XXXli,'21] ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS 57 



New Synonymy in a Recent Paper on the European Corn-Borer, 



(Lepid.) 



At the close of an otherwise valuable paper by W. P. Flint and J. R. 

 Malloch, ("The European Corn-Borer and Some Similar Native In- 

 sects" Bull. 111. Dept. Registration and Education, vol. 13. art. 10, pp. 

 287-305, June, 1920), the authors describe a new species under the 

 name Pyransta caffrcii. The description is drawn from a single crippled 

 male without biological notes and from two females without locality 

 labels. The male type, according to the authors themselves, is in too 

 poor condition for the wing markings to be properly distinguished, but 

 it is described as darker than the females which are said to be very 

 similar in color and markings to obumbratilis Flint & Malloch (obitni- 

 bratalis Lederer?) (ainslici Heinrich) with forewings of a pale straw 

 yellow. The specimens were apparently associated as conspecific on the 

 ground that each possesses a conically produced face. A slight ac- 

 quaintance with the Pyralidac should have told the authors that this 

 is a generic character which excludes their supposed new species from 

 the genus Pyransta. In such a difficult group as the Pyraustinae the 

 description of new species on such material would be indefensible even 

 for one thoroughly familiar with all the described forms. In the present 

 instance it is entirely unwarranted. Fortunately the authors have given 

 figures of the male genitalia of their type which enables definite fixa- 

 tion of their wrongly placed species as a synonym of the common, 

 widely distributed Loxostegc similalis Gn. making caffrcii Flint & 

 Malloch the fourteenth name for this much described species. The 

 female paratype from unknown locality associated with the unique 

 crippled male is obviously another species, but causes no concern, as 

 it does not affect the nomenclature. This case is a conspicuous example 

 of the value of male genitalia in the determination of Lepidoptera. 

 Even a mediocre partial figure enables correction of a wrong generic 

 determination and the definite placing of an otherwise valueless type 

 of an imperfectly described species, the name of which would other- 

 wise remain a burden on our list. 



With regard to Pvransta obumbratalis Led. (obumbratilis Flint and 

 Malloch) there is no question but that the species treated and figured 

 under this name by Flint and Malioch is Pyransta ainslici Heinrich. 

 The actual identity of obumbratalis Lederer cannot at present be as- 

 certained without an examination of the type. It may prove to be 

 either ainslici or pcnitalis or some other species. For this reason it is 

 advisable at present to have a sure name for a definite concept and to 

 retain the name ainslici for the l\<l\yonum feeder. 



The figures and interpretations given by Flint and Malloch show a 

 serious lack of knowledge of the parts of the male genitalia. The 

 "basal spur," which the authors refer to as lacking in my figure of 

 ainslici. is evidently the aedoeanus which I stated was purposely omitted 

 from my drawing. This is poorly represented by the black central 



