Thyrididee 
FAMILY THYRIDID 7 E 
“ And yet I will exercise your promised patience by saying a little of the 
Caterpillar, or the Palmer-fly or worm, that by them you may guess what a work it 
were in a discourse but to run over those very many flies, worms, and little living 
creatures with which the sun and summer adorn and beautify the river-banks and 
meadows, both for the recreation and contemplation of us Anglers : pleasures which, 
I think, myself enjoy more than any other man that is not of my profession.” 
Izaak Walton. — The Compleat Angler, Chap. V, Pt. i 
The Thyrididce are a small family of moths revealing decided 
affinity to the Pyralidce. They have been characterized as follows 
by Hampson, “Moths of India,” Vol. I, p. 352: “Moths generally 
with hyaline patches and striae on the wings. Palpi obliquely 
upturned and slender. Antennae almost simple. Fore wing 
with vein 1 a forming a fork with 1 b at base; 1 c absent; 5 from 
near lower angle of cell, blind wing with two internal veins; 
vein 8 nearly touching vein 7 just before or after the end ol 
the cell. Mid tibia with one pair of spurs; hind tibia with two 
pairs. 
Larva pyraliform, with five pairs of legs.” 
Six genera are attributed to this family in the last list of the 
species found within the United States which has been pub¬ 
lished. Of four of these we give illustrations. 
Genus THYRIS Laspeyres 
(1) Thyris maculata Harris, Plate XLVII, Fig. 30, $. 
(The Spotted Thyris.) 
Syn. perspicua Walker. 
The moth is a native of the Eastern States. It is not common. 
(2) Thyris lugubris Boisduval, Plate XLVII, Fig. 31, $. 
(The Mournful Thyris.) 
Syn. sepulchralis Boisduval; nevadce Oberthiir. 
The range of the species is coincident with that of its only 
other congener in the United States. 
Genus DYSODIA Clemens 
(1) Dysodia oculatana Clemens, Plate III, Fig. 10, $. (The 
Eyed Dysodia.) 
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