Species o/Eriocera in the British Museum, 97 



notch on the outer clasper, due to the abrupt narrowiug of 

 the shaft a little before the tip; the side-pieces are sliorter 

 than in the other groups, and tlie penis is nearly always long 

 and pointed, often curved or hook-like, its tip scarcely ever 

 produced into two points. The tip of R] is always consider- 

 ably longer than r ; Cu,a generally nearer the apex than the 

 base of the discal cell ; R2 always much longer than K2+3 J 

 Cu2 generally quite short and more or less curved. Here, 

 again, there are species with four or with five posterior cells, 

 but the sp( cies in each of these categories are not all closely 

 related. On the whole, the classification by wing-marknigs 

 and by the presence or absence of leaden-coloured bauds on 

 the abdomen seems to give the best expression of the natural 

 affinities of the species. The following groups may be 

 recognised : — 



8. The chirothecata Group, including the three South- 

 European species with five posterior cells and perhaps also 

 unicolor, Meij., and obscura, Big. In this group the only 

 species known to me in the male sex is E. schnusei (text- 

 fig. 2h). This has a short penis and parameres of similar 

 structure to those of the verticalis group ; in these respects, 

 as well as in its coloration, it seems to connect the verticalis 

 group with the dichroa group. On the other hand, the elon- 

 gate second palpal joint of E. schnusei and E. waterstoiii 

 suggests a connection with the rubrescens group, through 

 E. stricklandi. I am not acquainted with the type-species of 

 Penthoptera {chirothecata. Scop.) or Physecrania {obscura, 

 Big.), but from the published figures both would seem to 

 belong to the same group as schnusei ; if so, these generic 

 names will be synonymous. This group may perhaps be 

 regarded as rcj)resenting the ancestral type of the genus, 

 and as having given rise on the one hand to tlie verticalis 

 group and on the other to the dichroa group. 



9. The dichroa Group may be regarded as including all the 

 species with blackish unmarked wings, and an entirely dull, 

 partly orange abdomen. Jn a number of species, ))ut not 

 all, the first antennal joint is short. In the venation, Ri is 

 perfectly strai<>ht, its terminal section much longer than r. 

 The outer clasper lias a well-marked preapical notch ; the 

 parameres are bilobed, both lobes pointing inwards, but the 

 ventral lobe stiaighter and longer than the dorsal; the penis 

 rather long and pointed, but straight. (This applies to 

 s-utellala and shirakii ; but a male of semiliinpida examined 

 appeared to have no penis ; it may have been broken off.) 

 E. maculiventris, Brun., is given as a synonym of E. semi- 

 limpida, Brun., on the authority of Bruuetti (in letter), 



Ann. dc Mag. S. Hist, Ser. 9. \'ol. viii. 7 



