i9or.] 215 



be that species, although more material might enable me to separate 

 thera, are two (5250-1) received from the late M. Ragonot in 1891, 

 bred from larvae on an Umbellifer ; one (13283) received from M. 

 I'Abbe J. de Joannis, taken at St. Charles (near Algiers) ; and one 

 (in the Zeller Collection) received from Standfuss, from Palermo. I 

 will not commit myself so far as to say that they are certainly identi- 

 cal with the species here described, which is certainly not the same as 

 marcella, Ebl., for a Cotype of which I am indebted to Dr. Eebel, who 

 has expressed himself (?.Z., 22. III. 1903), as of the same opinion. 



I met with marcella at Grosseto, in Tuscany, on May 4th, 1893, 

 flying in very great abundance under a rough hedge (85535-G) ; and a 

 single specimen (in the Zeller Collection) received from Mann, from 

 Brussa, is the same. 



In marcidella the outer shade-bafld before the apex is not indented 

 by an angular projection of the pale ground-colour at its inner edge, 

 and has a curved rather than an angulated appearance, moreover such 

 indication of dark transverse bands as are to be found in it are 

 straighter and more direct, i.e., not only less oblique, but less irregular. 

 It is also uniformly smaller in size so far as I can judge. 



BLASTOBASIDAE. 



350 : 1.— TECMERIUM, rjn. n. 



(T€K{xripLov = a sure sign). 



Type, Blastobasis anthophaga, Stgr. (= staechadella, Cnst.). 

 Antennae serrate, ^ biciliate (1), not excavate ; basal joint with a broad con- 

 choidal shield of scales, scarcely divided into a pecten beneath. Maxillary Palpi 

 short. Labial Palpi recurved to the vertex, closely clothed ; teruiinal joint shorter 

 than median. Hau.itellum moderate. Foretoings elongate, costa straight to beyond 

 end of cell, thence depressed to the obtusely pointed apex ; dorsum convex, with a 

 slight indentation on vein Ic (not apparent unless denuded) : neuration 11 veins 

 (7 and 8 coincident, to costa) ; 10 from near end of cell, closely approximate to 9 ; 

 with costal stigma from end of 12 to a little beyond the subobsolete termination of 

 11 ; from beyond the origin of 11, at middle of cell, the cell is filled with a thicken- 

 ing similar to the stigma, this thickening is also slightly noticeable between radius 

 and 11, and between cubitus and Ic (= fold) ; cell very long, cubitus approxinmting 

 to radius towards base and forming a narrow neck, beyond which it bulges down- 

 ward ; the internal veins are hardly traceable, being absorbed in the thickening of 

 the membrane ; 6 almost straight, 4 and 5 slightly arched ; 3 short, almost connate 

 with 4 ; 2 weak, short, almost upright ; the shortening of veins 2 and 3 is caused 

 by the almost angular indentation of the margin at vein 1=. Hindioings broadest 

 towards the base, the costa slightly sinuate before middle, apex slightly depressed, 

 dorsum flattened, termen oblique ; cilia 1^ : neuration 8 veins; 6 and 7 remote, 



