5'i ^^^ 



233. 



PHYCITA PINGUIS. 



The Tabby Knot-horn. 



Order Lepidoptera. Fam. Pyralidae Leach. Crambites Laf. 



Type of the Genus Tinea spicicella Fab. 



Phycita Nob. — Phycis Fab., Haw. — Tinea Fab., Hub. 



AntenncE inserted on the crown of the head, long and setaceous, 

 covered with scales above with hair beneath, the basal joint large 

 and ovate, 6 or 7 of the following slender in some males, forming 

 a curve and producing a large oval mass of scales (1), a few of 

 the succeeding very short and transverse, produced on the in- 

 ternal side (la, the scales being removed). 

 Maxillce not so long as the antennae, very spiral, densely clothed 

 w^ith scales towards the base, with a few minute tentacula "at the 

 apex (3). Palpi scarcely visible (7 a), triarticulate, basal joint 

 small, subglobose, 2nd larger obovate, 3rd as robust but shorter 

 (3 a). 



Labial Palpi aS long as the head and recurved, rather slender 



and clothed with short scales (4) ; triarticulate, basal joint not 



short, s ubr en iform, 2nd twice as long, very much curved, slightly 



attenuated, 3rd shorter than the 1st slender elongate-ovate (4 a). 



Head not large. Eyes globose. Thorax robust. Abdomen reaching 



beijond the wings when extended, linear in the males and capable of 



producing a brush of beautiful hair, elongate-conic in the females. 



Wings convoluted when at rest, superior elongate trigonate, inferior 



ample and very much folded. Tibiae, anterior with a small spine on 



the internal side, viiddle and posterior terminated by a pair of spurs, 



the latter having a pair above the apex. Tarsi 5-jointed, basal joint 



the longest. Claws and Pulvilli minute. 



Caterpillars naked? with 6 pectoral, 8 abdominal and 2 anal feet. 



PiNGUis Haw. Lep. Brit. 493. 6. 



Pale dull ochre inclining to fuscous. Antennae simple in both 

 sexes. Head and thorax fuscous, a blackish spot on each side 

 the latter : the body fuscous, margin of segments ochreous. Su- 

 perior wings freckled with black, the base black, excepting a 

 space at the insertion and a waved striga before the middle which 

 are the colour of the ground, a sinuated waved line beyond the 

 middle margined with black on the internal side, more suffused 

 with black next the posterior margin on which are 6 or 7 minute 

 black spots : inferior wings paler, the nervures and margin pale 

 fuscous. 



In the Cabinets of Mr. Haworth, Mr. Marshall, and the Author. 



A CONSIDERABLE number of the males in this genus may be 

 recognized by the peculiar knot, as it is termed, of the an- 



