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L. On the European Species of the Genus Cosmopteryx. 

 By H. T. Stainton, Esq., F.L.S., F.G.S. 



[Read 2nd November, 1863.] 



The genus Cosmopteryx contains some of the most beautiful and 

 elegant species amongst the Tlneina. I am now acquainted with 

 six European species, three of which occur in this country. Of 

 three species the larvae are already known, and I conceive that we 

 may also claim acquaintance with the larva of a fourth species ; 

 two larvae, however, have yet to be discovered. 



Three years ago I published a few observations on the species 

 of this genus in the eighth volume of "The Entomologist'sWeekly 

 Intelligencer," pp. 196 — 199, but deferred going at that time as 

 fully into the subject as I could have wished. 



The earliest description which we can refer to this genus is 

 that given by Fabricius in 1775, in his " Systema Entomologise," 

 p. 666, of Tinea Drurella. 



" Tinea alis fusco-argenteis : fascia postica aurea. 



Habitat Hafnise. 



Magnitudo T. Roesellce. Antennae elongatae longitudine cor- 

 poris, nigras, apice albse. Caput, thorax basisque alarum 

 fusco-argentea. Postice fascia lata, aurea, quae utrinque 

 striga argentea vivaciore terminatur." 



This description is repeated verbatim in the "Entomologia Sys- 

 tematica," iii. 2, p. 327, and is copied by Villers in his " Ento- 

 mologia Faunae Suecicae descriptionibus aucta," ii. p. 502, but was 

 unnoticed by subsequent authors till the year 1850, when Zeller 

 called attention to it in the Stettin " Entomologische Zeitung." 



The species of the genus now known are so very closely allied 

 that it is quite impossible to say which species Fabricius had 

 before him. 



About the year 1816, Hiibner figured, in his " Sammlung 

 Europaischer Schmetterlinge," a species of this genus under the 

 name of Tinea Zieglerella, fig. 306 ; no reference to this figure 

 occurs till the year 1839, in Zeller's " Attempt at a Systematic 



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