NORTH AMERICAN ACROLOPHIDAE — HASBROUCK 675 



Remarks. — This species is easily the commonest and most widely 

 distributed acrolophid in the southwestern United States. As in- 

 dicated by the above records, it is especially prevalent in Arizona, 

 the type locality. Besides being one of the older western species, 

 it is also extremely variable in size and coloration. Nevertheless, 

 variabilis has no synonyms, at least none from America north of 

 Mexico. 



The material representing this species was received on loan from 

 numerous sources. Large series containing both sexes are to be found 

 in the collections of the California Academy of Sciences at San Fran- 

 cisco, the American Museum of Natural History, and Cornell Uni- 

 versity. 



A. variabilis is related to those species having shortened labial 

 palpi, antennae in which each segment is clothed only dorsad or 

 dorsolaterad with scales, simple uncus, and fused gnathos. It is 

 closely related to secvlatus, macrophallus, and vauriei, forming with 

 them a distinct species group. As characterized in the key, the 

 variabilis-seculatus-macrophallus-vauriei species group consists of rather 

 fragile moths in which the labial palpi are erect instead of appressed 

 to the head; each segment of the palpi is clothed with a prominent 

 tuft of scales along its anterior margin. In addition, this group ex- 

 hibits a type of gnathos which is fused, concave beneath, and hood- 

 shaped. 



A. variabilis may be very easily separated from its close relatives, 

 as well as from aU the other acrolophids known to occur in America 

 north of Mexico, on the basis of its distinctive genitalia. Its entire 

 genital capsule is unusually elongate and slender. The dorsal margin 

 of the cucullus of its harpe is prominently emarginate and dentate 

 near the base. Lastly, the apical quarter or third of its aedeagus is 

 heavily armed with a series of variously sized spines. The genital 

 characters are quite consistent throughout my large series of speci- 

 mens representing variabilis. 



Mr. Tams of the British Museum (Natural History) has sent 

 photographs labeled '^variabilis Wals., type" and showing the adult 

 cT and 9 and their respective genitalia. These photographs confirm 

 the identity of this species. In addition, at the U.S. National Museum 

 are various slide preparations of cf genitalia, labeled "variabilis 

 Wlsm.," agreeing with my concept of this species. 



Dyar (1900, p. 310) published a paragraph of distributional data 

 for variabilis. Walsingham (1915, p. 386) listed the range of this 

 species as Texas, Colorado, Nevada, Cahfornia, Arizona, New Mexico, 

 and Central America (Sonora, Mexico — 1883, H. K. Morrison). 



