344 



Distribution : Europe. Ranges apparently over the entire con- 

 tinent of North America north of Z7° I-at. May to August. 



In North America paUldactyla varies from almost pure creamy 

 white to (lull brown, the paratype of adusta being the darkest speci- 

 men known to us. It is not difficult to confuse extremely pale speci- 

 mens with the following species, but the form of the primaries and 

 the relative lengths of palpi and frontal tuft are very different. We 

 have examined over one hundred fifty specimens from many North 

 American localities. 



There is a series in the Fernald collection from St. George and 

 St. Paul Is., Alaska, Aug.. which are scarcely recognizable as this 

 species, but which seem to agree in all essential features. The geni- 

 talia are similar, the frontal tuft and palpi are similar in those speci- 

 mens in which they are reasonably well preserved, and the scale tuft 

 in the fringes of the secondaries is the same. The primaries are very 

 dull an<l evenly coloured, but this occurs in other regions. The only 

 character which is really doubtful is the relatively blunt apex of the 

 primaries. The series is so poor that we hesitate to describe it as 

 new, and place it here until additional material from Alaska can be 

 examined. 



Among Fitch's types in the Fernald collection are a number of 

 specimens of pallidactyla, of which four are labelled nebulaedact\ins. 

 Two of these bear Fernald's type labels. Both are badly rubbed, but 

 recognisable. A specimen of Oedcmatophonis homodactylus Walker 

 is also labelled "P. nehulacdactylus Type." One badly molded speci- 

 men otherwise in fair condition, is labelled "P. niarginidactylus Type.'" 

 The paratype of adusta Wlsm. in this collection is a very evenly dull- 

 brown specimen of this species. The type of cervinidactylns is in the 

 Cambridge Museum, and is a rather dull specimen of pallidactyla. The 

 synonymy otherwise follows Meyrick. 



The larvae live on Achillea millefolium and plannica, attacking, 

 according to Barrett, "the top of a young shoot, eating out the heart 

 and feeding doivmvards for a short distance into the tender young 

 stem, then leaves it to attack another young shoot in the same manner." 



From various sources we have selected the following descriptions 

 of the early stages : 



Egg: " * * * elliptical in outline and somewhat flattened. The longer 

 diameter was three-sevenths of a millimeter and the shorter diameter was 



