BY E. MEYRICK. 605 



48, Opostega, Z. 



Head roiigh-haired, back of crown smooth ; ocelli absent ; 

 tongue short or absent. Antennae ^, in ^ filiform, simple, basal 

 joint very greatly enlarged, dilated and concave beneath to form 

 large eyecap, without pecten. Labial palpi short, drooping, 

 filiform. Maxillary palpi long, folded, filiform. Abdomen more 

 or less flattened. Posterior tibiie and first joint of tarsi with long 

 stiff bristle-like scales, inner middle spur extremely lon^. Fore- 

 wings with vein 1 simple, cell open between 2 and 11, veins 3-10 

 absent ; lower surface with large basal denuded patch beneath 

 costa. Hindwings ^-h, narrowly lanceolate, beneath with median 

 pecten of stiff scales towards base, cilia 3-5 ; cell open between 2 

 and 5, 3 absent, 4 absent. 



This is a highly peculiar and very isolated genus, at present 

 known only by a few species from the Northern hemisphere besides 

 the Australian. Although it is convenient to place it at the end 

 of the family, it probably has no near relationship to the genera 

 immediately preceding. The presence of the antennal eyecap, and 

 the degraded neuration have led to its previous association with 

 them, but these characters are illusory ; in them the eyecap is 

 formed in large part by the pecten, whilst in Opostega, though the 

 eyecap is much larger, it. is wholly constituted by the basal joint 

 itself, which is enormously enlarged ; and the degradation of the 

 neuration much exceeds that which is found in them. On the 

 other hand, the rough face and long folded maxillary palpi point 

 distinctly to a connection with the groups of Tinea or Erechthias, 

 especially perhaps the latter; and it is most probable that Opostega 

 is a degenerate and very ancient development of that group, the 

 connecting links being perhaps wholly extinct. The broad 

 depressed abdomen, which is a marked character of Opostega^ is 

 found in Eurytyla, one of that group. The structure of the 

 posterior legs and the special structures of the wings appear to be 

 peculiar to Opostega, and nothing approaching them occurs in any 

 other genei-a of the family. 



