1913] Helico psyche MolannidcE and LeptoceridcE 09 



upon Cui just as R5 has upon M1+2. Radius of the hind wing 

 may be similarly interpreted. While the limits of this paper 

 preclude discussion of the other modifications, enough has been 

 indicated to show that the determination of the homologies in 

 the venation of the Molannidae and the Beraein^ need not be 

 given up in despair. 



While in the case of the Molannidas the suggestions here 

 made may help to bring order out of what has admittedly been 

 chaos, it may seem that in extending the same interpretation 

 to the Leptoceridse the reverse is true. In this latter family 

 there has been uncertainty as to the homology of the veins but 

 the entire family is practically homogeneous in this respect and 

 everyone seems to have been satisfied to recognize equivalents 

 within these limits without determining the larger relations. 

 Thus McLachlan (Rev. and Syn. p. 282) states that the applica- 

 tion of the notation in this family (his section 3) is "not very 

 satisfactory" and he leaves the veins and cells between R3 and 

 Cui unidentified except in the genus Triaenodes and in the 

 females of Leptocerus. In these latter cases there is appar- 

 ently an evident recurrence of the 2nd and 3rd cells (cells R4 

 and Ml) respectively, but as will be indicated further on this 

 appearance may be illusory. Later authors have followed 

 McLachlan's practice and no suggestion has so far been made 

 as to the manner by which the evident reduction of the venation 

 of the Leptoceridae has come about. 



The venation of a species of Leptocerus (Fig. 5) may serve 

 as typical for the family. Attention is directed to radius of 

 the fore wing which is similar in appearance in practically all 

 members of the family and which apparently differs from the 

 typical 5-branched radius only in having R4 and R5 fused. 

 The only reason for questioning this interpretation is found in 

 the fact that the corneous point then falls behind instead of in 

 front of R.5. Exactly comparable conditions are found in the 

 hind wing (Fig. 5b). It may possibly not be justifiable to 

 discard the obvious interpretation of these veins because of the 

 location of a minute structure whose significance is wholly 

 unknown and whose position may therefore depend upon 

 factors which have nothing whatever to do with the venation. 

 It is, however, a most remarkable fact that while these points 

 are absent in a few groups, they are never found outside of 

 their respective cells no matter what curious modifications 



