AMERICAN MOTHS OF THE SUBFAMILY PHYCITINAE 



27 



7. Genus Sematoneura Ragonot 



Sematoneura Ragonot, Nouv. Gen., p. 9, 1888; Monograph, pt. 

 1, p. 136, 1893. (Type of genus: Sematoneura atrovenosella 

 Ragonot.) 



Tongue well developed. Antenna of male shortly 

 ciliate (cilia a trifle longer than width of shaft), of 

 female weakly pubescent. Labial palpus upturned, 

 reaching vertex, cylindrical, slender; third segment 

 about two-thirds length of second, acuminate. Max- 

 illary palpus filiform. Forewing smooth; 11 veins; 

 vein 2 from well before lower outer angle of cell; 



3 from the angle, much nearer to 4 than to 2; 4 and 5 

 closely approximate for a short distance from cell; 

 6 from well below upper angle of cell, straight; 8 and 9 

 long stalked; 10 shortly stalked with 8-9; male without 

 costal fold. Hind wing with vein 2 from well before 

 outer angle of cell; 3 from before, but near the angle; 



4 and 5 closely approximate for a short distance from 

 the angle; 7 and 8 closely approximate or contiguous 

 beyond ceU; cell about half the length of wing; dis- 

 cocellular vein curved. Eighth abdominal segment of 

 male with a single, broad ventral hair tuft. 



Male genitalia with apical process of gnathos a 

 simple, elongate hook, slightly notched at apex. Uncus 

 broadly triangulate. TranstiUa complete, stout, arched, 

 its central area developed as a flat, broad lobe with 

 slightly concave terminal margin. Harpe with costa 

 sclerotized and produced at apex into a short project- 

 ing digitus. Anellus a slightly curved plate with 

 moderately long lateral arms. Aedeagus simple; penis 

 armed with a single elongate, moderately stout cornutus, 

 about one-third as long as aedeagus. Vinculum stout, 

 as broad as or a trifle broader than long, tapering to 

 broad, truncate terminal margin. 



Female genitalia with biu-sa and ductus bursae 

 simple, without signum, smooth except for minute 

 granulations in bursa ; ductus biu-sae shorter than bm-sa ; 

 genital opening simple; ductus seminalis from bursa 

 near its junction with ductus bursae. 



The foregoing description is drawn from the type 

 species {atrovenosella). In male genitalia the new 

 species (abitus), tentatively included in the genus, 

 departs in some apparently essential details of structure, 

 having a different type of transtilla and gnathos and 

 lacking the apical projection from costa of harpe; but 

 in all other structural characters it agrees with atroveno- 

 sella. When its female is discovered a new generic 

 placement may be necessary. 



46. Sematoneura atrovenosella Ragonot 

 Figures 4, 171, 653 



Sematoneura atrovenosella Ragonot, Nouv. Gen., p. 10, 1888; 

 Monograph, pt. 1, p. 136, 1893. 



Forewing gray with more or less ochraceous dusting 

 above inner margin and in outer area between the veins; 

 the veins conspicuously outUned by blackish scaling; a 

 similar narrow, dark line along the lower fold; these 

 dark lines expanded and intensified at basal third 

 indicating the remains of an antemedial band, and 

 broken in outer area by a rather broad, faint, pale 



subterminal band; lower discal dot at end of cell 

 faintly indicated; a line of blackish dots along term en 

 between the vein ends. Hind wings dusky white, 

 translucent; the veins darkened and a narrow dark 

 line along termen. Alar expanse, 26-35 mm. 



Genitaha as given for the genus. 



Type locality: Chancbamayo, Per6 (type in Zool. 

 Mus. Univ. Berlin). 



Food plant: Unknown. 



Distribution: Mexico: Coatepec. Costa Rica: 

 Huan Vinas (Jan., Feb., Nov.), Tuis (May). Colom- 

 bia: La Selva (San Juan Chaco, Sept.), Juntas (San 

 Juan Chaco, Feb.). Ecuador: Alpayacu (Rfo Pas- 

 taza), Quito. Peri6: Chancbamayo, Santo Domingo 

 (Nov.). Argentina: Tucuman. 



One example before me (a female from Santo Domin- 

 go, Peru, 6,000 ft.) differs in coloration from normal 

 specimens in having a dark suffusion over the basal area 

 to the antemedial line and a distinct antemedial pale 

 line with continuous, black outer border. It also lacks 

 any trace of ocherous dusting on the forewing. In 

 genitaha and otherwise in color and maculation it is 

 normal. I believe that it is only a color form. The 

 specimen was from the unplaced material in the British 

 Museum. 



47. Sematoneura abituB, new species 



Figure 172 



Similar in color and markings to atrovenosella except a 

 short strongly contrasted black streak just below costa 

 at base and a broad black streak along median fold 

 extending from base to end of cell. The ciliations of the 

 male antenna are also a trifle shorter than those of 

 atrovenosella. Alar expanse, 31 mm. 



The male genitalia differ markedly from those of 

 atrovenosella in several details. Apical projection of 

 gnathos is a rather short triangulate, pointed hook. 

 The costa of harpe is broadly sclerotized but lacks the 

 projecting digitus at apex. The gnathos is developed 

 into a strongly sclerotized, hairpinlike, backwardly 

 projecting loop with dense scobinations along its inner 

 margin. 



Type locality: Alpayacu, Rio Pastaza, East Ecua- 

 dor (type in BM). 



Food plant: Unknown. 



Described from unique male type collected by M. G. 

 Palmer at 6,000 ft. The specimen is not in good con- 

 dition but the essential features of the pattern are 

 distinguishable and the male genitalia are so distinctive 

 that description seems justified. In the absence of a 

 female the generic placement cannot be made with 

 absolute certainty. I expect, however, that the female 

 genitalia will exhibit no radical difference from those of 

 the type of the genus. 



8. Genus Hypsipyla Ragonot 



Hypsipyla Ragonot, Nouv. Gen., p. 10, 1888; Monograph, pt. 1, 

 p. 137, 1893. (Type of genus: Hypsipyla pagodclla Ragonot, 

 synonym of Magiria robusta Moore; India; figs. 173, 656.) 



Tongue well developed. Antenna of male shortly 



