NORTH AMERICAN LEPIDOPTERA. 101 



secure priority. Many points of distinction relied upon by him in 

 venation are to some extent variable, and consequently there may 

 have to be some modification of his genera in the future, when, from 

 larger material, the full range of variation in species can be definitely 

 ascertained. 



In " Entomologica Americana" vol. iv, p. 113, 1888, the author 

 <»f the present paper described twelve new genera of Phycitidse. 



The only division of the famil}' into groups higher than genera is 

 the division noted above, made by Mr. Ragonot. In a paper in the 

 " Entomologist's Monthly Magazine," vol. xxii, he proposes two sub- 

 fixmilies, Phycitina? and Anerastiuiie, distinguished by the presence 

 and absence or nearly so of the tongue. I am not prepared to accept 

 this division of the family, inasmuch as there is a comparatively 

 gradual variation in the length and strength of the tongue in the 

 species. In some cases where comparatively long it is weak, and 

 sometimes where comparatively short it is strong and corneous. In- 

 deed, of the typical genus and species of Anerastinse, Anerastia 

 /otelki, von Heinemann, describing the genus, says truly, " die zunge 

 ist zwar vorsteckt, aber vorhanden hornig und gerollt," and again 

 he remarks of the species, " mit deutlicher zunge." The tongue is 

 indeed twice or more the length of the head. Moreover, and this 

 is perhaps more important, neither in this nor any of the higher 

 groups of the Lepidoptera have the presence and absence of the 

 tongue been recognized as having subfamily value. Venation has 

 always been considered of far greater importance, and the subfami- 

 lies of the Pyralidie have been almost entirely based upon the num- 

 ber and course of the veins. The absolute loss of one or more veins 

 would seem to me to be a far better basis for a natural grouping, but 

 even this cannot be relied upon, inasmuch as it separates species that 

 are undoubtedly very closely allied and throws together those widely 

 aberrant ; on the one hand some with the strongest Epipaschiid, and 

 on the other hand some with the strongest Cramboid tendencies. 

 I have little doubt, however, that the structure of the genitalia 

 of the S will furnish a basis for a natural and sharp distinction. 

 As will be shown .hereafter, there are in the genitalia of the Phy- 

 citidae two marked types of structure, and these conform very closely 

 as well to the general tendencies of structure otherwise in the family. 

 In the one type the lower anal plate is present, spatulate or conical, 

 agreeing with the Epipaschiid type; in the other the lower plate is 

 wanting. On this basis I propose the division of the family into 



