ADYERTISEMEKT. This work (Bulletin No. 48) is one of a series of papers inteuded to illustrate the collections l)elongiug- to the United States, and constitut- iug- the National Museum, of which the Smithsonian Institution was placed in charge by the act of Congress of August 10, 1840. The publications of the National Museum consist of two series—the Bulletins, of which this is No. 48, in continuous series, and the Proceed- ings, of which the seventeenth volume is now in press. A small edition of each paper in the Proceedings is distributed in pamphlet form to specialists in advance of the publication of the bound volume. The Bulletins of the National Museum, the publication of which was commenced in 1875, consist of elaborate papers based upon the collec- tions of the Museum, reports of expeditions, etc., while the Proceed- ings facilitate the prompt publication of freshly-acquired facts relating to biologj^, anthropology, and geology, descriptions of restricted groups of animals and plants, the discussion of particular questions relative to the synonymy of species, and the diaries of minor expeditions. Other papers, of more general popular interest, are printed in the Ap])endix to the Annual Eeport. Full lists of the i^ublications of the Museum may be found in the cur- rent catalogues of the publications of the Smithsonian Institution. Papers intended for publication in the Proceedings and Bulletins of the National Museum are referred to the Committee on Publications, composed as follows: F. W, Time (chairman), R. Edward Earll (editor), T. H. Bean, Otis T. Mason, Leonhard Stejneger, and Lester F. Ward. S. P. Langley, Secretary of the Sniithsonian Institution. Washington, D. C, October S, 1894. II CONTRIBUTIONS TOWARD A MONOGRAP OB" THE INSECTS OF THE lEPIDOPTEROUS FAMILY NOCTOH)! BOREAL NORTH AMERICA. A EEVISION OF THE DELTOID MOTHS. JOHX B. SMITH, Sc. D., Professor of Entomology in Eutgers College. WASHINGTON: GOVERNJIENT PRINTING OFFICE. 1895. o TABLE OF COoSTTEKTS. Page. Introductory remarks and definitions 1_3 Genera wrongly classed as Deltoids 3 4 Division into tribes '4 Antennal iieculiarities 4_g Sexual modification of male legs g_g Genera discussed q_, Ackno^^ledgments 10 Synopsis of tribes and genera J3 j^ Genus Epizeuxis l")--^? characters and scheme of division 15-17 analysis of the species i-j descriptions of the species 17-'^7 Genus Zanxlogxatha '>7-45 characters and scheme of division 27-31 analysis of the species 3^ 32 descriptions of the species 32-15 Genus Hokmisa 45-50 characters and scheme of division 45 46 analysis of the species 4g descriptions of the species 46-50 Genus Philometra _ 50-i54 chara cters of the genus and species 50 51 analysis of the species r^^ descriptions of the species 51-54 Genus Ciiytolita 54-57 characters of the genus and species 54 55 analysis of the species '. ' -~ descriptions of the species 55-57 Genus Bleptina * -- oi-blr-i characters of the ' genus and species 57 53 analysis of the species ' co descriptions of the species 58-61 Genus Tetanolita ()l-6" characters of the genus and species ^. 61 62 analysis ' of the species ^9 di'Scri])tions of the species 63-65 Genus Rexia fio-/6r- ^r characters and scheme of division 65-68 analysis of tlie species gg descriptions of the species : 68-76 Genus Hvpenula T-'S characters of the genus -j; -j-j description of the species : 77 78 V VI CONTENTS. Page. Genus Heterogramma 78-80 characters of the genus 78, 79 description of the species 79, 80 Genus Gabkrasa 80-82 characters of tlie genus 80, 81 description of the species 81, 82 Genus Dercetis 82-84 characters of fhe genus 82, 83 descriptions of the species 83, 84 Genus Palthis 84-88 characters of the genus and species 84-86 descriptions of the species 86-88 Genus Capis 88,89 characters of the genus 88 description of the species 88, 89 Genus Salia 89-91 characters of the genus 89, 90 analysis of the species 90 descriptions of the species 90, 91 Genus Bomolocha 91-109 characters and scheme of division 91-94 analysis of the species 94, 95 description of the species 95-109 Genus Lomanaltes 109, 110 characters of the genus 109 description of the species 109, 110 Genus Plathypena 110-112 characters of the geuus 110, 111 descriptions of the species 111-112 Genus Hypena 112-118 characters and scheme of division 112-114 analysis of the species 114 descriptions of the species 114-118 Synouymical list of genera and species 119, 120 Explanation of plates 121-126 General Index 127-129 CONTRIBUTIONS TOWARD A MONO(iRARH OF THK INSECTS OF THE LEPIDOP- TEROliS FAMILY NOCTUID.E OF BOREAL NORTH AMERICA. A REVISION OF THE DELTOID MOTHS. L5.V .loitx B. Smith, Sc. D., I'rofessor of Entomolo<jy in Iiuhjers CuUeye. Uiidoi- the general term " Deltoids'' there are usually grouped in lists, catalogues, and eollections the moths of a series of species and genera which have a somewhat distinctive appearance aud habitus, but for which we have as yet no exclusive characters. This series has been elevated to family raidc, has been associated with the Pyralids, and has been most recently recognized as indistinguish- able in structural characters from the IS octuidie. It is possible that sub- family rank at least shoiihl be accorded the series as here restricted; Init this is not proposed at present, since within the limits of the series there are two if not three very distinct types or tribes, of which Helia, Henninid, and Hi/pena are, respectively, typical. In a general way the si)ecies are characterized by unusually long palpi, which are either slender, closely scaled and curved upward and backward, sickle like, often far exceeding the head, or they are directed forward obliquely or straight, clothed with upright scales, the second joint longest, the third always set into the second so as to point upward. In the latter case the palpi with the pointed frontal tuft form a beak or snout similar to that in the Crambidie among the Pyralids. These elongated palpi are not peculiar to this family among the Noctuids; but there are very few genera so constructed in other series, and these may be, in most cases, diflerentiated without trouble. Among the species in which the palpi form a snout, being oblitjue or straight, with elongated second joint, none are Deltoids that have the terminal joint drooping or set in at a downward angle with the second joint. Nor do I include any species in which the second joint is closely scaled above, the long vestiture directed downward, so that the apparent enlarge- ment of the joint is formed by scales directed and extending below the joint. This at first seems a slight character; but it will assume impor- tance when the character of the palpi is closely studied, and when we consider that it is really reversing the i)Osition of a joint. Of the forms 78(51'— No. 48 1 2 BULLKTIX 48, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. in wbicb the palpi are slender, curving np^yard and exceeding tlie head, none are Deltoids in which the two pairs of Avings are similar in size and niaculation or have a geometriform ornamentation extending on both wings. Further, with the exception of Helia, all Deltoids with palpi of the character last described have the lore legs of the male modified, clothed with tufts or pencils of hair, and always with aborted tibia. With the exceptions stated, the series does not differ from other Noctuids in any essential features; yet it will be worth whde to mention some of the other main characters. The liead is always small, yet never retracted, and often prominent. In none of our species is the tongue aborted or even weak, so all of them are capable of feeding. The eyes are usually prominent, semigiobose, though never very large; always naked, though in some genera— only one in our fauna—fringiul with hairy lashes. Ocelli are present in all our forms, situated close to the compound eye, but distinctly variable in their position relative to the posterior margin of the eye. In the Herminiini they are almost as far back as i)ossible, while in Hypenini they are almost in the middle of the crown. The \)o\ut of insertion of the antennse varies somewhat; but as in the matter of the ocelli our material is not yet sufficient to enable us to make studies on all the points involved or to generalize. The structure of the antennai is exceedingly interesting from the character of the sexual modifications; but this subject will betaken up again further on, and I need only say that they vary from simple to lengthily pectinated. The character of the i)alpi has been already referred to. The body is slight in most instances, never very robust. The thorax is closely scaled in general, tufted only in the Hypenini, where a lobust structure is characteristic of the males. The abdomen is usually cylindric, without sexual differences, but in the female terminating in an abrupt point, while in the male it is truncated. While it is never short, the abdomen rarely exceeds the anal angle of the secondaries more than a little, and it as rarely fails to reach that point. Tuftings are only found in the Hypenini, where, in most of the species, there is a series of little round, trunca'ted, dorsal tufts, composed of upright scales and very easily rubbed off. The legs are usually long and slender, though hardly weak. The thoracic structure tends to an elongation of the parts, the coxa^ being in all cases well develo])ed.