BAGWORM MOTHS OF THE WESTERN HEMISPHERE 47 



6. Zaniopsyche commentella Dyar 



Figures 6, 68, 154, 193, 248, 248a, 298, 323, 366; Map 1 



Zamopsyche commentella Dyar, Insec. luscit. Menst., vol. 11, p. 4, 1923. — Dalla 

 Torre and Strand, Lep. Cat., pars 34, p. 197, 1929. — Gaede in Seitz, 

 Macrolep. World, vol. 6, p. 1186, 1936. — McDunnough, Check List Lep. 

 Canada and USA, pt. 2, no. 9535, 1939. 



Male. — (Fig. 6.) Body and wings fuscous. Antennae (fig. 366) 

 19-20 segmented. Wings (fig. 154) relatively slender, more narrow 

 than that of Prochalia, outer margin more oblique. Scales evenly dis- 

 tributed over wing, those of cell in primaries very slender, almost hair- 

 like (fig. 323). Wing expanse 14-16 mm. 



Male genitalia. — (Fig. 248.) 



Female genitalia. — (Fig. 298.) 



Case. — (Fig. 68.) Similar to that of Prochalia pygmaea. Length 

 11-15 mm.; diameter 2-3 mm. 



Type. — In the United States National Museum. 



Type locality. — Vienna, Virginia. 



Recorded hosts. — -"Lichens" on bark of Pyrus malus L., Quercus 

 species, Roystonea species (royal palm), and Ulrnus species (F. M. 

 Jones, from correspondence). 



Distribution.— (Map 1.) Presently known to occur along the 

 Atlantic Coastal Plain from Mississippi north to Delaware. 



Discussion. — 'When more information is available, this species 

 may prove to be a synonym of "Chalia" rileyi. Heylaerts' original 

 description of rileyi calls for a moth with a 10 and 7 venation pattern, 

 elongate, slender wings, 22-segmented antennae, and other characters 

 that for the most part could pertain to either Prochalia pygmaea or 

 Zamopsyche commentella. Unfortunately, no mention is made by 

 Heylaerts about the armature of the mesothoracic tibia. The de- 

 scribed number of antennal segments in C rileyi is slightly more than 

 that observed in specimens of either P. pygmaea or Z. commentella; 

 however, this could be attributed to slightly abnormal variation or 

 simply to an error on Heylaerts' part in counting the segments. If 

 one takes into consideration the variation in venation, Heylaerts' 

 description of the adult rileyi probably best approximates that of Z. 

 commentella, and, indeed, specunens of the latter have been examined 

 that agree in wing structure with Heylaerts' diagnosis. 



It is unlikely that C. rileyi represents an insect that is specifically 

 distinct from either P. pygmaea or Z. commentella. One described 

 feature of rileyi, however, is at variance with the other two species. 

 Heylaerts briefly characterizes the larva of C. rileyi as "Eruca carnea, 

 capite segmentisque tribus antioribus flavis nitidisque, brunneonigro 

 striatis," This diagnosis does not agree with either P. pygmaea or Z. 



