110 THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 



SYSTEMATIC ARRANGEMENT OF THE NORTH AMERICAN 



LEPIDOPTERA. 



BY A. RADCLIFFE GROTE, A. M., HILDESHEIM, GERMANY. 



The first attempt at an arrangement of the N. Am. Lepidoptera, 

 including a reform in the nomenclature, which I published in 1896 1 , calls 

 for some corrections. In the present list I have endeavoured to supply 

 these, but, doubtless, there are others which have escaped me. Since 

 1896, Lord Walsingham and Mr. Durrant 2 have fixed the types of the 

 genera Tortrix, Tinea, Alucita and Pterophoms, in the two former 

 confirming my doubtful determination of 1895 3 an d correcting the type of 

 the last named genus to monodactyla. I have followed Dyar, in Can. 

 Ent., in using Hipocritida? instead of Arctiidre. I cannot find the sure 

 type of Geometra or Noctua. I reject, however, the latter name, since it 

 was differently used by Klein in 1753, and the assumption of 1758 as the 

 basis of nomenclature is arbitrary. The present arrangement is based on 

 that of the Syst. Lep. Hild., 1S95. The views of Dyar with regard to the 

 value of the larval tubercles are adopted. The superfamilies are regarded 

 as parallel growths. It seems probable that the Hesperiades, Sphingides, 

 Saturniades and Bombycides (Agrotides) are separate developments from 

 the Tineid phylum. The subfamilies mark breaks in the sequence. This 

 latter is arbitrary, but no scientific reason has been adduced for changing 

 the general Linnsean plan, which is practically the most convenient. With 

 regard to the family names, the oldest term, employed in a collective form 

 and not preoccupied, is retained. At a time when new Catalogues are 

 preparing, the publication of systems will be useful. The diurnals are 

 arranged according to the diphyletic classification of 1897, the sequence 

 and value of the groups are given by me in April, 1900*. With regard to 

 the origin of the Lepidoptera, the Micropterygides show hymenopteriform 

 and trichopteriform, the Hepialides neuropteriform characteristics. 



Lepidoptera. 

 Superfamily Papi/ionides, Grote emend. 1897. 

 Family Parnassiidae. Type Parnassius apollo, L. 



Family Papilionidpe. Type Papilio machaon, L. 



1 Mitt. RoemerMus., No. 7. 



2 Ent. Month. Mag., 1897. 



3 Systema Lep. Hild., August, 1S95. 



4 id. Zweite Folge. 



