36 PROCEEDINGS ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY 







type of Spuler's genus Micrurapteryx^ and that genus is therefore 

 included in this list. 



Under Gracilaria the following changes have been made, fidgi- 

 della Clem, and Elotella Busck have been transferred to Marmara, 

 on account of complete accord in venation as well as in other 

 respects. 



The classification which is here presented is based principally 

 upon the position of vein 11 in the forewings, the movement 

 forward of the costal or the dorsal series of veins along the ante- 

 rior portion of the cell, and the relationship of veins 7 and 8 in 

 the hindwings. There is one character which has not been in- 

 cluded in the present paper which may prove to be of value. 

 Acrocercops has a weak longitudinal vein through the middle 

 of the cell in the forewings which appears to have been wholly 

 lost in Gracilaria. The same vein is shown very faintly and brok- 

 enly in some of the other genera. 



There would appear to be three main branches within this 

 family, represented by Gracilaria, Parornix and Acrocercops. Of 

 these Gracilaria is generally accepted as approaching most nearly 

 the primitive form. Some species of Parornix, however, in the 

 shape of the wings and form of venation of the hind wings, are 

 strongly suggestive of the Micropteryx type. Stainton indeed 

 uses the name Ornichidae for the family (p. 10, Ins. Brit., 1854) 

 though he afterwards abandons it in favor of Gracilariidae. Parec- 

 topa appears to be an intermediate between Gracilaria and Paror- 

 nix. Micrurapteryx is from gracilariid stock and is related to 

 Parectopa while Dialectica, Chilocampyla, Leucospilapteryx and 

 Apophthisis are closely related to Acrocercops. Marmara pre- 

 serves a portion of the base of 7 parallel to 8 which suggests a 

 relationship to the Gracilariid branch probably nearest to Parec- 

 topa. Phyllonorycter and its allies do not show a close relation- 

 ship to any of the other genera and the parallel condition of 7 

 with 5, 6, is a great departure from the form of venation found 

 in Gracilaria. It may be that this group is worthy of the family 

 rank that is given it by some authors. 



The difficulties in the way of interpreting a degraded neura- 

 tion are illustrated in the case of Leucanthiza. There is nothing 

 in the venation to show that it may not have been derived from 

 Gracilaria, at the same time there is no positive evidence that it 

 was so derived. The venation of the hindwings has been re- 

 duced to very nearly the simplest terms. There remain only 

 the stems of the main branches, all separate. It would be diffi- 

 cult to see, for example, were venation the only guide, why the 



1 Spuler, Schmet. Eur. Band 2, p. 409, 1910. 



