3U 



XI. Notes on the Taxonomic value of Genital Armature in 

 Lepidoptera. By G. T. Bethune-Baker, F.L.S., 

 F.Z.S. 



[Read May 6th, 1914.] 



Plates LV-LXV 



In that valuable contribution to our knowledge, of these 

 organs in Coleoptera by Dr. Sharp and Mr. Muir (Trans. 

 Ent. Soc, 1912, pp. 477 et seq.) the following sentence 

 occurs on page 613 : — 



" It has been supposed that the copulatory structures 

 are bad guides in classification, although they are generally 

 admitted to be of the first importance for the discrimination 

 of species. If, however, the extreme importance of the 

 genital conduit be seized, it will appear that its structure 

 must certainly be of very great assistance in taxonomy." 



Inasmuch as these organs in Lepidoptera are not alto- 

 gether similar to those in the group that were being dealt 

 with in that able memoir, I would substitute for " genital 

 conduit " " sexual armature," and then I would adopt the 

 whole paragraph for my own purpose. I am led to do this 

 for two reasons, the first because there are still eminent 

 systematists among us who for all practical purposes have 

 no behef in the value of these organs, whilst the second 

 reason is that extended investigation of these structures 

 in Lepidoptera has convinced me that they are of very great 

 value in taxonomy as well as in phylogeny. Of recent 

 years my researches . have gone much further afield than 

 five-and-twenty years ago when I first began this branch 

 of work, and the more I have seen the more do I feel the 

 value of them for the systematist from every point of view. 

 It appears to me that they are necessary characters not 

 only in the discrimination of species but of genera also; 

 I do not say that they are infallible in every genus — there 

 may be, indeed we should expect there would be, exceptions. 

 We consider neuration to be — shall I say — absolutely 

 necessary for correct generic classification, yet there are 

 genera where it is quite unstable, but that fact does not 

 at all impinge on the value of that character for general 



TRANS. ENT. SOC. LOND. 1914. — PART II. (OCT.) 



