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XVII. A Classification of the Australian Lymantriadie. 

 By Dr. A. Jefferis Turner, M.D., F.E.S. 



[Read May 4th, 1904.] 



The Lymantriadm are a group of interest as being the 

 lowest family of the iVoc^^aV^ series, which includes also the 

 Syntomidai, Ardiadm, and Nodnidm (of which I regard the 

 Agaristinai as a subfamily). They appear to have real 

 relationship to the Eupterotid^, the lowest family of the 

 Notodontid series, comprising the Geometrid^, Cymatopho- 

 rid^, Notodontid^e, SpJmigid/e, SaturniadiB, and Boiiibycidm, 

 the two series being readily distinguished by the point of 

 origin of vein 5 of the fore-wings. In Australia the family 

 is very well represented, and a classification of the Austra- 

 lian species should be of more than local interest. Col. 

 Swinhoe's recent revision of the Old- World species in the 

 British Museum collection, while useful as regards species, 

 leaves the genera still in need of revision. 



I have enlarged the extent of the family as usually 

 understood by the inclusion under the subfamily name 

 of Asotinas of the group usually known as HypsidiB or 

 Aganaidx. These are undoubtedly a natural group, but 

 in all important structural characters they agree so closely 

 with the Lymantriadm as hitherto known, that I con- 

 sider that they are best treated as a subfamily. The 

 differences are no more than are present in the sub- 

 families of the Noctuidm, Geometridm, and Pyralidas as 

 these families are understood in Sir George Hampson's 

 classification. There seems to me a tendency at present 

 to create too many families among the bombycine moths. 

 No doubt such division is practicable owing to the wide- 

 spread extinction of intermediate forms among these 

 archaic groups ; but it appears to me more philosophical to 

 group these together as subfamilies, wherever the indica- 

 tions of affinity appear sufficiently clear to justify such a 

 course. The remainder of the family I have divided into 

 two subfamilies, the Lyviantrianm and the Anthelinx 

 (type Anthela, Wlk.), the latter being distinguished by 

 the very peculiar structure of the areole of the fore-wings, 



TRANS. ENT. SOC. LOND. 1904. — PART III. (SEPT.) 



