2 U.S. NATIONAL MUSEUM BULLETIN 261 



identity still exist, these are noted in the text. If a nominal species 

 is listed in synonymy in this work, and the senior synonym is illustrated 

 here, it is then considered that the lee to type of the junior synon)'Tn 

 has been sufficiently characterized. 



The Germar collection, it should be noted, was not found in Europe 

 and efforts on the part of European colleagues failed to reveal its 

 location. Perhaps it has been destroyed. In the collection of the 

 Zoologische Institut und Museum in Hamburg are a number of 

 specimens from the Heyer collection, from Liineburg, which appear 

 to be topotypic — a number of them labeled "Wahrscheinlich Ko- 

 type," apparently from the Germar collection. These should be given 

 careful consideration as neotypes if it can finally be concluded that 

 the Germar collection no longer exists. Also, the Spinola collection 

 in Italy was not studied. 



The present work was originally intended to be a classification of 

 genera. It soon became apparent to me, however, that enough type 

 material would be available to enable me to present synopses of 

 species in a number of the genera studied, and these have therefore 

 been included. Genera in this work without keys to species are those 

 in which a great amount of variation occurs in characters usually 

 of specific value. Also, keys have not been prepared for species of 

 those genera which have been revised recently or which are known to 

 be presently undergoing revision by other authors. Appropriate refer- 

 ences to such revisions are to be found in the systematic portion of the 

 paper. 



In addition to a reclassification of the genera and a key to species 

 whenever possible, the meager biological information available con- 

 cerning the included species is given. 



The study includes specimens from almost all of the major collections 

 of the woi-ld. Many of the specimens available bear a minimum of 

 collection data, and the distributional records and host-plant data 

 leave much to be desired. A second physical limitation is the wide 

 dispersal of type specimens. This has resulted in relegating to synonymy 

 a number of species, without an actual comparison of their types, on 

 the basis of drawings of specific characters. The specific synonymy is 

 severe in those genera where much variation occurs and where inter- 

 specific lines are difficult to draw. A third and very serious limitation 

 has been scarcity of material. Although thousands of specimens have 

 been studied, the duplication of collecting localities has been quite 

 large, probably a result of the difficulty of access to many localities 

 and of the lack of good accommodations in them. I have been able to 

 collect for only a three-month period in Peru to augment available 

 collections. 



