Proceedings of 



the United States (|| 



National Museum x(^^to$> 



SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION • WASHINGTON, D.C. 



Volume 119 1966 Number 3547 



REVISION OF NEARCTIC GELECHIIDAE, I 



THE LITA GROUP 

 (LEPIDOPTERA: GELECHIOIDEA) 



By Ronald W. Hodges ^ 



Introduction 



Busck's (1903) revision of the North American Gelechiidae is the 

 only comprehensive treatment of the family for a major part of the 

 Nearctic Region. Its usefulness is greatly limited by the large 

 number of species described since 1903, the number of species described 

 before that date but not correctly determined by Busck, the number of 

 undescribed species, the inadequacy of descriptions based on macula- 

 tion and venation for specific determination, and the recognition of 

 the male and female genitaUa as character systems with taxonomic 

 value. 



Subsequent to 1903 numerous gelechiids have been described by 

 Busck, Braun, Walsingham, Kearfott, Meyrick, Forbes, Keifer, Free- 

 man, Clarke, and Powell. Of these authors, only the last five have 

 figured the genitaha of new species. In 1939 Busck pubHshed an ex- 

 tremely important work, "Restriction of the genus Gelechia . . . ," 



1 Entomology Research Division, Agriculture Research Service, U.S. Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture, Washington, D.C. 



1 



