NO. 3547 NEARCTIC GELECHIIDAE — HODGES 27 



variable and thus is taxonomically significant. (3) The width of the 

 male antennal sensory areas has taxonomic significance at the sub- 

 specific level. Of the three possibilities, I have tentatively concluded 

 that the first is correct; however, until the species has been reared 

 and the progeny of known females studied, I cannot be certain. 

 Because no females have been correlated with the series of males under 

 discussion, I have discarded the second interpretation. However, 

 females of several species of Lita are uncommon to rare in collections, 

 and it covdd be that none have been collected. That the series might 

 represent a subspecies of rectistrigella seems unlikely inasmuch as a 

 "normal" male is known from Denver, Colorado; six of the second 

 type of male are from Denver. Thus, no geographic separation is 

 apparent. 



L. rectistrigella may be separated from the other striate species of 

 Lita as follows: jubata and nefrens have frontal processes; the aedeagus 

 of variabilis has the apex of the flange blunt, that of rectistrigella is 

 poorly defined; princeps has a well-defined bar on the forewing but 

 no other lines, rectistrigella has series of lines; sironae is a smaller 

 species (alar expanse 14-17 mm.) that consistently has two bars on 

 the forewing, rectistrigella is a larger species (alar expanse: 17.0-20.5 

 mm.) that usually lacks dark bars on the forewing; the antennal seg- 

 ments of recens are bicolored (buff white and pale brown) and have 

 the male sensory areas extending to the dorsal surface, the antennal 

 segments of rectistrigella are not bicolored, and the sensory areas are 

 confined to the ventral surface; the anterior margin of the eighth 

 tergum of thaliae is roughly triangular (fig. 197), that of rectistrigella 

 is more evenly rounded (fig. 193). 



Lita sironae, new species 



Figures 25, 73, 142, 195, 196 



Maculation: as in figure 25. Head: tongue with buff white scales 

 basally, brown medially ; maxillary palpus with buff white scales, some 

 scales streaked with pale brown; fu-st segment of labial palpus buff 

 brown on outer surface, white on inner surface, second and third 

 segments white with scattered brown scales; ventral surface of scape 

 of antenna greasy buff, some scales brown tipped, dorsal surface pale 

 buff with numerous brown scales, shaft orange becoming darker dis- 

 tally (cf ), individual shaft segments white on basal half, pale orange 

 on distal half basally, becoming darker distally (9) ; frons, vertex, and 

 occiput pale buff with pale brown to brown apices. Thorax: scales 

 brown streaked with pale buff, scales of distal half of tegula buff white 

 streaked with pale brown. Forewing: streaked with white, buff 

 white, pale yellow, brown, and black; many scales streaked; scales of 

 cilia buff white, apices of basal row tipped with brown, apices of 



