidoptera, to which he applied himself with an energy seldom equaled, I impressed on him the importance of 
obtaining examples from Arizona, giving him drawings and descriptions of Nokomis and some other prominent species. By indefati- 
gable industry he secured collectors who from inner Arizona, in a remarkably short time, sent a large quantity of the most interesting 
material, among which were the above described splendid Smerinthus, as well as a number of others new to science, which will be de- 
scribed in the present and future parts of this work. In the first lot received of these Arizona Lep. were a number of both sexes of the 
coveted Nokomis, but unfortunately the season was so far advanced when the onslaught commenced that all were torn or too long flown 
to be desirable ; the glory of later sendings made however ample amends for this first quasi disappointment. A large proportion of 
these insects seem to be remarkably pale aberrant forms or representations of Pacific or Eastern species; prominent in this respect are 
Mel. Alma, n. s., Arg. Nokomis, W. H. Edwds., Pap. Utahensis, n. s. or v., Sph. Elsa, n. s., Pseud. Nuttalli and others. Arg. Nokomis 
I have always considered as an extreme variety of A. Cybele. us I believe the Anioor and North China A. Sagana* may be a form of the 
East Europe A. Laodice-, hut to this subject I will revert in ray description of the various new species from this wonderland. 
I cannot omit mentioning another still more astonishing thing, in connection with the reception of these Arizona novelties, which, in- 
credible as it may appear, is nevertheless a fact, to the truth of which I am wdlling at any time to be qualified with proper jurat 
appended ; it is that when Mr. Neumoegen passed them to me for description he did not even hint, let alone make it the condition, that 
any of the new species should be named after himself, his wife, his aunts or his cousins-german, his grandparents, the stranger within 
his gates, or even after his rich neighbor. May his skeleton be preserved ! 
SPHINX ELSA. Nov. Sp. 
(PLATE XIV, FIG. 4 5 $.) 
Male. Expands 2f inches. 
Head and thorax above pale rose colour, latter black towards and at base, but with a mark composed of 
two contiguous rose coloured crescents at its juncture with the abdomen; the latter marked laterally much as in 
Drupiferarum , Ab.-Sm., but owing to the scales being much rubbed from the back in both cT and 9 it is impos- 
sible to describe that part with accuracy, though from the general appearance of the insect I should be led to 
infer that the broad dorsal band was whitish or tinged with rose. Antennae heavy, serrated and black save 
* (S' A. Sagana, Dbldy.-Hew., Gen. Diur. Lep., t. 24, fig. 1, (1850). 9 is Pamara Paulina, Nord., Bull. Mos., II, p. 440, t. 12, 
f. 1, 2, (1851). 
