REVISION OF MOTHS OF PRODOXINAE 9 



Bastida has shown the presence of a gnathos and has clearly mistaken 

 the tegumen for a combined (?) vinculum and uncus. The gnathos 

 and uncus are characteristically absent in the Incm-variidae; whereas 

 the vinculum is primarily a ventral structure, it is not situated dorsally 

 as indicated by Bastida. An elongate sclerite lying immediately 

 ventrad to the aedeagus was identified correctly by Bastida as the 

 juxta. As evidenced by his illustrations, Eyer (1924) failed to note 

 the presence of this structure and considered it absent. Closely 

 associated with the juxta and located near the inner bases of the 

 valves is a pair of tiny, ovoid sclerites which I have interpreted as 

 sclerotizations within the largely membranous anellus. 



The valves are rigidly united at their bases by means of a well 

 developed transtilla; from the latter arise a pair of prominent apo- 

 demes. The lateral ends of the transtilla are greatly expanded and 

 form a padlike area at the base of each valve. This entire area 

 (transtilla included) actually may be a development from the costa of 

 the valve. However, I have interpreted these structm-es to be the 

 labides (as discussed by Klots, 1956), in part because of a rather 

 definite area of weakening, that may represent a former line of fusion, 

 present between labidis and valve proper. 



Female genitalia. — As was true for the males, the females of this 

 subfamily possess genitalia very similar to the other members of the 

 Inciu-varioidea, particularly with respect to the piercing ovipositor 

 and the single (monotrysian) genital opening. In addition to these 

 features, another interesting modification within this group of moths 

 is the enclosure of the eighth abdominal segment by the seventh. 

 This has developed perhaps as a means of adding rigidity to this part 

 of the abdomen and to aid the ovipositor in its penetrating operation. 

 For further information concerning the structure of this type of ovi- 

 positor, the references of Busck (1931) and Klots (1956) may be 

 consulted. 



Primarily because of its apparent uniqueness, only one structure 

 of the internal genitalia will be mentioned here. As was pointed out 

 by Busck, the ductus bursa of T. yuccasella possesses a membranous 

 enlargement about midway along its length (fig. 131). This sac, 

 which partially is supported by a pair of slender apodemes, has been 

 compared by Busck to the bulla seminalis or receptacdum seminalis 

 (spermatheca) of ditrysian Lepidoptera. Because the primary func- 

 tion of this sac probably is to serve as a temporary storage receptacle 

 for sperm, I have referred to it as the spermatheca even though the 

 true homologies are not known. Apparently, the spermatheca is 

 present to some degree in other Prodoxinae, but is best developed in 

 the species of Tegeticula, 



221-519—67 2 



