1894. | - NEW YORK ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. 53 
tubercles can be carried. The characters on which I would 
base the superfamilies are as follows: 
Order Lepidoptera, suborder Frenatie. 
Tubercles iv and v of larva approximate or consolidated 
(all stages ).* 
Tubercles i and ii remote, normal...... -........... COSSIN A. 
Tubercles i and ii approximate or consolidated....... 4 A NTHROCERINA. 
Tubercle i consolidated with its fellow in dorsal line 
on abdominal segments 8 or 9 or both. .........- SATURNINA. 
Tuberctes iv and v remote. 
Tubercles iv (posterior) higher up than v............ NOCTUINA. 
Tubercle v (anterior ) higher up than iv ; sete aborted.. SPHINGINA. 
Tubercles iv and v usually in line ; or iv higher up than 
vy and then armature not derived from primitive 
tubercles. ;..... Anca bacee@onaueage Hesodndeccoe RHOPALOCERA. 
In the first three superfamilies there is a tendency for the 
tubercles to become arranged in a single transverse line. This 
process is begun in the Cossina by the consolidation of tubercles 
iv.and vy. It is completed in the Anthrocerina, as indicated 
above, by the consolidation of i. and ii. In the Saturnina, the 
same thing is accomplished in a different way by the disappear- 
ance of ii. after the first moult. In the Noctuina and Sphingina 
the tendency has been toward an arrangement of the tubercles 
in two alternating rows. ‘To effect this, iv. and v. have become 
separated and moved out of line. In the Noctuina iv. has been 
moved upward, but in the Sphingina iv. remained in position and 
v. was moved, forming the alternation on the other side of the 
spiracle. 
In the Rhopalocera there is little tendency to an alteration of 
the primitive position, except in a section of the Nymphalide, 
though the development of secondary sete is often pushed back 
partially into the first stage, thus complicating the arrangement. 
Superfamily Cosstna (Microlepidoptera). 
Tubercles with single seta, normal, iv. and v. approximate or 
consolidated, the rest remote. Includes the families Adelidee, 
Psychide, Cosside, Pyralids (—Pyralidina), Tortricide (= 
Totricina), Sesiide, Tineidx (—Tineina) Orneodidx and Laco- 
somidee. Probably all the species recorded under these several 
families belong here except, perhaps, in the case of some of the 
Tineide, with which I am not sufliciently familiar. The Psy- 
chide differ markedly from the other families in the reversed 
alternation of tubercles i. and ii., as I have previously pointed 
out. But I find the family can not be given superfamily rank 
on this character. The Lacosomide belong here by the ar- 
* Except in some Tineida, as I will show in another artic le. 
