213. 

 PENTHOPHERA NIGRICANS. 



Order Lepidoptera. Fam. Bombycidae. 



Type of the Genus Bombyx Morio Linn. 

 Penthophera Germ. — Liparis Och. — Laria Schr. — Hipogymnse, & 

 Leucomae Hub. — Bombyx Linn., Fab., Hub., Godart. 

 ' Antenna inserted on the crown of the head dose to the eyes 

 (1), setaceous, strongly bipectinated in the niales^ each joint 

 producing 2 slightly clavate rays, very long and slender towards 

 the centre, pilose and terminated by a few strong hairs (la)j 

 simple in the females. 

 Maxilla none. 



Labial PaZpi cuspidate, nearly concealed by hair (4), porrected, 

 triarticulate ? the basal joint very obscure, 2nd small, 3rd large 

 oval (4a). 

 Head small. Eyes small, globose, granulated (7a), Thorax large 

 in the males alone. Abdomen sometimes short and truncated in the 

 male, subovaie in the female. Wings large and rounded, rarely 

 small and lanceolate in the female. Legs slender. Tibiae j anterior 

 with a short slender spine on the internal side, the others spurred 

 only at their apex. Tarsi 5-jointed, basal joint the longest, penul- 

 timate the smallest. Claws and Pulvilli distinct (Sf hind leg). 

 Caterpillars with 6 pectoral, 8 abdominal, and 2 anal feet, tuherculated, 

 each tubercle producing a bundle of hairs. 



Nigricans Nob. 



Male, semi-transparent, hairy, brownish black with a yellowish 

 tint ; cilia and nervures darker, the former very short, superior 

 wings rather long and narrow. Thorax and abdomen woolly, 

 the latter beneath at the apex and the tarsi silvery. 

 Female unknown. 



In the Cabinet of Mr. Dale. 



The genus Penthophera, like a few other Bombycidae, does 

 not exhibit the least rudiment of a spiral tongue (maxillae) ; 

 and in dissecting the type, the palpi appeared to be united at 



