216 



msriTED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM BULLETIN 2 07 



a strong pair of ventrolateral tufts from eighth segment. 



Male genitalia of the Mescinia type but with all the 

 parts more slender. Female genitalia with signa a 

 cluster of several very small disks; ductus seminalis 

 from bursa near its juncture with ductus bursae. 



The male genitalia show the close affinity of Nonia to 

 Mescinia and show that Dyar's interpretation of the 

 forewing venation rather than that of Kagonot and 

 Hampson is the correct one; that is, 2 and 3 united and 

 4 and 5 stalked rather than 4 and 5 united and 3 stalked 

 with 5. Ragonot and Hampson are also in error in 

 regard to the discocellular vein of hind wing. I have 

 examined the type of exiguella, and it has the disco- 

 cellular vein decidedly curved, as have all the Central 

 and South American and Puerto Rican specimens in 

 the National Museum and Cornell University Collec- 

 tions. The genus contains only one described species. 



432. Nonia exiguella (Ragonot) 



Figures 89, 477, 669 



Homoeosoma exiguella Ragonot, Nouv. Gen., p. 35, 1888. 

 Nonia exiguella (Ragonot), Monograph, pt. 2, p. 260, 1901. 

 Hypermescinia lamhella Dyar, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., vol. 47, p. 

 341, 1914 (new synonymy) . 



Forewing whitish gray overshaded (especially in fresh 

 specimens) with vinaceous fawn, whitish along costa; 

 antemedial line from costa beyond one-third, broken, 

 represented (except in the darkest, most strongly 

 marked specimens) by two or three blackish spots; a 

 dark fuscous shade on inner margin at base; subterminal 

 line, narrow, blackish, slanting from costa to outer 

 fourth of inner margin; discal spots conspicuous and 

 confluent, blackish. Hind wings whitish in male, 

 somewhat fuscous in female, veins and termen slightly 

 darker. Alar expanse, 10-12 mm. 



Male genitalia figured from types of exiguella and 

 lamhella, which are identical in all details. 



Type localities : Colombia {exiguella, in Mus. Univ. 

 Berlin) ; Taberrulla, Panamd {lamhella, in USNM) . 



Food plant: Unknown. 



Distribution: Puerto Rico: Dorado (Dorado, 

 May), La Sardinera (June); San Germdn (Mayagiiez, 

 Apr.); Isabela and Puerto Real (Vieques Isl., Apr.). 

 Virgin Islands: Kingshih (St. Croix, Nov., Dec). 

 Jamaica. Guatemala: Cayuga (Feb., May). Pan- 

 ama: La Chorrera (May), Porto Bello (Feb.), Taber- 

 nilla, Rio Trinidad (June). Colombia. Brazil: 

 Vigosa (Minas Gerais, Oct.). Paraguay: Villarrica 

 (July). 



Genus 123: Phestinia 



[Venational division B. Forewing with 10 veins; 10 from the 

 cell, 8 and 9 long stalked, 2 and 3 united.] 



123. Genus Phestinia Hampson 



Phestinia Hampson, Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., ser. 10, vol. 5, p. 57, 

 1930. (Type of genus: Phestinia costella Hampson.) 



Tongue well developed. Antenna of female simple, 

 a few projecting scales at each of the joints. Labial 

 palpus upturned, slender, somewhat rough scaled; 

 second segment reaching to vertex; third segment nearly 

 as long as second, bluntly pointed. Maxillary palpus 

 small but rather broadly and flatly scaled (squamous) 

 and appressed to face. Forewing smooth; 10 veins; 

 veins 2 and 3 united, from just before lower outer angle 

 of ceU; 4 and 5 from the angle, stalked for nearly half 

 their lengths, the stalk separated at base from 2-3; 6 

 from below upper angle of cell, straight; 8 and 9 long 

 stalked; 10 from the cell, separate at base from stalk of 

 8-9. Hind wing TOth vein 2 from well before lower 

 outer angle of cell; 3 and 5 from the angle, connate (or 

 very closely approximate) at base; 7 and 8 anastomosed 

 for most of their lengths beyond cell; cell about one- 

 third the length of wing; discoceUular vein curved. 



Female genitalia with bursa copulatrix smooth except 

 for signum; signum a small disk with short projecting 

 spine (or spines) from lower margin; ductus bursae con- 

 siderably longer than bm'sa, simple except for a mod- 

 erately broad sclerotization of the tube at genital open- 

 ing; ductus seminalis from bursa near its junction with 

 ductus bursae. 



The genus was erected for a single species described 

 from a single female specimen (not a male as stated by 

 Hampson); so the foregoing diagnosis is incomplete. 

 However, the venation and female genitalia are suffi- 

 cient to show its distinctness from and close relationship 

 to Nonia. It differs from the latter chiefly in having 

 veins 9 of forewing and 8 of hind wing both present. 



433. Phestinia costella Hampson 

 FiGlTBES 92, 970 



Phestinia costella Hampson, Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., ser. 10, vol. 5, 

 p. 57, 1930. 



In general habitus similar to Nonia exiguella, but 

 with darker areas more suffused and dark antemedial 

 and discal markings less strongly contrasted. Hamp- 

 son's description of the dark suffusion as "red-brown" 

 is somewhat exaggerated. There is a faint vinaceous 

 tint to the brown, but it is hardly describable as red. 

 Clarke has examined the genitalia of the female type 

 and fiu-nished me with a sketch of the signum (fig. 970b) 

 and venation (fig. 92). I have seen no examples from 

 the type locality, but have before me a rather worn 

 female from the Cornell Collection, taken at San Ger- 

 man, Puerto Rico, Apr. 17, 1930, which is certainly 

 congeneric, and probably conspecific, with costella. It 

 differs in that the signum (fig. 970a) has only one spine 

 from the lower margin of signum. There are two spines 

 in the type of costella. It is also smaller. Otherwise 

 the Puerto Rican example agrees with the type. The 

 venational details of the two specimens are identical. 

 Alar expanse, 16-20 mm. 



Type locality: Constant Springs, Jamaica (type in 

 BM). 



Food plant: Unknown. 



mi 



