AMERICAN MOTHS OF THE SUBFAMILY PHYCITINAE 



175 



Genus 87: Passadena 



[Venational division B. Forewing with weak subbasal scale 

 ridge; veins 4 and 5 shortly stalked; 10 from the cell. Hind 

 wing with vein 2 near angle of cell; 3 from the stalk of 4-5; 4 and 

 6 long stalked. Labial palpus short, porrect. Male genitalia 

 with a strongly developed clasper on harpe. Female genitalia 

 with signa developed as opposed, strongly spined plates; ductus 

 seminalis from bursa.] 



87. Genus Passadena Hulst 



Passadena Hulst, Canadian Ent., vol. 32, p. 171, 1900. (Type of 

 genus: Passadena constantella Hulst). 



Tongue well developed. Antenna weakly pubescent; 

 on male with a shallow sinus and scale tuiFt in base of 

 shaft. Labial palpus short, porrect; second segment 

 obUque, the third deflected forward, minute, more or 

 less hidden in the thick scaling of second segment; the 

 latter grooved on male to hold the maxillary palpus. 

 Maxillary palpus of male in the form of an aigrette; of 

 female, squamous. Forewing with weak subbasal 

 ridge of raised scales; 11 veins; vein 2 from before but 

 near lower outer angle of cell; 3 from the angle; 4 and 5 

 shortly stalked; 6 from below upper angle of cell, 

 straight; 8 and 9 stallved for about half their lengths; 

 10 from the cell; male without costal fold. Hind wing 

 with vein 2 from near lower outer angle of cell; 3 from 

 the stalk of 4-5; 4 and 5 long stalked (for over two- 

 thirds their lengths; 7 and 8 approximate or contiguous 

 for a very short distance from cell; cell about half the 

 length of wing; discoceUular vein curved, outwardly 

 produced at lower angle. Eighth abdominal segment 

 of male with a weak pair of ventrolateral hair tufts. 



Male genitalia with imcus triangulate; apical process 

 of gnathos a strong, narrow, elongate hook. Transtilla 

 absent. Harpe with costa narrowly sclerotized for its 

 entire length; a strong, projecting clasper from upper 

 edge of sacculus near base (the clasper a striking feature; 

 its pecuhar shape probably a specific character). Penis 

 armed with several short rows of weak spines with a 

 mat of fine scobinations between them. Vinculum 

 stout, stubby, slightly broader than long, terminal mar- 

 gin broadly truncate. 



Female genitalia with signa developed as a pair of 

 opposed, strongly spined plates, one (ventral) rather 

 large, elongately oval, the other (dorsal) very small and 

 bearing only two or three spines; ductus bursae short, 

 broad, sclerotized for most of its length, and bearing on 

 midventral surface a row of minute spines; genital open- 

 ing simple; ductus seminaUs from bursa near junction 

 of bursa and ductus bursae. 



A distinct, monotypical. New World genus with one 

 western North American species. 



364. Passadena flavidorsella (Ragonot) 

 Figures 36, 419, 908 



Anoristia flavidorsella Ragonot, N. Amer. Phycitidae, p. 9, 

 1887.— Hulst, Phycitidae of N. Amer., p. 160, 1890. 



Meroptera canescentella Hulst, Phycitidae of N. Amer., p. 149, 

 1890.— Ragonot, Monograph, pt. 1, p. 319, 1893.— McDun- 

 nough, Check list, No. 6186, 1939. (New synonymy.) 



Getulia flandoTsella (Ragonot), Monograph, pt. 1, p. 528, 1893. 



Passadena constantella Hulst, Canadian Ent., vol. 32, p. 171, 1900. 



Megasis cinclella Hulst, Canadian Ent., vol. 32, p. 172, 1900 (new 

 synonymy). 



Passadena cinctella (Hulst) Barnes and McDunnough, Contribu- 

 tions, vol. 3, p. 198, 1916.— McDunnough, Check list, No. 

 6222, 1939. 



Passadena flavidorsella Barnes and McDunnough, Check list of 

 the Lepidoptera of Boreal America, No. 5647, 1917. — 

 McDunnough, Check list. No. 6221, 1939. 



Forewing whitish gray, more or less finely dusted with 

 black scales; transverse lines narrow, whitish; ante- 

 medial line somewhat oblique, twice indented, bordered 

 outwardly by a narrow black line, inwardly by a broader 

 black band of roughened scales, the black borders form- 

 ing a conspicuous black band divided by a narrow pale 

 line; sub terminal line sinuate-angulate, bordered in- 

 wardly by a black line (most strongly accented at 

 costa) and outwardly at costa by a short black streak; 

 discal dots faint, only distinct on specimens with a pale 

 (whitish) ground color; a row of inconspicuous black 

 dots along termen. Hind wing white to pale smoky 

 fuscous, frequently with a slightly smoky shade towards 

 apex; veins not appreciably darkened; a fine brownish 

 hne along outer margin. Alar expanse, 15-20 mm. 



Genitalia as given for the genus. The male can be 

 readily identified by the peculiar shape of the clasper 

 of harpe (fig. 419e). 



Type localities: Arizona (flavidorsella, in Paris 

 Mus.); Texas (canescentella, in AMNH, ex Kutgers); 

 Cahfornia (constantella, in AMNH, ex Rutgers) ; Argus 

 Mts., Calif, (cinctella, in USNM). 



Food plant: Unknown. 



Distribution: Texas, Brownsville (May), "Central 

 Texas" (the types of canescentella, 9 and cf , without 

 date); New Mexico, state locaHty only (July, Cockerell, 

 collector); Arizona, Ajo (Pima County, Mar.), Babo- 

 quivari Mts. (Apr., May, July, Aug., Sept.), Catalina 

 Springs (Apr.), Oracle (July), Phoenix (Apr.), Reding- 

 ton. Sells Post Office (Pima County, Apr.), "Salt River 

 Mts." (Sept.), "Southern Arizona" (Aug.), Tempe 

 (Feb., May), Tucson (May), Wenden (Yuma County, 

 Aug.), Yuma County ("Colorado Desert," Mar.); 

 California, Argus Mts. (Apr., May), Inyo County 

 (June, July), Jacumba (June), La Puerta (July), Los 

 Angeles (May), Mason Valley (San Diego Coimty, 

 Apr.); Utah, Richfield (May). Also reported by Rago- 

 not from Sonora, Me.xico. 



The species is somewhat variable in the groimd color 

 and amoimt of blackish dusting on forewing, some 

 specimens being considerably paler than others; but 

 the pattern markings are constant, the most conspicu- 

 ous of which is the broad black subbasal band with 

 roughened scales, formed by the borders of the ante- 

 medial line. 



The female type of canescentella Hulst in the Rut- 

 gers Collection lacks an abdomen, as does the matching 

 male paratype in the National Museum (originally from 

 the Fernald Collection). Both specimens are rubbed; 

 but the pattern characters are plainly distinguishable 

 and their palps, antennae, and venation are unmistak- 

 ably those of Passadena. 



