MICROLEPIDOPTERA OF JUAN FERNANDEZ ISLANDS — CLARKE 55 



Described from the male type and two male paratypes as follows: 

 Type male and one male paratype with same data; one male para- 

 type, Masatierra: Alto Frances, 500 m. (Jan, 16, 1955). 



Superficially this species looks like a typical pyraustid. Apparently 

 pyraustoides is nearest matuta from which it can be distinguished by 

 the absence of cornuti. 



Subfamily Pyraustinae 



Genus Oeobia HUbner 



Oeobia ragonotii (Butler), new combination 



Figures 47-48 



Mella ragonotii Butler, 1883, Trans. Ent. Soc. London, 1883, p. 59. 

 Scoparia ragonoti (Butler), Hampson, 1897, Trans. Ent. Soc. London, 1897, p. 233. 

 Scoparia ragonoti (Butler), Aurivillius, 1922, in Skottsberg, The natural history 

 of Juan Fernandez and Easter Island, vol. 3, pt. 2, p. 265. 



Alar expanse 19-25 mm. 



Male genitalia (slide 10262) : Vesica armed with a single, small 

 cornutus. 



Female genitalia (slide 10264) : Signa consisting of a diamond- 

 shaped plate and a curved, spined plate at the junction of the ductus 

 bursae and bursa copulatrix. 



Type: British Museum (Natural History). 



Type locality: Valparaiso, Chile, 



Distribution: Masatierra: Bahia Cumberland cf, 6 99 (Mar. 4, 

 1951, Jan. 3-4, 1952, Jan. 14, 1955) ; Plazoleta del Yunque, d", 2 99 

 (Jan. 2-3, 1952, Feb. 20, 1951); Masafuera: Quebrada de las Casas, 

 4 0^0?", 2 99 (Jan. 14-19, 1952, Feb. 21, 1955); Santa Clara: El 

 Corral, 3cfcf, 3 99 (Jan. 6, 1952). 



This is one of the few species found widespread in the islands. It 

 is a mainland form, described from Valparaiso, and is probably more 

 widely distributed than present records indicate. 



Certainly ragonotii is misplaced in Scoparia and I am, therefore, 

 transferring it out of that genus. In placing it in Oeobia I do so with 

 some misgiving but the species is not a scopariine; it is a pyraustine, 

 hence this present assignment. The fact remains, however, that the 

 venation does not agree with most species assigned to Oeobia but the 

 male genitalia indicate that ragonotii belongs in this general group. 

 The female genitalia are atypical for the genus. In general appear- 

 ance ragonotii is strikingly similar to Oeobia crambialis (Grote) though 

 it is a smaller insect. 



