REVISION OF THE AMERICAN MOTHS OF THE GENUS 



ARGYRESTHIA. 



By August Busck, 



Of tlie U. S. Department of Agricultitri 



The genus Argyresthia was erected by Hiibner" for four species, of 

 which three are truly congeneric, and of which the first mentioned and 

 best known {ArgyrestJila goi'dartella Linnan;s) may ),)e regarded as the 

 type of the genus. 



The genus includes a group of small moths of about half an inch or 

 less in alar expansion, which are found principally in Europe and 

 America. The different species exhibit great variety in the pattern 



of their wing ornamentation, but the ground color 



is nearl}' alwa^^s white and the markings are either 



metallic golden or bronze or are brown and fuscous. 

 They may l)e recognized 



by the following generic 



characters: Face smooth, 



head rough. Labial palpi 



p o r r e c ted, moderately 



long, slightly curved and 



pointed; te rm i nal j oi n t 



long, l)oth joints more or 

 less roughened l)eneath. Maxillary palpi obsolet(»; tongue moderate. 

 Antennjv three-fourths of wing-length, with rather long pectinated 

 basal joint; in the males finely serrate and pubescent. 



Forewings elongate, pointed, smooth scaled with 12 veins (or with 

 only 11 veins, one luedian vein being obsolete); 7 and 8 stalked or 

 separate; 7 to termen; 1 b slightly furcate at l)ase or simple; 2 from 

 or near corner of cell, which is proportionally ])i"oad and which has an 

 internal vein from between 11 and 10 to below S and another from base 

 to between 4 and ">; membrane thickened along the costal edge above 

 vein 11. 



" Verz. beknnt. Schniett, 1816, p. 422. 



Fig. 1. — Head of Ar 

 gyrestia. 



-Venation of Argyres- 



THIA FREYELI-A. 



Proceedings U.S. National Museum, Vol. XXXII— No. 1506. 



