642 WILLIAM T. M. FORBES 



1. Hind wing without any black scaling on third feather. 

 2. First lobe of hind wing lanceolate; one radial missing, there being only four 



veins in the first feather (fig. 400). 

 3. Fore wing with contrasting black scale tufts in dorsal fringe; Cu 2 of 



hind wing preserved 5. Marasmarcha. 



3. Fore wing with dorsal fringe of fine hair only; Cu 2 of hind wing lost. 



4. Fore wing with all four radials free 6. Oidaematophorus. 



4. Fore wing with R 2 and R 4 stalked 7. Adaina. 



2. First lobe of hind wing obliquely truncate; fore wing with all veins pre- 

 served (Mi and M 2 rudimentary, as usual). 



3. Front conical (in our species); fore wings narrower 4. Stenoptilia. 



3. Front flat, with a tuft of scales only, fore wings broader (fig. 402). 



1. Platyptilia. 



1. PLATYPTILIA Hiibner 



(Amblyptilia Hiibner, Cncemidophorus, Eucncemidophorus Wallengren, 

 Sochchora Walker, Gilbcrtia, Crocidoscelus Walsingham, Gillmeria, 

 Fredericina Tutt) 



Fore wing only moderately cleft (fig. 402) ; both feathers broadening to 

 obliquely truncate apices, and quite broad; front more or less tufted, but without 

 a horny cone; palpi fairly long and oblique. Tibiae normally tufted, smooth in 

 P. punctidactyla. The black scaling on the third feather is variable from species 

 to species, and is useful for distinguishing the species; it is rarely absent. 



The larvae (fig. 405) are borers, at least when young, and have simple primary 

 and fine secondary hair, or hair-like granulations. They hibernate part-grown. 



Key to the species 



1. Basal portion (more than half) of third feather of hind wing white, con- 

 trasting with the rest of the wing; fore wing bright ochre.. 9. rhododactyla. 

 1. Third feather concolorous, sometimes with pale fringe; fore wing duller. 

 2. Ground clay color to tawny. 



3. Tuft conspicuous, dark, a chocolate brown costal triangle on fore wing. 



6. carduidactyla. 



3. Tuft weak or absent, no costal triangle on fore wing, but an oblique shade 

 only; frontal tuft and palpi very long. 



4. Tuft rather diffuse, at middle of third feather 1. pallidactyla. 



4. Tuft near apex of third feather, sometimes absent 2. Carolina. 



2. Ground gray to chocolate brown. 



3. Tuft three-fourths way out on third feather. 



4. Grayish with conspicuous dark markings; tuft oblong, with scales 



all of about equal length 3. edwardsii. 



4. Dark gray, with markings scarcely darker; tuft triangular. 



4. auriga. 

 3. Tuft at middle of feather. 



4. Tuft inconspicuous, of scales both before and beyond middle of feather. 



5. tesseradactyla. 



4. Tuft conspicuous and triangular, beginning at middle of feather. 

 5. Fore wing shaded subterminally with wood-brown .. 8. acanthodactyla. 



5. Fore wing all black, gray, and white 7. punctidactyla. 



1. Tuft on inner margin very slight, brown, near middle of third feather; 

 palpi and frontal tuft very long (Gillmeria). 



1. P. pallidactyla Haworth. Head, body, and fore wings clay color or pale 

 ochre yellow; fore wing more or less shaded and banded with ochre-brown, not 



