MICROLEPIDOPTERA OF PHILIPPINE ISLANDS 249 



Material examined: Luzon, Mt. Makiling (Baker), 1 9, holotype, 

 genit. slide 5113; 2 9, paratypes (USNM). 



Ethmiidae 



Key to the Philippine Genera of Ethmiidae 



1, Antenna in male with fringe of long cilia. Uncus V-shaped. Sterigma 



inverted V-shaped Agrioceros 



Antenna in male normally ciliated. Uncus short-furcate. Sterigma diverse, 

 never inverted V-shaped Ethmia 



Agrioceros Meyrick, 1928 



Agrioceros Meyrick, 1928, Exotic Microlepidoptera, vol. 3, p. 417 (type species: 

 A. platycypha Meyrick, 1928). — Fletcher, 1929, Mem. Dept. Agric. India, 

 Ent. ser., vol. 11, p. 243. 



This remarkable genus, described after a single male specimen, 

 was placed in the close vicinity of Ethmia. Meyrick even pointed 

 out that the females of the type species, platycypha, which are still 

 unknown, certainly would appear to have normal fore- and hindwings, 

 not dilated as in the male. 



The elegant Philippine species, " Psecadia" magnificella Sauber, 

 which has not been adequately described, also belongs to this group 

 and also supports the surmise that the extraordinary characters of 

 the male of Agrioceros are due chiefly to sexual dimorphy. 



The fact is that in magnificella the male genitalia are very close to 

 those of platycypha and equally modified. I am therefore, satisfied 

 that these two species are congeneric. However, magnificella, cT, 

 has a normal shaft of the antennae, which is somewhat thickened and 

 flattened, but without the pecuUar raised fringe of long scales as in 

 platycypha. On the other hand magnificella male has veins 2 and 3 

 in the cf forewing short-stalked and vein 7 running to costa while 

 there is no pecten on the scape of the antenna, all characters of 

 Agrioceros, lacking in Ethmia; in the latter the veins 2 and 3 are 

 separate, vein 7 runs to termen and in the male a distinct pecten of 

 the antenna is developed. 



Therefore, I am attributing E. magnificella (Sauber) to the genus 

 Agrioceros Meyrick and amplifying its description as follows. 



Antenna in cf sometimes with a fringe of long raised scales above, 

 sometimes flagellum only flattened, without scales. Labial palpus 

 subobtuse. MaxiUary palpus scaled, spindle-shaped; appressed to 

 proboscis. Proboscis strongly scaled, especially at base. Posterior 

 tibia sometimes with dense subappressed long hairs above. Thorax 

 in male sometimes with enlarged and thickened tegulae. 



