— 144 — 



Oscar John (St. Petersburg). 

 Callogonia or Tclcsilla virgo/ (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae). 



(With plate 1). 



In vol. VII of the „Catalogue of the Lepidoptera Phalaenae in 

 the British Museum" (1908) Sir Geo. F. H amp s on describes (p. 589) 

 a new genus Callogonia, with only one species ?;/r^oTreit. 



This species was described by T r e i t s с h к e in 182.5 as AbrosfoJa, 

 then classified by В о is du val with the genus Plavodes, by Du- 

 pe n с h e I with Plusia, by H e r r i с h - S с h ä f f e r with Hydrelifi. by 

 G u e n é e with Diastema, by H e r r i с h - S с h ä f f e r again with Tele- 

 .9?7k (type: ameihiisfina Hb.) and finally by Lederer with Encarta 

 (type: amethystina Hb.)'). 



As we see, the position of this species in the system has been 

 an uncertain one and as now Sir Geo. H a m |) s о n establishes a new 

 genus for this moth it may be permitted to attempt a criticism based 

 not only on the external characters, but also on the comparison of the 

 genitalia witli those of ametbystiva H b. -). 



It must he understood that 1 do not consider it possible to esta- 

 blish a classification of Lepidoptera on the morphology of the genital 

 organs alone, especially as our knowledge of these organs is still far 

 from complete. Nevertheless I think that not only in theory does a cer- 

 tain uniformity suggest itself in the structure of the genital appara- 

 tus, both of male and female, in closely allied species, but even in fact 

 we see that it is so. This has been shown by the papers published on 

 the anatomy of the genitalia, among which I need only allude to Dir. 

 W. P e t e r s e n's researches ^) and Mr. P. N. P i e r с e"s recent work 



1) See: S t a u d i n g e r. Mém Rom., VI, 1892, p. 53:3. 



'-) Both species have been considered to belong to one genus by all au- 

 thors with the exception of G u é n e e, who places it with the South American 

 tiijrif< G n. (type) under Diastema. 



3j W. Petersen. Beiträge zur Morphologie der Lepidopteren. Mém. 

 Acad. Sc. St.-Pétersbourg, VIII ser., vol. IX, Л» б, 1899, and: Die Morpliologie 

 der (îenerationsorgane der Schmetterlinge and ihre Bedeutung für die Artbil- 

 dnng. Ibid., vol. XVI, № 8, 1903. 



Revue Russe d'Entora, 1909. № 1—2. (Juin 1909). 



