68 U.S. NATIONAL MUSEUM BULLETIN 2 55 



Unfortunately, no information is presently available concerning 

 larval morphology or biology. Considering the usual site for ovi- 

 position, it seems likely that the larvae are stem borers, although this 

 needs to be verified. Future studies also should be directed toward 

 the discovery of the pupa, since a knowledge of pupal structure and 

 the site of pupation, along with larval information, would greatly 

 elucidate the relationships of Parategeticula. 



Prodoxus Riley 



Prodoxus Riley, 1880a, pp. 141-144 [type: Prodoxus decipiens Riley, 1880; 

 monobasic]; 1880b, p. 155; 1880d, p. 177; 1880e, p. 182; 1881, pp. 632, 639.— 

 Hagen, 1882, pp. 19, 20.— Riley, 1883a, p. 197; 1883b, p. 468; 1891a, p. 97; 

 1892a, p. 145; 1892b, pp. 98flf.; 1893a, pp. 47, 51-53.— Trelease, 1893, pp. 

 220, 223.— Sharp, 1899, p. 433.— Dyar, 1902 [1903], p. 576; 1903b, p. 103.— 

 Kearfott, 1903, p. 124.— Holland, 1905, p. 437.— Walsingham, 1914, pp. 369, 

 370 [synonym of Tegeticula]. — Busck, 1915, p. 94. — Barnes and McDun- 

 nough, 1917, p. 197.— Braun, 1919, pp. 353, 356, 359, 361, 362.— Forbes, 

 1923, p. 74.— Braun, 1924, pp. 239, 249, 253, 254.— Handlirsch, 1925, p. 876.— 

 Fletcher, 1929, p. 184 [synonym of Tegeticula].— Brsixin, 1933, pp. 236, 237, 

 247, 256, 257.— Brimley, 1938, p. 313.— McDunnough, 1939, p. 109.— 

 Lindinger, 1941, p. 237.— Busck, 1947, pp. 182, 183.— Comstock, 1950, 

 p. 600.— Borror and Belong, 1963, p. 432. 



Type species. — Prodoxus decipiens Riley, 1880 {= Hyponomeuta [sic] 

 6-punctella Chambers, 1875), monobasic. 



Adult. — Medium to small sized moth, wing expanse 8-23 mm; 

 body moderate to slender. 



Head (fig. 42) : Eyes medium in size, vertical diameter slightly 

 exceeding width of frons. Tongue slightly surpassing length of 

 maxUlary palpus. Mandible present, but minute. Maxillary palpus 

 5-segmented, fourth segment more than doubling the third in length; 

 maxillary tentacle absent in both sexes. Labial palpus 3-segmented; 

 apical segment one-third the length of second. 



Thorax: Wings (fig. 47) relatively broad, apices somewhat acute. 

 All veins normally separate, except 5 and 6 of hindwing which are 

 usually connate. Frenulum present in male, simple. Foreleg (fig. 

 55) with an epiphysis. 



Abdomen: Female with apex of seventh tergite simple (fig. 112). 



Male genitalia. — Apex of tegumen either simple or bilobed. 

 Vinculum V-shaped; saccus only slightly developed. Valves rela- 

 tively simple, either without cucullar spines (and with apex of tegumen 

 simple), or with 3-7 stout spines present on margin of cucuUus (and 



