CONTRIBUTIONS TOWARD A MONO(iRARH OF THK INSECTS OF THE LEPIDOP- 

 TEROliS FAMILY NOCTUID.E OF BOREAL NORTH AMERICA. 



A REVISION OF THE DELTOID MOTHS. 



L5.V .loitx B. Smith, Sc. D., 



I'rofessor of Entomolo<jy in Iiuhjers CuUeye. 



Uiidoi- the general term " Deltoids'' there are usually grouped in 

 lists, catalogues, and eollections the moths of a series of species and 

 genera which have a somewhat distinctive appearance aud habitus, 

 but for which we have as yet no exclusive characters. 



This series has been elevated to family raidc, has been associated with 

 the Pyralids, and has been most recently recognized as indistinguish- 

 able in structural characters from the IS octuidie. It is possible that sub- 

 family rank at least shoiihl be accorded the series as here restricted; 

 Init this is not proposed at present, since within the limits of the 

 series there are two if not three very distinct types or tribes, of which 

 Helia, Henninid, and Hi/pena are, respectively, typical. 



In a general way the si)ecies are characterized by unusually long 

 palpi, which are either slender, closely scaled and curved upward and 

 backward, sickle like, often far exceeding the head, or they are directed 

 forward obliquely or straight, clothed with upright scales, the second 

 joint longest, the third always set into the second so as to point upward. 

 In the latter case the palpi with the pointed frontal tuft form a beak or 

 snout similar to that in the Crambidie among the Pyralids. These 

 elongated palpi are not peculiar to this family among the Noctuids; 

 but there are very few genera so constructed in other series, and these 

 may be, in most cases, diflerentiated without trouble. Among the 

 species in which the palpi form a snout, being oblitjue or straight, with 

 elongated second joint, none are Deltoids that have the terminal joint 

 drooping or set in at a downward angle with the second joint. Nor do 

 I include any species in which the second joint is closely scaled above, 

 the long vestiture directed downward, so that the apparent enlarge- 

 ment of the joint is formed by scales directed and extending below the 

 joint. This at first seems a slight character; but it will assume impor- 

 tance when the character of the palpi is closely studied, and when we 

 consider that it is really reversing the i)Osition of a joint. Of the forms 



78(51'— No. 48 1 



