NEW MOTHS OF THE GENUS TRICHOSTIBAS. 



By August Busck, 



Of the U. S. Department of Agriculture. 



The moths of the genus Trichostibas are rather common in Central 

 and South America and are frequently taken by collectors, because 

 they are attracted by light. 



In the U. S. National Museum are good series of a dozen species 

 of this genus, including all but one of the species described from 

 continental America and the four new species, described in this 

 paper. a In addition to these, two species are described from Cuba 

 and one from Porto Rico by Zeller; and one species is described 

 from Jamaica'' by Lord Walsingham as Trichostibas pallidicostella; 

 but if the venation of the hind wing is correctly given, this is clearly 

 not a Trichostibas, as was suggested in his description. 



The only species found in United States has been for several 

 years identified as Trichostibas calligera Zeller, from Cuba; but a 

 careful reading of Zeller's description proves this to be a ground- 

 less identification, and the Florida species must be known under its 

 American name, Trichostibas parvula Edwards/' which has hitherto 

 wrongfully been placed as a synonym of T. calligera Zeller. 



While the adults of this genus are thus tolerably well known, none 

 of the larvae have ever been described, and only a few of the species 

 have been associated with and reared from their remarkable cocoons. 



The moths of the genus are rather obscure, dull-colored insects, 

 though with a charm of their own in their soft blown or bluish colors. 

 Their cocoons, on the contrary, are very striking objects, rarely met 

 with, and it is the opportunity to describe one of these and to present 

 an adequate illustration of it, that is the main reason for the present 

 paper. 



"There are besides these cotypes and large series of three other species of this genus, 

 which have been described by Lord Walsingham, and which will appear in (lie near 

 future in his volume of the Biologia Central-Americani. 



bProc. Zool. Soc. London, L897, p. L15. 



c Horse Sue. Ent. Rossicse, vol. L3, IS77, p. 2:\ I. 



dPapilio, vol. I, L881, p. 80. 



Proceedings U. S. National Museum, Vol. 38 -No. 1 765. 



527 



