Laverna argentimaculella, n. sp.

Imago: Antennœ dark brown, slightly paler on under side. Palpi pale silvery, terminal joint in strong light appearing minutely ringed with dark blue. Head and face smooth, the former dark blue above, face pale golden-metallic, in the ♂ usually darker than in the ♀, in the latter often with bluish tinge. Thorax dark blue with metallic reflections. Fore wings with a generally “shaggy” appearance, beautifully variegated in dark and light blue and rich bronzy brown, with more or less conspicuous, irregular, appressed, silvery spots, that, at the base of the apical third, form an irregularly margined fascia, broader and more brilliant in the ♂ than in the ♀. Upon the cell, especially of the ♂, are two prominent tufts, bluish silvery at base, shading to brown, and near the outer margin two still larger tufts, almost connected, forming a ridge across the wing. Just before the fringes is an indefinitely angular, silvery streak, the apex directed outward. The pattern of coloration is so variable that it is difficult to exactly characterize it. Hind wings and abdomen rich bronzy brown, the former with pale brown fringes. Legs brown, annulate on tibiæ with two broad and on tarsi with three narrow white bands. Alar expanse, 8 mn.; length, 4 mm. A beautiful species and probably rare.

Sir,—Permit me to call the attention of your readers to a faulty method of citing species names, which is, unfortunately, extremely common in America. I refer to the omission of the genus name or its reduction to a mere initial. In many cases this is, of course, a proceeding that is attended with no serious evil effects. A working zoologist may be expected to know what P. machaon stands for, bibliographers would know that a paper on Abnormal Antennæ of Ajax had nothing to do with the Bird genus, Ajax, Less., but referred to Papilio ajax. In many cases, however, authors seem to endeavor to render their work inaccessible to all save specialists working on their particular group. To make this clear it is necessary to cite an example, and I take the first one at hand, remarking at the same time that these cases are very numerous, and that it is unjust to single out a particular person for condemnation.

Since the publication of the writer's “Revision of the Aphelininæ of North America” (Bulletin 1, Technical Series, U. S. Department of Agriculture, Division of Entomology, 1895), the discovery of new forms, and especially of new genera, has been of very infrequent occurence. Species have been received from all parts of the world, owing to the extraordinary and world-wide development of interest in scale insects, which are the principal hosts of the Aphelininæ, yet nearly all of the forms thus received have been species already described, which have been carried with their hosts upon live plants to many different regions. It is, therefore, interesting to discover a new genus, even from a country like Chile, whose parasitic Hymenoptera are so little known. A most interesting feature of the discovery is that the new genus was reared from Aspidiotus hederœ (nerii) together with three of the cosmopolitan forms, namely, Aspidiotiphagus citrinus (Craw); Coccophagus immaculatus, How., and Prospalta aurantii, How. The writer is indebted to Mr. Edwyn C. Reed, of Rancagua, Chile, for this sending, as well as for many other favours.

Tetralopha formosella, n. sp.

Expands 18 mm. Head nearly pure white; thorax white with black scales intermixed; fore wings pure white, sometimes intermixed with black, and with black spot on costa to basal line; basal line black, with three long black teeth on outer side; middle field whitish, costa towards base black; along inner margin and reaching half way across wing, dull brick red, broken by median cross scale ridge, which is of intermingled black and white; outer line white, edged on both sides with blackish; outer field grayish, mixed with black, much darker along costa to apex; hind wings fuscous, much darker along outer edge; beneath fuscous on all wings, an outer lighter cross line showing on all wings.

To this subfamily belong the giants of the family, although many species in it are of moderate or insignificant size. Here belong the “Tarantula Killers,” or Pompilids, belonging to the genus Pepsis, large, brilliantly coloured species, often with fiery red wings, or blue or black wings marked with white or red, etc., that prey upon the genuine Tarantulas and other large species of spiders.

It is 16 years since the Rev. G. D. Hulst undertook a revision of this genus along the lines of “Structural Characters.” As a new Check List of the moths is to be published soon, it seems proper that another arrangement of the genus be made. The structure of the genitalia as a basis of the separation of the species has been regarded by many eminent lepidopterists as of doubtful value. It is certain that in this genus its use was not warranted by larval characters or field observation. For these reasons the last revision has not been satisfactory to those who were familiar with many species in their native haunts, or who had bred them. The writer does not say, however, that the present revision will be faultless, for as yet too few of the species are known in their adolescent stages to make this much of an aid in classification.

Catocala moderna, n. sp.

Allied to C. viduata, Guenée, but very much smaller, and at once distinguished by the pale angulated band of the under surface of hind wings reflecting through on upper surface, where it appears as a faintly yellowish mesial shade, distinctly outlined. Fore wings like C. viduata, of the same pale gray, with the black oblique shading running from costa at centre of median space outwardly to below apices, less marked than in its ally. Subreniform paler, more yellowish. Else the lines and markings copy in miniature its ally. Fringe to secondaries white. Collar darker, with black line; thorax pale gray.