REVISION OF MOTHS OF PRODOXINAE IQS 



Thorax: White. Dorsal surface of primaries white with scattered, 

 longitudinal streaks and spots of brownish fuscous; less heavily marked 

 than in A. barberella; some specimens with forewings almost entirely 

 white; fringe usually white, sometimes with pale shading near tormis; 

 ventral surface lightly shaded with fuscous. Secondaries pale fuscous 

 above and below, thinly scaled; majority of scales hairlike, those along 

 margin and near apex broader. 



Abdomen: Pale brown above except for posterior tuft of white 

 hairs, whitish below with admixture of brownish scales. 



Male genitalia (fig. 104). — Apex of tegumen bilobed, more prom- 

 inently so than in A. barberella. Saccus very elongate, longest in 

 family; combined length of vinculum and saccus approximately 2.5 

 times or more that of valve. 



Female genitalia (figs. 130, 150). — Apex of ovipositor with dorsal 

 ridge gradually terminating into ovipositor shaft; serrations finer and 

 more numerous (32-37) than in A. barberella. Apophyses the most 

 slender and elongate of subfamily. 



Holotype. — Mason Valley [I^a Puerta Valley, near Julian], San 

 Diego Co., Calif., 9, emerged Apr. 26, 1939, reared from Agave deserti, 

 L. M. Martin (LACM). 



Paratypes. — California: Riverside Co.: Piny on Flat, 16 miles 

 SW Pahn Desert, 20 d'd', 19 9 9, emerged Apr. 9-May 20, 1963, 

 JAP no. 63 D 10, reared from Agave deserti, J. Powell collector (UCB) ; 

 2 cf cf, 2 9 9, emerged Apr. 7, 1963, JAP no. 63 D 10, reared from 

 Agave deserti, J. Powell collector (USNM). San Diego Co.: Same 

 locality as holotype, 14 c^cT, 28 9 9, emerged Apr. 24-May 5, 1939, 

 reared from Agave deserti, L. M. Martin collector (LACM); 2 cf cf, 

 2 9 9, emerged Apr. 26-May 1, 1939, reared from Agave deserti, 

 L. M. Martm collector (USNM). Jacumba, 5 miles east of, 44 c^ cf , 

 23 9 9, emerged March-May 10, 1963, JAP no. 63 C 31, reared from 

 Agave deserti, Chemsak and Powell collectors (UCB); d', 9, emerged 

 Apr. 15-20, 1963, JAP no. 63 C 31, reared from Agave deserti, Chemsak 

 and Powell collectors (USNM) . Described from a total of 83 cf' cf 

 and 76 9 9. 



Recorded host. — Agave deserti Engelmann (from specimen labels). 

 Larva bores in flower stalk of host. 



Distribution (map 17).— At present, this moth is known only 

 from southern California; the host plant, however, also ranges into 

 western Arizona and Baja California. 



Discussion. — This species closely resembles the preceding one in 

 certam respects, but several differences exist which are believed to 

 be of specific importance. Most easily, Agavenema pallida may be 

 separated from A. barberella by the former's larger size and paler 



