Publ. 3. V. 193S. 
ACRATODES. By L. B. Prout. 
129 
widely distributed in the States and reaching the south of British Columbia. — volucrata Hulst, founded on volucmta. 
a single $ from Missouri, is listed as “the dark form”, but probably not geographical. Characterized by the 
“purple brown” median band. — erythrata Hulst, also founded on a single specimen (a $ from Colorado), is erythrata. 
more uniformly coloured, “bright chestnut red”, the fore- a little darker than the hindwing. To judge from 
a variable Colorado series before me, it too is only an aberration, but the name may ultimately be required 
for a separable subspecies. 
30. Genus: Acratodes Guen. 
Generally more glossy-winged than Xystrota, the G antenna with fascicles of cilia, the $ hindleg more 
or less aborted, with strong hair-pencil. Venation similar, the 2nd subcostal of the hindwing, however, at times 
from the cell. The same vein of the forewing is also variable, even in the most typical group: from the cell 
in the genotype (phakellurata ), virgota, intaminataria and perhaps others; stalked with the 3rd—5th in rosei¬ 
costa, davisi, cazeca, etc. Perhaps not sharply differentiable from true Hamalia. Most of the species are, broadly 
speaking, Caribbean, but a few extend far southward. 
A. noctuata Guen. (15 c). Only known to me from the originals, a 3 and 2 Hindlegs lost in the 3; noctuata. 
2nd subcostal of forewing connate or just stalked, of hindwing stalked, though variable. The “greenish” tinge 
mentioned by Gubnee is not very obvious, but the almost straight 2nd and 3rd lines, separated by a narrow 
pale space, are sufficiently distinctive. Haiti. 
A. virgota Schaus (15 c). Vertex and upper part of face roseate. Wings very glossy, in worn specimens virgota. 
looking almost as unicolorous as in phakellurata, but when fresh showing 3 lines on fore- and 2 on hindwing. 
Jamaica, perhaps a race of the following. — ab. fumata nov. has the whole forewing above and about half the fumata. 
hindwing smoky red-grey. 1 $ in the British Museum. 
A. phakellurata Guen. (15 c). Shining white, without markings, except the weak terminal dots. Vertex phakellurata 
rosy. Only known from Haiti. 
A. intamiataria Moschl., of which I have access to no specimens, is probably another race or represen- intamiata- 
tative of the same group; though no mention is made of rose-colour on the head, the “finely rust-red costal 
edge” of the forewing beneath is mentioned. Lines about as in virgota, terminal dots or slight line perhaps 
better developed. Porto-Rico. 
A. suavata Hulst. I have not this Acratodes, but according to McDunnough it is very close to roseicosta suavata. 
(15 d), differing chiefly in the unbroken terminal line and somewhat more regular subterminal. From Hulst 's 
description I gather that it must be at least as close to jusaria (15 d), perhaps identical, though the postmedian 
line above may be more distinct and more wavy. The egg and larva have been described by Dyar. Egg ellip¬ 
tical, one end smaller, the other (the micropylar) scarcely flattened; reticulations strongly raised, thick; colour 
delicate blue-green, with some red specks. Larva slender, in 1st stage white with broad black transverse bands, 
which give place in the later stages to double, bent, interrupted dorsal line and series of dorsal and (smaller) 
subventral spots or bands. Fed on Randia aculeata, pupating in the ground after the 4th instar. S. Florida: 
Palm Beach, probably a succession of broods. — fusaria Hmps. (15 d). Forewing with 2nd subcostal stalked, jusaria. 
though very shortly. Less glistening white (especially beneath) than phakellurata, costa beneath more strongly 
red, face almost wholly red; terminal dots beneath developed into a continuous line. Bahamas: Nassau, etc. 
A. davisi Grossbeck is also unknown to me. According to its author it is very close to suavata but paler davisi. 
and lacking much of the red colour described for that species. Its white ground-colour is not quite pure and it 
has on the forewing 3, on the hindwing 2 slight dusky lines, besides the terminal and a dusky tinge on the fringes. 
Dr. Lindsey wrote me that it is certainly distinct from roseicosta in its very dark, dull reddish face and its 
complete and rather heavy terminal line, almost as heavy on the hind- as on the forewing; subterminal line 
much more regular than in roseicosta, but in the latter species this and other characters much too variable to 
be of much use individually for differentiation. Florida. 
A. roseicosta Barnes & McD. (15 d). Stalking of 2nd subcostal variable in length, in one example out roseicosta. 
of 10 examined by Lindsey reduced to a point. Face whitish, sometimes (at least in the B) tinged with brown, 
the rosy colour on palpus, costa of forewing beneath, etc., not intense, strongest in the <$<$. Markings very 
variable in strength, sometimes almost wanting; terminal line weak and interrupted, both above and beneath. 
Texas. It was suggested that it might well be a race of suavata; from the whiter colouring, especially of the 
I was inclined to say “or rather, of cazeca”; but perhaps the whole group (phakellurata to cazeca) is scarcely 
more than a single “superspecies”. 
A. cazeca Druce (15 c), founded on 2 §2 from Jalapa, also known from Vera Cruz, Guatemala and cazeca. 
perhaps Costa Rica, is the only Central American representative of the group yet known. Rather larger; face 
VIII ‘ 17 
