Proceedings of 

 the United States 

 National Museum 



SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION • WASHINGTON, B.C. 



Volume 115 1964 Number 3480 



NEOTROPICAL MICROLEPIDOPTERA, III 



RESTRICTION OF GONIONOTA MELOBAPIIES WALSINGHAM 



WITH DESCRIPTIONS OF NEW SPECIES 



(LEPIDOPTERA: OECOPHORIDAE) 



By J. F. Gates Clarke 



Since the description of Gonionota melobaphes Walsingham, a con- 

 siderable number of species of small moths has been placed under that 

 name in collections and, indeed, it seems entirely likely that Walsing- 

 ham's original series consisted of several species. Larger series from 

 widespread localities indicate that melobaphes is actually confined to 

 a relatively small geographical area and that other similarly colored 

 species of this complex are likewise restricted in their ranges. 



In the U.S. National Museum there are specimens, determined as 

 melobaphes by Durrant and Meyrick, which are not referable to 

 Walsingham's species; moreover, Meyrick suppressed his own vexillata 

 in favor of melobaphes, yet vexillata is one of the most distinct species 

 of the group. All of these taxa need reconsideration. 



In treating these and other South American forms, Meyrick placed 

 all of them in the European genus Hypercallia Stephens. Hypercallia 

 Stephens is based on Phalaena tortrix christiernana Linnaeus, a syno- 

 nym of H. citrinalis (Scopoli), which is abundantly distinct from any 



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