A REVISION OF THE DELTOID MOTHS — .SMITH. 15 



Genus EPIZE U XIS, Hiihner. 



181(i. Hiiliner, W'lv.cicliniss, 3i(i. 



1859. Wjilker, Cat. Brit. Mils., Heteroccra, XVI, 132. 



1873. Giote, Trans. Am. Entoinologii-al 8oc., IV, 307. 



Hdla, (iiienoe. 

 1851. Gucnec, SpoL-ies (Joueral. J)eltoi(lfs. 76. 



rm-KdaglosHd, (Jroto. 

 1871. Grote, Bull. Burt'. Soc. Nat. Sti., U, 17. 



Eyes naked, large, globose. Front smooth; antenna', situated on 

 the vertex and close to theconii)oiind eye; oeelli small, situated l)ehin(l 

 the antenna' and also clo.se to the compound eye. Antenna' moderate 

 in length; in the male with lateral bristles and hair tufts, sometimes 

 scaly, not alike in any two species, therefore se])arately described for 

 each; in the female they are simi)le with shorter lateral bristles. The 

 pali)i are moderate or elongate, closely scaled or with rather rough 

 vestiture, always ui>cnrve(l, more or less sickle-sha[)ed, always reaching 

 the vertex and sometimes extending far beyond it, their terminal joint 

 moderate or nearly equaling the second in length and acutely termi 

 nated. The tongue is moderately well developed. The body is moderate 

 or ratlier slight, the thorax pntportionately small, untufted, the abdo- 

 men longer, reaching to or exceeding the anal angle of the secondaries; 

 cylindrical, untufted. The legs are smoothly scaled, proportionate, 

 unarmed save for the usual spurs. In the male the anterior femur is 

 somew^hat enlarged at base, interiorly excavated toward the tip to 

 receive the short tibia, m which the epiphysis is larger than in ihe female. 

 In the latter sex the anterior leg is normal. 



The wings are rather large in i)roportion to the body, varying some- 

 what from a strictly trigonate type to a somewhat elongate form, but 

 hardly subequal, though inner and costal margin are nearly of the same 

 length. 



The ornamentation is very similar throughout and consists of strongly 

 dentated transverse dark lines, accompanied by white or pale shade 

 lines. As the ground color is light or dark the black or wliite i)arts of 

 the lines l)econie more [)rominent. The secondaries are usually some 

 what ]>aler than the ground color and are also marked with more or less 

 obvious transverse lines. 



There is a great deal of variation in size and some in appearance 

 among the species of this genus and the female is, as a rule, the larger. 



Mr. Grote's reason for accepting Epizeuris rather than Ilclia for this 

 genus seems to be well founded, and my acceptance of the term does not 

 implj^ that 1 consider our species distinct from the iMiropean forms 

 referred to under (xuenee's generic term. 



There are two fairly well marked series in the species of this genus 

 which might almost be con.sidei-ed as being of generic value l)iit for the 

 occnrrence of intermediate lorms. 



The liist of these series is characterized at a glaiu-e by the smooth, 

 glistening vestiture, the scales being closely apjjressed, and with a 



