DREPANID^; EUCHERA. By Dr. E. Strand. 195 



12. Family: Drepanidae. 



Usually small broad-winged moths, resembling Geometers. Antennae short, as a rule not half .so long 

 as the forewing, usually bipectinate in both sexes (but the pectinations of the $ much shorter). Head 

 broad, smoothly sealed. Eyes naked. Palpi of true Drepanidae (Drepaninae) short or even absent, sparsely 

 scaled. Tongue short or absent. Body slender. Wings broad, when at rest folded in roof-shape. Fore^^^ng 

 usually with falcate produced apex, vein 1 b forked at the base, 1 c absent, 3 subcostal veins or only two 

 stalked, but in the latter case an areola present; 5 originates nearer to 4 than to 6. Cell closed. In the hind- 

 wing vein 8 approaches vein 7 in the middle, and sometimes (Cilix, Deroca, etc.) anastomoses with it. Only 

 one or two dorsal veins and usually the frenulum present. Discocellular vein angulate. 



Egg rounded, oval. Larva slender, covered with single slender hairs; fourteen feet (Spropedes), the anal 

 claspers being modified to a .single anal pointed process, rarely with 16 feet (10 propedes, Eucherinae) ; the 

 anterior segments often with fleshy excrescences in pairs, the head indented at the vertex, sometimes with 

 two points. On deciduous trees, and pupating between leaves spun together. Pupa a mummy, slender, hard, 

 often with a bloom, hibernating in a thin silky cocoon. Usually two broods, in the North only one. 



According to prevalent opinions the Thyrididae must be considered as being among the families 

 related with the Drepanids the one which comes nearest to them. It is indeed very difficult to give any 

 differences which hold good in all cases. — In the Drepanids vein 1 a of the hindwing is as a rule entirely 

 absent or very short, while in the Thyridids it reaches the anal angle. That is the rule ; but there are Drepa- 

 nids, e. g. Leucodrepana idaeoides (and also other Leucodrepaiia^.) and Cilix, in which 1 a is present and 

 reaches the anal angle or almost. The Drepanids are best distinguished from the Thyridids by the presence of 

 three stalked subcostal veins or two such and an areole, as the Thyridids never have an areole and at most 

 two (sometimes not even one!) stalked subcostal vein. Moreover, the facies, especially in the markings of the 

 Thyridids, is so characteristic that they can in most cases be recognised by that alone. The larvae are differ- 

 ent, those of the Thyridids being ,,Microlepidoptera", and those of the Drepanids ,,Macrolepidoptera", the 

 relationship of the two groups being thei'efore actually not v^ery close. Many Drepanids resemble Geometers, 

 but the families are distinguished inter alia by vein 5 originating in the middle of the discocellular or nearer 

 6 than 4 in the Geometers, while in the Drepanids it originates nearer 4 than 6. However, there are transi- 

 tional forms which will perhaps have to be placed into the other family when the larvae have become 

 known (e. g., Macrocilix). 



I propose dividing the Drepanidae into two subfamilies, Eucherinae and Drepaninae. 



1. Subfamily: Eucherinae .s«6/rtm. nov. 



Vein 1 a of the forewing anastoniost>s with 1 b in the middle and terminates without reaching the inner margin 

 or anal angle (recalling the Paxjilionids). Palpi long, stout, upright. Vein la of hindwing present and fairly long. 

 Vein 5 of forewing nearly in the middle between 4 and 6. — The presence of 10 propedes in the larvae, which have there- 

 fore 10 feet, is especially important. 



Only one genus (perhaps Mimozethes also belongs here). 



1. Genus: Eueliera Hbn. 



The largest Drepanids of our area belong to tliis genus. Usually broad-winged moths with grey 

 or whitish markings, already distinguished by their colour from the mostly uniformly browniish and yellowish 

 smaller forms. The antennae are characteristically stout and laminate. Palpi upturned. Middle tibiae with 

 one pair of spurs, hind tibiae with two. Veins 1 a and 1 b of forewing forming a fork as in the other Dre- 

 panidae, but in contradistinction to the other genera a short branch directed backward and outward originates 

 at this fork and terminates in the wing before reaching the margin. Discocellular of both wings only slightl}' 

 angulate. Vein 5 of forewing rather far from the angle of the cell, 6 slightly below the upper angle. The moths 

 rest like the Geometers on the underside of large leaves in daji:ime, and are flushed by beating or caught 

 at the lamp in the evening. 



E. substigmaria Hbn. (23 f) has black head, wliite thorax and brownish white abdomen. There is a straight subslig- 

 line from the apex of the forewing to the middle of the hind margin of tiie iiindwing, dividing both wings into """'"'• 

 an outer whitish and an inner darker area; in the latter the somewhat lighter basal area and a light post- 

 raedian band in the costal half of the wing are distinguishable as well as a large whitish discocellular spot; 

 in the marginal area a few small, darker, often sharply defined, spots, especially at the anal angle. Hind- 

 wing with large rounded deep black discocellular spot. 68 to 82 mm. — Larva black with lighter ringed 



*) In our work the Thyridids, of which only 20 forms art; known U-nm the Palearctic Region, are placed next to 

 the Sesiidae, which also bear a close affinity to the Microlepidoptera. 



