Equatorial African Micro-lepidoptera. 37 



GELECHIAD^E. 

 PTILOTHYRIS, gen. n. 



(irri\ov = wing, Ovpls = a window.) 



TYPE. Ptilothyris purpurea, Wlsm. 



Antenncc shorter than the f orewings, somewhat thickened beyond 

 the base : bipectinate 2, each pectination strongly biciliate ; 9 

 slightly biserrate : basal joint smooth in both sexes. Maxillary palpi 

 slender, drooping. Labial palpi very long, recurved, smooth ; second 

 und third joints of about equal length, the former somewhat flattened 

 and sabre-shaped, the latter very slender and sharply pointed. 

 Ilaiisteilum long. Head smooth, with side-tufts behind eyes. 

 Thorax smooth. Forewinga elongate, of approximately even width 

 throughout, costa slightly depressed at the base and apex, termen 

 slightly oblique, not sinuate, tornus rounded. Ncuratioti y 11 veins 

 (9 absent, coincident with 8) ; 7 and 8 stalked, 7 to costa above 

 fipex ; 2, 3 and 4 from a recurved common stem ; 5 from lower 

 .angle of cell, remote from 6. Hindwings broader than the fore- 

 wings, scarcely sinuate beneath apex ; $ with a semi-transparent 

 patch. Neuration, 8 veins ; 6 and 7, as also 3 and 4, from a short 

 stalk ; 5 straight. Abdomen slightly flattened behind middle ; 

 <J with genital segments densely hairy ; uncus strongly developed. 

 Legs smooth, hind tibiae with elongate slender tarsi and rather long 

 spurs. 



Allied to Adelomorpha [founded by Snellen (Tijd. v. 

 Ent., XXVIII., 31-2, PI. 111., 1-3, 1885) on the characters 

 of a single species from Celebes] but differing chiefly in 

 the shorter and distinctly bipectinate antennas, which in 

 Adelomorpha are biciliate. The occurrence of this genus 

 in tropical Africa is interesting, especially in connexion 

 with other forms from which probably it may have been 

 derived. Idiopteryx t Wlsm., possesses vein 9 in the 

 forewings from the same stem as 7 -h 8, while the loss 

 of this vein is characteristic of Adelomorpha and Ptilo- 

 thijris. A tendency in the same direction is shown in the 

 hindwings, where 3 and 4, which are separate in Idiopteryx, 

 arise from a short stalk in both these genera. It would 

 be interesting to discover a form in which all these 

 stalked veins have become coincident. 



