THE SPHINGO-HICROPTERYGIDES. 117 



We are unable to accept Dyar's distinction of " Body cylindrical " 

 for the I'terophoridae and " Body more or less flattened ventrally " for 

 the Anthroccridae, as being of real value, for such larvae as those of 

 Aciptiliayalactodactyla, A.spilodactyla, etc., are most distinctly flattened 

 ventrally. There is also considerable variation in the character of the 

 Pterophorid prolegs, and also in the character of their warts. Our 

 own summary of these related generalised superfamilies based on 

 Dyar's lines would rather be : 



I. Body cylindrical ; case-bearers ; third pair of true legs 

 enlarged ; tubercles with simple seta, and very small ; 

 tubercles i, ii and iii, often in an almost direct line above 

 spiracle; iv and v approximate ... ... ... ... PSYCHIDES. 



II. Body more or less flattened ventrally ; prolegs, variable ; 

 tubercles, rarely with single seta, former usually con- 

 verted into warts ; iv and v usually approximate (except 

 ? Agdistis). 



1. With tubercles i and ii more or less separated ; 

 tubercles with simple seta, or changed into warts ; 

 prolegs, variable (from few hooks to almost full 



circle)... PTEKOPHORIDES. 



2. With highly specialised prolegs. 



a. Tubercles forming many-haired warts ; i 



and ii united into large wart, also iv and v. ANTHROCERIDES. 

 b. Tubercles simple, with single seta ... HETEHOGYNIDES. 



3. With prolegs modified. 



a. Seven pairs of abnormal prolegs, 5 pairs 

 normal, with usual hooks, those on ab- 

 dominal segments 2 and 7 without hooks ; 



warts hairy MEGALOPYGIDES. 



b. Prolegs forming sticky sucking-discs on 

 abdominal segments 2 7 ; tubercles con- 

 verted into spinous processes, or absent ; 

 iv and v aborted EUCLEIDES. 



In many respects the HETEROGYNIDES, a superfamily not included 

 in this tabulation by Dyar, shows very strong Anthrocerid affinities. 

 It has a somewhat Anthrocerid-looking egg, but the eggs are laid 

 within the pupa-case (a common Psychid habit). The wingless female, 

 by a vermiform movement, re-enters the pupa-case after fertilisation ; 

 the apterous condition of the female is another Psychid affinity ; but 

 the larva and pupa are distinctly Anthrocerid, although the tubercles 

 bear a single seta, and tubercles iv and v are distinct, and not warted 

 as in Anthrocera ; the male is very like a Procrid, with some suspicion 

 of a Psychid ; the soft, fluffy, silken cocoon being quite sui generis, 

 yet approaching Antlirocera. Dyar suggests for Heterogyna an 

 affinity with COSSINA (Adelids, Psychids, Cossids, Pyralids, Tortricids, 

 Sesiids, Tineids, Orneodids and Lacosomids), but this must not be 

 taken too seriously, for, later in the same paper (p. 25), the author 

 defines the COSSINA in terms so general, that it absorbs the ANTHRO- 

 CERINA (Eucleids, Megalopygids, Anthrocerids and Pterophorids), and 

 the term (COSSINA) becomes merely a name, in which the generalised 

 families of all the different stirpes are included. Chapman says that, 

 among the Anthrocerids, he has failed to detect any structures in the 

 young larvae examined at all parallel with the spines of Apoda 

 acdlana, and must still rely on the structure of the egg, the form and 



* " Combination of two classifications of Lepidoptera," Journal New York Ent. 

 Soc., 1895, p, 20. 



