NO. 2043. NEW MICROLEPIDOPTERA FROM PANAMA— BUSCK. 35 



Nearest and quite similar to E. terpnota Walsingham, but smaller 

 and at once differentiated by the coppery brown wing tips and by 

 the striking abdominal coloration. 



ETHMIA ELUTELLA, new species. 



Labial palpi dark gray with white apex. Face dark brown with 

 bluish metallic sheen. Head, collar, and patagina white. Thorax 

 white with a large, dark bluish brown center occupying most of the 

 area. Forewing satiny white with the gi'ound color largely obscured 

 by extensive gray and purplish brown marking; costal haK above 

 the fold clouded by large, rounded, light gi-ay spots, nearly confluent 

 on basal half; at apical third is an unmottled, pure white costal area; 

 apical tip of the wing and base of the cilia dark purplish brown; on 

 the middle of dorsum lies a large, semicircular, dark purplish brown 

 spot, transversed by irregular, faint, silvery, zigzag lines. Hindwings 

 light fuscous with white cilia. Abdomen dark fuscous above with 

 second joint velvety ochreous; underside silvery white. Legs white; 

 tarsi dusky. 



Alar expanse. — 14 mm. 



Habitat. — Porto Bello, Panama, March. 



Type-specimen. — Cat. No. 16697, U.S.N.M. 



Allied to the foregoing, but smaller and lighter and lacking the dark 

 blue metallic spots on basal half of the forewings. 



Family STENOMID^. 

 Genus CATARATA Walsingham. 



Type. — Catarata lepisma Walsingham. 



In the definition of this genus in the Biologia Centrali-Americana it 

 is stated that vem 4 is out of the stalk of vem 2 + 3 in the forewings. 

 This, however, is not the case in either of the two species described, 

 the type C. lepisma Walsmgham and C. stenota Walsingham. With 

 the evidence of additional material the specific identity of these is 

 apparent; the species is quite variable; simoto was founded on two 

 rubbed specimens in poor condition, and the name should be placed 

 as a synonym of C. lepisma Walsingham. Types and cotypes of 

 both are in the U. S. National Museum, and I now have a large series 

 from all parts of Panama; the species has vein 4 approximate to 

 but separate from 2 + 3. 



Such is also the condition in the two following species, while in the 

 third, C. obnulila, the veins are as described by Lord Walsingham. 

 These modifications, which in any of the higher families, Gelechiidee, 

 Oecophoridse, or Cosmopterygidse, would be definite and sound 

 gi'ounds for generic differentiation, I do not consider of such value 

 in the generically far less crystalized family Stenomidse. 



