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STENOMIDAE 



The family Stenomidae is the prevalent family of Microlepidop- 

 tera in Central and South America and comprises there many hun- 

 dred species of remarkable specific diversity in color, size and shape, 

 but with little generic differentiation. 



North of the Rio Grande the family is represented only by the 

 few species tabulated below. 



The family can be recognized by the following characters: Labia! 

 palpi long recurved, second joint smooth, terminal joint pointed. Male 

 antennae ciliate, female antennae simple ; no pecten on first antennal 

 joint. Forewings with 12 veins (sometimes 11 by veins 2 and 3 

 united) ; apical veins separate (in one small central American genus 

 8 and 9 stalked) ; 7 separate to termen or apex (in one south American 

 genus, Gonioterma, vein 8 also to termen) ; 2-3 and 4 variable in posi- 

 tion, sometimes even within the species, separate, connate or stalked ; 

 2 and 3 sometimes coincident. Hindwings broader than the forewings 

 with rounded termen ; 6 and 7 stalked ; 3 and 4 connate, stalked or co- 

 incident ; 5 approximate to, connate or stalked with 4. Posterior tibiae 

 hairy above. Male genitalia with peculiar spatulate, forked hairs, so 

 far as I know, not found in any other family of Microlepidoptera. 



The male genitalia of the Microlepidoptera present most val- 

 uable characters for the classification and each family type of these 

 organs can rarely be confused with those of any other family. Nor- 

 mally the genus is also well characterized by the genitalia and with the 

 exception of a few groups (Coleophoridae and Sesiidac), in which a 

 remarkable uniformity is found, the specific identity is nearly always 

 clearly expressed in the male genitalia, if nowhere else then in the 

 armature of the penis. Several hundred slides made during the last 

 year by Mr. Carl Heinrich and myself prove beyond adventure, that 

 we shall eventually be able to determine with certainty any Micro- 

 lepidopteron (possibly with the above mentioned few group excep- 

 tions) by its genitalia alone. 



The specific characters in these organs are commonly so striking 

 as to afford much easier and surer differentiation between closely 

 allied species than the wing coloration and this fact makes the geni- 



