UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEXUVI BULLETIN 207 



derij I (Apr.). Bbazil: Sao Paulo, "S. E. Brazil" 

 [probably Castro]. 



The species is somewhat variable in color and mark- 

 ings, but is easily identified by its genitalia. Hampson's 

 melanoplaga was based on large Brazilian females (25 

 mm.). All specimens from the West Indies and Suri- 

 nam that I have seen are smaller (19 to 21 nam.). How- 

 ever, there does not seem to be any reason to keep 

 melanoplaga as a racial designation on a mere difference 

 in size, as there is nothing else to distinguish the Bra- 

 zilian examples. 



205. Carbtanius decoloralis (Walker), new combination 



Figures 298, 773 



Trachonitis decoloralis Walker, List, vol. 27, p. 42, 1863. 

 Nephopteryx meiagrammalis Walker, List, vol. 27, p. 42, 1863. 

 Nephopieryx furfurella Hulst, Ent. Amer., vol. 3, p. 131, 1887; 



Phycitidae of N. Amer., p. 143, 1890 (new synonymy). 

 BHasmopalpus decoloralis (Walker) Ragonot, Ent. Amer., vol. 5, 



p. 115, 1889; Monograph, pt. 1, p. 420, 1893.— McDun- 



nough. Check list, No. 6228, 1939. 

 Elasmopalpus floridellus Hulst, JPhycitidae of N. Amer., p. 158, 



1890. — Ragonot, Monograph, pt. 1, p. 423, 1893. 

 Elasmopalpus decoralis Hulst, Phycitidae of N. Amer., p. 158, 



1890 (misspelling for decoloralis). 

 Elasmopalpus decorellus Hulst, in J. B. Smith, List of the Lepi- 



doptera of Boreal America, No. 4341, 1891 (misspelling for 



decoloralis) . 

 Elasmopalpus furfurellus (Hulst), Barnes and McDunnough, 



Contributions, vol. 3, p. 196, 1916. — McDunnough, Check 



list, No. 6230, 1939. 



Forewing bluish gi'ay or pale fawn gray with more or 

 less white dusting over median area; transverse lines 

 indistinct; antemedial line indicated chiefly by its 

 blackish outer border broken into dots on vein lb, lower 

 vein of cell and a subcostal spot or short dark streak 

 from costa to top of cell; preceding antemedial line a 

 reddish patch on inner margin extending to or into cell 

 and more or less shaded by black scaling; sub terminal 

 line sinuate, pale and very faint; lower discal spot at 

 end of cell distinct, the upper discal dot much smaller, 

 sometimes distinct but frequently obscured; a row of 

 black dots along termen. Hind wing translucent, whit- 

 ish with a pronounced smoky tint, especially over outer 

 half of wing; the veins more or less darkened and a fine 

 dark line along termen. Alar expanse, 21-25 mm. 



Male genitalia with projecting arms from uncus 

 somewhat curved. Costa of harpe sclerotized for the 

 length of the harpe, narrowly sclerotized beyond base; 

 a strong, curved, clasperlike projection from below costa 

 near base, projected beyond costal edge. Cornutus as 

 long as aedeagus. Vinculum considerably longer than 

 greatest width. 



Female genitalia with granulations of ductus bm-sae 

 extending deeply into bursa; ductus bursae scobinate 

 on lower surface at genital opening. Eighth-segment col- 

 lar narrowed dorsally, complete but not fusing ven- 

 traUy, without sclerotized dorsal apron. 



Type localities: United States (decoloralis and me- 

 tagrammalis, in BM) ; Florida (JurJureUus and floridellits, 

 in AMNH, ex Rutgers). 



Food plant: Chamaecrista spp. (brachiata, fascicu- 

 lata, robusta) larvae feeding on the leaves. These rec- 

 ords from rearings by the Special Survey (1944) of the 

 Division of Foreign Plant Quarantine of the U. S. 

 Bureau of Entomology and Plant Quarantine. 



Distribution: Florida, Orlando (Feb.), no specific 

 locahty (Mar.), Fort Myers (May), St. Petersburg 

 (June), Stuart (May), Tampa, Vero Beach (Apr., May, 

 June, Oct., Dec); Texas, Brownsville; South Carolina, 

 Florence (Jime), HUtonhead Isl. (Aug.), Pawleys Beach 

 (Sept.). 



This species seems to be confined to the southeast- 

 ern United States. In his description of decoloralis 

 Walker mentions the protruding arms of the imcus. 

 Hulst noted similar structures in his floridellus and asso- 

 ciated them with the genitalia, suspecting the synonymy 

 of his and Walker's species. I have before me a photo- 

 graph of the genitalia of the type of decoloralis supplied 

 by Clarke. They are identical with those of the male 

 type of floridellus. The synonymy of floridellus and 

 furfurellus was established by Barnes and McDunnough 

 (1916) and that of metagrammalis with decoloralis by 

 Ragonot (1889). 



206. Caristanius guatemalellus (Ragonot), new combination 



FlGTTHE 774 



Salehria guatemalella Ragonot, Nouv. Gen., p. 18, 1888. 

 Laodamia guatemalella (Ragonot), Monograph, pt. 1, p. 414, 

 1893. 



This species is apparently known only from the female 

 type. Ragonot's description and figure suggest a large, 

 pale brownish, suffused form of peUucidellus; the fore- 

 wing pale ocherous brown tinted with reddish, trans- 

 verse lines absent, the lower discal spot distinct, and the 

 veins sparsely powdered with blackish scales; hind wing 

 semitransparent, white faintly tinted with ocherous. 

 Alar expanse, 26 mm. 



The genitalia determined the present generic refer- 

 ence. The granulations of ductus bursae extend deeply 

 into the bursa as in decoloralis; the eighth-segment collar 

 has a dorsal, sclerotized, invaginated apron smaller 

 than and differently shaped from that of peUucidellus, 

 and the collar itself is completely sclerotized ventrally. 



Type locality: San Geranimo, Guatemala (type in 

 BM). 



Food plant: Unknown. 



Genus 53: Etiella 



[Venational division B. Forewing with veins 4r-5 separated and 

 divergent from base, a raised-scale ridge beyond base; hind wing 

 with vein 3 approximate to the stalk of 4r-5 at base. Eighth 

 abdominal segment of male with paired tufts. Labial palpus 

 porrect, long; second segment of male grooved. Maxillary pal- 

 pus in the form of an aigrette. Male genitalia with apical process 

 of gnathos a simple, short hook; transtilla incomplete and 

 vestigial; harpe with a strong curved arm projecting the length 

 of the harpe from base of costa, harpe otherwise weakly sclero- 

 tized; two strong cornuti on penis. Female genitalia with signa 

 developed as curved, sclerotized bands armed with slender 

 spines; ductus bursae short, tubular, sclerotized.] 



