ART. XXVII.-PRELIMINARY STUDIES ON THE NORTH AMERI

CAN PYRALIDÆ.

I.

BY A. R. GROTE.

To Prof. P. C. Zeller, Stettin, Germany.

In the present paper I have discussed as fully as possible the structure of certain genera of North America Phycida. Several of our species are found to be destructive to forestry and agriculture. I have also described a small group, characterized by the flattened clypeus and by the male antennæ having a basal tegumentary prolongation, under the name Epipaschia. In the Pyralididæ, I have made some new synonymical references and generic descriptions, and also enumerated the species of N. Am. Botis which I have seen. I am much obliged to Doctor Packard for an opportunity of examining most of his types in this family. A sense of the obligation which science at large owes to Professor Zeller, as well as my own indebtedness to him for determinations, has prompted my dedication of this little paper.

PYRALIDIDÆ.

PRORASEA, n. J.

Ocelli prominent. Front with a strong clypeal protuberance, its outer face mesially impressed. Maxillary palpi linear, as long as the second joint of the labial palpi, which latter are moderately long, linear, a little flattened; with moderate third joint. The scales on the vertex depend in front of the antennæ at base. Antennæ simple, ciliate beneath. Fore wings produced at apices, with oblique external margin, entire, 12veined; 9 out of 8, a short furcation; 4 and 5 separate, near together at base. Hind wings 8-veined; three internal veins counted as one; 4 and 5 separate, near together at base, where they are connected by a crossvein; 5 continuous with the cross-vein closing the cell. Edge of both wings a little uneven.

This genus has a resemblance to the Noctuid genus Acopa of Harvey in the shape of the wings and somewhat in color. It may be distinguished by the oblique transverse lines on the fore wings, the absence of the thoracic tuft behind, and the neuration, while the clypeal protuberance is greatly more prominent. The neuration agrees with the following genus Aedis, except that on the hind wings veins 4 and 5 do

not spring from one point. I should precede Omphalocera with both these Western genera.

Prorasea simalis, n. s.

. Ocherous, sometimes more or less fuscous or blackish, variable in tone. Fore wings with indistinct oblique lines, flecked with white. Median space ocherous, narrowed below median vein. Median lines dark, fine, the outer much projected subcostally, oblique. Subterminal space fuscous or ocherous. Subterminal shade white, more or less indistinct superiorly, with a notch on submedian fold. Discal dots with a white spot between them at the place of the reniform; this discal mark often difficult to make out. Fringes white at base, interlined. A terminal punctiform black or dark line. Hind wings smoky-fuscous, paler at base, with an external line picked out by a following pale shade, and submedially sometimes white-flecked. A terminal, blackish, punctiform line. Fringes white at base, doubly interlined. Beneath pale, soiled yellow-fuscous with fine, common, exterior line and short double lines on primaries in place of the discal mark. White shades accompany the median lines on the primaries above. Body fuscous-ocherous, paler beneath. Expanse, &, 22; 9, 26 to 29 mil. Eight or ten specimens examined under the number "5939", and collected by Mr. Hy. Edwards in Oregon. Also collected by Hayden's Survey in Montana.

AEDIS, n. g.

Front narrow, smooth, clothed with thin, converging squamation. Ocelli prominent. Maxillary palpi linear, as long as the second article of the labial palpi, these latter narrow, with moderate third article. Male antennæ scaled above, ciliate beneath, the joints improminent. The supra caputal scales diverge between the antennæ at base, forming two inconspicuous, decumbent tufts. Wings ample. Fore wings 12. veined; veins 4 and 5 separate, 5 near 4 from the cross-vein; 9 out of 8, a short furcation to costa. Hind wings 8-veined; 3 just before the lower angle of the cell, 4 and 5 together from the lower angle of the cell, which is closed, 8 out of 7 beyond 6. This form seems to have some resemblance to Exarcha in the shape of the wings. In the neuration of primaries, it agrees with Prorasea.

Aedis funalis, n. s.

9. Primaries whitish-gray or brown. Outer transverse line black, distinct, inwardly oblique, a little rounded below costa. Between this and the base the markings are obsolete. Beyond it, the wing is shaded with bright brown, especially centrally. Some black streaks below apices and at internal angle before the narrow subterminal line. Fringes dark. Hind wings pale fuscous; fringes narrowly interlined. A fine, dark, sometimes punctate, terminal line. Hind border touched with fuscous. An outer transverse line distinct over the middle of the wing. Beneath

with an outer common line, pale fuscous. Body whitish beneath, fuscous above. California, Mr. Behrens and Hy. Edwards, Esq. The moth expands 28 mil. In the type, the inner transverse line, very fine and indistinct, may be made out; it goes to a black shade on internal margin, connected by black scales on the edge of the wing to the base of the outer line. The black longitudinal dashes to the subterminal line below the apices are variably distinct.

STEMMATOPHORA Guen.

Stemmatophora nicalis, n. s.

9. Ocelli. Maxillary palpi small. Aspect of Asopia. Deep reddishfuscous; thorax and basal fields of the fore wings somewhat olivaceous. Median lines distinct, whitish. The anterior upright with a submedian, rounded, outward projection. Posterior line broadly marked on costa, outwardly rounded superiorly, running inwardly to vein 2, where it forms a slight sinus, thence more straightly to internal margin. It is defined on the inside by a narrow reddish line. Discal dots both present, appearing as darker cloud-spots. Median space a little paler than the rest of the wing, shaded with pale yellowish on the interspaces posteriorly. Beyond the line, the wing is evenly obscure reddish-fuscous; fringes paler, indistinctly interlined. Hind wings fuscous, with paler bases and a whitish, incomplete, extramesial line. Beneath paler than above; the outer yellowish line broadly marked on primaries; on secondaries, a narrow, brown, mesial line. Body pale beneath. The brown terminal spaces on both wings contrast with the paler portion within the line. Expanse, 24 mil. One specimen, in good condition. Sierra Nevada, Cal.

OMPHALOCERA Lederer.

Omphalocera cariosa Led., 339, taf. 6, fig. 11.

3. Two specimens from Missouri (Riley) agree very well with Lederer's figure and description; in these there is a reddish cast to the fore wings, which is wanting in a larger female taken by myself in Alabama. Lederer gives as localities: "North America, Brazil."

Asopia farinalis (Linn.).

ASOPIA Tr.

New England; Middle States; also from Texas, Belfrage, No. 416, October 16. Lederer gives as localities: "Europe, America, Australia." Probably introduced by commerce.

Asopia costalis (Fabr.).

Pyralis fimbrialis S. V.

9. This species is found, according to Zeller, but rarely in North Germany, and not at all in England. Zeller doubts that Riley and Packard, who describe the larva from American specimens found feed

ing in numbers on clover, really intend this species, and not olinalis, which latter is a purely American form. But I recollect determining the species originally for Mr. Riley, and there can be. no doubt that the present species is the one they described, although in the terms used for color both Riley and Packard may have been inexact. It is not credible that they have mixed the two species in their illustrations or descriptions. It is curious that in North America the insect is more common than on the continent; and the question of its introduction is an open one. I have not seen it from Texas. The specimens before me are from New York. Lederer says that a male of this species sent him through Professor Zeller from New York agrees exactly with the European specimens.

Asopia olinalis Guen., p. 118.

Asopia trentonalis Schlaeger, Led. p. 343, taf. 7, tig. 2.

9. Varies in size and depth of color. New York and Texas (Belfrage, No. 356).

Asopia binodulalis Zell., Beitr. 1, 501.

3. One specimen of this species is before me. It looks like a variety of olinalis, but the fringes are not yellow. The outer line is a little more outwardly bent than in olinalis. Texas (Belfrage, No. 358).

Asopia himonialis Zell., Beitr. 1, 500.

I do not know this Massachusetts form, which is said by Zeller to have the fringes not quite so brightly golden-yellow as costalis, and to be as large as the largest olinalis. It cannot be devialis from the characters given to the transverse lines and the general color.

Asopia devialis Grote, Bull. B. S. N. S. 2, 229.

. This form is large, of a faded yellow, sometimes with a faint purple tinge, besprinkled with dark scales; the fringes are concolorous with the wing, faded ochery or yellowish. Lines dark, followed by pale shades. The outer line is denticulate, forming four or five dark points. below the pale costal blotch. The costal hooklets between the lines are obsolete; with difficulty under the glass I can make out three of them. Quebec (Bélanger); Albany, N. Y. (Professor Lintner and Mr. Hill). Asopia squamealis Grote, Bull. B. S. N. S. 1, 172, and 2, 229.

9. Primaries deep red, sprinkled with black. Fringes on primaries blackish; on secondaries paler, both interlined; black terminal lines distinct. Wings narrow. On fore wings, the lines wide apart, exterior line slightly denticulate; the lines black, followed by faint yellow shades; between the lines are five costal dots surrounded with black scales. Hind wings blackish, with distinct exterior line and the terminal margin washed with red. Hastings, N. Y., in June; also taken by myself near Buffalo in July. A very distinct species, which I have determined myself in different collections.

ARTA Grote.

In this genus, the fore wings are a little squarer than in Asopia. The ocelli are present. Fore wings 11-veined, 4 and 5 furcate; 8 and 9 out of 7. Hind wings 8-veined, 2 before the lower angle of the cell, 3, 4, and 5 in succession from the submedian vein; cell open or partially closed, 8 out of 7 a short furcation; 6 connected with 7 by a short vein. The species are small. I only make out 2 internal veins on secondaries. Arta statalis Grote, Bull. B. S. N. S. 2, 230.

The fore wings are vinous-red, with two narrow, upright, approximate, yellow, median lines; the inner line brought well toward the middle of the wing. Fringes darker than the wing. Hind wings fuscous. Beneath fuscous, the costa tinged with red more or less diffused. The expanse is 16 mil. My three female specimens are all from New York.

Arta olivalis Grote, Can. Ent. x, 23.

9. A small species resembling statalis, but differing by the oli vaceous cast of the primaries above, crossed by two, parallel, faint, pale lines, the inner at the middle of the wing, the outer at within the middle of the outer half of the wing; fringes vinous; hind wings pale purplish, with vinous fringes. Beneath, the costal and external margins are bright wine-color, a pale common line. The expanse is 14 mil. Texas, Belfrage, in July and August (No. 405). The neuration has not been studied.

CONDYLOLOMIA Grote.

(Bull. B. S. N. S. 1, 176, plate 5, figs. 4, 5.)

I have again studied the neuration of this genus, in which the cell is so short on both wings. To the figure and description of the primary wing (fig. 4), I have nothing to add. The drawing of the hind wing (fig. 5) is defective in that vein 6 springs from the discal cross-vein, and not from the upper margin of the cell; the cell is closed by a concave fold. The median vein is too straight, but the branches are correctly drawn as to position. I find also only two internal nervures (Rippe 1, a); but in this it is possible I am wrong, although I can find only two in Arta.

I am indebted to the kindness of Mr. L. W. Goodell, of Amherst, Mass., for a specimen (No. 8) of the only species of this genus known, Condylolomia participialis.

CORDYLOPEZA Zeller.

Cordylopeza nigrinodis Zell., Beitr. ii, 6, taf. iii, fig. 3.

New York; near Buffalo, in July.

Bull. iv. No. 3—9