39 



The jjosition of this closely allied group of genera is rather un- 

 certain ; they apparently bear considerable relationship to the Gal- 

 Icri'mac as defined by Ragonot in his Monograph ; the median nervure 

 of the secondaries does not, however, appear to us to be strongly pec- 

 tinate; it is true that on some specimens, notably $'s. there is con- 

 siderable long hair towards the base of wing but it seems to us to be 

 bclo-a' the median vein and not actually on it; and in certain 9 's all 

 hair is wanting, even although they appear quite fresh. Ragonot was 

 evidently of this opinion when he created the genera .Uf'hcias and 

 Macrotlicca or he would not have placed them in the Eiidotrichiinae. 

 On the other hand all specimens examined by us showed no trace of 

 the ocelli and Ragonot lays great stress on this as characteristic of 

 the Gallcriinac. The peculiar sexual differences in the palpi also point 

 in this direction ; in Gallcria mcloncUa the 3rd joint of the S palpi is 

 already bent inward and it would be but a further step in development 

 for it to become atrophied, accompanied by an abnormal growth of 

 the 2nd joint ; the prominent frontal tuft of the Gallcriinac is lacking, 

 however, in this group, the front being almost smooth, the <? palpi 

 tufted dorsally. The venation would also point towards the Gall- 

 criinac; in nigrociucrccUa and flcxilincalis the anal vein on primaries 

 is forked at base ; this fork is apparently not present in intcralbicalis 

 and ponda but all specimens examined showed the characteristic branch 

 to the inner margin near the base of the wing. The venation of the 

 secondaries difTers somewhat from the ordinary Galleriid type, the cell 

 being long and almost closed by the discocellulars. which form a prom- 

 inent inward angle ; this might, however, be merely of generic value. 



The characteristic features of this group may be summed up as 

 follows : 



Ocelli absent ; antennae in $ ciliate or pectinate, in 9 simple ; proboscis and 

 maxillary palpi lacking; labial palpi in tlie $ short, tufted, 3rd joint atrophied, 

 in 9 long, rostriform. smoothly scaled; abdomen in $ tufted; hind and mid 

 tibiae with the outer and inner branches of spurs of equal length ; fore wing 

 with anal vein either forked or not. but always with branch to inner margin ; 

 median nervure non-pectinate ; R3 either present or wanting. 



For the present we would place the group in the Gallcriinac, but if 

 it be considered advisable to give them subfamily rank we would pro- 

 prose the name Macrothcciinac, following Ragonot who has already 

 given it the tribal name Macrothccini. 



