AMERICAN MOTHS OF THE SUBFAMILY PHTCITINAE 



83 



4 and 5 closely approximate at base and for a short 

 distance beyond; 6 straight, from slightly below upper 

 angle of cell (male) or from the angle (female) ; 10 from 

 the cell, closely approximate to the stalk of 8-9 (male) 

 or slightly separated from it (female) ; male without 

 costal fold. Hind wing with vein 2 from before lower 

 outer angle of cell; 3 from the angle, nearly as long as 

 2, approximate at base to the stalk of 4-5; 4-5 stalked 

 for at least half their lengths (female), somewhat longer 

 stalked on male; 7 and 8 contiguous or weakly anas- 

 tomosed for a short distance beyond cell, the free 

 element of 8 long; cell short, about one-fifth the length 

 of wing; discoceUular vein oblique, very slightly curved. 

 Eighth abdominal segment with sternite developed as 

 a narrow (digitate) sclerotized pocket. 



Male genitalia with uncus hoodlike, roimded. Gna- 

 thos strongly developed, the lateral arms broad, ex- 

 panded and curled at their extremities and supporting 

 a sclerotized subanal plate with a short thornlike spur 

 at its base. Transtilla absent. Harpe stout, simple, 

 slightly broadened at middle; at base of cucullus a 

 stout hair tuft. AneUus a heart-shaped plate with 

 stubby lateral lobes. Penis unarmed. Vinculum stout 

 (but sclerotized narrowly along its margins); slightly 

 longer than broad; scarcely tapering. 



Female genitalia with signa present in the form of two 

 small granulate patches; ductus bursae with genital 

 opening surrounded by a sclerotized plate; ductus 

 seminahs from btrrsa near junction of bm-sa and ductus 

 bursae. Eighth-segment collar completely fused 

 ventraUy. 



This genus is obviously closely related to the preced- 

 ing genus (Atheloca) and that which follows (Peadus). 

 From the former it differs in the male antennal character 

 and the weak anastomosis of veins 7-8 of hind wing. 

 From Peadus it differs chiefly in the simple (imdivided) 

 harpe and the much more strongly developed uncus and 

 tegumen of its male genitalia. It has no close relation- 

 ship to the Old World Phycita to which Dyar referred 

 its type species. 



173. Praedoniila almonella (Dyar), new combination 



Figures 47, 268, 742 



Phycita almonella Dyar, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., vol. 47, p. 333, 

 1914. 



The type series (a male and two females) are some- 

 what rubbed and the coloration and markings of fore- 

 tving consequently obscured. Superficially the species 

 resembles Atheloca subrufella; the ground color of fore- 

 wing a gray brown, darkening in outer area and shading 

 to ocherous brown along inner margin at base; the 

 costal margin broadly margined with white rather 

 heavily dusted with red scales; antemedial line not dis- 

 tinguishable; subterminal line faint, oblique and close 

 to outer margin; discal dots very faint, separated. 

 Hind wing translucent white shaded with fuscous at 

 apex; the veins slightly darkened; on underside of male 

 a coarse yellow sex-scaling between costa and cell, along 

 lower margin of cell, extending for a short distance along 



veins 2 and 3, and along vein lb from base for nearly 

 half its length. Alar expanse, 12-14 mm. 



Male genitaUa with terminal margin of vinculum 

 evenly rounded; aedeagus shghtly bulged at middle, a 

 row of short teeth along lateral edge towards apex. 

 Female genitalia simple and membranous except for a 

 fine sprinkling of minute scobinations and the two 

 small signa. 



Type locality: Porto BeUo, Panamd (type in 

 USNM). 



Food plant: Unknown. 



Distribution: Panama: La Chorrera (May), Porto 

 Bello (May). 



Known only from Dyar's original type series. 



42. Peadus, new genus 



Type of genus: Piesmopoda burdettella Schaus. 



Tongue well developed. Male antenna with a shal- 

 low sinus in shaft at base (as in Praedonula except here 

 the hollow of the sinus is overlaid with rather coarse, 

 appressed scales and without any indication of a tuft 

 or lateral scale ridge), pubescent. Labial palpus slen- 

 der, upturned, reaching vertex; third segment shorter 

 than second, acuminate. Maxillary palpus subsqua- 

 mous (as in Praedonula). Forewing smooth; venation 

 as in Praedonula except vein 2 further from lower outer 

 angle of ceU, and 6 from below upper angle. Hind wing 

 with cell one-fourth the length of wing; discoceUular 

 slightly but evenly curved. Eighth abdominal seg- 

 ment with sclerotized pocket of sternite long and 

 needlelike and with a large, flattened, fanlike tuft of 

 long slender scales. 



Male genitalia with imcus and tegumen greatly re- 

 duced; the uncus a narrow, weakly sclerotized angulate 

 band. Gnathos indistinguishable (burdetellus) or rep- 

 resented only by a very weakly sclerotized, transverse 

 h&nd (dissitus) . Transtilla absent. Harpe short, stout ; 

 sacculus broad and broadly produced at apex; giving 

 the harpe a partially divided appearance; the free costal 

 half of harpe strongly recurved and bearing two very 

 stout spines, one on outer lower margin near the angle 

 produced by the projection of sacculus and another at 

 lower angle of cucuUus; the cucullus itself narrow and 

 greatly reduced; a strong hair tuft from intersegment 

 adjacent to base of sacculus. AneUus a shaUow, curved 

 plate with stubby lateral arms. Aedeagus spined at 

 apex; penis armed with a couple of more or less curved 

 and crinkled sclerotized bands and a cluster of short, 

 stout spines. Vinculum long, stout and evenly taper- 

 ing; considerably longer than greatest width. 



Female genitaha with signum developed as a short, 

 slender thorn; area of bursa immediately surrounding 

 ductus seminalis scobinate and weakly sclerotized; 

 ductus bursae much shorter than bursa, broad and 

 more or less sclerotized; behind genital opening a pair 

 of narrow elongate plates extending backward and fus- 

 ing into the ventraUy divided eighth-segment collar 

 (except in subaquUellus) ; ductus seminalis from bursa 

 near junction of bursa and ductus bursae. 



