A GENERIC REVISION OF AMERICAN MOTHS OF THE 

 FAMILY CECOPHORID^, WITH DESCRIPTIONS OF 

 NEW SPECIES. 



By August Busck, 



Of the U. S. Depart »i cut of Agriculture. 



The family CEcophoridae comprises a well-defined natural group of 

 Tineid moths, which may be recognized by the following characters : 

 Head normally smooth, with appressed scales, sometimes with loose 

 scales and spreading side tufts. Antennae normally with pecten on 

 basal joint, though in some genera without. Labial palpi well 

 developed, generally curved upward; terminal joint acutely pointed. 

 Maxillary palpi obsolete or very small, simple, appressed. Forewings 

 normally with 12 veins (sometimes 11 by coincidence) ; veins 7 and 3 

 stalked (or rarely coincident) ; 7 to costa or termen; veins 2 and 10 

 from before the angles of the cell; P furcate at base. Hindwings 

 with 8 veins (or rarely with only 7, through coincidence) ; veins G and 

 7 remote, parallel; 3 and 4 normally connate or stalked (though in 

 a few genera separate and in one genus coincident) ; 8 free. Posterior 

 tibia; clothed with rough hairs above. 



These characters suffice to distinguish the family from all other 

 Microlepidoptera except the allied family Blastobasida? and a few 

 genera of the Gelechiida?, which partake of most or all of them. 



These Gelechiida? are, however, readily distinguished by the sinu- 

 ate hindwings, and the Blastobasida; are easily separated by the fol- 

 lowing differences : The very long cell in the forewing, as compared 

 with the lengths of the apical veins and the massing of these veins 

 (2-10) at the end of the cell, which, together with the subbasal origin 

 of vein 11, causes veins 10 and 11 to be unusually distant. To make 

 up for the resulting weakening of the wing, the membrane is more or 

 less thickened along the costa (the "stigma" of Zeller). Another 

 character, in which the Blastobasida? normally differ from the (Eco- 

 phoridse, is the proximity or coincidence of veins 3, 4, and 5 in the 

 hindwing, but this is approached or equaled in certain CEcophorid 

 genera (as Triclonella). 



Proceedings U. S. National Museum, Vol. XXXV— No. 1644. 



187 



