NOTES ON THE GENUS MIEZA WALKER 71 



dent from their identical characterization : Phalaena vera, lithosia geo- 

 meMformis, and even more so from Hiibner's own statement in the pref- 

 ace to the next number of his " Zutrage," page 5, where he considers 

 the specific name, pupula, of his second species as preoccupied by the 

 first because in the same genus, changing it to laeta, and expressly stating 

 that it can most properly be compared with the first pupula, which is the 

 most nearly related species to it. To quote Hiibner : 



" Ich ergreife daher diese Gelegenheit einen solchen Missgriff zu ver- 

 bessern, der sich im dritten Hundert, Seite 24, Nro. 245, Fig. 489, 490, 

 findet. Dieser kleine Spinner nehmlich, erhielt den Namen Eustixis 

 Pupula, welchen jedoch schon eine im zweiten Hundert Seite 24, Nro. 

 164, Fig. 327, 328, abgebildete Phcilana fiihrt, die am fiiglichsten mit 

 der gegenwartigen verglichen werden kann, und die nachste Vereins 

 -Art zu derselben bildet. Ich habe nun statt des bereits verwendeten 

 Namens, die hier nicht unpassende Benennung Eustixis Laeta gewahlt, 

 und bitte meine entomologischen Freunde und Besitzer dieser Zutrage, 

 fiievon gefallige Vormerkung zu nehmen." 



Thus there can be no manner of doubt but that Hiibner intended only 

 one genus and that Eustixis is a true synonym of Eustixia, applicable to 

 the monotype pupula, the well-known white, black-spotted Pyraustid. 



Also, Wcilker's generic name, Mieza, is properly used for our present 

 conception of the hyponomeutid genus, with igninix Walker as type. 



However, it is obvious that Hiibner's name laeta ( = pupula) must be 

 retained as earlier than any of Walker's names and it can only be applied 

 to the species named igninix by Walker, with which, indeed, the figures 

 agree very well. 



M. crassivenella Zeller (not crassinervella Zeller) is also this same 

 species, as Zeller's type in Cambridge proves. 



Subfervens Walker and psammitis Zeller, as suggested by Bames and 

 McDunnough, may be mere varieties of the same species. Zeller re- 

 garded them as males and females of the same species, erroneously so, as 

 both sexes are found in each of the two groups ; eventually they may be 

 proven to be but one variable species, but until such proof is at hand 

 through breeding, the synonymy cannot be maintained, as the light marked 

 form, agreeing with Walker's type of subfervens ^ and which Zeller 



^This is the one figured by Drs. Barnes and McDunnough on Plate IX, No. 13, 

 and the same as figured by Stretch (Zyg. and Bom. N. Am., pi. 7, fig. 17), from a 

 more clearly marked specimen. 



