48 ZYG^NID^ AND BOMBYCIDjE 



BOMBYCID^. 

 LITHOSIINa;. 

 Genus CISTHENE. (Walker.) 



Male. — Body rather short, moderately stout. Palpi much shorter 

 than the head ; third joint conical, acuminated, less than half the 

 length of the second. Antennae stout, setose, setaceous, rather more than 

 half the length of the body. Abdomen not extending so far as the hind 

 wings; tips forcipated. Legs moderately stout, hind tibiae 

 with four rather long spurs. Wings moderately broad, 

 not long. Fore wings very slightly convex in front, ob- 

 lique at the tips ; rounded and not angular behind ; 

 third inferior vein fully twice further from the second than the second 

 from the first ; fourth nearly twice further from the third than the third 

 from the second. 



The two California species of this genus feed on plants belonging 

 to the anomalous genus Byssus, and occur in Dr. Behr's manuscripts 

 under the name of Byssophaga. The three species found in the United 

 States may be tabulated thus : 



* Hind wings pale tawny. 



f Band on ant. wings reaching the costa - C. faustinula. 



Band on ant. wings not reaching the costa - C. nexa. 



* Hind wings rosy. 



•|- Fore wings with transverse band - - - C. unifascia. 

 Fore wings with spot on costa and inner margin - C. subjeda. 



l.-CISTHENE FAUSTINULA. (PI. 2, fig. 10.) 



Lithosia faustinula, Boisd. , Am. Soc. Ent. Belg., vol. 12, p. 73. (1868.) 

 5 . ? . — Head, palpi, antennae, thorax and its appendages tawny 

 white ; eyes black ; abdomen tawny. Anterior wings with the costa 

 nearly straight, somewhat rounded near the apex; smoky gray in color, 

 with a short, narrow, marginal streak at the base of the wing, on the 

 inner margin, and a transverse band beyond the middle, twice con- 

 stricted, and somewhat broadest on the inner margin, of a pale tawny 

 or dirty white, the adjacent portions of the wing being somewhat darker 



