BAGWORM MOTHS OF THE WESTERN HEMISPHERE 131 



distinguished his new genus from "Oeceticus" [sic] but made no mention 

 of a more related genus, ThyridojJteryx. This latter name evidently 

 was unknown to Grote, for instead of designating his new species 

 as the type of Hymenopsyche, he selected Oeceticus coniferarum Harris, 

 a name which is now known to be a synonym of T. ephemeraeformis. 

 Thoracicum is a valid species that does not belong in either Oiketicus 

 or Thyridopteryx but instead is very close to Biopsyche apicalis, 

 where it has been placed. Because of Grote's original type designa- 

 tion, Hymenopsyche has to be synonymized with Thyridopteryx and 

 thus it is no longer available for thoracicum. 



A general pattern of wing venation is difficult to summarize for 

 Thyridopteryx as a whole because of the extreme variation of one of 

 its species, T. ephemeraeformis. Among our new world psychids 

 probably no species is more variable in venation than this one. Jones 

 (1923) has demonstrated that a composite based upon the examination 

 of fifty males of this species would show a range from 14- and 8- veined 

 wings, with a whole series of cells and crossveins, to 9- and 5-veined 

 wings, without any accessory cells. Also, as often observed, the vena- 

 tion of the wings on one side may differ from that of the other side. 

 Thyridopteryx meadi, which apparently possesses a rather stable 

 venation, is helpful in arriving at a typical pattern for the genus. 

 T. alcora also seems to display a stable pattern but no series of this 

 species is available for studies of this nature. 



Key to the Species of Thyridopteryx 



la. Wing membrane semitransparent, somewhat opaque .... 53. T. meadi 

 lb. Wing membrane transparent, not opaque. 



2a. Tornus distinct; forewing with majority of scales in cell 2A relatively broad 



with dentate apices (fig. 359) 54. T. alcora 



2b. Tornus indistinct or absent with termen smoothly curved to hind margin; 

 majority of scales in cell 2A slender with acute apices (fig. 360). 



55. T. ephemeraeformis 



53. Thyridopteryx meadi Henry Edwards 



Figures 61, 113, 114, 240, 295, 318; Map 5 



Thyridopteryx meadi Henry Edwards, Papilio, vol. 1, p. 116, 1881. — Barnes and 

 McDunnough, Check List Lep. Boreal Amer., no. 4800, 1917. — Dalla 

 Torre and Strand, Lep. Cat., pars 34, p. 185, 1929. — McDunnough, Check 

 List Lep. Canada and USA, pt. 2, no. 9522, 1939. 



Thyridopteryx meadii [sic] Kirby, Cat. Lep. Heter., vol. 1, p. 501, 1892. — Dyar, 

 Ent. News, vol. 4, p. 321, 1893. — Neumogen and Dyar, Journ. N.Y. Ent. 

 Soc, vol. 2, p. 119, 1894.— Dyar, U.S. Nat. Mus. Bull. 52, no. 4066, 

 1902 [1903].— Jones and Parks, Tex. Agric. Exp. Sta. Bull. 382, p. 27, figs. 

 15, 20, 1928.— Gaede in Seitz, Macrolep. World, vol. 6, p. 1181, 1936. 



Male. — (Fig. 61.) Body more slender than in other two species; 

 vesture black. Antennae with 30-37 segments, more than K of segments 



