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UBRARY

6

THE PTEROPHORID.E

OF NORTH AMERICA.

C. H. FERNALD, A.M., PH.D.

REVISED EDITION.

July 30, 1898.

SPECIAL BULLETIN./

HATCH EXPERIMENT STATION

OF THE

MASSACHUSETTS AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE.

THE PTEROPHORIDy£

OF NORTH AMERICA.

C. H. FERNALD, A.M., PH.D.

REVISED EDITION.

July 30, 1898.

BOSTON :

WRIGHT & POTTER PRINTING CO., STATE PRINTERS,
18 POST OFFICE SQUARE.
1898.

BIOLCGY

LIBRARY
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...— .c.^ ...~,_^, DEFT*

THE PTEROPHORID^E OF NORTH
AMERICA.

The species of moths taken up in this work are known by the
common names of plume-moths and feather-wings. They have
been studied but very little, and our knowledge of the early stages
and habits of a large proportion of our native American species is
very imperfect, but it is hoped that our entomologists will give
more attention to them hereafter.

GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION.

The Pterophoridae are distributed very widely over the globe,
but appear to be most numerous in the temperate regions, par-
ticularly in Europe, North America and Australia ; yet, when
other parts of the globe have been as carefully explored, it is
probable that many additional species will be discovered, and that
they may be more evenly distributed than at present appears to be
the case.

GEOLOGICAL DISTRIBUTION.

I am indebted to Mr. S. H. Scudder, our highest authority on
fossil insects, for the information that no Pterophoridae have yet
been recognized among the fossils, not even in amber.

ECONOMIC IMPORTANCE.

A few species of the Pterophoridae are injurious to plants of
economic importance, and the larvae of several others feed on
plants raised for ornamental purposes or for flowers.

NATURAL ENEMIES.

While it is probable that the species of this family are preyed
upon not only by insect enemies but also by birds, yet I have
been able to find but few recorded observations with regard to
them. Ashmead has described Pimpla pterophori and Limneria
pterophorce from Pterophorids in California, and the latter species
has also been taken in Texas. Prof. Kellicott bred Ichneumon
humilis Prov. from Platyptilia carduidactyla.

408188

HISTORY.

Linnaeus, in the tenth edition of his " Systema Naturae," Vol.
1, page 542, published in 1758, established the genus Alucita for
the plume-moths with the following six species under it in order :
monodactyla, didactyla, tridactyla, tetradactyla, pentadactyla and
hexadactyla, — all placed under the heading ALUCIT^E. Some of
these insects had been figured and described more or less fully by
authors previous to the time of Linnaeus, as Aldrovandus, 1602;
Madam Merian, 1679; Petiver, 1702; Ray, 1710; Frisch, 1721;
Reaumur, 1736; and Rosel, 1746; but, as Linnaeus in the above
work first consistently used the binomial nomenclature, it has
been decided almost universally by zoologists to adopt this edi-
tion of the " Systema Naturae" as the starting-point in zoological
nomenclature.

In 1761, Poda published his " Insecta Musei Graecencis," in
which, on page 94, he adopted the generic name Alucita with
pentadactyla L. the only species under it, and this species is there-
fore regarded as the type of the genus Alucita by Lord Walsing-
ham and other eminent authorities. Geoffroy, in 1762, published
the first edition of his " Histoire abr£g£e des Insectes," in two
volumes. In the second volume this author, rejecting the genus
Alucita of Linnaeus, established the genus Pterophorus, a name
which he stated was given to these insects by some naturalist in
former times, and placed under it pentadactyla L. didactyla L. and
hexadactyla L. From his description of didactyla, there can be no
doubt that, instead of this species, he had monodactyla L. before
him, and therefore we must consider didactyla Geoff, the same as
monodactyla L. As Poda had already used pentadactyla as the
type of Alucita, only the species monodactyla L. and hexadactyla
L. could be considered as belonging under Pterophorus.

Scopoli, in his " Entomologia Carniolica," published in 1762,
gives five species of plume-moths under Phalaena, which he ap-
pears to have used in a generic sense. In 1775, Fabricius, in his
" Systema Entomologiae," page 667, very improperly made use of
the genus Alucita for xylostella L. and nineteen other Tineids, and
followed Geoff roy in using Pterophorus for the plume- moths.
This use of these generic names he continued through all his
writings. The authors of the *' Systematische Verzeichniss der
Schmetterlinge der Wienergegend," 1776, page 144, adopted the
genus Alucita in the strict Linnaean sense.

Latreille, in his " Precis des Caracteres generique des Insectes,"

published in 1796, page 148, separated hexadactyla from the group
and established for it the genus Orneodes, but retained the rest of
the plume-moths under Pterophorus. Latreille repeated this use
of these generic names in his l i Histoire naturelle des Crustaces et
Insectes," Vol. XIV., page 255 (1805), and used the generic name
Alucita in the Fabrician sense. This action of Latreille in remov-
ing hexadactylus from Pterophorus left only the species monodacty-
lus L. under it which must now be regarded as the type, while
Orneodes must be recognized with hexadactyla L. as the type.

In 1806, Hiibner published his " Tentameu," in which these in-
sects are placed in Phalanx 9 ; Alucitae, in Tribus 1 : indubitate.
There are two divisions under this, the first of which is Ptero-
phorse with Pterophora pentadactyla, and the second is Ripidophorae
with Ripidophora hexadactyla. The "Tentamen" has caused a
great deal of controversy as to whether it was a true publication,
and whether its generic names should be recognized. No question
can arise in case of the plume-moths, as Poda had long before
adopted pentadactyla as the type of Alucita, and Latreille had
very properly separated hexadactyla from the group and estab-
lished for it the genus Orneodes. Schrank, in the second part of
Vol. II. of his "Fauna Boica" (1802), page 139, adopted the
Linnsean genus Alucita for these insects.

In 1811, Haworth published the third part of his " Lepidoptera
Britannica," in which he adopted the genus Alucita in the Liunaean
sense for the plume-moths. In 1815, Leach published his article
" Entomology " in the "Edinburgh Encyclopaedia," in which,
under Tribe VII, Alucitides, the genus Pterophorus Geoff, is
adopted with pentadactylus and didactylus under it, and the genus
Alucita with hexadactyla under it. In 1819, Samouelle published
his "Entomologist's Useful Compendium," in which he adopted
the classification of Leach.

Hiibner, in his " Verzeichniss bekannter Schmetterlinge,"
adopted the term Alucitae for his ninth phalanx, the plume-
moths. This part of the "Verzeichniss" was published between
Aug. 27, 1825, and the time of Hiibuer's death, which occurred
Sept. 13, 1826. This author divided these insects into three
tribes : the first including those with unfissured wings, for which
he established the genus Agdistis ; the second with those having
one fissure in the fore wings and two in the hind wings. This
tribe was further divided into two families, each containing two
genera. The first family, Obtusae, contained the genera Platyptilia
and Amblyptilia, and the second family, Cuspides, contained the

6

genera Stenoptilia and Aciptilia. The third tribe included those
species in which each wing is divided into six parts, and these
were all placed under the genus Euchiradia, which is of course
synonymous with Orneodes.

In 1827, Curtis published Vol. IV. of his " British Entomology/'
in which he adopted the genus Pterophorus and names pentadactyla
L. as the type. In Vol. X. of the same work (1833), he estab-
lished the genus Adactylus with adactyla Hub. for the type. In
Vol. XV., published in 1838, he adopted the genus Alucita and
named hexadactyla as the type. Curtis, in 1829, in his "Guide
to an arrangement of the British insects," had taken the genus
Adactylus for the species with undivided wings, Alucita for ' ' hex-
adactyla and its allies " and Pterophorus for the remainder. In
the same year Stephens published his "Catalogue of British in-
sects," in which he adopted the genus Agdistis Hub. for the species
with undivided wings, and Pterophorus and Alucita in the same
sense as Curtis had used them. This same classification was
used by Stephens in 1834, in his "Illustrations of British En-
tomology."

Treitschke, in Vol. IX., Part 2, of his " Schmetterlinge von
Europa," published in 1833, adopted the generic name Alucita for
the species placed by Stephens under Agdistis and Pterophorus,
while he used Orneodes for hexadactylus and its allies. In 1836,
Duponchel, in his " Histoire naturelle des Lepidopteres," Vol. IX.,
adopted the classification of Latreille, but in his " Catalogue
Methodique," published in 1844, he used the genus Adactyla Zell.
for hubneri Curt., Orneodes, for hexadactyla and its allies, and
Pterophorus for the remaining species. West wood, in Vol. I. of
his "Classification of insects," page 115, published in 1839,
adopted the classification of Stephens.

Zeller, in 1841, published his monograph of the plume-moths
in " Isis," Vol. X. This author adopted the name Pterophoridcz
for the group, and divided them into the Pterophoridce proprii, and
Alucitina. Under the first division he established the genus Adac-
tyla, apparently unconscious of the fact that Curtis had already
used the same name. Under this same division Zeller adopted the
genus Pterophorus Geoff., which he divided into groups or sub-
genera as follows: Platyptilus (Platyptilia Hiib.), Oxyptilus (Am-
Uyptilia Hiib. ) , Pterophorus (Stenoptilia Hub.) , Aciptilus (Aciptilia
Hiib.). The division Alucitina contained the genus Alucita with
hexadactyla and allies under it. In 1852, Zeller published his
*' Revision of the Pterophoridae " in " Linnaea Entomologia," Vol.

VI., page 319, in which he sinks his genus Adactyla and aflopts
Hiibner's Agdistis^ and establishes the genus Deuterocopns for the
species tengstro&mi of Java.

In 1840, Zetterstedt, in his " Insecta Laponica," placed all his
plume-moths under the genus Alucita, but in a note refers to Or-
neodes hexadactyla indicating his adoption of this generic name.
Herrich-Schseffer, in his " Schmetterlinge von Europa," Vol. V.,
published in 1853-55, follows the classification of Zeller. Stain-
ton, in his "Manual of British Butterflies and Moths" (1859),
adopted the generic name Adactyla for bennetii, Pteropltoms for
rliododactylus and its allies and Alucita for polydactyla.

In 1859, Wallengren published his work on the Scandinavian
plume-moths, which, like Zeller's works, marked an era in the
classification of these insects. Wallengren followed Zeller in
dividing them into the Pterophoridce and Alucitina, unddr the first
of which he established four new genera, and used, in addition to
these, five genera established by earlier authors. Under Alucitina
he adopted the genus Alucita for hexadactyla.

In 1864, Walker published Part 30 of his "List of the Lepi-
dopterous Insects in the British Museum," in which he refers to
all the described species of the plume-moths, and added thirty-
five new species and two new genera founded on new species from
Ega, South America. In this work Walker followed the classifi-
cation of Zeller.

In 1869, Dr. Jordan, in the "Entomologist's Monthly Maga-
zine," Vol. VI., pages 119 and 149, gave a review of Wallengren's
work, referred to above, which contains valuable information.
Mr. South has given a most interesting and valuable series of
illustrated papers on the early stages, habits and food plants of
•the British plume-moths in the " Entomologist," Vol. XIV. and
following volumes. Tutt's "Monograph of the Pterophorina of
Britain " is also a valuable paper on the British plume-moths. In
1877, Dr. Wocke, in "Die Schmetterlinge Deutschlands und der
Schweiz," Vol. II., Part 2, followed very closely the classification
of Wallengren. In 1886, Leech, in his British Pyralides," in-
cluding the Pterophoridse published in 1886, uses the super- family
Pterophori with the families Pterophoridce and Alucitida* under it.

Meyrick, in his paper " On the Classification of the Pyralidina
of the European Fauna," published in 1890, in the " Transactions
of the Entomological Society of London," placed these insects as
families under the super-family Pyralidina. Mr. Meyrick had
already made critical studies on these insects in his researches on

8

the Lepidoptera of Australia and New Zealand, and in the paper
ajbove referred to he gave most excellent characters to the families
and genera. He adopted the family names Pterophoridce and Or-
neodidce with the genus Orneodes under the last for hexadactyla
and its allies. In his "Handbook of British Lepidoptera"
(1895), Meyrick retains substantially the same classification.
The latest and one of the most valuable works that I have seen
is "Die deutschen Pterophoriden " by Dr. O. Hofmann (1895).
In this work we are given for the first time a very good account
of the genitalia, and all stages are described in full so far as
known.

The first writer on the North American plume-moths, so far
as I am able to learn, was Fitch, in his first " Report on the In-
sects of New York," page 145 (1856), where he published eight
species, pkicing them under the genus Pterophorus. In 1864,
Walker published two species from this country under the same
genus, in the " Catalogue of the Lepidoptera Heterocera," Part 30,
page 940. In 1869, Riley, in his first " Report on the Insects of
Missouri," published one new species and gave a more complete
description of one of the species of Fitch. In 1873, Packard
described three species from California under the genus Ptero-
phorus, in the "Annals of the Lyceum of Natural History," Vol.
X., page 265. In the same year Zeller, in his "Beitrage," de-
scribed six new species of the North American plume-moths, and
in the same paper established a new genus (Scoptonoma) with two
new species from Texas. This genus, however, proved to be the
same as Lineodes of G-uenee, a Pyralid genus. The next year
Zeller described his Leioptilus Mathewianus in his "Lepidoptera
der Westkuste Amerika's," page 23. Chambers published Ptero-
phorus lacteodactylus in the "Canadian Entomologist," Vol. V.,
page 265 (1873).

The most important contribution to our knowledge of the North
American species of these insects was given by Lord Walsingham
in his " Pterophoridse of California and Oregon," published in

1880. This work contains full descriptions of forty-one species,
'many of them here published for the first time, and all of the
species are illustrated in 'colors. Lord Walsingham was so gener-
ous as to give me co-types of nearly all of his species. In this
same year Miss Murtf eldt described two new species with their early
stages in the "American Entomologist," Vol. III., page 235. In

1881, Mr. Charles Fish described ten species of these moths in the
"Canadian Entomologist," Vol. XIII., pages 70 and 140. This

gentleman made extensive studies of the Pterophoridae, and se-
cured the types of Fitch's species and all of his notes on them ;
but, having abandoned the work because of other engagements, I
obtained his entire collection of these insects, including all of his
own types as well as those of Fitch. Valuable notes by other
writers have also been made, which will be referred to under the
various species on following pages.

STRUCTURE.

*

The Pterophoridae are small, slim insects, with long, slender
lugs and long, narrow fore wings, cut by a fissure extending in
from the middle of the outer margin between veins 4 and 7, from
a fourth to one-half of the length of the wing (plates II. and III.).
The parts on each side of the fissure are called lobes, the anterior
one being called the first lobe and the other the second lobe. In
some of the genera these lobes are narrow and pointed, while in
others they are well developed and present two well-marked angles
on each, which are called the apex and anal angle (Plate II., fig.
1 ) . The normal number of veins in the fore wings is twelve, but
this number is reduced in many of the species. Vein 1 is feebly
forked at the base, at least in some of the species, and the cross
vein and veins 5 and 6 are very weak, often entirely visible ; 5
and 6 at equal distances from each other and from 4 and 7, ex-
tending to the fissure which ends between them. Veins 8 and 9
are stalked and 10 sometimes arises from the same stalk, but is
occasionally wanting.

The hind wings have two fissures, the first extending in from
the outer margin between veins 4 and 7 to about the middle of the
wing ; the second, between the inner margin veins and vein 2,
extends to about the basal fourth. These divisions are called
feathers, the anterior one being called the first feather, the middle
one the second feather and the posterior one the third feather
(Plate II., fig. 2).

The first feather in some species is somewhat spoon-shaped,
rounded at the outer end, widest near the middle and narrower
near the base. The costal vein bends down near the middle of its
course, approaching very near to the subcostal. The costal vein
ends in the costa when this feather tapers gradually to a point and
vein 7 ends in the point. When this feather is broad at the outer
end and has two angles corresponding to the apex and anal angle,
the costal vein usually ends in the apex and vein 7 in the anal

10

angle. The frenulum is single in the male and divided in the
female.

The second feather in some species is widest towards the outer
end, which is very oblique, but in others it is of the same form as
the third feather. The median vein runs into this feather, giving
off vein 2 which ends in the hind margin, vein 3 which ends in the
anal angle of this feather and vein 4 which ends in the apex. In
the narrow, tapering forms vein 4 is wanting and 3 runs to the
end of the feather. The cross vein and also veins 5 and 6 are
exceedingly fine and scarcely visible under the mosl^ favorable
circumstances.

The third feather tapers gradually to the more or less blunt
outer end, but in some species it has a very obtuse and rounded
angle on its hind margin, which represents the anal angle of the
wing (Plate II., fig. 2). This feather has a strong vein running
through the middle to the end, which is undoubtedly vein Ib. In
some species a weak vein may be seen above lying very near the
edge of the feather, and in others a shorter vein below running to
the hind margin of the feather a little beyond the anal angle.
This, without doubt, is vein la, and therefore the three internal
veins are represented in the Pterophoridse, but all three do not
occur in any one species.

The fringes are long and arranged along both sides of the
feathers, giving them a strong resemblance to the feathers of a
bird, thus making more complete organs of flight. In some
species there are clusters of dark spatulate scales in the hind
fringe of the third feather, and similar scales occur along the
median vein on the under side of the wing. The basal part of
the median vein on the upper side of the hind wings is not pro-
vided with a row of fine hairs, as in some families of moths.

The head is of medium size, with the front smooth and vertical
in some species but more or less conical in others. The labial
palpi are either porrect or curved upward and closely scaled, or
more or less bushy. The maxillary palpi are entirely wanting.
The proboscis is about as long as the head and thorax, and not
clothed with scales at the base. The eyes are nearly hemispher-
ical, naked and without lashes or cilia. The ocelli are absent.
The scales of the head lie smooth over the surface, giving it an
even appearance ; but in some species they form a more or less
cone-shaped tuft, extending forward from the front. The antennae
are fine filiform, and about two- thirds as long as the costa of the
fore wings. The basal segment is much larger than those beyond,

11

and covered with scales which sometimes form a pointed tuft at
the end. The remaining segments are finely ciliated, those in the
males being stronger than in the females.

The thorax is of medium size, and its covering of scales smooth
without any indication of tufts or other characters. The tegulae
are of medium length, without long scales, hairs or other unusual
characters. The abdomen is long and slim, of nearly uniform size
throughout in the male, but somewhat fusiform in the female.
The genitalia of the male consist of a pair of long, comparatively
thin and broad exserted claspers and a prominent uncus.

The legs are long and slim with cylindrical segments, except the
femora, which are somewhat compressed. The coxae are about as
long as the thorax and stouter than the remaining segments of the
legs. The fore tibiae have a tibial epiphysis on the inside near the
end, the middle tibiae have a pair of unequal spurs at the end,
while the hind tibiae have a pair of unequal spurs at the end and a
similar pair at the outer third. The tarsi consist of five segments
with a pair of claws at the end. There are no spines on any of
the segments of the legs, but they are covered by scales that lie
smooth and close to the surface. In some species, however, the
scales are raised, forming an enlarged ring around the middle and
hind legs at the base of the spurs, and a similar ring occurs around
the end of the fore tibiae. In one species (monodactylus) there is
a small tuft of scales on the hind tibiae, opposite and within the
middle spurs (Plate I., figs. 11, 12). This character is very use-
ful in determining this exceedingly variable and common species.

The ground color of the Pterophoridae is generally white, yellow-
ish white or some shade of brown, occasionally without darker
markings, though the fore wings most frequently have a dark tri-
angular spot resting on the costa and extending down to a point
just within the end of the fissure. One or two light lines cross the
lobes obliquely, and there is a dark spot on the cell a little before
the middle of the wing and another on the fold still nearer the base
of the wing. The hind wings are of one uniform color, and seldom
have spots or lines of other colors.

HABITS.

The usual time of flight is on warm, calm evenings, when they
are occasionally attracted to light and rarely to sugar. They may,
however, be easily u flushed" in the day time from the shrubbery,
when they fly a short distance and alight. When at rest they hold
their wings nearly horizontal and at right angles with the body,

12

but the feathers of the hind wings are folded over each other and
drawn under the fore wings.

EARLY STAGES.

I am not aware that anything is known of the egg-stage of any
of our North American plume-moths, and if any thing has been
published on this stage, I have overlooked it. In the European
species, so far as I have seen any descriptions, they are more or
less oval in outline, smooth and of a pale-green color.

The larvae are short and stout, pale green, with longitudinal
stripes of other colors in some species, and one or more coarse or
fine hairs arise from tubercles on the segments. The pupae are
formed above ground, and attached by the anal extremity. Some
species are hairy, while others are naked ; and they sometimes
have a pair of prominent tubercles arising from the back.

It is not known positively whether any of our North American
species have more than one generation in a season ; but so little
is known about them that we cannot speak with any certainty on
this point. Acantlwdactyla and monodactyla are said to have two
generations in a year in Europe, and very likely this is true here,
at least in some parts of the country.

SYSTEMATIC POSITION.

Linnaeus placed these insects at the end of the Lepidoptera,
after the Tineina, and he was followed by later writers till a little
more than twenty-five years ago, when it began to dawn upon
those who were working upon these insects that they were out of
place. At first the matter was talked over, but it was some time
before any one seemed to be willing to express such an apparent
heterodox opinion in print. Dr. Jordan, however, in 1869 (Ent.
Mon. Mag., Vol. VI., p. 152), expressed the opinion that these
insects form " an aberrant group of the Pyralidae." A few years
ago, entomologists, both in this country and England, in making
critical studies on the early stages as well as on -the imago of the
Lepidoptera, quite revolutionized the order, not only with regard
to the position of the families, but also with regard to the names.
I am heartily in sympathy with this movement, and, if I do not
always adopt the changes at once, it is because I have not had time
to study them carefully and convince myself that they are right.

The genus Chrysocorys has been placed among the Pterophoridae
by several of the English entomologists, and Zeller established the
genus Scoptonoma for two Texan species, placing it in this family ;

13

but this genus is identical with Lineodes Gnen., which both he
and Lederer very properly placed among the Pyralids. If these
two genera be removed, we have rather a compact group, which
may be placed in the vicinity of the Pyralids, in my opinion.

CHARACTERS OF THE PTEROPHORID^E.

Long, slim insects, with long legs. Fore wings usually with
one fissure and hind wings with two. The North American
species, so far as known, have fissured wings. Proboscis and
labial palpi well developed. Maxillary palpi and ocelli absent.
Fore wings with vein Ib either simple or with a short fork at the
base; Ic present, 4 and 5 remote at the base, 8 and 9 stalked or
fused. Hind wings above without a row of hairs along the basal
part of the median vein; la usually absent, 4 and 5 remote at the
base, 6 and 7 remote, 7 and 8 approach very near each other near
the middle of the wing.

SYNOPSIS OF THE GENERA.

e Hind wings with a cluster of black scales in the fringe of the
1 : third feather, . . . . .... . . 2.

i Hind wings without a cluster of black scales in the fringe of
^ the third feather, . . ;- ... . . . 4.

t Anal angle present in second lobe of fore wings, ... 3.
( Anal angle absent in second lobe of fore wings, . Trichoptilus.
Anal angle absent in first lobe of fore wings, . . Oxyptilus.
Anal angle present in first lobe of fore wings, . Platyptilia.
^ Feathers of hind wings similar and tapering uniformly, Alucita.
\ Feathers of hind wings unlike in form, . ... . 5.

c Anal angle present on first lobe of fore wings, . Stenoptilia.
) Anal angle absent on first lobe of fore wings, . . Pterophorus.

GENUS TRICHOPTILUS Wlsm., Pter. Cal. and Ore. (1880).

Front neither extended nor tufted, vertex smooth. Antennae
pubescent; palpi slightly ascending; second and third segments
nearly equal in length, the former a little thickened with scales,
especially towards the outer end, the latter filiform. Tibiae
thickened with scales at the origin of the spurs. Fissure of the
fore wings extending in a little more than half their length, the
lobes being very slender, diverging, and without the anal angle on
either. Hind wings with the fissure between the first and second
feathers reaching within one-fourth of their base, while the second
fissure reaches nearly to the base of the wing. All the feathers

14

are very slender, almost filiform, and there is a cluster of black
scales in the fringe near the middle of the hind margin of the
third feather.

This genus was established by Lord Walsingham on a single
species, pygmceus, of which his lordship took three specimens near
Milville, in Shasta County, California, on the llth of July, 1871,
one of which with his characteristic generosity he gave me. As
this single co-type is all I have, I do not feel like injuring it to
study the venation or genitalia. Mr. Meyrick, in his "Hand-
book of British Lepidoptera," has given the venation of the fore
wings probably of T. paludum Z. as follows : 2 out of 4 or absent,
3 absent, 7 and 9 absent, 10 from near 8 or absent, 11 from near 8.

Hofmann gives a description of the male genitalia and a figure
of a paramere of T. paludum. He states that the genitalia of the
male are distinguished by the remarkable form of the claspers,
which are long and narrow, hollow within, and with a broad, bell-
shaped, bristly appendage. The tenth dorsal plate is obtusely
triangular, arched and bent down at the end. The ninth dorsal
and ventral plates offer nothing especially worthy of remark.

SYNOPSIS OF THE SPECIES.

Expanse of wings, 10 mm. or less, . . pygmceus.

Expanse of wings, 17 mm., .... ochrodactylus.

Expanse of wings, 20 mm., . . . . lobidactylus.

TRICHOPTILUS PYGMJEUS.

Trichoptilus pygmceus Wlsm., Pter. Cal. and Ore., p. 64,
Plate III., fig. 15 (1880).

Expanse of wings, 10 mm. Head and thorax pale fawn color;
antennae slightly pubescent, marked above with fawn brown and
white alternately; palpi whitish touched with fawn color. Ab-
domen whitish, with a tinge of fawn color on the sides and above
posteriorly. Legs white, dotted and barred above with fawn
brown ; spurs white, and at their origin the legs are thickened
with fawn brown scales, among which project some which are
white and almost erect. Fore wings very pale fawn color, dusted
with fuscous brown scales along the costa, especially above the
base of the fissure and near the base of the hind margin. Two
indistinct white stripes cross the lobes of the fore wings, one
beyond and the other before the middle^ cutting the fawn-colored
fringes on each side. Hind wings pale grayish brown, with

15

cinereous fringes interrupted with white behind and at the apex.
The third feather has long cinereous fringes interrupted with white
at the apex, and there is a cluster of dark scales slightly beyond
the middle in the fringe of the hind margin.

Habitat. — Shasta County, California. Early stages and food
plant unknown.

TRICHOPTILUS OCHRODACTYLUS.
Trichoptilus ochrodactylus Fish, Can. Ent., Vol. XHL, p. 142 (1881).

Expanse of wings, 17 mm. Head and anterior part of the
thorax pale ochreous. Antennae with a longitudinal brown line
above, bordered by a fine white line on each side, pale ochreous
beneath. Posterior part of thorax and abdomen light cream color,
the latter nearly pure white beneath. Legs white, striped longi-
tudinally with pale brownish ochreous ; posterior tibiae with a
band of raised ochreous scales before each pair of spurs. Fore
wings pale ochreous, approaching to cream color, with a very light
brownish tinge on the first lobe. A minute brown spot at the
base of the first lobe reaches from the end of the fissure half way
to the costa. Costal fringe of the first lobe brownish ochreous,
with a longitudinal white spot at the basal third, another at the
outer third and a smaller one just before the apex. Fringe of the
fissure ochreous and tinged with brown just beyond the middle,
and there are some white hairs near the apices. Fringe of hind
margin pale ochreous, with a white patch near the middle of the
second lobe, beyond which the fringe is rather dark brownish,
with a streaklet of white near the apex. Hind wings pale brown,
with the fringes slightly paler. The third feather has a cluster of
dark-brown scales in the hind fringe, just beyond the middle, and
a row of club-shaped white scales extends from this to the base
of the wing.

Habitat. — Texas. Early stages and food plant unknown.

TRICHOPTILUS LOBIDACTYLUS.

Pterophorus lobidactylus Fitch, N. Y. Rep., Vol. I., p. 848 (1854).
Aciptilus californicus Wlsm., Pter. Cal, and Ore., p. 60, PI. II.,
fig. 9 (1880).

Expanse of wings, 17-20 mm. Head grayish brown, with a
white line over each eye ; palpi whitish, touched with brown on the
outside of the second segment, with a long, slim tuft at the outer
end beneath, of nearly the same size and length as the slim outer

16

segment, which is dark brown, as is also the tuft at the end of the
second segment. Antennae grayish beneath, blackish above and
dotted with white. Thorax brown, much lighter posteriorly.
Abdomen dark brown, with diverging white lines on some of the
segments. Legs striped with dark brown and white, with a tuft
of dark scales at each pair of spurs ; tarsal segments white at the
base and brown at the outer end.

Fore wings with the fissure extending in one-half of the length
of the wing, dark cinnamon brown'. An oblique stripe of pale
yellow or white crosses the basal third of the first lobe, cutting the
brown fringe on each side of the lobe. Traces of this stripe are
sometimes seen on the second lobe, especially in the fringe on the
hind margin. There are also indications of a second stripe on
the outer third of the lobes, as shown by a few light scales and
the white in the fringes, which are dark elsewhere except on the
apical end of the costa. Hind wings and fringes dark brown,
with a cluster of black scales in the hind fringe a little beyond the
middle, preceded by white, and the fringe at the apex is also
white.

I have carefully compared four examples of californicus, given
me by Lord Walsingham, with seven eastern examples of lobidac-
tylus Fitch, and can see no difference except in the ground color,
which is considerably lighter in the former ; but, as the geuitalia
are absolutely alike in both, I must consider californicus only as a
variety. Lord Walsingham doubtfully referred this species to the
genus Aciptilus, but it seems to me to agree better with the char-
acters of Triclioptilus.

Habitat. — Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, Colorado,
California. Food, Solidago canadensis.

I have been informed by Mr. Fish that Mr. N. Coleman of Ber-
lin, Conn., has bred this insect from this plant.

GENUS OXYPTILUS Zeller, Isis, Vol. X., p. 765 (1841).

Fron.t smooth, without projection ; labial palpi longer than the
head, ascending, the second segment with appressecl or projecting
scales beneath, sometimes forming a short tuft at the apex, ter-
minal segment filiform. Legs long and slim, the anterior and
middle tibiae thickened with scales at the middle and end. Fore
wings fissured nearly to the middle, the first lobe narrow, curved
somewhat at the end and terminating in a point without a defined
anal angle. Second lobe with the apex somewhat produced, and

17

with a more or less prominent anal angle. Feathers of the hind
wing narrow and pointed, linear and without anal angles. Vein 2
arises from the median vein, a little before the outer end of the
cell, while 3 and 4 arise from a short stalk, 9 and 10 arise one
after the other from 8, and 11 arises near 8 from the upper angle
of the cell. In the hind wing the costal vein terminates near the
outer third of the costa ; the continuation of the subcostal runs
through the middle of the first feather and ends in the apex. The
median vein has three branches the third of which ends in the apex
of the second feather. The third feather with a single strong
vein through the middle, terminating in the apex. This feather
has a cluster of dark scales in the hind fringe beyond the middle.
The characters of the male genitalia are represented in Plate VI.,
figs. 1-8.

SYNOPSIS OP THE SPECIES.

General color tawny yellow, .... periscelidactylus.

General color light reddish brown, . . delawaricus.

General color dull grayish brown, . . ningoris.

General color dark brown, .... tenuidactylus.

OXYPTILUS PERISCELIDACTYLUS.

Pterophorus periscelidactylus Fitch, N. Y. Rep., Vol. I., p. 843 (1854).
Pterophorus periscelidactylus Riley, Mo. Rep., Vol. I., p. 137 (1869).
Pterophorus periscelidactylus Riley, Am. Ent., Vol. II., p. 234 (1870).
Oxyptilus periscelidactylus Zell., Ent. Zeit, Vol. XXXII., p. 178

(1871).

Pterophorus periscelidactylus Pack., Guide, p. 356 (1872).
Oxyptilus periscelidactylus Zell., Beitr., Part 2, p. 119 (1873).
Pterophorus periscelidactylus Saund., Can. Ent., Vol. V., p. 99 (1873).
Oxyptilus periscelidactylus Wlsm., Pter. Cal. and Ore., p. 25,

PI. II., fig. 5 (1880).

Oxyptilus periscelidactylus Saund., Ins. Inj. Veg., p. 268 (1889).
Oxyptilus periscelidactylus Comst, Manual, p. 238 (1895).
Oxyptilus periscelidactylus Smith, Econ. Ent , p. 318 (1896).

Expanse of wings, 14 to 29 mm. Head, thorax and fore wings
tawny yellow. Palpi slim, porrect or ascending, reaching as high
as the top of the head, white touched on the outside of second and
third segments with tawny yellow. Antennae dark brown beneath,
white above and dotted with white along each side. Posterior
part of the thorax marked in some specimens with white on the
top of the tegulae, the sides and two longitudinal stripes on the top
of the metathorax. Abdomen tawny yellow, marked more or less
imperfectly with a white stripe along each side and also on each

18

side of the dorsal stripe, except on the third segment, which is
entirely dark tawny brown. Underside white, striped with tawny
brown. Fore legs white, with longitudinal brown lines on the
femora and tibise ; middle and hind femora white, striped with
tawny ; middle tibise tawny on the outside, also a tuft of scales
on the middle and at the end tawny ; hind tarsi tawny at the mid-
dle and end, and all the tarsi are marked more or less with this
color at the end of the segments.

Fore wings fissured nearly to the middle, tawny yellow, with
two oblique white stripes crossing the lobes, dividing them into
nearly equal parts, the space between these stripes often rusty
brown, a transverse white spot just within the end of the fissure
is edged on its inner side with rusty brown, the posterior end often
extending outward and fusing with the first cross line. There is
usually a very oblique white spot on the cell near the middle of
the wing, with a dark dot at the basal end of it, and a second
white spot rests on the hind margin at the basal fourth of the
wing. The fringes of the two lobes are whitish, cut by blackish
at the apex and anal angle, this latter on the second lobe extend-
ing along nearly half the hind border. Hind wings rusty brown,
the third feather white in the middle and dark brown at the end,
with large dark scales in the fringes on both sides of this part of
the feather.

Thirty-five specimens examined.

Habitat. — Maine to Missouri, Ontario, Quebec, Texas. Food,
leaves of the grape vine.

Larva. — Length, about 12 mm. Head yellow, with the mouth
parts brown. Body pale greenish yellow, deeply constricted
between the segments. Each segment has a transverse row of ten
moderately sized tubercles, from each of which arises a cluster of
from six to twelve long, whitish, diverging hairs, besides which,
scattered over the surface, are short hairs which are enlarged at
the tip. Legs yellow, long and slender.

Pupa. — Length, 11 mm. Diameter, 2 mm. Front obliquely
truncated, with two irregular ridges extending up over the truncate
part and along the dorsum on either side of the median line,
diverging towards the metathorax, where they terminate in a pair
of flattened, sharp-pointed projections, about as high as two-thirds
of the diameter of the pupa. The ridges are higher, and toothed
on the top of each segment. On the first five abdominal segments
there is a row of short spines on each side, in line with the
abdominal projections. These spines incline forward, and on the

19

posterior side is a small tooth and two short diverging club-shaped
bristles. The pupae attach themselves by a cluster of fine hooks
at the end of the abdomen to a button of silk spun by the cater-
pillar before pupating. The pupal stage lasts about a week.

So far as I can learn, nothing is known of the egg and early
larval stages. Both Fitch and Riley expressed the opinion that
there were two generations in a year, but it has not been observed.
The moths are on the wing here in Amherst during the latter part
of June.

OXYPTILUS DELAWARICUS.

Oxyptilus Delawaricus Zell., Verh. z.-b. Ges. Wien, XXIII.,

p. 318 (1873).
Oxyptilus delawaricus Wlsm., Pter. Cal. and Ore., p. 29, PI.

II., fig. 7 (1880).

Expanse of wings, 17 to 18 mm. Head, thorax and fore wings
light reddish brown. Palpi projecting forward about the length
of the head, acuminate, lighter beneath and at the tip, the second
segment tufted beneath at the end. Antennas fuscous, dotted
with white above. Abdomen reddish brown at the base, yellowish
white beyond and indistinctly marked with whitish scales and
lines, but not so conspicuously marked as tenuidactylus.r Legs
white, barred with dark brown.

Fore wings with a few whitish scales scattered along the costa,
which is slightly shaded with fuscous beyond the middle. There
is a faint brown spot on the cell before the middle, and an
indistinct pale spot on the basal fourth of the hind margin. Two
oblique white stripes cross the first lobe, dividing it into thirds,
the outer stripe appearing again on the second lobe, while only a
trace of the inner stripe is occasionally seen on the second lobe,
extending along to the inner end of the fissure, which is edged
with white and dark brown. The ground color of the lobes is
often darker than the rest of the wing. The costal fringe from
the outer white stripe to the apex is white, that within the fissure
is brown, while the fringe on the rest of the second lobe is white,
cut with brown at the apex, and from the anal angle along the
hind margin to the middle of the lobe, beyond which in one or two
places black scales are seen in the white fringe. Hind wings
darker brown than the fore wings, and with the usual cluster of
black scales in the fringe, near the apex of the third feather.
Nine specimens examined.

Habitat. — Canada, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, California.
Early stages andfood plant unknown.

20

OXYPTILUS NINGORIS.

Oxyptilus ningoris Wlsm., Pter. Cal. and Ore., p. 26, PI. II.,
fig. 6 (1880).

Expanse of wings, 15 to 20 mm. Head and thorax dark gray-
ish brown. Palpi clothed with close scales, second segment
untufted. Antennae brownish, dotted with white above. Abdo-
men grayish white at the base, brownish fuscous beyond, with
three pairs of slender white streaks diverging from the front to the
back of each of the anterior segments ; beyond them crossed by
lines of whitish scales. Legs white and banded with brownish
fuscous.

Fore wings dull grayish brown, sprinkled with whitish scales
along the costa, with two oblique white stripes across the lobes
and a small white spot at the end of the fissure, connected with
the first oblique stripe by the white of the fringes, which beyond
this are brownish, except on the outer end of the costa of the first
lobe and in the concave outer border of the second lobe, where
they are white. There is also an inconspicuous white spot on the
basal fourth of the hind margin, and a similar ill-defined spot near
the middle of the wing. Hind wings brownish fuscous, the first
feather barred with white beneath and the third feather widely
barred with white and with blackish scales in the fringe on both
sides towards the outer end. Six specimens examined.

Habitat. — California, Oregon. Early stages and food plant
unknown.

OXYPTILUS TENUIDACTYLUS.

Pterophorus tenuidactylus Fitch, N. Y. Rep., Vol I., p. 848 (1854).
Oxyptilus nigrociliatus Zeller, Verb. z.-b. Ges. Wien, XXIII.,

p. 322 (1873).
Oxyptilus nigrociliatus Wlsm., Pter. Cal. and Ore., p. 31, Plate

II., fig. 8 (1880).
Oxyptilus delavaricus Forbes, 3d 111. Rep., p. 91, Plate X., fig. 2

(1885).
Oxyptilus nigrociliatus Saund., In). Ins., p. 314, figs. 326-7 (1889).

Expanse of wings, 12 to 15 mm. Head and thorax dark tawny
brown, with a tinge of coppery red ; posterior part of the thorax
white. Palpi ascending, reaching above the top of the head,
slender, not tufted. Antennae black, dotted with white above.
Abdomen of the same color as the wings, with two diverging
white lines on the top of the third segment, and the fifth strongly

21.

marked with white above except in the middle line. Legs white
and banded with dark brown.

Fore wings dark tawny brown, with a tinge of coppery red in
certain lights. Two oblique white stripes cross the lobes, the
inner one being the wider, and both more or less indistinct or
wanting on the second lobe. There is a faint indication of a
white spot near the middle of the wing and a similar one at the
inner end of the fissure. Fringes white on the apical part of the
costa and on the outer margin, cut with blackish at the apex and
anal angle of each lobe, and also blackish in the fissure and on
the outer part of the hind margin of the second lobe. Hind wings
of the same color as the fore wings, with the first feather barred
with white beneath and the third feather white in the middle,
beyond which the fringe on both sides is thickened by heavy black
scales. Fifty-eight specimens examined.

I have before me one specimen from the National Museum,
labelled, in Zeller's handwriting, " Oxyptil. nigrociliatus Z., N.
Am." It also has a printed label, " Collection C. V. Riley," and
therefore it is probable that this specimen was determined by Zeller
himself. I also have two specimens given me by Lord Walsing-
ham which he took in California. Although Professor Zeller de-
clared Lord Walsingham's Californian specimens to be identical
with his nigrociliatus, yet, because of the lighter color of the Cali-
fornian specimens, his lordship wrote : " It is open to question how
far the two forms may be entitled to be considered distinct ; but I
must leave it to be decided by some one who has a more extended
series of the undoubted tenuidactylus to refer to." I have the types
of Fitch in my possession, and there are two specimens of tenui-
dactylus, one of which is a male, from which the figures of the
genitalia on Plate VI. were drawn. I have carefully compared
this with the genitalia of the Californian specimens, as well as
other eastern specimens, and find that there is absolutely no dif-
ference. There is, therefore, no doubt that Lord Walsingham
was correct in considering nigrociliatus the same as tenuidactylus,
and that his Californian specimens are light varieties of the same
species. I have a specimen from Philadelphia as light as any of
my Californian specimens received from Lord Walsingham, and
one taken in Whitman, Mass., which is as light in color as the
lightest specimen from California. This, with many others, was
taken July 19, 18&1, by Mr. J. Elwyn Bates, who found them
flying around blackberry bushes in large numbers.

Habitat* — Massachusetts, New York, Delaware, Maryland,

.22

West Virginia, Illinois, Ontario, Colorado, California. Food,
blackberry. This species has been bred from blackberry by Prof.
William Saunders and also by Prof. S. A. Forbes.

'<• About the middle of June the larva reaches full growth, when
it is about four-tenths of an inch long, of a pale greenish-yellow
color, streaked with pale yellow, and with transverse rows of
shining tubercles, from each of which arise from two to six
spreading hairs of a yellowish-green color. The head is small,
pale green, with a faint brown dot on each side.

" When the larva is about to change to a chrysalis, it spins a
loose web of silk on a leaf or other suitable spot, to which the
chrysalis is attached. This is less than three-tenths of an inch
long, pointed behind, enlarging gradually towards the front,
where, near the end, it slopes abruptly to the tip. Its color is
pale green, with a line along the back of a deeper shade, margined
on each side with a whitish ridge ; it is also more or less hairy.
In about a week or ten days the chrysalis changes to a darker
color, shortly after which the perfect insect escapes." (Saunders.)

GENUS PLATYPTILIA Hiib., Verz. bek. Schm., p. 429 (1826).

Front with a conical projection, covered by a longer or shorter
tuft of scales. Labial palpi long, slim, porrect or slightly ascend-
ing, closely scaled, the third segment filiform and shorter than the
second. Legs long and slim, the tibia? with darker scales and
sometimes thickened at the end and also in the middle of the hind
tibiae.

Fore wings fissured about one-third of their length, the lobes,
especially the second, wider at the outer end than at the base,
each with a distinct anal angle, the first falcate and the second
convex on the outer margin. The cell is nearly rectangular at the
outer end, and veins 5 and 6, as well as the cross vein, are very
weak. Two internal veins are present. Vein 2 arises from the
outer third of the median vein and ends in or near the anal angle
of the second lobe, while vein 3 ends in the middle and 4 in the
apex of the same lobe. Vein 7 arises a little below the anterior
angle of the cell and ends in or near the anal angle of the first
lobe; 8 and 9 are from a stalk which arises from the anterior
angle of the cell, and 8 ends in the apex, while 9 ends in the
costa; 10 and 11 are somewhat remote from each other and from
the stalk of 8 and 9. The first feather of the hind wings has a
blunt apex, and is wider towards the outer end than at the base.
Veins 7 and 8 arise separately from the base of the wing, approach

23

very near to each other at the basal third and end at the widest
part of the feather, one in the costa a little before the apex, and
the other in the outer margin behind the apex. The second
feather has an acute apex and a distinct anal angle ; and vein 3,
arising a little before the end of the cell, ends in the anal angle,
while 4 arises from the end of the cell and ends in the apex of this
feather. The third feather is narrow and tapers gradually to the
apex, but there is usually a slight enlargement indicating the anal
angle near the middle of the hind margin. A cluster of black
scales more or less pronounced occurs in* the fringe of the hind
margin. One internal vein runs through the middle of this feather
and a second terminates at the end of the second fissure.

The characters of the genitalia are represented in plates V.,
VII. and VIII.

SYNOPSIS OF THE SPECIES.

j J Palpi and frontal tuft much longer than head, marginidactyla.
f Palpi and frontal tuft not longer than head, . . . .2.

2 ( With a dark triangle on the outer third of costa, .";.". .3.
c Without a dark triangle on the outer third of costa, . . 13.

3 < Cluster of dark scales in the middle of fringe of third feather, 4.
c Cluster of dark scales beyond the middle, . . . . 10.

4 < Hind tibiae white, banded with dark near middle and end, . 5.
i Hind tibise without these characters, . . ... 6.

,, ^ More than half the space between spurs white, . carduidactyla.
\ Less than half the space between spurs white, . percnodactyla.

g < Ground color of fore wings pale fawn, 7.

( Ground color of fore wings whitish, 8.

„ J Expanse of wings 36 mm., grandis.

\ Expanse of wings 20 mm., . . . ..•••'. . fragilis.

C Expanse of wings 30 mm.,' . * . . . albidorsella.
8« < Expanse of wings 20 mm., . . ... . . ... . shastce.

^Expanse of wings 25 mm., .,..,.. . . 9.

g J Costa black between stripes on first lobe, . . orihocarpi.
\ Costa not black between stripes on first lobe, . . albida.

^Q < Fore wings reddish fuscous, 11.

c Fore wings pale gray marked with black, * . . .12.

. , J Markings dark brown, acantfiodactyla.

( Markings light brown, edwardsii.

12 \ Thorax white, pica,.

c Thorax gray, ........ cosmodactyla,.

.o S First lobe with two light cross lines or stripes, . . .14.
( First lobe without cross lines or stripes, . . . .15.

(Costa cinnamon brown, hind margin white, . . . albicans.
... j Fore wings white shaded with brownish scales at base and

1 costa, petrodactyla.

^ Fore wings brownish gray, lesser adacty la.

24

15 < Fore wings cinereous, '. * . . . . . modesta.
5 Fore wings cinnamon brown, ..'...» r •

J Second segment of palpi enlarged with scales, . albiciliata.

( Second segment of palpi not enlarged with scales, . adusta.

PLATYPTILIA PICA.
Amblyptilus pica Wlsm., Pter. Cal. and Ore., p. 21, Plate II., fig. 1 (1880) .

I have never seen this species, and therefore repeat Lord Wal-
singham's description : —

u Head and palpi cinereous, dusted with white scales. Antennae
cinereous, faintly dotted with whitish above. The thorax white
touched with cinereous above and at the sides, with two black
spots behind.

" Fore wings white, dusted with cinereous along their costal half
before the fissure ; the costa fuscous, dotted with white ; a blackish
spot before the middle of the wing touching the costal shade ;
another nearer to the base below it ; a blackish fuscous, triangular,
costal patch before the fissure, followed by a conspicuous white
space, beyond which is a fuscous shade, crossing both lobes, di-
vided by a white line running parallel to the apical margin, on
which the cilia are white, dotted with some fuscous. The dorsal
half of the wing is less shaded or dusted than the costal, and con-
tains two short, oblique, blackish dashes near the middle, the
second being followed by a straight streak of brownish fuscous
scales running parallel to the dorsal margin. The cilia on the
dorsal margin are white, with two distinct tooth-like tufts of black
scales ; the cilia within the fissure are fuscous.

' ' Hind wings fuscous brown, with cilia of all the lobes the
same color, except on the dorsal margin of the third, where they
are white, irrorated with black scales along the basal half, and
bearing a conspicuous projecting triangular tuft of black scales
beyond the middle, and a few more below the apex of the lobe.

" The abdomen is white above and beneath, with a fuscous line
along each side, which also crosses it above near the base, and
again below the middle. The third pair of legs are annulated
with white and fuscous brown, the bases of the white spurs being
also fuscous. Expanse, 23 mm.

"It is allied to A. acanthodactylus and A. cosmodactylus of
Huebner."

Habitat. — California. Early stages and food plant unknown.

25

PLATYPTILIA COSMODACTYLA .

Alucila Cosmodactyla Hub., Aluc , Plate VII., figs. 35, 36 (1825).
Amblyptilus cosmodactylus Wlsm., Pter. Cal. and Ore., p. 23,
Plate II., figs. 2-4 (1880).

Expanse of wings, 18-21 mm. Head, thorax and fore wings
pale gray, finely striated with black ; a triangular black spot on
the outer third of the costa, followed by a small white costal spot,
which is in turn followed by a broad black band edged on the
outside with white, which crosses the lobes diagonally. On the
second lobe the white cuts a dark basal portion twice at equal
distances ; costa of the wing dark gray with a series of white
dots. Fringes blackish basally, white externally. Hind wings
dark grayish brown, with a large cluster of black scales beyond
the middle of the fringe of the third feather, and a small black
cluster on the apex.

Habitat. — Europe, California, Oregon. Food, Stachys, Aquile-
gia, Geranium, Orthocarpus. " Larva, from pale green to purplish
pink ; dorsal line dark gray ; subdorsal white, conspicuous ; lateral
and spiracular whitish, interrupted ; head dark reddish fuscous,
almost black." (Meyrick.)

PLATYPTILIA ACANTHODACTYLA.
Alucita Acanthodactyla Hub., Aluc., Plate V., figs. 23, 24 (1825).

Expanse of wings, 18-21 mm. Head, thorax and fore wings
reddish fuscous, marked very similarly to cosmodactyla, but may
be separated by the ground color of the fore wings.

Habitat. — Europe, South Africa, New York. Food, Stachys,
Mentha, Ononis, Calamintha, Pelargonium and Euphrasia.

I have a single specimen of this species, taken at West Farms,
N. Y., by Mr. James Angus.

" Larva from pale green to deep purple ; dorsal line dark gray ;
subdorsal, lateral, and sometimes spiracular whitish, interrupted ;
head yellow gray or yellowish brown, blackish-marked." (Mey-
rick. )

PLATYPTILIA EDWARDSII.
Platyptilus Edwardsii Fish, Can. Ent, Vol. XIII., p. 72 (1881).

Expanse of wings, 22-27 mm. Head and thorax ochreous
brown; frontal tuft short and blunt, brown above, whitish be-
neath. Palpi ascending, extending beyond the frontal tuft ; an-

26

tennae finely ciliated, dotted above with dark scales, cinereous
beneath. Abdomen ochreous, slender. Legs ochreous brown,
hind tibiae and all the tarsi paler.

Fore wings reddish brown, darker on the costa ; triangular cos-
tal spot dark brown, bordered on the outside by whitish scales.
A small brown spot occurs near the hind margin at the basal
fourth, another near the costa at the basal third, and a transverse
white line at the apical third of the lobe. The first lobe with a
dark longitudinal spot half-way between the costa and hind mar-
gin ; second lobe dark at the anal angle. Fringes whitish, with a
patch of dark scales before and another just behind the apex of
the costal triangle. Hind wings reddish brown ; fringes brown,
whitish at base of hind margin and bearing a small patch of dark
scales just before the apex.

Habitat. — Maine, Massachusetts. Early stages and food plant
unknown.

PLATYPTILIA CARDUIDACTYLA.

Pterophorus carduidactylus Riley, Mo. Rep., Vol. L, p. 180,

Plate II., figs. 13, 14 (1869).
Platyptilus cardui Zell., Stett. Ent. Zeit, Vol. XXXII., p. 179

(1871).

Platyptilia cardui Zell., Beitr., p. 118 (1873).
Platyptilus cardui Wlsm., Pter. Cal. and Ore., p. 7, Plate I.,

fig. 6 (1880).
Platyptilus cardui Riley, Gen. Index Ent. Rep. Mo., p. 83

(1881).

Expanse of wings, 23 mm. Head, thorax and abdomen tawny
yellow. Legs tawny yellow, except the tarsi, which are nearly
white, spotted with dark brown; spurs brown, with darker
tips.

Fore wings tawny yellow, fissure extending in about one-fourth
of the length of the wing ; triangular spot dark brown, its outer
margin slightly concave ; three dark diffuse longitudinal spots, one
on the basal third of the wing near the costa, one near the hind
margin, nearer the base than the latter, and one on the outer third
of the hind margin. Two paler transverse lines cross the outer
portion of the wing, one bordering the triangular spot behind and
curving across the lower lobe towards the anal angle, the other
very near and parallel to the outer margin. The space between
these two lines usually darker than the ground color. Fringes
dark basally, whitish outwardly except three brown patches of
scales, one in the middle of hind margin, one on the anal angle

27

and a smaller one half-way between. Hind wings ashy brown.
Fringes concolorous, with a patch of very dark scales about half-
way on hind margin of third feather, and a few scattering scales
about half-way between that and the base.

Habitat. — New York, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Missouri, Texas,
California, Washington. Food, Thistle (Cirsium lanceolatum) .

"Larva. — Average length, 0.60. Largest in the middle of the
body, tapering thence each way. Color light straw yellow, greener
when young. Somewhat darker, partly translucent, dorsal, sub-
dorsal, and stigmatal lines. Two lateral rows of black spots, the
lower spots rather smaller and placed behind the upper ones. A
third row above these, and others along the back, but so small
that they are generally imperceptible with the naked eye, except
on the thoracic segments, being especially distinct on segment 2.
Head small, black, sometimes inclining to brown. Cervical shield
black, divided longitudinally in the middle by a lighter line. Cau-
dal plate also black. Segment 11, besides the spots above men-
tioned, has two transverse black marks, the posterior one the
largest. Thoracic legs black, the others of the same color as the
body.

"Pupa. — Average length, 0.45. Soft, dull yellow, with a
lateral dusky line each side of dorsum, and another, less distinct,
each side of venter. Also dusky about the head and wing-
sheaths." (Riley.)

PLATYPTILIA PERCNODACTYLA.

Platyptilus percnodactylus Wlsm., Pter. Cal. and Ore,, p. 8, Plate I.,
fig. 7 (1880).

Expanse of wings, 22 mm. Head and thorax pale brown ; an-
tennae spotted on the upper side with white and brown. Abdomen
brownish, paler at the base. Legs whitish, slender, slightly en-
larged, and tinged with brownish at the end of the segments.
Spurs pale.

Fore wings pale brown with much paler blotches, one reaching
from the base of the fissure to the costa, another below the dark-
brown costal triangle and another at the base of the costal margin ;
a pale streak crosses the wing, parallel to the outer margin, which
is brownish ; a brown line at the base of the fringes, which are
brown except within the fissure and near the anal angle ; a few
brown scales near the middle of the hind margin. Hind wings
brown, the third feather paler than the others, and with a few

28

fuscous scales in the fringe of the hind margin of the third
feather.

Habitat. — California. Early stages and food plant unknown.

PLATYPTILIA SHAST^E.

Platyptilus shastce Wlsm., Pter. Cal. and Ore., p. 14, Plate I., fig. It
(1880).

As I have no example of this species, I quote Lord Walsing-
ham's description : —

' < Head white ; palpi white, touched with cinereous at the sides ;
antennae dotted above. Thorax dusted with cinereous.

u Fore wings narrow, whitish, dusted with cinereous atoms,
especially along the costa ; the triangular costal patch brown, fol-
lowed by the usual pale space ; a brown line along the base of the
white fringes ; a very slender whitish line, running parallel to the
apical margin, terminates in a white dash on the costa, reaching
to the extreme apex; the antemedian dots scarcely indicated.
Hind wings pale cinereous, the third lobe perhaps slightly the
lightest in color; fringes nearly unicolorous, pale cinereous,
scarcely paler at their bases. Abdomen yellowish white. The
third pair of legs cinereous, slightly whitish below each joint and
on the spurs and feet. Expanse 20 mm."

Habitat. — California.

" This species maybe distinguished by its slender appearance
and narrow fore wings, which are so delicately dusted as to be of
almost the same shade as the pale cinereous hind wings, which
separate it at once from any of its allies now described."

PLATYPTILIA FRAGILIS.

Platyptilus fragilis Wlsm., Pter. Cal. and Ore., p. 16, Plate I., fig. 12
(1880).

Expanse of wings, 19 mm. Head and thorax white, sprinkled
with yellowish scales ; palpi slightly cinereous ; abdomen yellow-
ish ; legs yellowish white, brownish at the joints.

Fore wings fawn color with yellowish tinge ; the two antemedian
spots and the triangular costal patch brown ; outer margin brown-
ish. Fringe white with a fine brown line at its base. Two brown
dashes in the fringes of the hind margin before the anal angle.
Hind wings very pale brownish white with paler fringes.

Habitat. — California. Early stages and food plant unknown.

29

PLATYPTILIA ORTHOCARPI.

Platyptilus orthocarpi Wlsm., Pter. Cal. and Ore., p. 11, Plate I., fig. 9
(1880).

Expanse of wings, 25 mm. Head and thorax whitish, slightly
tinged with ochreous ; frontal tuft short. Hind legs whitish,
marked with fuscous on the outside, with white annulations below
each segment ; spurs and feet white.

Fore wings dusted with ochreous and brown scales, especially
on the costa; triangular costal patch and a dash at the end of
the first third of the wing very dark fuscous, and more produced
toward the apex than in albida; space beyond the triangular patch
and a streak parallel to the outer margin white, with the space
between them brown. Hind wings fuscous brown; fringes fus-
cous with a white line at the base.

Habitat. — Oregon. Food, Orthocarpus.

PLATYPTILIA ALBIDA.

Platyptilus albidus Wlsm,, Pter. Cal. and Ore., p. 10, Plate I , fig. 8
(1880).

Expanse of wings, 24 mm. Head and thorax white, with a
bluish tinge. Antennae white dotted with brown above. Abdo-
men white streaked with fuscous. Hind legs dark ashy in color ;
spurs and feet slightly paler on the inner side.

Fore wings bluish white, with brownish scales, especially along
the costa to the brown triangular spot, beyond which is a pale
stripe running parallel to the outer margin across both lobes of the
wing ; another pale line near the outer margin ; the space between
these pale lines is grayish brown except near the costa, where it is
brownish ; a brown stripe between this and the fringes. Two in-
distinct brown spots on the inner half of the wing, the lower one
much nearer the base than the upper one; a brown line at the
base of the fringe, which is white except at the anal angle. Hind
wings brown ; fringes brown, a little paler on the hind margin of
the third feather.

Habitat. — Southern Oregon, California. Early stages and
food plant unknown.

30

PLATYPTILIA ALBIDORSELLA.

Platyptilus albidorsellus Wlsm., Pter. Cal. and Ore., p. 13, Plate L,
fig. 10 (1880).

Expanse of wings, 30 mm. Head and thorax white, with a few
scattered fuscous scales ; frontal tuft short. Legs whitish tinged
with cinereous ; feet and spurs paler.

Fore wings white, thickly sprinkled with brown, forming a
widening streak from the base of the wing to the triangular patch,
beyond which it is paler and crossed by a white costal patch and a
white line near the outer margin and parallel to it. Fringes ashy,
with a brown line at the base. Hind wings white, thickly dusted
with brown. Fringes paler brown, much paler at the base.

Habitat. — California. Early stages and food plant unknown.

PLATYPTILIA GRANDIS.
Platyptilus grandis Wlsm., Pter. Cal. and Ore., p. 6, Plate I , fig. 5 (1880).

Expanse of wings, 36 mm. Head and thorax pale fawn color;
antennae brownish fawn color, spotted with white above ; frontal
tuft fawn color, shorter than in allied species. Legs very pale,
the hind tibse with their extremities darker.

Fore wings pale fawn color, with the costa and triangular blotch
fuscous; two brownish, elongated dots near the middle of the
wing, the larger one nearer the base. The lobes are crossed by a
pale wavy streak parallel and near .to the outer margin ; a brown
line at the base of the fringes, which are dark fuscous except near
the anal angle, where they are pale. Hind wings brownish fawn
color. Fringes pale except on the hind margin of the third feather,
where they are brownish.

Habitat. — California. Early stages and food plant unknown.

PLATYPTILIA COOLEYI, n. s.

Expanse of wings, 21-27 mm. Head, thorax and fore wings
yellowish brown ; a darker brown spot on the middle of the cell,
and two of the same color, one above the other, just before the
end of the cleft ; the upper one being absent in some specimens,
while in others they are joined, forming a dark-brown dash across
the end of the cell. A subterminal whitish stripe occurs on the
first lobe. Fringes whitish, with a sub-basal line concolorous with
the wing. Hind wings and fringes a little darker than the fore
wings. Early stages and food plant unknown.

31

Described from seven examples taken in Marshall's Pass, Colo-
rado, July 15, 1888, and one taken in Colorado by Bruce. None
of these are in very good condition.

A variety in the National Museum, from Placer County, Cali-
fornia, has both lobes of the fore wings completely overlaid with
white scales.

Named for Mr. R. A. Cooley, a most conscientious and faithful
worker in entomology, to whom I am indebted not only for the
careful and accurate drawings of the genitalia and other structural
characters in this paper, but also for valuable assistance in other
entomological work.

PLATYPTILIA MODESTA.

Platyptilus modestus Wlsm., Pter. Cal. and Ore., p. 18, Plate I., fig. 14

(1880).

As I have no example of this species, I give a copy of Lord
Walsiugham's description : —

"Head and palpi cinereous; antennae slightly dotted above.

"Fore wings very narrow, cinereous, with a slight ochreous
tinge towards the dorsal margin. The costa sprinkled and shaded
with fuscous, the fuscous shade widening towards the fissure, form-
ing an elongate but indistinct triangular costal blotch. The apical
portion of the wing more or less shaded with fuscous, and a fus-
cous line along the base of the cilia on the apical margin, which
are whitish at their points. The cilia within the fissure and those
along the dorsal margin before the anal angle white, the latter con-
taining a few dark scales. Hind wings cinereous ; the cilia slightly
paler, especially along their bases. Posterior legs cinereous ; the
feet slightly paler. Expanse 22 mm."

Habitat. — California. Early stages and food plant unknown.

PLATYPTILIA PETRODACTYLA.

Pterophorus petrodactylus Walk., Cat. Lep. Het., Vol. XXX.,

pp. 940, 941 (1864).
Platyptilus petrodactylus Wlsm., Pter. Cal. and Ore., p. 20,

Plate II., fig. 15 (1880).

Expanse of wings, 23 mm. Head, thorax and abdomen shaded
cinereous. Legs cinereous, slightly thickened at the joints; the
spurs apparently of equal length.

Fore wings white, shaded with cinereous or ashy brown ; costa
brownish beyond the middle ; an oblique brownish fuscous line,

32

starting from the costa before the apex, extends inward more
obliquely than the outer margin, but does not reach the fissure.
This line is widest on the costa, tapering to a point inwardly, and
is darker at its lower end. Fringes white within the fissure, with
a cinereous line near their bases, shaded with fuscous at the
anal angle. Hind wings pale cinereous; fringes slightly darker
towards the end of the feathers.

Habitat. — Arctic America. Early stages and food plant un-
known.

PLATYPTILIA ADUSTA.

Platyptilus adustus Wlsm., Pter, Cal. and Ore., p. 5, Plate I., fig. 4
(1880).

Expanse of wings, 23 mm. Head, frontal tuft, thorax and
abdomen fawn color, with a brownish tinge. Legs pale fawn
color, with the feet and anterior parts of the tibiae slightly paler.

Fore wings fawn color, somewhat streaked with a paler tint;
the costa much darker. Fringes but little paler than the wings,
but with a fine brown basal line. Hind wings fawn color, the
first and second feathers slightly darker than the fore wings.
' Habitat. — California. Early stages and food plant unknown.

PLATYPTILIA ALBICILIATA.

Platyptilus albiciliatus Wlsm., Pter. Cal. and Ore., p. 17, Plate I., fig. 13
(1880).

Expanse of wings, 24 mm. Head cinnamon brown ; frontal
tuft short. Thorax grayish brown. Hind legs cinereous ; feet
and spurs paler.

Fore wings cinnamon brown, with a slight grayish tinge on the
costa and outer margin. Fringes whitish except at the base,
where they are of the same color as the wing. Hind wings pale
brown, with the fringes paler at the base.

Habitat. — California. Early stages and food plant unknown.

PLATYPTILIA ALBICANS.
Platyptilia albicans Fish, Can Ent., Vol. XIII., p. 71 (1881).

Expanse of wings, 22 mm. Head and thorax cream color,
frontal tuft short and blunt. Palpi extending beyond frontal
tuft, slightly ascending. Antennae cinnamon brown, dotted above
with white. Abdomen ochreous, lighter at base. Legs whitish,
anterior and middle femora and tibiae cinnamon brown > sprinkled

33

with whitish scales ; tarsi cinereous, first two segments whitish
interiorly ; posterior tibiae cream color, brownish just before the
spurs.

Fore wings creamy white along the hind margin, on the costa
cinnamon brown; costal triangular spot cinnamon brown, bor-
dered outwardly above the fissure by a broad white line ; below
the fissure its apex is continuous with the brownish color of the
second lobe. Both lobes cinnamon brown, with a transverse white
line not reaching the hind margin of the second lobe. Fringes
cream color, sprinkled with cinnamon brown. Hind wings cinna-
mon brown, with fringes concolorous.

Habitat. — Nevada. Early stages and food plant unknown.

PLATYPTILIA TESSERADACTYLA.
Alucita tesseradactyla Linn., Fn. Suec., p. 370 (1761).

Expanse of wings, 16-20 mm. Head, palpi and frontal tuft
grayish brown. Antennae whitish, dotted above with dark brown.
Thorax gray in front, white behind.

Fore wings whitish, heavily dusted with brownish gray. The
somewhat indistinct brownish triangle on the outer third of the
costa is followed by a whitish spot, and a subterminal white line
crosses both lobes.

Habitat. — Europe, Massachusetts. Food, Gnaphalium dio-
icum, G. arenarium.

4 'The egg is pale green, smooth and somewhat elongated, and
the larva in its earliest stage is clear white with isolated hairs.
Head, thoracic and anal shields black. Later (in September) the
dorsal and lateral rows of rust-brown points appear, and in March,
after hibernating, it becomes stout without increasing very much
in length. The head, thoracic and anal shields are dark brown ;
dorsal stripe is crimson rust color ; the subdorsal and lateral lines
are of the same color but finer. The ground color of the body is
yellowish above and rust red beneath. The adult larva is a little
smaller at each end and cylindrical in the middle. The head is
small and black, the thoracic shields small, black divided by a
light line. The color of the body is dark ferruginous brown. On
the back stand whitish flecks with two pairs of black tubercles on
each segment, of which the hinder are placed farther from each
other than those in front; similar tubercles occur on the sides,
from which arise long light hairs. The anal shield and legs are
dark brown. These larvae frequently vary in the tone of the
color." (Gartner.)

PLATYPTILIA MARGINIDACTYLA.

Pterophorus marginidactylus Fiteh, N. Y. Rep., Vol. I., p. 848

(1854).
Pterophorus nebulcedactylus Fitch, N. Y. Rep., Vol. I., p. 849

(1854).
Platyptilus Bertrami . RoessL, Wien. Mts., Vol. VIII., p. 54

(1864).
Platyptilus Bischoffii Zell., Stett. Ent. Zeit., Vol. XXVIH.,

p. 333 (1867).
Platyptilia Bertrami Zell., Stett. Ent. Zeit., Vol. XXXIV.,

p. 135 (1873).

Platyptilia Bischoffii Zell., Verb. z.-b. Ges., p. 317 (1873).
Pterophorus cervinidactylus Pack., Ann. Lye. N. Y., Vol. X.,

p. 266 (1873).
Platyptilus bertrami Wlsm., Pter. Cal. and Ore., p. 3, Plate I.,

'fig. 3 (1880).

Platyptilia bertrami Tutt, Mon., p. 31 (1891).
Platyptilia Bertrami Mey., Brit. Lep., p. 434 (1895).
Platyptilia Bertrami Hoi, Deut. Pter., p. 55 (1895).

Expanse of wings, 22-28 mm. Head, palpi, frontal tuft, tho-
rax and abdomen pale ochre yellow, the collar and outside of the
palpi sometimes a little darker. Palpi and frontal tuft of nearly
equal length, extending forward of the head a distance equal to
the length of the head. Antennae whitish, dotted above with dark
brown. All the coxae, femora, anterior and middle tibiae brown-
ish yellow on the outside, whitish within. Hind tibiae whitish at
the base, dull brown on the outer half. All the tarsi whitish, ex-
cept in some examples the segments of the hind tarsi are touched
with dull brown. Fore wings somewhat falcate at the end of the
first lobe, pale ochre yellow, fuscous along the costal edge, broken
by an oblique light shade above and a little beyond the end of the
fissure, within which a darker shade extends from the costa across
the cell containing two brownish dots, one on each angle of the
cell. The anterior dot is seldom present and often both are
absent. An elongated ochre yellow spot rests on the cell half-
way between the discal dots and the base of the wing, a second
elongated spot on the hind margin at the base and another near
the middle of the wing. The lobes are somewhat darker at the
outer end, sometimes with an indication of a pale subterminal line.
Fringes whitish, with a darker shade outwardly, and with a dark-
brown basal line which extends a little into the fissure. The
darker ochre yellow spots are often extended so that nearly the
whole surface of the wing is of this color. Hind wings dark

35

ochreous fuscous, with a more or less distinct cluster of dark
scales near the middle of the hind fringe of the third feather.

The genitalia are represented on Plate III., figs. 4 and 5. For
the sake of comparison the genitalia of P. ochrodactyla are repre-
sented on the same plate, figs. 14 and 15. These were made from
specimens received from Professor Zeller, and labelled in his own
handwriting.

The above description was drawn up from one hundred and
thirteen American specimens.

Habitat. — Europe; Canada, Maine, New Hampshire, Massa-
chusetts, New York, Pennsylvania, Colorado, California, Oregon.
Food, Yarrow (Achillea millefolium) .

In some unpublished notes received from Mr. Charles Fish, I
find the following statement : " Received from Mr. J. Elwyn Bates,
on June 30, 1881, some eggs of Plat, bischoffii, which were laid
June 24, to the number of twenty-four. They were elliptical in
outline and somewhat flattened. The longer diameter was three-
sevenths of a millimeter and the shorter diameter was three-tenths
of a millimeter, and the surface was irregularly corrugated. When
first deposited they were of a light cream color or almost hyaline
with a glossy surface, but after two days they turned to a deep
flesh color." There was no note made as to whether these eggs
hatched, or not.

Different stages of the larva have been described by several
writers in Europe, and the mature larva is briefly described as fol-
lows : ' ' Larva green ; dorsal line darker or somewhat brownish
tinged ; subdorsal and lateral gray whitish ; subspiracular white ;
head whitish yellowish." (Meyrick.)

44 The pupa is a little over half an inch long, with a longish
beak in front, projecting at a slight angle downwards from the
head ; pointed at the tail ; the wing cases of moderate length, well
developed, and the ends of the leg cases projecting free from the
abdomen. The color is bright pale green, dorsal line dark green,
edged on the thorax with white ; beak white above, rust color on
the sides ; there is a conspicuous streak of this rust color on the
hind part of the thorax, and the same color also appears (but more
faintly) on the abdominal point and at the tip of the leg cases ;
subdorsal line dark green, lateral line white. Ventral surface pale
green, with darker green lines, and the wing-cases with whitish
rays." (Porritt.)

The insects before me, so far as the labels indicate, were on the
wing in Maine, June 24 ; Massachusetts, from the 10th to the 27th

36

of June ; New York, from June 23 to July 17 ; Missouri, in May ;
Colorado, from the llth to the 16th of June; California, June 1
to 18.

I have seven European species of Platyptilia in my collection,
all named by Professor Zeller. Five of these are males, and an
examination of the genitalia proves that one which Zeller named
bertrami is ochrodactyla and one named oclirodactyla is bertrami.
They approach each other so closely in form and coloration that it
is not surprising that they should have been considered conspecific
for so long a time, and that there should have been so much dis-
cussion about the matter in the European journals. Mr. Tutt has
given an excellent resume" of this discussion in his ' ' Monograph of
the Pterophorina of Britain." Mr. Tutt suggests that Haworth's
pallidactyla is identical with bertrami, and in that case it should
take precedence, but until this is adopted we must accept the name
marginidactyla Fitch, which is ten years older than bertrami.

The types of Fitch now belong to my collections ; and I have
made a critical examination of the genitalia, and they agree per-
fectly with the genitalia of bertrami.

GENUS ALUCITA Linn., Syst. Nat., Ed. X., p. 542 (1758).

Vertex smooth ; front smooth or a little swollen, closely scaled ;
antennae with a thickened basal segment. Palpi slim, porrect or
somewhat ascending, the third segment shorter than the second,
pointed and sometimes .bent down a little. Anterior and middle
tibiae very slightly thickened at the end ; hind tibiae without thick-
ening of scales. Abdomen moderately slim, the second and third
segments not much longer than the others. Fore wings fissured
half their length or a little more, the lobes running to a point and
bent backward somewhat, especially the second lobe. Feathers of
the hind wings all of the same form, linear and pointed, without a
cluster of dark scales in the fringe of the third feather.

SYNOPSIS OF THE SPECIES.

Ground color of the fore wings white, . . . ! . . ' . montana.

Ground color of the fore wings yellowish white, . . cinerascens.

Ground color of the fore wings gray, ., - * , •_,-.» .« ; .- . . 2.

Expanse of wings, 18 mm., . * , '...- * ., . >. . belfragei.

Expanse of wings, 25 mm., . . . . . . walsinghami.

ALUCITA WALSINGHAMI, n. s.

Expanse of wings, 25-26 mm. Head, thorax and abdomen
grayish white. Legs pale brown.

37

Fore wings grayish white, brownish along the extreme costal
margin ; a more or less obsolete brown spot on the middle of the
cell and three darker brown spots in the whitish costal fringe of
the first lobe, one nearly over the end of the fissure, one at the
middle and one near the end of the lobe. Remaining fringes pale
brown, white at the end of the fissure, along the middle of the
costa of the second lobe, just before the apex of the hind margin,
near the base of the lobe and beneath the outer fourth of the cell.
Hind wings and fringes pale brown.

Nearly related to A. volgensis Moesch., from Sarepta, Russia.

Described from four examples from Colorado, and named in
honor of Lord Walsingham, who has made most valuable contri-
butions to our knowledge, not only of North American Ptero-
phoridse, but also of other microlepidoptera.

Early stages and food plant unknown.

ALUCITA BELFRAGEI.
Aciptilus Belfragei Fish, Can. Ent., Vol. XIII., p 142 (1881).

Expanse of wings, 18 mm. Head brownish gray. Palpi brown
above, whitish beneath. Antennae whitish, dotted with pale brown
above. Thorax pale ochreous gray in front; hind portion and
abdomen pale grayish ochreous, striped longitudinally with fine
white lines and marked with dark streaks. Legs pale grayish ;
fore and middle femora striped longitudinally with whitish and
dark brown lines ; tarsi pale ochreous, with shadings on the outer
side ; hind tibiae and tarsi pale ochreous ; spurs tipped with brown.

Fore wings pale ochreous gray, dusted with brown scales ; an
oblique dark-brown patch at the base of the fissure, bordered pos-
teriorly with white ; a small brown spot midway between this and
the base of the wing ; two longitudinal brown spots on the outer
third of the costa of first lobe and one or, two brown dots on the
outer margin of the same lobe near the apex. Fringes pale brown
except at the apex of the second lobe, where they are white. Hind
wings brownish cinereous. Fringes pale brown.

Habitat. — Texas. Early stages and food plant unknown.

ALUCITA MONTANA.

Aciptilus montanus Wlsm., Pter. Cal and Ore., p. 59, Plate III., fig. 14
(1880).

Expanse of wings, 16 mm. Head white, antenna? faintly dotted
above with brownish. Thorax, abdomen and legs snow white ; the
fore and middle legs brownish on the inner side.

38

Fore wings snow white, sprinkled with ferruginous-brown scales,
especially on the outer half of the costa ; a spot of these scales
before the base of the fissure runs obliquely to a darker spot on
the costa, and this is nearly connected by a dark shade with an-
other brown costal spot near the apex ; a dark-brown fine streak
on the outer half of the costa of the second lobe extends through
the fringe under the apex ; all of the rest of the fringe is snow
white. Hind wings dusted with cinereous brown.

Habitat. — California, New York.

" The larva feeds upon different species of Solidago. The first
examples were noticed on May 30. At this time they were found
only on the under side of the leaves, later they occur on the upper
as well. As a rule, they lie close to and parallel with the mid-
vein. At least while young they eat out the parenchyma, leaving
the epidermis.

" May 30 the larvae were .1 of an inch and less in length; en-
tirely white, except claws and mandibles. The body is not flat-
tened at this stage. The first ring is broad, and the head may be
well withdrawn into it. The tubercular hairs are spined, plainly
seen under a moderate magnifying power.

"June 3 the largest had evidently moulted, length then .2 of an
inch, pale green, eighth and ninth rings yellow. Lateral tufts
more conspicuous. Dorsal line faint. Subsequent changes not
noted until full-grown larva was described the latter part of June.
Length .34 to .4 of an inch. Pale pea green, head paler; dorsal
stripe of three white lines, the middle one the finest and most
clearly defined. The seventh, eighth and ninth rings yellow.
The posterior subdorsal papilla of the body rings bears two un-
equal hairs, the anterior but one ; above the spiracles and in front
of them also is a papilla; below the same there are two, from
which arise long hairs, five from posterior and ten or twelve from
anterior, these are spread out fan-like ; below these a prominent
longitudinal fold. From the first ring proceed long hairs reach-
ing over and beyond the head. Hairs all unbranched and plu-
mose. The body is considerably flattened, so when looking down
upon it the spiracles from either side may be seen at once, spira-
cles conical, rings black.

"The pupa is .3 of an inch in length; light green, some of
them have a reddish stripe along dorsal part of the abdomen, the
conical spiracles of such have the same hue. The upper part of
the rings well clothed, especially at extremities and along the
lateral ridges. Pupa fastens to a tuft of silk by means of the

39

hooks of the last ring. Moth appears through greater part of
July." (Kellicott.)

ALUCITA CINERASCENS.

Aciptilus cinerascens Wlsm., Pter. Cal. and Ore., p. 57, Plate III., fig. 13
(1880).

Expanse of wings, 19 mm. Head slightly ochreous ; palpi very
short ; antennae pubescent, pale ochreous. Thorax whitish, espe-
cially in front, where two indistinct dark lines run forward to the
head. Abdomen pale ochreous. Legs whitish, the fore and mid-
dle pairs tinged with brown on the inner side.

Fore wings very pale ochreous, dusted thickly with brownish,
forming a large spot before the base of the fissure ; a subcostal
spot before the middle and two small costal spots on the outer half
of the first lobe. Fringes below the apex of first lobe and on the
apex of the second lobe dark brown ; pale subochreous within the
fissure, with a brownish spot on the hind margin. Hind wings
and fringes pale cinereous ; under side pale brownish.

Habitat. — California. Early stages and food plant unknown.

GENUS PTEROPHORUS Geoff., Hist. Ins., Vol. II., p. 90 (1764).

Vertex and front smooth ; palpi short, not reaching beyond the
head or but very slightly ; porrect, or slightly ascending, the third
segment short and sometimes bent down a little ; antennae with a
thickened basal segment. Anterior and middle tibiae only slightly
thickened at the end ; hind tibiae without a thickening of scales.

Fore wings fissured about one-third of their length ; both lobes
pointed, the hind lobe in some species with a scarcely perceptible
anal angle. Feathers of the hind wings unlike in form, with long
fringes and without a black scale cluster. The upper angle of the
cell is very acute, formed by the very oblique cross vein.

SYNOPSIS OF THE SPECIES.

Fore wings remarkably narrow, dirty white, . agraphodactylus.
Ground color of the fore wings snow white, .... 2.
Ground color of the fore wings bluish white, . . . brucei.
Ground color of the fore wings pale sulphur yellow,

sulphur eodactylus.

Ground color of the fore wings pale straw color, ... 4.
Ground color of the fore wings cream white, .... 5.
Ground color of the fore wings pale brownish white, . rileyi.
Ground color of the fore wings very pale brownish gray, . 6.
Ground color of the fore wings ochre yellow, ... 8.
Ground color of the fore wings brown or dark gray, 14.

40

2 J Expanse of wings less than 21 mm., -,'... . » fishii.
\ Expanse of wings more than 21 mm., . . . . . 3.

3 ^ Expanse of wings between 23 and 25 mm., . . . elliottii.
\ Expanse of wings more than 25 mm., . . . homodactylus.
J Costa of first lobe of fore wing indistinctly brownish, stramineus.
( Costa of first lobe of fore wing not marked with brown, angustus.

g J Expanse of wings 24 mm., helianthi.

\ Expanse of wings 28 mm., subochraceus .

,* { Fore wings with a brown spot at the end of the fissure, . 7.

f Fore wings unspotted, inconditus.

J Fore wings sprinkled with black scales, . . mathewianus.

\ Fore wings not sprinkled with black scales, . . paleaceus.

/- With three or four terminal brown spots on outer margin of
8 < second lobe, kellicottii.

(.Without this character, 9.

„ J Pale ochre yellow without any markings, . . . grandis.

} With more or less markings, 10.

f An oblique reddish brown shade from costa to fissural spot,
10. < cretidactylus.

C Without this character, 11.

J Second lobe of a lighter color than the rest of the wing, baroni.

) Without this character, 12.

19 ^ A brown costal streak over the end of fissure, . . . 13.

} Without this character, guttatus.

-0 J Expanse of wings 28 mm., cineraceus.

( Expanse of wings 22 mm., gratiosus.

- . J With tuft of scales near middle of hind tibiae, . monodactylus.

\ Without this character, . . 15.

., ^ Expanse of wings less than 20 mm., . . . . .16.

\ Expanse of wings more than 20 mm., 17.

lfi J Costa of first lobe with two dark brown spots, . inquinatus.

\ Costa of first lobe without two dark brown spots, . . parvus.

..„ J Costal region light yellowish brown, .... eupatorii.

\ Costal region dark, . . . . . . . .18.

1 ,, $ Outer fourth of costa mostly white, .... grisescens.

) Outer fourth of costa with but little white, . . . lugubris.

PTEROPHORUS FISHII.
Alucita fishii Fern., Can. Ent., Vol., XXV., p. 95 (1893).

Expanse of wings, 20 mm. Thorax and abdomen white. Legs
white slightly tinged with brownish.

Fore wings white with a few brown scales scattered over the
costal portion before the fissure, forming a faint costal triangu-
lar patch, beyond which are two equidistant brown spots on the
costa. Fringes pure white. Hind wings and fringes pure white.
Described from one specimen with the head wanting.

Habitat. — Nevada. Early stages and food plant unknown.

PTEROPHORUS HOMOE*CTYLUS.

Pterophorus homodaclylus Walk., Cat. Lep. Het., Vol. XXX., p.

941 (1864).

? Leioptilus hololeucos Zell., Lep. Westk. Am., p. 23 (1874).
Lioplilus homodactyhis Wlsm., Pter. Cal. and Ore., p. 50, Plate

III, figs. 8, 9 (1880).

Expanse of wings, 22-27 mm. Head white, palpi and antennae
whitish. Thorax and abdomen white. Legs white, slightly tinged
with cinereous.

Fore wings white, very slightly dusted on the costa with brown-
ish scales ; a brownish spot before and slightly below the base of
the fissure ; a group of indistinct brownish scales between this and
the base of the wing ; a faint indication of two brownish dots on
the outer margin. Hind wings and fringes pure white, with a
silky lustre. In some specimens the brownish spots are absent.

A variety of this species has the head brown behind and in
front, the palpi brownish and antennae dingy white. Fore wings
more heavily dusted with brown scales, fringes tinged at the tips
around the obsolete anal angle with pale cinereous. Hind wings
and fringes very pale cinereous. Legs white, first two pairs
touched with brownish on their inner sides.

A specimen of this species was sent by Lord Walsingham to
Professor Zeller, who remarked : 4 4 Only larger, otherwise agree-
ing with Lioptilus hololeucos Zeller ; on the right anterior wings it
has also two dots."

Habitat. — South America, California, Oregon. Food, Soli-
dago, Eupatorium purpureum.

44 Larva. — Length, .55 of an inch ; pale yellowish green ; dorsal
line sharply defined, white; subdorsai and stigmatal lines similar;
the top of each ring from the second to the tenth bears a minute
circle of white interrupting the dorsal line. The dorsal spaces of
each ring from the fourth to the eleventh bear a pair of tubercles
on either side of the middle line, from these proceed rather long,
stiff, hoary, smooth hairs ; the thoracic and terminal rings have a
single papilla in place of the pairs. These tubercles stand in a
light stripe. Below them a single tubercle with similar appen-
dages ; below the spiracles a larger one with a minute one back
of it bearing three or four hairs, also one above the line of the
feet. Legs and ventral surface hairy. The anterior half of the
first ring bears many hairs, which hang over the head somewhat.
Spiracles round, rim white; back of each there is a short, stiff
hair. Head almost colorless, except mouth organs and ocelli;

42

epicranial suture deep ; cranial lobes hemispherical, with scattered
hairs.

" The pupa measures .45 of an inch. It is light pea green,
turning white before the moth escapes. There is a clear dorsal
space with an interrupted white line in the middle ; also white
lines on the lateral faces. The tubercles are set with hairs ex-
actly as in the larva, so the pupa is quite conspicuously clothed ;
the head and thorax support shorter hairs arising singly from the
surface ; short, dusky hairs stand in rows on the wing covers, ap-
parently outlining the veins ; there is a similar row on the antennae
covers. The pointed cremaster ends with many booklets, which
fasten the pupa securely to the leaf, on which a tuft of silk has
been spun by the larva. The thorax is quite obliquely truncated ;
seen from below, it is slightly bilobed, rendered so by the promi-
nent origin of the antennae covers ; between the lobes there is a
slight tufted tubercle." (Kellicott.)

PTEROPHORTJS BRUOEI, n. a.

Expanse of wings, 24-26 mm. Head and thorax pale ashy
gray, with the tegulae much lighter.

Fore wings white, with a few brown scales scattered over the
surface, most numerous basally and along the costa. An elon-
gated brown spot on the cell near the basal third of the wing ; a
triangular brown spot on the end of the cell immediately before
the fissure, indistinctly connected with an elongate brown spot on
the costa above the end of the fissure; a similar spot occurs
near the middle of the costa of the first lobe. Fringe of first
lobe whitish on the costa and fuscous from the base of the cleft to
the apex, immediately before which it is cut with white, and there
is a brown spot on the wing at the base of the white. Fringe of
second lobe fuscous within the cleft and whitish elsewhere. Hind
wings pale fuscous, with the fringes a little darker than the sur-
face of the feathers.

Early stages and food plant unknown.

Described from three examples collected in Colorado by Mr.
David Bruce, whose work in the west has enriched many museums
and private collections.

PTEROPHORUS ELLIOTTII.
Alucita elliottii Fern., Can. Ent., Vol. XXV., p. 95 (1893).

Expanse of wings, 23-25 mm. Head very pale fuscous. Thorax
and abdomen whitish fuscous. Legs white.

43

Fore wings white, tinged more or less with ochre yellow near
the base and on the apical third of the costa; a very oblique
streak of brown scales on the costa near the apex and a dark-
brown spot before the fissure ; a streak of irregular brown scales
extends from the base of the wing to the fissure. Fringes white.
Hind wings pure white, with a few ochre yellow scales scattered
over the surface in some specimens. Fringes white.

Habitat. — New York. Early stages and food plant unknown.

PTEROPHORUS SUBOCHRACEUS.

Lioptilus subochraceus Wlsm , Pter. Cal. and Ore., p. 53, Plate

III., fig. 10 (1880).
? Pterophorus lacteodaclylus Cham., Can. EntM Vol. V., p. 73

(1873).

Having no example of this species from California, I copy Lord
Walsingham's description : —

"Head whitish above; face and neck brownish; palpi very
short, not projecting as far as the front of the head; antennae
whitish ochreous, with the basal joint brown.

"Fore wings pale subochreous, without spots or markings, ex-
cept a rather oblique delicate ferruginous shade above the base of
the fissure, reaching the costa before the apex ; the cilia about the
dorsal margin of the second lobe are slightly tinged with brownish.
Hind wings very pale brownish straw color. Legs whitish.

"Expanse, 28 mm."

Habitat. — California. Early stages and food plant unknown.

I have the type of lacteodactylus before me, and the head and
palpi agree perfectly with the above description, but the wings are
somewhat worn. Without seeing an authentic specimen of sub-
ochraceus, I do not feel prepared to pronounce them identical. I
have two specimens from Massachusetts which were supposed to
be subochraceus, by Mr. Fish, and from which the drawings of the
genitalia on Plate IV. were made. In these specimens the palpi
are longer than in lacteodactylus, and I do not think they are the
same.

PTEROPHORUS HELIANTHI.

Lioptilus helianthi Wlsm., Pter. Cal. and Ore., p. 54, Plate III., fig. 11
(1880).

Expanse of wings, 24 mm. Head and thorax whitish ; palpi
brownish; antennae white, dotted with brown above. Abdomen
whitish. Legs whitish, dotted with brown on the under side of
the segments.

44

Fore wings cream white, with a few scattered brown scales ; a
brown spot before the base of the fissure and another between
that and the costa, upon which is a brown line ; the apex of each
lobe sprinkled with brown, and on the apex of the first lobe are
two or three small brown spots or dashes. Fringes cream white,
tinged with brown on the outer margin. Hind wings very pale
cinereous ; fringes slightly darker about the ends of the feathers.

Habitat. — Southern Oregon. Food plant, Helianthus.

PTEROPHORUS STRAMINEUS.

Lioptilus stramineus Wlsm., Pter. Cal. and Ore., p. 41, Plate III., fig. 3
(1880).

Expanse of wings, 19 mm. Head yellowish brown above and
in front, yellowish white between the antennae ; palpi and anten-
nae pale straw color above, brownish beneath. Thorax, abdomen,
legs and spurs pale straw color; Fore wings straw color, with a
slightly brownish streak extending from the base along the lower
half of the wing, and one running obliquely on the costa, pointing
inward toward a brown spot at the base of the fissure. Fringes
grayish, slightly tinged with brown. Hind wings and fringes
pale grayish brown.

Habitat. — Southern Oregon. Early stages and food plant un-
known.

PTEROPHORUS -ANGUSTUS.

Lioptilus angustus Wlsm., Pter. Cal. and Ore., p. 43, Plate III., fig. 4
(1880).

Expanse of wings, 18 mm. Head very pale straw color; palpi
straw color above, tinged with brownish on the sides ; antennae
whitish, with indistinct ochreous spots above. Thorax and abdo-
men pale straw color. Legs whitish.

Fore wings narrow, very pale straw color tinged with ochreous ;
a dark fuscous dot at the base of the fissure. Fringes very pale
straw color except at the outer end of the fissure above and below
where they are grayish. Hind wings pale cinereous ; fringes paler.

Habitat. — California. Early stages and food plant unknown.

It differs from stramineus in having no costal streak.

PTEROPHORUS SULPHUREODA.CTYLUS.
Pterophorus sulphureodaclylus Pack., Ann. Lye. Nat Hist., N. Y.,

Vol. X., p. 266 (1873).
Lioptilus sulphureus Wlsm., Pter. Cal. and Ore., p. 48, Plate

III., fig. 7 (1880).

Expanse of wings, 25 mm. Head ochreous. Palpi whitish
yellow, streaked with ochreous; antennae long, yellowish, tinged

45

with fuscous. Thorax and abdomen sulphur yellow, streaked
with ochreous scales. Legs whitish ochreous, streaked with brown.

Fore wings with the first lobe produced into a very acute point,
the second lobe broad halberd-shaped, unspotted, clear sulphur
yellow, slightly tinged with brownish on the outer fourth of the
costa. A minute brown dot before the base of the fissure.
Fringes pale yellowish white, cinereous on the hind margin.
Hind wings whitish, thickly dusted with cinereous. Fringes
concolorous.

Habitat. — California. Early stages and food plant unknown.

PTEROPHORUS MATHEWIANUS.
Leioptilus Mathewianus Zell., Lep. Westk. Am., p. 23 (1874).

Expanse of wings, 24 mm. Head brownish gray behind ; palpi
whitish gray ; antennae dust gray, faintly annulated on the basal
third with whitish. Thorax and abdomen whitish gray. Legs
light gray, all the femora and tibiae brownish ochre, lightest on
hind legs.

Fore wings pale reddish gray, sprinkled with black scales, es-
pecially on the margin. A diffuse brown dot on the cell, nearer
to the base of the wing than to the fissure. Before this is a more
distinct dot, variable in form and size, and sometimes a pale dot
at the base of the second lobe. A white longitudinal spot under
the first-named dot, and before the same. an almost pure white
stripe runs to the fold, where it widens and sends out a slender
line through the middle of the second lobe to its outer margin. A
dark-brown line bordered with white on each side runs to the dot
on the fissure, and a brown indistinct dot rests on the middle of
the first lobe ; two brown spots on the apex of the second lobe
and a short brown cross line at the base of the fringes of the outer
margin. Hind wings clear brownish gray, with a silky luster.

Habitat. — Vancouver Island. Early stages and food plant un-
known.

PTEROPHORUS PALEACEUS.

Leioptilus paleaceus Zell., Beitr., p. 126 (1873).

Lioptilus paleaceus Wlsm., Pter. Cal. and Ore., p. 41, Plate

III., fig. 2(1880).
Leioptilus sericidactylus Murtf., Am. Ent., Vol. III., p. 235

(1880).

Expanse of wings, 21-25 mm. Head yellowish brown, pale
between the antennae; antennae whitish. Thorax dull yellowish
white. Abdomen dull yellowish, with fine longitudinal brownish

46

lines. Legs yellowish white, with fuscous shadings on the under
side.

Fore wings very pale brownish gray, with a brownish spot be-
fore the fissue. Fringes concolorous with the lobes. Hind wings
of the same color as the fore wings. Fringes paler, except at the
apices.

Habitat. — Ohio, Illinois, Missouri, Texas, California, Oregon.
Food, Iron Weed ( Vernonia noveboracensis) .

An examination of the genitalia of the types of paleaceus and
also of sericidactylus proves them to be identical.

"Larva. — Length, 0.55 inch; diameter, 0.10 inch; form, sub-
cylindrical. Color when young, dingy white, with a tinge of
green, becoming at maturity pale glaucous, often varying, espe-
cially in the late fall brood, to dull salmon. Dorsal hairs proceed-
ing from prominent tubercles, and of two sizes in each tuft, each
of the shorter ones tipped with a minute pellucid bead of viscid
fluid, to which pollen and bits of leaves often adhere. Lateral
ridge well defined. Prolegs long and narrow. When mature, the
larva weaves a dense mat of silk, upon which it extends itself,
remaining quiescent for two or three days, the dorsal surface
acquiring, meanwhile, a translucent lilaceous hue, with three
greenish- white longitudinal stripes, of which the medio-dorsal is
most distinct and continuous.

* * Pupa, with ventral surface closely appressed to the mat of
silk, to which the anal hooks are firmly attached. An upright or
inverted horizontal position seems to be preferred, although there
is no thoracic band or other support for the anterior part of the
body.

"Average length, 0.45; diameter, same as larva, tapering
rather abruptly from seventh abdominal segment backward. Wing
sheaths narrow, free at the blunt tips. Dorsum with prominent
subdorsal ridges. Color and markings quite variable. In the
spring brood commonly dull green, with indistinct lateral yellow
stripes. In the fall brood the dorsum is pale yellow or flesh color,
with two fine, indistinct, medio-dorsal lines of lilac color; sub-
dorsal ridge pale, inclining to lilac on outer side. In subdorsal
space are two nearly continuous, quite heavy, black or fuscous
lines, separated by a broad pale stripe, from two narrow, inter-
rupted dark lines, one beneath, the other above, the stigmata. On
the thorax the^dark stripes are represented by two slightly diverg-
ing dashes on each side. Situated in the subdorsal ridge, at the
posterior edge of each segment, are a pair of small, geminate,

47

piliferous warts, each bearing a sparse tuft of light sprangling
hairs. The last larval skin, rolled into a little hairy ball, is often
supported over the back of the chrysalis, raised above it on the
hairs of the sub-dorsal ridges. The pupa is quite active and
irritable, striking about in all directions when meddled with."
(Murtfeldt.)

PTEROPHORUS AGRAPHODACTYLUS.

Pterophorus agraphodactylusWalk., Cat. Lep. Het., Vol. XXX.,

p. 94 (1864).
Lioptilus agraphodactylus Wlsm., Pter. Cal. and Ore., p. 46,

Plate III., fig. 6 (1880).

I have not seen this species, and therefore quote Lord Walsing-
ham's description : —

" Head whitish in front, touched with brownish ochreous towards
the thorax and in front ; antennae whitish, browner beneath ; palpi
very short. Thorax yellowish white.

"Fore wings remarkably narrow, dirty white, with a faint
yellowish tinge, streaked longitudinally with faint slender lines of
brownish gray, apparently following the neuration ; the widest and
most conspicuous of these runs parallel to the costa from the base
of the wing to the middle of the anterior lobe, where it is diffused
in a faint shade towards the costa, sending two slender and
scarcely discernible lines to the apex and inner margin. There
are two slender brownish-gray lines on the dorsal half of the wing,
the upper one, coming from the base, passing below the cleft,
where it throws off a branch beneath and running along the upper
edge of the second lobe to its apex ; the lower coming also from
the base, and attaining the dorsal margin below the base of the
cleft. The costa pale ; the cilia tinged with gray. Hind wings
and fringes pale cinereous. Abdomen and legs slightly yellowish
white. Under side uniformly pale cinereous, except the costa and
the fringes of the anterior lobe within the fissure which are whitish.

" Expanse, 25 mm."

Habitat. — St. Domingo, Southern Oregon. Early stages and
food plant unknown.

PTEROPHORUS INCONDITUS.

Lioptilus inconditus Wlsm., Pter. Cal. and Ore., p. 44, Plate III., fig. 5
(1880).

Expanse of wings, 19 mm. Head pale brownish gray, paler
between the antennae ; palpi brownish gray ; antennae pubescent,

48

whitish, the basal segment enlarged and with a few erect scales on
its inner side; thorax and abdomen slightly tinged with yellowish.
Legs yellowish white.

Fore wings very pale brownish gray or bone color, without any
markings except faint traces of darker lines upon some of the
veins. Fringes slightly paler than the wings. Hind wings and
fringes very slightly darker, with a more decided cinereous tinge.
Under side of all the wings brownish gray, with the costal margin
of the fore wings slightly paler.

Habitat. — California, Washington, D. C. Early stages and
food plant unknown.

PTEROPHORUS PARVUS.

Lioptilus tparvus Wlsm., Pter. Cal. and Ore., p. 55, Plate III., fig. 12
(1880).

As I have no example of this species, I quote Lord Walsing-
ham's description : —

" Head grayish white, a scarcely paler frontal tuft projecting
slightly above the long, well-clothed but sharply pointed palpi,
which are about twice the length of the head ; antennae pubescent,
grayish.

" Fore wings cleft to scarcely one- third of their length, with no
posterior angle to the upper lobe, which is rather narrow, acu-
minate and appressed at the apex, dusty grayish, sprinkled with
fuscous scales, which form an elongate shade, extending from an
ill-defined antemedian fuscous dot to the base of the anterior and
to the apex of the posterior lobe ; a small fuscous dot lies imme-
diately before and slightly below the base of the fissure ; there is
a slight fuscous shade along the posterior margin of the upper
lobe, of which the costal portion is rather pale ochreous ; the costa
itself whitish. The cilia along the apical margin of both lobes are
grayish, spotted along their base with four or five groups of fus-
cous scales, of which one is at the extreme apex of the upper lobe.
The anal angle appears to be slightly more defined in the second
lobe of the fore wings, and the fissure rather wider at the base
than is usual in this genus. Hind wings cinereous. Abdomen
grayish white ; the legs whitish, first two pairs touched at the sides
with grayish fuscous. The first pair of spurs on the hinder tibiae
are unequal in length ; the second pair equal to the longest of the
other two.

" Expanse, 15 mm."

Habitat. — California. Early stages and food plant unknown.

49

PTEROPHORUS KELLICOTTII.
Lioptilus Kellicottn~Fish, Can. Ent, Vol. XTIL, p. 141 (1881).

Expanse of wings, 28-30 mm. Head ocbreous brown, whitish
between antennae. Palpi rather long and slender, second segment
with a small tuft of raised scales on the upper side at the extremity.
Antennae pale ochreous, brownish beneath ; thorax and abdomen
pale brownish ochreous, the latter striped longitudinally with pale
brown lines. Fore and middle legs brownish ochreous ; hind legs
whitish ochreous, tarsi paler.

Fore wings pale ochreous, dusted more or less with brownish
scales, which in some examples form longitudinal streaks on the
costa and basal half of the median space; a dark- brown dot on
the base of fissure ; two brown dashes on the costa near the apex,
one on the hind margin of first lobe near the apex, usually four at
the end of the second lobe on veins 2, 3, 4 and 5. Fringes con-
colorous. Hind wings, also under side of all the wings, cinereous
brown, with a silky lustre. Fringes darker.

Habitat. — New York. Food, Solidago.

" The larva, when first examined, August 22, was .3 of an inch
long ; color light yellow, head and shield darker, the oblique anal
plate almost black, bearing hairs and hooks ; dorsal and subdorsal
lines pinkish. By the middle of September it abandons the
branches, being then .45 of an inch in length, and bores into the
stalk a few inches above the ground ; it makes its way down
the pith into the roots, well under the ground, where it passes the
winter. I fetched several examples from the fields in January for
examination; they were then .58 to .6 of an inch in length,
lighter in color, with the longitudinal lines of pink brighter than in
autumn, the eighth segment conspicuously marked on the back by
pink. There are few hairs over their smooth bodies ; on the last
ring, however, there is a brown or black chitinous disc, with a
circle of long brown hairs about its circumference; in the centre
of this disc there is a small papilla, with two stout, straight black
teeth, pointing rearwards ; these teeth are hooked upward in the
autumn stage. The hairs render the plate sensitive to touch, and
help to brush fragments from their long, narrow galleries, while the
teeth assist in backward motion in them. The mature larvae ob-
tained in May differ but slighty from these, except that they
are then .7 of an inch long, and the pink stripes and marks are
brownish. The fourth, fifth and sixth segments are smaller than

50

those preceding or following them. They are quite active, moving
up and down their burrows rapidly.

" By the middle of May the caterpillar has worked its way back
to the place of entrance in autumn, enlarging its way to accommo-
date its increased size, and, after loosely stopping the upper part
with a few chips, retires and changes to the pupa. It is then .6
of an inch in length, slender, cylindrical. Color white, except
the oblique disc or plate terminating the head, which is made dark
by many teeth-like elevations on its surface. The abdominal seg-
ments are clothed with hairs, and the last four segments have each
a transverse row of teeth on the dorsal part, reminding one of a
Tortrix or Cossus pupa. The conical tip of the abdomen has
many teeth ; these teeth, together with the roughness on the head,
enable the pupa to worm its way up and down the burrow with
readiness. When removed from the stem to the table, it travels
about, rolling and worming its way very much as do the pupae of
certain stem-boring beetles. The wing and limb covers are free
for a considerable distance from their tips." (Kellicott.)

PTEROPHORUS GRANDIS.
Lioptilus grandis Fish, Can. Ent, Vol. XIIL, p. 141 (1881).

Expanse of wings, 34 mm. Head, palpi, antennae, thorax and
abdomen of nearly a uniform pale brownish-ochreous color. Legs
brownish ochreous, with tarsi somewhat lighter.

Fore wings pale brownish ochreous, in some species with a few
scattered faint brownish dots on the second lobe. Fringes slightly
darker. Hind wings very slightly browner than fore wings, with
the fringes still darker.

Habitat. — California. Early stages and food plant unknown.

PTEROPHORUS RILEYI, n. s.

Expanse of wings, 29-31 mm. Head, thorax and fore wings
pale brownish white or bone color. Back of head and collar dull
cinnamon brown.

Fore wings more or less sprinkled with brown scales, especially
along the costa and on the outer half of the cell ; an oblique brown
line at the end of the cell extends upward in the direction of a
brown costal streak, between which and the apex are generally two
equidistant brown dots, and there is a similar one on the cleft
within the apex. Three brown dots occur on the outer margin pf
the second lobe, one on the apex, one on the middle and one on the
anal angle. Hind wings pale fuscous, darker than the fore wings.

51

Early stages and food plant unknown.

Described from seven examples taken in September, in Placer
County, California, and presented to the National Museum by the
late Dr. C. V. Riley, to whose memory I dedicate this species.

PTEROPHORUS MONODACTYLUS.

Alucita monodactyla Linn., Syst. Nat., Ed. X., Vol. I., p 542 (1758).
Pterophorus cineridactylus Fitch, N. Y. Rep., Vol. I., p. 848

(1854).

Pterophorus ncevosidactylus Fitch, N. Y. Rep., Vol. I., p 849 (1854) .
Pterophorus pergracilidactylus Pack., Ann. Lye. N. Y., Vol. X.,

p. 265 (1873).
Pterophorus monodactylus Wlsm., Pter. Cal. and Ore., p. 39, Plate

II., fig. 16 ; Plate in., fig. 1 (1880).

Expanse of wings, 22-26 mm. Head and thorax pale gray,
sprinkled with brown scales. Palpi short, tipped with brown;
autennre grayish white, spotted with fuscous above. Abdomen
grayish ochreous, striped with fuscous and brown scales on the
sides ; a dorsal row of brown dots, one at the base of each seg-
ment. Legs grayish, with the joints enlarged and covered with
brownish hairs ; a tuft of scales near the middle of the hind tarsi
on the side opposite the spurs.

Fore wings varying from pale grayish to pale reddish brown,
often mixed with white and sometimes with a few black scales ;
stripes or streaks of dark brown or blackish scales on the costa
"and hind margin; before the fissure a brown spot, sometimes
tapering to a point toward the base ; an elongated spot of brown
scales on the costa, half-way between the latter and the apex, with
two smaller ones between it and the apex ; one or more small
blackish dots on one or both lobes near the apex. Fringes gray-
ish, tinged with fuscous on the outer third of fissure. Hind wings
gray or fuscous, with a silky lustre ; fringes slightly darker.

This species is exceedingly variable both in color and markings,
some examples being very light with but few spots, while others
are reddish brown.

Habitat. — Europe ; Maine to California. Food, Convolvulus se-
ptum. Convolvulus arvensis, Chenopodium album, Atriplex patula.

" Larva. — Length, when at rest, about five-eighths of an inch,
and stout in proportion. Head polished and rather small, nar-
rower than the second segment. Body uniform and cylindrical,
tapering a little posteriorly. Segmental divisions well defined and
deeply cut ventrally ; each tubercle emits a tuft of short but rather
strong hairs. Ground color bright yellowish green, more decid-

52

edly green on the back; head pale yellow, the mandibles light
brown. A fine but clear yellowish white line forms the dorsal
stripe ; there is a much broader stripe of the same color along the
spiracular region, and the space between it and the spiracles is
prickled with streaks and spots of the same color. Spiracles
black, hairs grayish. Ventral surface, legs and prolegs uniformly
pale green. The pupa, although attached by the tail, was laid flat
along the top of the cage." (Porritt.)

PTEROPHORDS CRETIDACTYLUS.

Pterophorus cretidactylus Fitch, N. Y. Rep., Vol. I., p. 849 (1854).
(Edematophorus occidentalis Wlsm., Pter. Cal. and Ore., p. 37,

Plate II., figs. 13,14 (1880).
Plerophorus cretidactylus Fern., Can. Ent, Vol. XXV., p. 96

(1893).

Expanse of wings, 26 mm. Head whitish ochreous, slightly
tinged with fawn color on the front ; palpi fawn color ; antennae
whitish, faintly spotted with fawn color ; thorax whitish ochreous.
Abdomen fawn color. Fore and middle legs white, with dark,
brush-like tufts on the joints ; hind legs tinged with fawn color,
whitish on the inner sides; segments slightly thickened, not an-
nulated.

Fore wings whitisn ochreous, the costa, apex and hind margin
tinged with fawn color ; a dark fawn-colored spot before the base
of the fissure, more or less connected obliquely with an elongated
spot of the same color on the costa ; a light space on each side of
the costal spot. Fringes whitish ochreous, tinged with pale fawn
color. Hind wings and fringes lustrous, pale fawn color.

Habitat. — New York, California. Early stages and food plant
unknown.

PTEROPHORUS EUPATORII.

(Edematophorus cretidactylus Zell., Lep. Westk. Am., p. 22 (1874).
(Edematophorus cretidactylus Wlsm., Pter. Cal. and Ore., p. 35

(1880).
(Edematophorus cretidactylus Kell., Bull. Buf. Soc., Vol. IV., p. 2

(1882).
Alucita eupatorii Fern., Can. Ent, Vol. XXV., p. 96 (1893).

Expanse of wings, 22-24 mm. Head dull reddish brown;
thorax pale brown; legs brown, darker at the middle and ends
of the tibiae ; segments of the tarsi white at the base and brown
at the tips ; spurs white in the middle and brown at the tips.

53

Fore wings pale ochre yellow, whitest on the costal portion, and
sprinkled with dark-brown scales to such an extent as to give them
a wood-brown color. These dark-brown scales form an antefis-
sural spot, which in some specimens is concave on the outside and
extended obliquely up and out, nearly reaching a dark-brown cos-
tal streak over the end of the fissure, beyond which are two costal
dark-brown spots, the first of which is the smaller. The brown on
the second lobe sometimes gives this part of the wing a streaked
appearance. Fringes smoke brown, cut with whitish once on the
first lobe and twice on the outer margin of the hind lobe. Hind
wings and fringes brownish cinereous.

Habitat. — New York, California, Vancouver Island. Food,
Eupatorium purpureum.

"Larva. — Length, 0.55 of an inch; color of skin greenish,
striped with wine color and white ; hairs dusky, lighter laterally.
Dorsal line white, interrupted with circles and bordered laterally
with wine color. That part of the dorsal space in which the
tubercles stand, much lighter in hue; subdorsal and stigmatal
lines white, bounded by the same shade as the dorsal. Head
light green, spiracles ringed with brown.

"Pupa. — Color, green, ornamented with wine-colored and
white lines. It has the same size and habits as homodactylus ; the
tubercles are similar. It is a little thicker, the anterior end more
obtusely truncated and less bilobed. The hairy clothing similar
to liomodactylus, but the hairs not so smooth as in that pupa."
(Kellicott.)

PTEROPHORUS GUTTATUS.

(Ed&inatophorus guttatus Wlsm., Pter. Cal. and Ore., p. 36, Plate II.,
fig. 12 (1880).

Expanse of wings, 25 mm. Head and palpi whitish, sprinkled
with cinereous, the palpi fuscous at the sides ; thorax and abdomen
whitish cinereous. Hind legs white, with two slightly fuscous
annulatious.

Fore wings whitish cinereous, paler at the base, dusted with
fuscous scales toward the costa and hind margin ; a white spot,
generally bordered on the inner edge by two fuscous scales, lies at
the base of the fissure ; another similar spot is sometimes indi-
cated before the middle of the hind margin. Fringes of the outer
margin and fissure cinereous fuscous, slightly interrupted with
whitish. Hind wings pale cinereous. Fringes paler.

Habitat. — California. Early stages and food plant unknown.

PTEROPHORUS CINERACEUS.
(Edematophorus cineraceus Fish, Can. Ent., Vol. XIII., p. 73 (1881).

Expanse of wings, 28 mm. Front of bead dark grayish brown,
vertex pale cinereous. Palpi grayish brown, ascending, third seg-
ment short. Antennae cinereous, dotted above with dark brown.
Abdomen cinereous, marked with reddish-brown scales. Legs
brownish cinereous, sprinkled with dark-brown scales ; a band on
the middle and on the end of the middle tibiae dark grayish brown,
spurs tipped with dark brown ; tarsi whitish cinereous, slightly
brownish at extreme end of segments.

Fore wings cinereous, tinged with brownish, and very thinly
sprinkled with dark-brown scales. These scales form a median
spot before the base of the fissure, bordered on the outside with
white. A longitudinal brown spot occurs on the costa opposite
the base of the fissure, and two smaller ones toward the apex.
Fringes brownish cinereous. Hind wings and fringes brownish
cinereous.

Habitat. — Washington. Early stages and food plant unknown.

PTEROPHORUS BARONI.
(Edematophorus Baroni Fish, Can. Ent., Vol. XIII., p. 73 (1881).

Expanse of wings, 30 mm. Front of head brownish cinereous,
vertex lighter. Palpi rather stout, third segment very short and
blunt. Antennae pale cinereous, dotted above with dark brown.
Thorax and abdomen pale brownish cinereous, the latter marked
dorsally by a row of fine black dots on each segment beyond the
third. Anterior and middle femora brownish cinereous, tibiae
grayish, tarsi whitish cinereous. Hind femora and tibiae pale
brownish cinereous, spurs short, tipped with black.

Fore wings brownish cinereous, ochreous on the inner margin
and second lobe, the whole surface sprinkled with fine black scales.
Fringes concolorous with the wings. Hind wings and fringes dark
cinereous.

Habitat. — California. Early stages and food plant unknown.

PTEROPHORUS GRATIOSUS.

(Edematophorus gratiosus Fish, Can. Ent., Vol. XIII., p. 73 (1881).

Expanse of wings, 22 mm. Head and palpi dark brown ; an-
tennae pale brownish, dotted above with white and dark-brown
scales. Thorax grayish brown, anterior portion lighter. Abdo-

55

men fawn brown. Legs grayish brown, tarsi pale cinereous,
slightly darker on the extremities of segments.

Fore wings pale cinereous, dusted with dark brown ; an oblique
brown spot occurs before the base of the fissure and a longitudinal
brown costal line nearly opposite the base of fissure. Fringes
concolorous with wings. Hind wings and fringes brownish cin-
ereous, third feather whitish.

Habitat. — California. Early stages and food plant unknown.

PTEROPHORUS LUGUBRIS.
(Edematophoms lugubris Fish, Can. Ent, Vol. XIII., p. 140 (1881).

Expanse of wings, 27-29 mm. Head and palpi dark smoky
brown. Antennae dotted above with white and blackish scales.
Thorax light smoky brown. Abdomen slender, dark smoky
brown, thickly sprinkled with very dark scales. Legs grayish
brown, the middle tibiae whitish just before the middle and end ;
all the tarsi whitish at base of joints ; spurs whitish at base.

Fore wings dark smoky gray, dusted with dark brown scales ; a
longitudinal black dash on the costa, opposite the base of fissure ;
an obscure blackish spot before the base of fissure, bordered out-
wardly by gray scales. Faint indications of two smaller blackish
spots on the costal margin of anterior lobe. Fringes smoky gray,
with a few whitish hairs on the hind margin of anterior lobe near
the apex. Hind wings and fringes, as well as under side of wings,
cinereous.

Habitat. — California. Early stages and food plant unknown.

PTEROPHORUS GRISESCENS.

(Edematophorus grisescensWlsm., Pter. Cal. and Ore., p. 34, Plate II.,
fig. 11 (1880).

Expanse of wings, 29 mm. Head and palpi gray, with a fus-
cous tinge on the apex of the palpi. Antennae spotted with gray
and fuscous. Thorax and abdomen grayish, sprinkled with fus-
cous. Legs grayish white, tinged on the segments and on the tips
of the spurs with fuscous.

Fore wings gray, slightly spotted with white and dusted with
fuscous scales, the hind portion touched with ferruginous. A
white space on the costa before the base of the fissure, and another
beyond and obliquely connected by whitish scales with the base of
fissure \ a whitish spot before the middle of the hind margin and
an indistinct fuscous spot above it. Fringes mottled with white

56

and grayish fuscous. Hind wings cinereous; fringes whitish
mixed with gray.

Habitat. — Southern Oregon. Food, Artemisia.

PTEROPHORUS INQUINATUS.

(Edematophorus inquinatus Zell., Beitr., p. 125 (1873).
(Edematophorus ambrosice Murtf., Am. Ent., Vol. Ill ,
p. 236 (1880).

Expanse of wings, 19 mm. Head and thorax gray, spotted with
white ; palpi small, porrect, acute, whitish, touched with brown
outwardly. Antennae whitish, spotted with brownish, white at the
base on the under side. Abdomen gray.

Fore wings dust gray, thickly dusted with white and brown
scales forming scattered flecks or blotches, one of which is gen-
erally present on the middle of the space between the base of the
wing and the fissure ; a larger one before the fissure and separated
from it by a whitish space, against which its oblique outer margin
is excavated ; below this is a longitudinal streak of scales, bor-
dered basally by a white spot and separated from the spot before
the fissure by a whitish space. Two blackish streaks or spots oc-
cur on the costa, the larger one above the base of fissure, the other
half-way between it and the apex of the wing. Fringes grayish,
cut with white under the apices of the lobes and on the anal
angles, where there is a white wisp. A similar wisp before the
apex and on the anal angle of the second lobe. A brown dot
sometimes rests on the base of each of the three wisps. Hind
wings brownish gray, a diffuse brown dot on the apex of each
feather or at least on the first. Fringes brighter.

Habitat. — Alabama, Texas, Missouri, Colorado, Arizona. Food,
Rag- weed (Ambrosia artemisicefoUa) .

"Larva — Length, 0.35; diameter, 0.09. Form depressed.
Color, pale greenish gray, with very characteristic dark markings
and lateral tufts of long, white silken hairs. Head small, light
brown, corneous, retractile. Segment 1 with a dilated, partially
free shield-like collar, covering top and projecting over the head.
The ornamentation of this collar consists of five central minute
brown dots, with four still smaller black ones on each side, from
each of which proceeds a short curving bristle. The project-
ing edges fringed with soft light hairs. Segments 2 and 3
gradually broadening backward, ornamented on dorsum with two
oblong, pale brown spots on either side of a triangle of very
minute black dots, and having a larger black dot on each outer

57

side. Two short bristles arise from each of the more conspicuous
spots. Abdominal segments each with four somewhat elevated
brown spots, from which proceed single, short, backward curv-
ing bristles. Between the posterior pair of brown spots are two
smaller black ones, each of which forms the base of a very short
clubbed piliferous process, which turns backward, resting flat upon
the surface.

"The stigmata are annulated with black, and obliquely above
and forward of each are two small brown dots. The lateral tufts
are below the stigmata, and each is composed of from seven to
nine long hairs, which under the lens are remot'ely pectinate. A
little above and back of each of these tufts is a semicircle of fine,
scale-like bristles. The prolegs are very short.

" Pupa. — Length, 0.25. Swollen and blunt anteriorly. Color
pale fulvous, with a roseate hue on dorsum. Dorsal surface beset
with tufts of dingy hairs, with a lateral fringe of single straight
hairs, which serve to secure it more firmly to the mat of silk upon
which it rests. Dorsum marked near the head with two large,
dull-brown spots and an indistinct longitudinal stripe of the same
color on the abdomen. On either side of the thorax is a small,
velvety dark-brown dot." (Murtfeldt.)

GENUS STENOPTILIA Hub., Verz., p. 430 (1826).

Vertex smooth ; front cone-shaped, smoothly scaled ; palpi ex-
tending beyond the frontal projection, the second segment some-
what triangular, with projecting scales above at the end, the third
segment very small and cylindrical. Fore wings fissured about
one-third of their length, the lobes narrow and with very oblique
outer margins, but with more or less, distinctly visible anal angles.
The feathers of the hind wings are dissimilar in form : the first is
the widest ; the second is smaller, and has a long, produced apex ;
the third is linear, without dark scales in the hind fringe. The
venation is complete, as shown on Plate III., figs. 1 and 2.

SYNOPSIS OF THE SPECIES.

^ ( Expanse of wings less than 15 mm., . . . . . immilio.
( Expanse of wings more than 15 mm., ..... 2.

2 < With a dark-brown streak on the middle of first lobe, . . 3.
I Without a dark streak on the middle of first lobe, ... 4.
( First lobe of fore wings without an oblique white stripe,
j ptcrodactyla.

1 First lobe of fore wings with a subterininal oblique white
^ stripe, . . ,. . ^ ""'*' . . . colvradensis.

58

x Second lobe with a more or less complete brown streak ,
4. ) semicostata.

\. Second lobe without any trace of a brown streak, ... . . 5.
J Two fuscous spots before the end of the fissure, . cxclamalionis.
\ One fuscous spot before the end of the fissure, . . . menyeli.

STENOPTILIA PUMILIO.
Mimeseoptilus pumilio Zell., Beitr., p. 124 (1873).

Expanse of wings, 12 mm. Head reddish gray, front whitish;
palpi very thin, filiform, horizontal, whitish. Antennae pale gray,
white towards the base on the outside. Thorax reddish gray.
Abdomen yellowish white at the base and end. Legs slender,
white, the first pair of spurs on hind tibiae unusually long.

Fore wings unusually short and broad, very bright fawn color,
darkest on the costal margin of the anterior lobe; costal vein
white for two thirds of its length ; a long blackish streak on the
fold at the basal fourth of the wing ; a long, conspicuous point in
the middle between this and the fissure, and before these one or
two long, confused flecks. Fringe of anterior lobe white or gray,
with scattered black scales, with two black, somewhat commingled
dots on the outer margin near the anal angle. Fringe of the
second lobe gray, thickly sprinkled with deep black scales, which
are united with three black spots on the hind margin ; at the apex
it is whitish, and marked with a row of unequal, somewhat com-
mingled dots, which do not reach to the base of the fringe. Hind
wings brownish gray, with much lighter fringes. On the apex of
the first and second feathers a small black dot may be seen in cer-
tain lights, most distinct on the under side, where the apex of the
third feather is dark brown.

Habitat. — Texas. Early stages and food plant unknown.

STENOPTILIA PTERODACTYL A.
Alucita pterodaclyla Linn., Faun. Suec., p 371 (1761).

Expanse of wings, 21-24 mm. Head ashy brown ; palpi long,
acuminate, whitish at the tips ; antennae brownish above, whitish
beneath. Thorax ashy brown, with a few darker scales. Abdo-
men fuscous, striped with pale ochreous lines and with a few dark-
brown dots at the ends of the segments. Legs ochreous brown on
the outside, whitish on the inner sides, tarsi very pale ochreous.

Fore wings reddish brown, the entire costa and the apex of the
second lobe heavily sprinkled with dark-brown scales ; a dark-
brown reniform spot at the base of the fissure. Fringes ashy

59

brown, with a very pale line at their bases. Hind wings fuscous
with ashy brown fringes.

Habitat. — Europe, New York. Food, Speedwell ( Veronica
chamoudrys) .

"Larva. — Length, about five-eighths of an inch, and scarcely
so stout as seems usual in the genus. Head small, and narrower
than the second segment ; it is polished, rather flat in front, but
rounded at the sides. Body cylindrical, of fairly uniform width,
but tapering a little at the extremities ; segmental divisions well
defined; the skin, with a soft and half-transparent appearance,
is sparingly clothed with short hairs. There are two varieties,
which are perhaps about equally numerous. In one of them the
ground color is a bright grass green ; in the other it is equally
yellow green; in both forms the head is pale yellowish brown,
very prettily reticulated with intense black. The dark-green, or,
in some of the specimens, dark-brown alimentary canal forms the
dorsal stripe ; subdorsal lines rather indistinct, grayish white ;
below there is a still more indistinct waved line of the same color ;
there is, again, a similarly colored faint line along the spiracular
region, and the segmental divisions are also of this pale color. In
some specimens the hairs are gray; in others, brown. Ventral
surface uniformly of the same color as the ground of the dorsal
area ; the legs reticulated and the prolegs tipped with black.

" Papa. — The pupa is attached by the tail only, is rather long,
but slender. The head, which is the thickest part, is abruptly
rounded, and has the snout very prominent ; thorax and abdomen
rounded above, rather flattened beneath, and attenuated strongly
to the anal point ; eye, leg and wing cases fairly prominent, the
last prolonged a considerable distance over the abdominal seg-
ments." (Porritt.)

STENOPTILIA EXCLAMATIONIS.

Mimeseoptilus exclamationis Wlsm., Pter. Cal. and Ore., p. 32, Plate III.,
fig. 10 (1880).

Expanse of wings, 22 mm. Head and palpi above, gray, with
brown scales on the sides and beneath the palpi ; thorax gray,
with a brown spot on the top. Antennae brownish gray. Abdo-
men ochreous brown. Legs brownish above, whitish beneath ;
feet white.

Fore wings gray, sprinkled with fuscous ; costa fuscous ; a row
of fuscous spots runs from the base along under the cell for one-
third the length of the wing ; a small fuscous dash under the costa

60

before the middle. Two fuscous spots before the eud of the fis-
sure, and beyond them, on the first lobe, a fuscous dash, pointing
toward the upper spot, both together forming an exclamation
point ; above, the costa is spotted with fuscous. Fringes around
the fissure white ; along the outer margin cinereous, with a fus-
cous line at their base, but interrupted with white on the middle
of the anterior and at the upper angle of the posterior lobe. Hind
wings fuscous, with brownish scales. Fringes brownish.

Habitat. — California, Oregon. Early stages and food plant
unknown.

STENOPTILIA MENGELI, n. s.

Expanse of wings, 20 mm. Head, palpi, thorax, abdomen and
legs dark ashy gray. A fine white line occurs over each eye.

Fore wings ashy gray and glistening ; a few dark fuscous scales
on the first lobe form an ill-defined longitudinal stripe on the mid-
dle ; a fuscous spot at the end of the cleft and a less distinct one
on the middle of the cell. Hind wings ashy gray. Allied to S.
exclamationis and S. semicostata.

Early stages and food plant unknown.

Described from ten specimens, in poor condition, in the collec-
tion of the American Entomological Society, taken by Mr. L. W.
Mengel at McCormack's Bay, North Greenland. In the " Ento-
mological News," Vol. V., p. 129, I gave an account of McCor-
mack's Bay, where these insects were taken.

STENOPTILIA SEMICOSTATA.
Mimeseoptilus semicostatus Zell., Beitr., p. 123 (1873).

Expanse of wings, 18 mm. Head grayish, with a fine white
line above the eyes. Antennae grayish, white toward the base.
Thorax dusted with brown in front, whitish behind. Abdomen
slender, pale yellowish, with two black dots on the end of each of
the three segments before the last. Legs whitish.

Fore wings brownish gray, shading into pale reddish ochre along
the hind margin and upon both lobes. In the middle of the space,
between the base and the fissure, is a black dot. At the fissure,
at the beginning of the second lobe, is a similar dot, and above it,
in one example, is a larger but very distinct wisp-like mark. One
example has in the middle of each lobe a fine, brown longitudinal
streak ; upon the first lobe it is short and in the middle, upon the
second it is long and reaches quite to the hind margin. Fringes
of hind margin of first lobe whitish at the base, gray outwardly ;
fringe of outer margin pure white with two black dots, one behind

61

the other. Fringes of second lobe gray, dark outwardly except at
the apex, where they are white with two black dots. Hind wings
brownish gray ; fringes dark gray, with a clear fine line at their
base and around the apex of the first two feathers.

Habitat. — Texas. Early stages and food plant unknown.

STENOPTILIA COLORADENSIS, n. s.

Expanse of wings, 17-24 mm. Head and front half of thorax
dark ashy gray ; hind part of thorax much lighter towards the
abdomen, which is ashy gray above and lighter beneath. A fine
whitish longitudinal line occurs on each side of the head, over the
eyes.

Fore wings with a dark-brown stripe along the costa, which
widens outwardly to include the whole of the first lobe, which is
more or less sprinkled with white scales, especially on the middle
of the wing and at the base and near the end of the first lobe, the
two latter forming two more or less defined oblique white stripes,
the outer one of which is much more oblique and narrower than
the one above the end of the fissure. Hind half of the wing much
lighter, with a somewhat indistinct brown spot on the middle of
the cell and another just within the end of the cleft. Fringes
brownish, with a sub-basal darker line. Hind wings and fringes
grayish brown.

Early stages and food plant unknown.

Described from four examples from Colorado.

ORNEODID^E.

This family is not so closely related to the Pterophoridse as was
supposed by the early entomologists, and is introduced here merely
because there is only a single species known in this country; and,
as it is placed near the Pterophoridae in collections, generally, it
may be convenient to treat of it here.

M\\ Meyrick has given the following characters : —
Ocelli distinct. Tongue developed. Maxillary palpi obsolete.
Fore wings six-cleft, cell very short, vein 5 absent, 7 separate, 8
and 9 coincident. Hind wings six-cleft, cell very short, 5 absent,
7 out of 6 near origin, 8 free.

GENUS ORNEODES Latr., Free. d. Car., p. 148 (1796).

Labial palpi long, obliquely ascending, second segment tufted,
third segment long and slim. Veins 5, 6, 9 and 10 wanting in
the fore wings.

62

The following well-known European species occurs in the
western part of this country : —

ORNEODES HEXAPACTYLA.

Alucita hexadactyla Linn., Syst. Nat., Ed. X., Vol. II.,

p. 542 (1758).
Alucita montana Ckll., MS., Ent. Mon. Mag., Vol. XXV ,

p. 213 (1889).

Expanse of wings, 13-16 mm. Head and thorax dark gray.

Fore wings ochreous gray, with two dark-gray bands edged
with whitish crossing them ; the first on the middle of the wing
and wider on the costa, where it is interrupted in the middle by a
white edged gray spot ; the second is subterminal, and wider on
the middle of the wing. A dark spot on the costa between the
bands, and two others before the first band. A dark-brown or
black dot on the apex of each of the feathers of both wings ;
feathers of the hind wings whitish and dotted with dark gray.

Habitat. — Europe, Missouri, California, Oregon, Canada, Mani-
toba. Food, Lonicera.

The eggs are laid in the early spring, on the flower-buds of the
honey -suckle, and the larvae, when hatched, feed inside of the buds
and flowers.

Explanation of Plate I.

EXTERNAL ANATOMY OF PTEROPHOBUS MONODACTYLUS.

[All the drawings enlarged.]

Fig. 1. Side view of denuded body of male.

Fig. 2. Top view of denuded body of male.

Fig. 3. Top view of head.

Fig. 4. Front view of head.

Fig. 5. Labial palpus.

Fig. 6. Base of tongue and labrum.

Fig. 7. Antenna of male.

Fig. 8. Fore leg.

Fig. 9. Tibial epiphysis.

Fig. 10. Middle leg.

Fig. 11. Hind leg.

Fig. 12. Portion of hind tibia, showing tuft of scales.

Fig. 13. Claw from the hind leg.

65

Flale I.

66

Explanation of Plate II.

Fig. 1. Fore wing of Platyptilia carduidactyla, showing veins numbered. A,
apex of first lobe ; B, anal angle of first lobe ; C, apex of second lobe ; />, anal
angle of second lobe.

Fig. 2. Hind wing of Platyptilia carduidactyla, showing veins numbered.

Fig. 3. Fore wing of Oxyptilus periscelidactylus.

Fig. 4. Hind wing of Oxyptilus periscelidactylus.

Fig. 5. Fore wing of Alucita cinerascens.

Fig. 6. Hind wing of Alucita cinerascens.

67

F»lnte II.

/2

(58

Explanation of Plate III.

Fig. l. Fore wing of Stenoptilia exclamationis.

Fig. 2. Hind wing of Stenoptilia exclamationis.

Fig. 3. Fore wing of Pterophorus monodactylus.

Fig. 4. Hind wing of Pterophorus monodactylus.

Fig. 5. Fore wing of Pterophorus inquinatus.

Fig. 6. Hind wing of Pterophorus inquinatus.

69

Plato III.

70

Explanation of Plate IV.

MALE GENITALTA OF FTEROPIIOKID^E.

[Parts of the genitalia : A, dorsal plate; B, uncus; C, clasp; D, ventral plate; E, elongated
internal chitinous appendage.]

Fig. 1. Pterophorus homodactylus, side view.

Fig. 2. Pterophorus homodactylus, top view.

Fig. 3. Pterophorus inquinatus, side view.

Fig. 4. Pterophorus inquinatus, top view.

Fig. 5. Pterophorus kelliCOttii, view of inside of left clasper.

Fig. 6. Pterophorus kellicottii, top view.

Fig. 7. Pterophorus stramineus, side view.

Fig. 8. Pterophorus stramineus, outside of left clasper.

Fig. 9. Pterophorus subochraceus, side view.

Fig. 10. Pterophorus sulphureodactylus, side view.

Fig. 11. Pterophorus sulphureodactylus, dorsal plate.

Fig. 12. Pterophorus lugubris, view of inside of left clasper.

Fig. 13. Pterophorus lugubris, top view.

71

Flute IV.

13

72

Explanation of Plate V.

MALK GENITALIA OF

Fig. l. Oxyptilus periscelidactylus, side view.

Fig. 2. Oxyptilus periscelidactylus, view from beneath.

Fig. 3. Pterophorus sulphureodactylus, side view.

Fig. 4. Pterophorus sulphureodactylus, top view of dorsal plate.

Fig. 5. Pterophorus cineraceus, side view.

Fig. 6. Pterophorus cineraceus, top view of dorsal plate.

Fig. 7. Platyptilia adusta, side view.

Fig. 8. Platyptilia adusta, top view.

Fig. 9. Pterophorus grandis, side view.

Fig. 10. Pterophorus grandis, top view.

Fig. 11. Alucita montana, side view.

Fig. 12. Alucita montana, top view.

Fig. 13. Trichoptilus ochrodactylus, side view.

Fig. 14. Trichoptilus ochrodactylus, top view.

Fig. 15. Pterophorus eupatorii, side view.

Fig. 16. Pterophorus eupatorii, top view of dorsal plate and uncus.

73

Plate

16

74

Explanation of Plate VI.

MALE GENITALIA OF'PTEKOPIIORIDJK.

Fig. 1. Oxyptilus ningoris, side view.

Fig. 2. Oxyptilus ningoris, top view.

Fig. 3. Oxyptilus ningoris, view from beneath.

Fig. 4. Oxyptilus tenuidactylus, side view.

Fig. f>. Oxyptilus tenuidactylus, top view.

Fig. 6. Oxyptilus tenuidactylus, view from beneath.

Fig. 7. Oxyptilus delawaricus, side view.

Fig. 8. Oxyptilus delawaricus, top view.

Fig. 9. Pterophorus cretidactylus, side view.

Fig. 10. Pterophorus cretidactylus, top view of dorsal plate

and uncus.

Fig. 11. Orneodes hexadactyla, side view.

Fig. 12. Orneodes hexadactyla, top view.

Fig. 13. Orneodes hexadactyla, view from beneath.

Fig. 14. Pterophorus ambrosise, side view.

Fig. 15. Pterophorus ambrosise, top v!ew.

Fig. 16. Pterophorus ambrosiae, view of inside of right clasper.

Fig. 17. Pterophorus ambrosise, view of inside of left claeper.

75

Plate "VI.

76

Explanation of Plate VII.

GKNITALIA OF PTEUOPIIOKIDJK.

Fig. 1. Pterophorus monodactylus, side view.

Fig. 2. Pterophorus monodactylus, top view.

Fig. 3. Pterophorus monodactylus, inside view of right clasper.

Fig. 4. Pterophorus monodactylus, inside view of left clasper.

Fig. 5. Pterophorus monodactylus, female.

Fig. 6. Platyptilia edwardsii, side view.

Fig. 7. Platyptilia edwardsii, top view.

Fig. 8. Platyptilia carduidactyla, side view.

Fig. 9. Platyptilia carduidactyla, top view.

Fig. 10. Platyptilia carduidactyla, view of inside of left clasper.

Fig. 11. Platyptilia carduidactyla, ventral plate.

Fig. 12. Trichoptilus lobidactylus, side view.

Fig. 13. Trichoptilus lobidactylus, top view.

Fig. 14. Trichoptilus lobidactylus outside view of left clasper.

77

Plate "VET.

11

78

Explanation of Plate VIII.

MALE GEN IT A LI A OF PTEROPHORID^E.

Fig. 1. Pterophorus elliottii, side view.

Fig. 2. Pterophorus elliottii, top view.

Fig. 3. Stenoptilia exclamationis, side view.*

Fig. 4. Stenoptilia exclamationis, top view.*

Fig. 5. Platyptilia albidorsella, side view.

Fig. 6. Platyptilia albidorsella, top view.

Fig. 7. Platyptilia albidorsella, end view of uncus.

Fig. 8. Platyptilia tesseradactyla, Bide view.

Fig. 9. Platyptilia tesseradactyla, top view.

Fig. 10. Platyptilia albida, side view.

Fig. 11. Platyptilia albida, top view.

Fig. 12. Platyptilia albicans, side view.

Fig. 13. Platyptilia albicans, top view.

Fig. 14. Platyptilia percnodactyla, side view.

Fig. 15. Platyptilia percnodactyla, top view.

The uncus is wanting in the specimens from which these drawings were made.

79

Flate

80

Explanation of Plate IX.

MALE GENITALIA OF PTEROPHORIDJE.

Fig. 1. Platyptilia cosmodactyla, side view.

Fig. 2. Platyptilia cosmodactyla, top view.

Fig. 3. Platyptilia cosmodactyla, end of uncns.

Fig. 4. Platyptilia marginidactyla, side view.

Fig. 5. Platyptilia marginidactyla, top view.

Fig. 6. Platyptilia albiciliata, side- view.

Fig. 7. Platyptilia albiciliata, top view.

Fig. 8. Platyptilia albiciliata, end of nnctis.

Fig. 9. Alucita cinerascens, side view.

Fig. 10. Alucita cinerascens, top view.

Fig. 11. Alucita cinerascens, view of an internal chitinons piece.

Fig. 12. Pterophorus guttatus, side view.

Fig. 13. Pterophorus guttatus, top view of dorsal plate.

Fig. 14. Platyptilia ochrodactyla, side view.

Fig. 15. Platyptilia ochrodactyla, top view.

81

Plate IX.

13

15

INDEX OF GENERA.

PACK

Aciptilus, . ' . 15, 35, 36, 37, 39
Alucita, . . ^ . •. . . 36
Ahicita, . 25, 33, 40, 42, 51, 52, 58, 62

Amblyptilus, . ... -24, 25

Leioptilus, . . . . 41, 45
Lioptilus, 41, 43, 44, 45, 47, 48, 49, 50

Mimeseoptilus,
(Edematophortts,

. 58, 59, 60
52, 53, 54, 55, 56

PAGE

Orneodes, . . . ,' . 61
Oxyptilus, .... . 16
Platyptilia, . . . . . 22
Platyptilus, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 34

Pterophorus, .

Fterophorus, .

Stenoptilia,

Trichoptilus, .

. . . .39
.15, 17,20,26,31,34

. 57
. 13

INDEX OF SPECIES

acanthodactyla,
adusta, .
adustus, . . -i,:
agraphodactylus, .
albicans, .
albiciliata,
albiciliatiis,
albida,
albidorsella, .
albidorsellus, .
albidus, .
ambrosice,
angustus,
baroni,
belfragei,

PA OK

... . 25
. . . 32

. . . 32
. . . 47
.32
. . 32
.32
. . .29
. 30
. 30
. 29
. 56
. 44
. . . 54
f "*- . . 37
34

coloradensis, .

PAGK

. . .61
30

cosraodactyla,
cosmodactylus,
cretidactylus, .
cretidactylus, .
delai'aricus,
delawaricus, .
edwardsii,
elliottii, .
eupatorii,
exclamationis,
fishii,

. . . .25
. 25
... 52
. . .. . 52
. 20
. . .19
. . . . 25
. ' . . . 42
.' . . .52
... .59
... . 40

fragilis, . ,
grandis, . .

.... 28

. . . 30, 50
54

34

55

brucei,
californicus, . .

. 42
. - . . 15
. . . 26

53

43

hexadactyla, .
hololeucos,^
hoinodactylus,
inconditus,
inquinatus,
kellicottii,

. 62
. 41
. 41
. . . . 47
. 56
49

carduidactyla, .
carchiidactylus, .
cerrimdactyhts, .

. 26
. ' . 26
. 34
. . 54

39

51

43

lobidactylus, ..... 15

lugubris, 55

inarginidactyla, . . . .34
marginidactylus, . . . .34

mathewianus, 45

mengeli, 60

modesta, 31

modestus, 31

monodactyla, . . . . .51

inonodactylus. .... 51

montana, . . • • .37
montana, ...... 62

montanus, ..... 37

naevosidactylus, .... 51

nebulaedactylus, . . . .34

nigrociliatits, 20

ningoris, ...... 20

occidentalis, 52

ochrodactylus. .... 15

orthocarpi, 29

paleaceus, 45

parvus, 48

per gracilidacty lus, ,
percnodactyla,
percnodactylus,
periscelidactylus,
petrodactyla, .
petrodactylus, .
pica.

PAGE

. 51
. 27
. 27
. 17
. 31
. 31
. 24

pterodactyla, .

. 58
58

pygmaeus,
rileyi,
semicostata, .
semicostatus, .

. U
. 50
. 60
. 60
45

shastai, .

. 28
44

subochraceus, .
sulphnreodactylus,
sulphureus.
tenuidactylus,
tesseradactyla,
walsinghami. .

. 43
. 44
. 44
. 20
. 33
. 36

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