NOCTFID^E. 161 



Larvce usually naked or slightly clothed with hair, rarely with 

 thick tufts or spatulate filaments. The lowest forms, the Sarro- 

 ihripince, Stictopterincv, Trifince, Palindiince, Euteliince, and almost 

 all Gonopterincf, have the four pairs of abdominal prolegs fully 

 developed and are not semilooping, whilst in the Deltoidince and 

 Acontiince the first or first two pairs are sometimes obsolescent or 

 absent ; in the Quadrifince and Focillince, which are semiloopers, 

 the first or first two pairs are almost always rudimentary or absent. 

 The larvae usually pupate in the earth without a cocoon, a cemented 

 chamber being often formed ; more rarely a cocoon is made 

 amongst leaves, on bark, or on the surface of ground. 



Key to the Subfamilies. 



A. Moths with the legs and especially the 

 tarsal joints short and stout. 



a. Hind wing with vein 5 obsolescent, 



from centre of discocellulars or (rarely) 

 depressed at origin ; no production of 

 the outer margin at its termination. . 1. Trifince. 



b. Hind wing with vein 5 slightly more 



developed and always depressed at 

 origin ; no production of the outer 

 margin at its termination 2. Acontiince. 



c. Hind wing with vein 5 as strong as the 



other veins *, with a projection of the 

 outer margin at its termination and 

 almost alw r ays from or from near 

 lower angle of cell or well below 

 centre of discocellulars. 

 a'. Palpi not sickle-shaped, the 2nd 



joint being straight. 

 a 2 . Abdomen much longer than the 



hind wing. 



a 3 . Abdomen without a large tubu- 

 lar anal tuft or paired tufts, 

 stout, and with smooth scaling. 7. Gonopterince. 

 b 3 . Abdomen with a large tubular 



anal tuft or paired tufts .... 5. Euteliince. 

 b' 2 . Abdomen hardly longer than the 

 hind wing t and tapering to ex- 

 tremity. 

 a 3 . Fore wing almost always with 



raised tufts or lines of scales. 

 a 4 . Fore wing of nearly even 



width after the base 4. Sarrotliripince. 



* Absent in a few Sarrothripina. 

 t Except in Batracharta, Sphinc/omorpha, and Lontha. 

 YOL. II. M 



