322 



PSYCHE. 



[March, iqoa 



This subfamily is divided into several, 

 at least five groups of genera, in two 

 series, for example a Copaxa group, 

 an Antheraea group (Antheraea, Telea, 

 Metosamia) ; a Samia group (Samia, 

 Epiphora, Callosamia) a Tropaea group 

 (Graellsia, Argema, Actias, Tropaea), 

 and an Attacus group (Rothschildia, 

 Philosamia, Attacus). 



Whether Rhodia, Rinaca, and Neoris 

 belong with Loepa, which has six tuber- 

 cles on the 8th abdominal segment, or 

 with Copaxa which in stage I has but 

 five, the median one being double, re- 

 remains to be seen after we know more 

 of their larval forms. 



Note on the genus Rothschildia. 



As originally written, I had proposed 

 a new generic name for the American 

 Moths referred lo Attacus.* 



This name was proposed by Mr. 

 Grote for the American, chiefly Naeo- 

 gaeic, species heretofore referred to 

 Attacus. The latter genus, comprising 

 Attacus atlas, A. cramcri and A. ed- 

 wardsii, is restricted to southeastern 

 Asia and the East Indian Archipelago 

 or the oriental region. In fact it is 

 much more closely related to Philosamia 

 than to Rothschildia. 



From a study of the venation and 



* After this article was put in type and a day before 

 receiving tlie proof, I received by Mr. Grote his excellent 

 article, Beitrag zur Classification der Schmetterlinge, i8i)6, 

 in which he separates the American species of Attacus 

 under the name of Rothschildia. I therefore suppress the 

 generic name I liad proposed. The char.icters he gives 

 are essentially what I have pointed out in the present 

 article. We seem, quite independently of each other, to 

 have arrived at the same results. 



other features of six species of Roths- 

 childia, it becomes quite evident that the 

 new world or naeogaeic species form a 

 group readily separated from the species 

 of Attacus of the Oriental region, both 

 by the larval and imaginal characters, 

 though in the general appearance of the 

 moths, the shape of the wings and mark- 

 ings there is a close resemblance. 



Rothschildia differs from Attacus in 

 the following characters ; the antennae 

 have pectinations nearly one-half shorter, 

 and the end of the antenna is subfiliform ; 

 the palpi are 3-jointed, those of Attacus 

 i-jointed ; the fore tibial epiphysis is in 

 Rothschildia narrow, very sharp at the 

 end, about half as wide as in Attacus, in 

 which {A. atlas) it is oval, and the end 

 obtuse. 



The fore wings are less falcate than 

 in Attacus, and the hind wings more 

 rounded at the inner angle, not so tri- 

 angular in outline as in Attacus, nor so 

 much produced posteriorly : indeed they 

 are closely like those of Philosamia. 



In the venation the difference between 

 the Asiatic and American forms is strik- 

 ing ; in all the Rothschildiae examined 

 there is no first subcostal vein (or vein 

 II.). In Attacus atlas, crameri, and 

 edwardsii the first branch of the subcos- 

 tal vein is fully developed, arising at a 

 point near the middle of the discal cell, 

 /. tf., within the origin of the common stalk 

 of the other subcostal branches. In this 

 respect it is closely allied to Philosamia, 

 where vein 11 is present. Vein II 2 is 

 minute, very short ; II3 present, normal. 

 In Rothschildia vein II is wanting, II2 



