AMERICAN MOTHS OF THE SUBFAMILY PHTCITINAE 



163 



334. Sarata nigrifasciella Ragonot 

 Figure 403 



Sarata nigrifasciella Ragonot, N. Amer. Phycitidae, p. 11, 1887; 

 Monograph, pt. 1, p. 615, 1893.— Hulst, Phycitidae of N. 

 Amer., p. 169, 1890.— McDunnough, Check list. No. 6266, 

 1939. 



Forewing pale to dark ashy gray, some specimens 

 tinted with a faint brownish shade (one specimen before 

 me from Mineralking, CaHf., a very pale, sordid 

 brownish gray). The transverse lines distinct, but 

 indicated chiefly by the blackish outer border of the 

 antemedial line and a similar inner border to the sub- 

 terminal hne. This character, however, is variable and 

 on the Idaho specimen before me is almost obsolete. 

 Hind wing very pale brown, with a fine dark terminal 

 line. Alar expanse, 29-32 mm. 



Alale genitalia similar to those of dnopherella except 

 for the narrower apical process of gnathos (viewed 

 ventrally). This character, however, is not reliable; 

 for in a typical series of cinereella all intergrades are 

 found between the gnathos of typical nigrifasciella and 

 that of dnopherella. 



Type locality: America Septentrionalis (type in 

 Paris Mus.). 



Food plant: Unknown. 



Distribution: United States: New Mexico, Fort 

 Wingate (Mar.); Colorado, Chimney Gulch (June), 

 Platte Canyon (June); Idaho, Wallace (Apr.); Cali- 

 fornia, Mineralking (July), Yosemite (this specimen 

 labeled nigrifasciella in Eagonot's handwriting). Can- 

 ada : Manitoba, Aweme (Apr.) . 



This species, if such it be, is distinguished from the 

 preceding and following species chiefly by its more 

 marked transverse lines in forewing and the narrower 

 apical process of its gnathos. Ragonot's description 

 of the females (also from "Amer. Sept.") associated 

 with his male type can be ignored, for they represent 

 two distinct species. 



335. Sarata cinereella Hulst 



Sarata cinereella Hulst, Canadian Ent., vol. 32, p. 172, 1900. — 

 McDunnough, Check Hst, No. 6271, 1939. 



Forewing dark ash gray, nearly concolorous; the 

 transverse lines obsolete or nearly so; the subterminal 

 line faintly indicated on most specimens and, on one or 

 two, very faint traces of the antemedial line; as on 

 dnopherella and nigrifasciella there is more or less 

 blackish dusting on the veins. Hind wing pale brown- 

 ish gray. Alar expanse, 29-33 mm. 



Male genitalia of type show a slightly longer cornutus 

 than that of nigrifasciella, but other examples inter- 

 grade in all characters between the two types. 



Type locality: Salida, Colo, (type in AMNH, ex 

 Rutgers) . 



Food plant: Unknown. 



Distribution: Colorado, Denver (Mar.), Glenwood 

 Springs, Salida, also three examples with only state 

 locality, two of them bearing Hulst "type" labels 



(Bruce, collector), and the other a pseudotype of 

 "Anerastia excantalis Hulst." 

 Probably only a suffused form of nigrifasciella. 



336. Sarata rubrithoracella (Barnes and McDunnough), new 

 combination 



FiGUBB 404 



Megasis rubrithoracella Barnes and McDunnough, Contributions, 

 vol. 2, p. 140, 1913.— McDunnough, Check list, No. 6268, 

 1939. 



Forewing pale brownish gray rather evenly dusted 

 with white intermixed with a sparse peppering of 

 blackish scales; the transverse lines distinct, but faint, 

 whitish; antemedial line bordered outwardly by a thin, 

 broken, blackish shade; subterminal line bordered in- 

 wardly by a continuous narrow blackish band; no ap- 

 preciable strealdng on the veins; discal spots obsolete; 

 terminal dots confluent, forming a faint, dark line. 

 Hind wing pale grayish brown; a thin dark Hne along 

 termen. Alar expanse, 22-29 mm. 



Male genitalia show little to distinguish them from 

 those of the preceding three species except for the very 

 short lateral elements of transtilla and a slightly longer 

 cornutus (our drawing of the aedeagus is in reversed 

 position from that of other species; if drawn as were 

 the other aedeagi the apex of cornutus would point to 

 the right) . 



Type locality: White Mts., Ariz, (type in USNM). 



Food plant: Unknown. 



Distribution: Arizona, White Mts.; New Mexico, 

 Fort Wingate (Apr., July). 



Apparently a distinct species. Differs from the 

 others by a distinct rufous-ocherous shading on the 

 thorax and, in genitalia, from the species of the dnoph- 

 erella-cinereella group by the short transtilla elements 

 of its genitalia. The rufous ocherous thorax occurs 

 also in two species of females (kappa and phi). 



337. Sarata tephrella Ragonot 



Figure 405 



Sarata tephrella Ragonot, Monograph, pt. 2, p. 616, 1893. — 

 McDunnough, Check list. No. 6268, 1939. 



Known to me only from Ragonot's description and 

 figure, and the genitalia of its type. Evidently a much 

 paler species than any other of those with a rough-scaled 

 antennal shaft, and having much the general habitus of 

 a Lipographis. Forewing heavily dusted with white; 

 some ocherous brown shading in median and outer 

 areas; transverse lines whitish, distinguishable but 

 poorly defined. Hind wing dark gray. Alar expanse, 

 28 mm. 



Male genitalia similar to those of the dnopherella- 

 cinereella group except elements of transtiUa larger and 

 cornutus more slender and more evenly tapering. 



Type locality: "Washington Territory" (type in 

 Paris Mus.). 



Food plant: Unknown. 



Described and so far known only from its male type. 



