1902] 217 



the opposite N. African coast, as well as in Algeria, &c. The generic 

 name is often written Lcemoslhenes. — G. C. C] 



A NEW EUROPEAN SPECIES OF PTEROPITORID.E. 

 BY E. MEYBICK, B.A., F.Z.S. 



In August, 1900, 1 spent a fortnight at Saas-ITee, in the Valais, 

 Switzerland, which lies at an elevation of over 0000 feet, and carefully 

 collected all the obtainable Lepidoptera from 5000 up to 9000 feet. 

 Amongst them was the following species, which appears to be un- 

 described. 



Platyptilia leucobbhyncha, n. sp. 



? . 18-19 mm. Head white, mixed with wlutish-ochreous, frontal tuft 1. 

 Palpi 2£, whitish-ochreous, terminal joint long, tip white. Antennae white, ringed 

 with fuscous. Thorax whitish, mixed with light brownish-ochreous. Abdomen 

 whitish, mixed witli ochreousand fuscous. Legs white, banded with reddish-fuscous. 

 Fore-wings formed as in gonodactyla, therefore more elongate than in tesseradaclyla ; 

 ochreous-whitish, more ochreous-tinged towards base ; costal edge fuseous-mixed 

 from base to beyond middle ; an outwardly oblique fuscous spot on dorsum at |, 

 reaching half across wing; an undefined fuscous spot in disc just before middle ; 

 a narrow wedge-shaped fuscous spot along dorsum from before middle to f ; a tri- 

 angular dark brown blotch on costa before fissure, reaching § across wing, outer edge 

 slightly concave ami less oblique than termen ; a moderate dark brown subterminal 

 fascia, and narrower brown terminal fascia, separated by a narrow streak of ground 

 colour: cilia white, base on termen light brown edged with a dark fuscous line, on 

 dorsum with a moderate projection of black-tipped scales at f, and a smaller one 

 at i. Hiud-wings rather dark fuscous, slightly reddish-tinged ; cilia pale brownish, 

 on dorsum whitish-mixed at base, with a large projection of black-tipped scales in 

 middle, and two or three similar scales near base of wing. 



Three specimens taken in a deep wooded gully below Saas-Fee 

 in August, at 5300-5500 feet ; amongst rough herbage in which a 

 large Senecio and a Petasites grew luxuriantly, to one or other of 

 which this species is probably attached. Most allied to P. tessera- 

 daclyla, with which it nearly corresponds in size, but more elongate- 

 winged ; agreeing also in the position and characters of the scale- 

 projections of hind-wings, but certainly distinct by the much longer 

 frontal tuft, a reliable character ; the palpi are also much longer, and 

 the dark costal blotch before fissure is quite differently formed ; finally, 

 the prominent development of the ochreous-white ground colour in 

 the head and fore- wings distinguishes it at once superficially from 

 this, and (combined with the small size) from all other European 

 species of the genus. 



Elmswood, Marlborough : 



July 24th, 1902. 



