June, 1S96.] GrOTE : NoTE ON AgRONOMA AND LaSPEVRIA. 85 
places in the daytime have generally gray or blackish, protectively col- 
ored primaries, of such neutral tints as to deceive the eye in passing rap- 
idly over an extended surface. But in Apatela the direction of the 
mimicry, the object copied, differs in the larva and moth of the same 
species. The independent direction of the larval efforts in this respect 
is important evidence in sustaining the view that in metamorphosis the 
stages acquire characters useless to the succeeding, and that here the 
larva oi Apatela has attained an independent perfection as regards ulti- 
mate peculiarities of adaptive structure applicable only to the conditions 
of its own particular stage. 
CORRECTION OF THE TYPE OF AGRONOMA AND 
NOTE ON LASPEYRIA. 
By A. Radcliffe Grote, A. M. 
It has been recently stated by Mr. John B. Smith that the type of 
Agronoma, given by me in the Bremen List, May, 1895, p. 23, viz: 
vesiigia/is, does not correspond in structure with jaculifera, the type of 
Feliia, inasmuch as the front is not roughened or tuberculate and the 
front pair of tibite are not heavily armed. Still my reference of Feltia 
to Agronoma will hold. The material examined by me in Bremen in 
1893-4, when writing the list, is no longer accessible to me and I am 
not sure what species I examined. But Hiibner's genus Agronoma con- 
tains, beside vesfigia/i's, both crassa and exclamationis. I have ex- 
amined here, in the Roemer Museum, specimen of crassa. The fore 
tibiae are heavily armed, the front is roughened or tuberculate, the male 
antennje are pectinate. It is therefore a Feltia. Inasmuch as vestigi- 
alis is referred as belonging to Agrotis in a restricted sense, and as 
congeneric with the type segetum, as established by me and adopted 
by me in the "Revision," it follows that the type of Agronoma 
must be changed and crassa, the first species cited, is then the type. 
Hiibner establishes Agronoma for species having the general aspect o^ 
Jaculifera ; the claviform is usually suffused with a darker color. Proba- 
bly the European species exclamationis, corticea, obesa, graslini and 
fatidica belong to Agronoma and share the structure of crassa. The 
name of our common North American species will then remain, as 
claimed by me in the list : Agrotis (^Agronoma') jaculifera Gn. Those 
using my Bremen List will please make the correction and I am much 
86 Journal New York Entomological Society. [Vol iv. 
obliged to Mr. Smith for this opportunity of showing its necessity. As 
soon as possible I hope to bring the European and American species into 
more complete accord. Up to the present I have had insufficient ma- 
terial and opportunity. 
I have lately had the opportunity of examining the Sectio I of Ger- 
mar's Prodromus, i8i i. In this the author establishes the genus Las- 
peyria for flexjila. Duponchel's genus Aventia, 1841, has been in 
general use for this species, but it must apparently now yield to Germar's 
earlier term. We would now have the species of Schrank's genus 
Drepana finally properly referred. To me, at least, this is a matter of 
satisfaction, as I have occupied myself with the group at various in- 
tervals since 1862. Of these genera Cilix, Flatypteryx ^.nd Laspcyria 
are confined to Europe, Drepana and Fakaria are common to Europe 
and North America, Oreta to Eastern Asia and North America. Las- 
peyria must be removed from the family Platypterygidae and referred to 
the Agrotidse, subfamily Hypeninas. 
NOTE ON ENyEMIA CRASSINERVELLA Zcll 
(MIEZA IGNINIX Walk.'). 
By Annie Trumbull Slosson. 
Walking one day in February along the shore at Punta Gorda, 
Florida, I saw a small larva upon my sleeve. It seemed to have spun 
•down by a thread, and, looking up, I saw many similar larvse suspended 
from leaves and branches of a shrub. This shrub was one quite com- 
mon along the west coast. It has sharp and stout thorns and small, 
rather coriaceous leaves of dark green. I have never seen it in flower 
or fruit, and do not know its name. 
I carried home some of the larvae with the food plant. From their 
general appearance I thought them Limacodids. They fed well in con- 
finement, throve and grew. At the end of a week or two, as I was leav- 
ing Punta Gorda, and feared I might not be able to procure proper food 
on the east coast, I liberated many of my captives, and, believing in the 
survival of the fittest, retained only the largest and healthiest. The lim- 
ited supply of food proved sufficient, and I brought several larvae to 
maturity. Soon after I reached Palm Beach these spun curious little 
cocoons, very Limacodid-like in appearance, and of the same tough