110 BRITISH LEPIDOPTERA. 



Orneodes, is that the one Micro character which Orneodcs has preserved 

 and exaggerated (the large cephalic dorsal plate) happens, in Pterophortu, 

 to have taken precisely the contrary direction. In Pterophonta it hardly 

 exists, and is difficult to see ; yet it does exist, and that so effectually that, 

 as in nearly all Micros, it carries the eye-cover with it on dehiscence. Dyar 

 is quite clear as to the larva, and associates the Pterophorids with the 

 Anthrocerids, and as we have examined many of the larvae of this super- 

 family, we can the more readily acquiesce in his claim for this alliance. 

 The smooth Pterophorid egg, too, supports very strongly the suggested 

 alliance with the Anthrocerids. Yet there are strange peculiarities about 

 the Pterophorids as a member of this stirps, not the least of which is the 

 development of a cremaster, by which it attaches itself after the fashion 

 of Hijpcrcallia, Zonosoma, and the Papilionid pupe. By the develop- 

 ment of this cremastral attachment, the Pterophorid pupa has lost the 

 character of motility, practically universal among the superfamilies 

 with Incomplete pupre. On this account, Chapman considers that 

 the Pterophorids are one of the highest of the superfamilies in 

 the INCOMPLETE. On the other hand, the abdominal prolegs of the 

 Anthrocerid larva are so completely of the typical Macro form, i.e., 

 have hooks only on the inner side of the foot, that this character places 

 the latter super-family also high among the INCOMPLETE. There is 

 difficulty in detecting the eye-collar (which is remarkably well-developed 

 in the lowest superfamilies of the Sphingo-Micropterygid stirps) in 

 the Pterophorid,and, to a less extent, in the Anthrocerid, pupa, another 

 character that places them moderately high in their stirps. 



Chapman considers that, besides the Micropterygids and Erio- 

 craniids, the Hepialids, Nepticulids, and possibly, even the Psychids, 

 have been derived directly from the Palrco-lepidoptera, without any 

 intermediate forms that we now possess to indicate the special lines 

 they took, and that the lines of their evolution, therefore, diverged 

 from this low point. 



With regard to our distribution of the MICROPTERYGIDES, ERIO- 

 CRANIIDES and HEPIALIDES, as the bases of the Sphingo-Micropterygid, 

 Geometro-Eriocraniid and Noctuo-Hepialid stirpes respectively, we 

 may at once state that each of these might equally well be put at the 

 bottom of any stirps. The Micropterygids are, presumably, the lowest 

 form we have, and, therefore, might be placed as a base for all the 

 stirpes. This superfamily and the Nepticulids, however, show more 

 interesting parallels with the generalised superfamilies (Eucleids, etc.) 

 of the Sphingo-Micropterygid stirps, than with those of any other, and 

 hence are best treated here. Chapman has shown clearly that the 

 Eriocraniids have no very close alliance with the Micropterygids, but 

 he also pointsf out that they show distinct relationship with the 

 Adelids (by way of Incurraria), and through them with the Tineids, 

 Pyraloids and Pyralids. He further points out that the Hepialids, whilst 

 preserving many Tineid characters, show distinct alliance with the 

 Cossids, and that the latter have all the essential characters of the 

 Tortricid, as distinguished from the Tineid, stirps. We have, there- 

 fore, selected those of these superfamilies nearest to the lower forms 

 of each of our three stirpes, and propose to bring them into exami- 

 nation with the stirps to which they have been respectively attached. 



* Trant, Ent. Soc. Lond., 1894, pp. 336 et seq. f IMd., 1896, p. 132. 



