182 GEO. D. HULST. 



L,.-ETII.IA Rag. 

 (Type coccidivora Comst.) 

 Cat. N. A. Phyc. Euto. Am. p. 116, 1889. 



Labial palpi generally somewhat ascending, rarely appearing por- 

 rect, end member quite long, one-half middle member ; maxillary 

 palpi distinct, not tufted ; ocelli present ; antenna simple, not bent 

 above base ; tongue weak, rather short. Venation : fore wings 11 

 veins, 4 and 5 stemmed, 10 separate ; hind wings 7 veins, 2 at angle, 

 3 and 4 short stemmed, 8 very short ; cell short, about one-third of 

 wing. 



I am not at all certain this genus has a right to exist. It has not 

 been described that I am aware of, but Mi*. Ragonot catalogues it 

 with the species coccidivora and ephestiella under it. There seems to 

 be here what is otherwise unknown to me, a variation in the labial 

 palpi. I have some specimens from Texas where they are erect, and 

 others where they are absolutely horizontal. In every other respect 

 these specimens agree ; these are not sexual variations ; nor do I feel 

 justified in looking upon the difference as an evidence of two spe- 

 cies, for I have intermediate forms. The New Mexico specimens all 

 have porrect palpi. 



1. Li. cocciilivora Comstock, N. A. Euto. i, 25, 1879. pi. 4 (Dakruma, coc- 

 cidivora) ; Rfpt. U. S. Agiic. Dept. 1880; Packard, Ins. Iiij. to Shade Trees, p. 54. 

 pallida Comstock, Dept. Agric. Eept. 



Expands 10 — 18 mm. Head above dark ash-gray, with a faint coppery reflec- 

 tion, below and behind the eyes, white. Eyes black and coarsely faceted : lower 

 surface of the antennse pale brown, upper surface dark gray, with coppery and 

 green reflection. Labial palpi black, sprinkled with white scales, and with the 

 base almost entirely white. Masillse rust-red, with the basal half clothed with 

 white scales, interspersed with a few black ones. Thorax above and patagife 

 dark gray, with browu and green reflections. Abdomen annulated with brown 

 predominating above, the light gray beneath. Fore wings light gray, marked 

 with brown and black. A light band extends across the outer part of the basal 

 third of the wing; the costal half of this baud is wide, reaching nearly to the 

 base of the wings ; the remaining half is narrow. Near the base of the wings 

 there is a short transverse gray band, which is sometimes obsolete; exterior to 

 this is a short longitudinal black spot, which also varies greatly in size and in- 

 tensity of color. The light band which extends across the outer part of the 

 basal third of the wing is bordered externally by a dark band, which is narrow 

 on the costa and near the middle of the wing, widens so as to reach the outer 

 third of the wing. There are two black discal spots which are sometimes dis- 

 tinct, but more often united, so as to form a single crescent-shaped spot opening 

 outward. A row of sis or seven black spots on the outer margin, and one-fourth 

 the distance to the body, a wavy light gray band parallel to the exterior margin, 

 and bordered on each side with dark brown ; the costal end of the outer of these 



