AMERICAN MOTHS OF THE SUBFAMILY PHYCITINAE 



147 



differences cau be distinguished between Dyar's jeella 

 and females from other CaHfornia localities. 



Type localities: Summit, Sierra Nevada Mts., 

 Calif, {scintillans, in BM); Bullfrog Lake (10,634 ft.), 

 Sierra Nevada Mts., Calif, (feella, in USNM). 



Food plant: Unknown. 



Distribution: California, Cisco (Placer County, 

 July), Deer Park Springs (Lake Tahoe, July), El 

 Dorado County (July), Inyo County (July), Mineral- 

 king (Tulare County, July, Aug.), Sierra Nevada Mts. 

 (Bullfrog Lake and Summit, Aug.), Tuolumne Meadows 



(July). 



299. Pyla sylphiella Dyar 

 Figures 375, 858 



Pyla sylphiella Dyar, Ins. Insc. Menstr., vol. 9, p. 68, 1921. — 

 McDunnough, Check list. No. 6246, 1939. 



Maxillary palpus of male subsquamous. 



Superficially like scintillans, averaging a trifle darker; 

 but distinguished only by its genitalia. Alar expanse, 

 19-25 mm. 



Male genitalia with clasper of harpe similar to that 

 of scintillans; produced enlargement of base of costa 

 considerably stouter and more coarsely spined. Aede- 

 agus with only a pair of lateral spines from adedeagus 

 near its apex (one spine from each of the divided 

 elements opposite and pointed away from each other). 

 These differences are slight but appear to be consistent 

 through long series. Female genitalia with ventral 

 surface of the cup-shaped portion of ductus bursae 

 bent into broad, deep, strongly sclerotized folds. 



Type locality: Mount Kainier, Wash, (type in 

 USNM). 



Food plant: Unknown. 



Distribution: United States: Washington, Movmt 

 Rainier (Aug.), Paradise Valley (Moimt Rainier, 

 Aug.), Sheep Lake (Yakima County, Aug.), Skyline 

 Ridge (Moimt Baker District, Aug.), Slate Peak 

 (Whatcom Comity, Aug.). Canada: British Columbia, 

 Mount Cheam (Aug.), Mount McLean (Aug.). 



The species is very close to scintillans but apparently 

 distinct. The male genitalia differ only in minor details 

 and the color and maculation offer little if anything to 

 separate the two ; but the female genitalia are markedly 

 different and, from the specimens available, sylphiella 

 appears to have a more northerly distribution. 



300. Pyla rainierella Dyar 



FiQUBEs 374, 859 



Pyla rainierella Dyar, Proc. Ent. See. Washington, vol. 6, p. 109, 

 1904.— McDunnough, Check list, No. 6243, 1939. 



Maxillary palpus of male subsquamous. 



Moths averaging a trifle smaller than the preceding 

 species (sylphiella), but certainly distinguished from it 

 only by genitalia. Alar expanse, 16-20 mm. 



Male genitalia with production from base of costa 

 of harpe considerably smaller and less coarsely spined 

 than that of either sylphiella or scintillans. Aedeagus 

 short, the apices of its divided elements bent abruptly 

 downward as sharp, parallel, spinelike hooks. Female 



genitalia with the sclerotized portion of the cup-shaped 

 area of ductus bursae developed laterally as triangulate 

 plates. 



Type locality: Mount Rainier, Wash, (type in 

 USNM). 



Food plant: Unknown. 



Distribution: Washington, Mount Rainier (Aug.), 

 Paradise Valley (Mount Rainier, July), Sheep Lake 

 (Yakima County, Aug.), Slate Peak (Whatcom 

 County, Aug.), Table Moimtain (Aug.). 



Like sylphiella, this species is chiefly distinguished by 

 its female genitalia, the sclerotized area of ductus 

 bursae at genital opening resembles somewhat that of 

 Jasciella but differs in shape and is like that of no other 

 species in the genus. The aedeagus easily separates 

 the male oi Jasciella from either scintillans or sylphiella 



301. Pyla aeneella Hulst 

 Figures 376, 864 



Pyla aeneella Hulst, Canadian Ent., vol. 27, p. 55, 1895. — Mc- 

 Dunnough, Check list, No. 6242, 1939. 



Maxillary palpus of male in the form of a semiaigrette 

 (the hairs short) . 



Forewing unicolorous, without any trace of dark 

 transverse shadings or discal spots; brown with a bronzy 

 green irridescence. Hind wing concolorous with fore- 

 wing. Alar expanse 23-25 mm. 



Male genitalia with costa of harpe at base produced 

 into a thin, rounded lobe with finely serrate edge; 

 clasper erect, short, stout, thornhke. Aedeagus short, 

 broadest at middle, divided to middle; the divided ele- 

 ments rather broadly flattened and abruptly, asym- 

 metrically bent at their apices. Female genitaUa with 

 ductus bursae broadly cup-shaped from shortly beyond 

 its junction with bursa; the ventral surface weakly 

 sclerotized, granulate, and with slight infoldings on the 

 lower median area. 



Type locality: Colorado (in AMNH, ex Rutgers). 



Distribution: Colorado; Utah, Silver Falls (July), 

 Stockton (May, June). 



A good series of the Utah specimens is in the National 

 Collection. The genitalia of the females agree in every 

 detail with those of the Colorado type in the Rutgers 

 Collection. The metaUic iridescence of the forewings 

 is conspicuous but its greenish tint is very faint. 



302. Pyla aeneoviridella Ragonot 



Figures 378, 862 



Pyla aeneoviridella Ragonot, N. Amer. Phycitidae, p. 9, 1887; 

 Monograph, pt. 1, p. 482, 1893.— Hulst, Phycitidae of N. 

 Amer., p. 161, 1890. — Barnes and McDunnough, Contribu- 

 tions, vol. 2, p. 222, 1914. — McDunnough, Check list. No. 

 6237, 1939. 



Maxillaiy palpus in the form of a semiaigrette (the 

 scales somewhat flattened, not so decidedly hairlike as 

 in aeneella) . 



Forewing unicolorous bronzy brown, without dark 

 markings of any kind; the iridescent scaling with a 

 faint greenish tint and somewhat more strongly con- 

 centrated at the base of the wing than in the median 



