Y 
LEPIDOPTERA HETEROCERA 
-I 
48. GENUS ORNITHOSPILA, WARREN 
Ornithospila. Warren, Novit. Zool. Vol. r, p. 3856 (1894). 
Urospila. Warren, ibidem, p. 387 (1894). 
Afrena. Hampson, Trans. Ent. Soc. Lond. p. 314 (1595). 
Characters. — Face slightly protuberant, smoothly scaled. Palpus long, second joint reaching 
beyond frons, rough-scaled, third joint in both sexes elongate, smooth-scaled. Tongue developed. 
Antenna long, in c bipectinate to about three-fourths with moderately long, decreasing branches, 
apex ciliated; in Q pubescent, with single short cilia. Pectus and femora hairy. Hindtibia in cf not 
dilated, in both sexes with four strong spurs. Abdomen not crested. l'renulum developed in both sexes 
(in Q not extremely strong). Forewing broad, costa arched at base and towards apex, nearly straight 
between, apex acute, termen smooth or weakly subcrenulate, tornus pronounced, sometimes rectan- 
gular, cell about two-fifths, produced apicallv, DC! sometimes obsolete, leaving the apex of the cell 
open, DC? deeply inbent (sometimes almost angled), DC? nearly vertical at first, becoming somewhat 
oblique, SC! stalked with 5C?5, not anastomosing with C, SC? arising before SC?, SC* sometimes 
anastomosing shortly with SC!, R! connate or separate, M! connate or approximated; hindwing with 
termen smooth or weakly subcrenulate, very slightly or strongly elbowed at R?, tornus well pronounced, 
cell about two-fifths, DC? and DC? separately incurved, resulting in a sharp angle at base of R?, 
C approximated to cell to less than one-half, then rapidly diverging, SC? separate, M! connate or 
approximated (PI. 2, Fig. 10). 
Early stages apparently undescribed. 
Probably derived from Hiffarchus. but the specialized subcostal venation, taken in conjunction 
with the fact that the genitalia of the type species agree better with P»asimocyma and the Zodis-group 
than with any of the generalized forms, leaves it somewhat doubtful whether it should not be placed 
later. Superficially it rather strongly resembles C/Arysochloroma, which seems to have crossed the border- 
line into Group V. Except in slight details of shape, the species appear very homogeneous, and we 
should not have divided the genus into sections but for the fact that previous authors (Warren, Hampson) 
have made separate genera, and that the genitalia of avicularia and esmeralda are surprisingly dissimilar. 
Sections Il and III (especially the latter) remind, in shape, of Hipfarchus, Section IV. As regards the 
nomenclature, it would perhaps be more strictly correct to adopt the name of Urosfila, as Hampson 
selected that in merging Warren's two contemporaneous genera (Fauna Ind. Mollis, Vol. 3, p. 513). 
But as Ornithospila is in the more general use, and will be preferred bv the slaves of « page-priority », 
besides being more appropriate, we venture to think that Hlampson's action can be set aside; he did 
not actually adopt the genus, merely citing the name under one of his sections of 7 /ialassedes. 
Type of the genus : Oruithospila avicularia (Guence) Geometra avicularia, Guenée (1894). 
Geographical distribution of species. — lndia to New Guinea. 
SECTION I. — Termen of both wings subcrenulate, elbow at R? of hindwing extremely slight. 
cf genitalia (avicularia) with uncus bifurcate at the extreme tip, with curved socii, 
gnathos broadly pointed and scobinated, harpe with very small, fine spines on the 
clasper, penis pestillate, elbowed above (Ornithospila, Warren). 
r. O. avicularia (Guenée). India. 
Geometra avicularíia, Guenée, Spec. Gén. Lép. Vol. 9, p. 342 (1855. 
Geometra pennisignata,Nalker, List Lep. Ins. Brit. Mus. Vol 22, p.516 ( 1861). 
Ornithospila avicularía, Warren, Novit. Zool. Vol. r, p. 386 (1894). 
Megalochlora avicularia, Swinhoe, Trans. Ent. Soc. Lond. p. 174 (1894 . 
Thalassodes avicularia, Hampson, Fauna Ind. Moths, Vol. 3, p. 513 (1895). 
