A STUDY IN BUTTERFLY WING-VENATION, WITH 
SPECIAL REGARD “TO, THE ‘RADIAL’ VEIN OF 
THE FRONT WING 
By THOMAS J. HEADLEE 
After making wide studies of pupal and adult wings in nearly all 
orders of insects, Comstock and Needham (’98)* constructed an 
hypothetical type of wing venation, which they believed closely to 
represent, in number and branching of the veins, the condition that 
existed in the ancestors of the present winged insects. Later (04), 
Comstock? modified this type by the addition of three typical cross 
veins (text fig. 30). 
Fic. 30.—Hypothetical type of primitive insect wing. 
In passing from this to the lepidopterous type, the third anal 
vein of the fore wing becomes two-branched, and the second anal 
vein of the hind wing two-rooted (text figs. 31, 32). Except in the 
anal area where there has been a great reduction, such Jugate as 
Hepialus and Sthenopis well represent this type (pl. Lx, figs. I-4). 
However, by far the larger number of Lepidoptera belong to the 
Frenate and exhibit a much greater modification of wing veins. In 
passing from the generalized lepidopterous to the frenate type, the 
humeral cross-vein disappears, subcosta of both wings is reduced to 
an unbranched vein, media of both wings reduced to three branches, 
1J. H. Comstock and J. G. Needham, The Wings of Insects, Amer. Nat., 
XxXx1I and xxxi, 1898 and 1899. 
? J. H. Comstock, How to Know the Butterflies, p. 9, 1904. 
284 
