16 Mr. E. Mey rick's Descriptions of 



Crocidosema, Zell. 



I had abandoned this genus, which, being originally 

 founded on the single species pleheimia, seemed to be 

 unnecessarily separated from Eucosma by a structure which 

 could be regarded as specific. As, however, I now describe 

 five other species undoubtedly allied to it and possessing 

 the same distinguishing peculiarity of structure (the erect 

 tuft at the base of hind wings in (^), it becomes worth while 

 to restore the generic validity of the group, which is 

 evidently characteristic of South America, the wide dis- 

 tribution of plebeiana being doubtless due to artificial 

 introduction. The interesting features of the genus would 

 be concealed if merged in the extensive and cosmopolitan 

 Eucosma. 



Crocidosema roraria, n. sp. 



(J $. 16-18 mm. Head, palpi, and thorax grey. Abdomen in ^ 

 pale greyish-ochreous, basal half ochreous-whitish speckled with 

 black, in $ light grey. Forewings elongate, posteriorly somewhat 

 dilated, costa gently arched, in (J with edge shortly folded over at 

 base and large erect tuft of scales beneath it, apex obtuse, termen 

 slightly sinuate in middle, somewhat oblique ; pale greyish-oclireous, 

 in (J sprinkled with fuscous and on costal half and towards termen 

 rather suffused with fuscous, in $ with dorsal half suffused with dark 

 fuscous from near base onwards, posteriorly extending to near 

 costa; costa strigulated with dark fuscous, and on posterior half 

 with pairs of indistinct whitish strigulae, two distinct white strigulae 

 before apex followed by a small dark brown apical spot; in 9 ^ 

 quadrate whitish blotch on dorsum beyond middle more or less 

 apparent ; ocellus narrow, speckled with whitish, margined laterally 

 by leaden-metallic streaks reaching more than half across wing and 

 above by some more or less developed irregular blackish markings, 

 its apex connected with that of dorsal postmedian blotch by an 

 oblique grey-whitish streak cutting off between them a triangular 

 dark fuscous dorsal blotch, in (^ less clearly indicated : cilia grey 

 irrorated with whitish and blackish, towards tornus whitish. Hind- 

 wings grey-whitish, in ^ towards dorsum speckled with black, lower 

 margin of cell black, tuft rather short but extending nearly to vein 2, 

 ochreous-whitish, at base black, in $ suffused with grey towards 

 termen ; cilia whitish, with light grey subbasal line. 



Peru, Matucana, 7780 feet, in July {Parish); six 

 specimens (1 (J, 5 9)- 



