AMERICAN MICROLEPIDOPTEKA. 101 



CHARACTERS OF THE GROUP. 



Head smooth scaled, with closely appressed scales, rarely some- 

 what roughened. Forehead broad and rounded ; face more or less 

 strongly receding below. In some males the scales diverge from the 

 median line below, disclosing a more or less distinct, glabrous 

 fossa, which, in one genus (Ploiophora), affords lodgment for the 

 labial palpi of the male in repose. Eyes oval, moderately promi- 

 nent. Labial palpi very short, inconspicuous or almost rudimentary 

 in the males (except Ploiophova) ; longer and more distinct in the 

 females (except Dryope and Ejngritia). Maxillary palpi obsolete. 

 Tongue long and scaly throughout. Antennse setiform, about two- 

 thirds the length of fore wings, stronger, finely pubescent and with 

 a line of cilia beneath in the males, simple and smooth in the fe 

 males, basal joint expanded into an eye-cup, with strongly marked 

 pecten. 



Fore wings elongate, lanceolate ; costa feebly convex in some, 

 straight or somewhat depressed along the middle third or two-fifths. 

 Cilia over one. All veins present ; veins 2 to 5 close together from 

 posterior angle of cell; 4 and 5 stalked or free; vein 2 jijroceeds to 

 hind margin at an almost right angle to the posterior median ; veins 

 7 and 8 stalked, vein 7 to apex or costa before it, veins 9 and 10 

 free, generally close together from or near anterior angle of cell, or, 

 more rarely, 9 arises out of 7; vein 11 arises before middle of cell 

 and attains the costa beyond the middle third; vein \b distinctly 

 forked at the base with the lower branch less distinct. Cell long 

 and narrow, closed, truncate behind. Hind wings nariow, lanceo- 

 late ; costa approximately straight, anal angle strongly rounded, 

 almost lobed ; hind margin impressed behind anal angle, then feebly 

 curved to apex. Cilia long. 7 veins, 5 absent, cell open, except 

 between veins 6 and 7, where it is closed by an oblique, delicate 

 vein, nearly opposite to where the posterior median divides into its 

 end branches (veins 3 and 4) ; vein 6 arises as a pseudoneuron near 

 the base, bisects the cell into two unequal halves, until it reaches the 

 fragmentary transverse vein, when it becomes a true vein and 

 attains the hind margin at some distance from the tip ; the anterior 

 median runs close to the costa and attains the latter shortly before 

 the tip. 



The moths are generally small sized, rarely expanding more than 

 one half inch. Predominating colors ochreous to fuscous brown, 



TRANS. AM. ENT. SOC, XXVII. OCTOBEE, 1900. 



