AlKiYKKSTHIA. ISl 



I) b f). Palpi cxtrciiu'ly short. .'5. Ocnerostoma. 

 (( a. Anterior wings subfaloato. I'alpi ratlier short and thick ; the ter- 

 minal joint obtuse. 4. Zklleria. 



MmX 



Genus I. ARGYRESTHIA 



yirrpjrcsllila p., Iliib. \'. 422 (1S16) ; Zell. Ech-resn (et Arf/yrosdia), 

 Curt. (Ecophora p., Treit. ; Dup. -. Zctt. Ennb/ea p. et T'nwd p., 

 Haw. Ismene (;t Anjyrosetia , Step. 



Capilli hirsuti, epistomio tevigato. Antennae alis anterioribus brcvinros 

 (articulo basali elongate, incrassato), articulis distinctis. llaustcUum 

 breve, nudum. Palpi labiales penduli vel sub[)orrecti, squamis ap- 

 presns, articulo sccundo apice incrassato, articulo terminal! subacuto. 

 Al;c longe ciliatiu, auteriores elongataj, posteriores lanccolat;c; an- 

 teriores : vena3 ex cellular discoidalis parte postica uovcm octove ori- 

 untur, apicalis simplex vel furcata ; subdorsalis simplex; posteriores: 

 vena apicalis ante apicera exit, infra earn vena furcata, et venie dutc 

 simplices e venula transversa. 



Head rough ; the face smootii. Antennae shorter than the anterior 

 wings, with distinct joints ; the elongate basal joint is thickened. 

 Tongue short and naked. Labial palpi drooping or rather porrccted. 

 With appremed scales; the second joint with the apex thickened; the 

 terminal joint ralher amte. Wings with long cilia, the anterior elon- 

 gate, the posterior lanceolate. In the anterior wings eight or nine 

 veins arise from the hinder portion of the discoidal cell ; the apical 

 vein is simple or furcate; the subdorsal is simple. In tlie posterior 

 wings the apical vein runs into the costa before tlie apex ; below it are 

 a furcate vein, and two simple veins from the transverse vein. 



The perfect insects of this genus may be at once recogni/ed 

 when at rest, as the hind pair of legs are laid alongside of tlic 

 body, which is elevated at an angle of '1<5°, the head of the 

 insect being almost in contact with the substance on which it 

 rests; they tlius stand on the first /y//r legs only, whence liiiiiurus 

 named one of the species tetrapodclla. The species are found in 

 hedges, trees, and bushes, from May to September, cacli s])ecies 

 g(!nerally keeping out for a long time, and, as they very readily lly, 

 they soon get wasted. Tlie larvae feed in the leaf-buds, destroying 

 or crippling tlie growth of a young shoot, yet the luxuriance of 

 vegetation is so great that no apparent ill cU'ects are produced by 

 a considerable number of the larvae feeding on the same plant ; 

 of some species (according to Ivalzeburg) the larvK assume the 

 pu])a-state inside the shoot, but more generally the larva' descend 

 by their silken threads to the ground {uUlileUa may often be seen 

 so descending from a hawthorn hedge in May), and form ou the 

 ground amongst leaves a rather ojjcn network cocoon. 



