2 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM vol. 119 



Family Oecophoridae 

 Mattea, new genus 



Type species: Cryptolechia phoenissa Butler, 1883, Trans. Ent. Soc. 

 London, 1883, p. 81; pi. 11, figs. 12, 12a. 



Head with appressed scales; lateral tufts spreading; antenna simple 

 in female, finely ciliated ventrally in male; basal segment with pecten; 

 labial palpus recurved, just reaching base of antenna. Forewing with 

 costa slightly arched, termen oblique, tornus rounded; 11 veins; 2 well 

 before angle; 7 and 8 coincident to termen; remainder separate. 

 Hindwing as broad as forewdng; 8 veins; 3 and 4 connate; 6 and 7 

 subparallel. 



Male genitalia: Uncus present, well developed. Gnathos a lightly 

 sclerotized, simple band. Anellus a simple plate. Harpe with 

 clasper. Aedeagus mth inception of ductus ejaculatorius near 

 midpoint. 



Female genitalia: Genital plate reduced to a thin, sclerotized band. 

 Bursa copulatrix reduced, signum absent. 



Remarks: The exact position of this genus in the family Oecopho- 

 ridae is virtually impossible to ascertain until a revision of the Neo- 

 tropical species is undertaken. In addition, careful attention to the 

 AustraHan and New Zealand fauna will be necessary since the distri- 

 butional relationships between these areas and the west coast of 

 South America are poorly understood. 



The genus is distinguished by veins 7 and 8 of the forewing being 

 coincident to the termen. Coincidence of veins 7 and 8 is not un- 

 common in the family, but the termination in other genera is on the 

 costa. The genitaUa present a number of striking characters, such 

 as the inception of the ductus ejaculatorius being near the midpoint 

 of the aedeagus and the presence of a reduced bursa copulatrix in the 

 females. However, the genital characters of the Neotropical genera 

 are still poorly known, and until they are studied no definite conclu- 

 sions can be drawn. 



Mattea phoenissa (Butler), new combination 



Figure 1; Plate 1 (fig. a) 



Cryptolechia phoenissa Butler, 1883, Trans. Ent. Soc. London, 1883, p. 81, pi. 11, 

 figs. 12, 12a. 



The original description of this species is quite accurate and reads 

 as follows: "Wings sericeous carmine-red; primaries above wdth a 

 a small triangular golden spot at outer third of dorsal margin; fringe 

 at apex tipped with bright ochreous; thorax purplish brown; antennae 



