220 



tnsriTED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM BULLETIN 20 7 



species can be thoroughly studied. Our American 

 species divide as follows: 



Male with apical process of gnathos broadly triangulate 



(figs. 481, 975), anellus U-shaped; female with signum, 



ovipositor lobes unsclerotized. 

 Male with apical process of gnathos considerably smaller 



and tear-shaped, anellus semitubular; female without 



signum, ovipositor lobes sclerotized. 



The species of the first group are further divisible into 

 subgroups on the following male characters: 



Eighth abdominal segment simple. 



Eighth abdominal segment with a strong thornlike process 



associated with sternite. 

 Eighth abdominal segment with a pair of ventrolateral scale 



tufts. 



Genus Homoeosoma, Species 441-447: H. electel- 

 lum to H. illuviellum emendator 



[Male with apical process of gnathos broadly triangulate, anellus 

 U-shaped, eighth abdominal segment simple; female with signum, 

 ovipostor lobes unsclerotized.] 



441. Homoeosoma electelliun (Hulst) 

 FiGUBES 481, 975 



Anerastia electella Hulst, Ent. Amer., vol. 3, p. 137, 1887. 



Ephestia opalescella Hulst, Ent. Amer., vol. 3, p. 138, 1887 (new 

 synonymy). 



Homoeosoma texanella Ragonot, N. Amer. Phycitidae, p. 15, 1887. 



Homoeosoma tenuipunctella Ragonot, N. Amer. Phycitidae, p. 15, 

 1887. 



Homoeosoma okctella (Hulst), Phycitidae of N. Amer., p. 193, 

 1890. — Hampson, in Ragonot, Monograph, pt. 2, p. 243, 

 1901. 



Homoeosoma epalescella (Hulst), Phycitidae of N. Amer., p. 192, 

 1890. — Hampson, in Ragonot, Monograph, pt. 2, p. 243, 

 1901. 



Homoeosoma electellum (Hulst), U. S. Nat. Mus. Bull. 52, p. 434, 

 1903.— Kearfott, Canadian Ent., vol. 37, p. 123, 1905 (de- 

 scription of larva). — Barnes and McDunnough, Contribu- 

 tions, vol. 3, p. 200, 1916. — Forbes, Cornell Mem. 68, p. 634, 

 1920.— McDunnough, Check list, No. 6374, 1939.— Satter- 

 thwait and Swain, Journ. Econ. Ent., vol. 39, p. 575, 1946. 



Homoeosoma opalescellum (Hulst), U. S. Nat. Mus. Bull. 52, 

 p. 434, 1903.— McDunnough, Check list, No. 6376, 1939. 



Homoeosoma differtella Barnes and McDunnough, Contributions, 

 vol. 2, p. 184, pi. 4, fig. 9, 1913. 



This and the three species following have similar 

 genitalia and cannot be separated by any consistent 

 characters in these organs. In all, the vinculum is pro- 

 duced dorsolateraUy into a pair of free arms (fig. 481a), 

 the lateral margins of the apical process of gnathos are 

 deeply concave (fig. 481c), and the signum is situated 

 near the cephalic end of the bm-sa. There is consider- 

 able variation in the gnathi and signa, but it is more 

 individual than specific in character. H. electellum is 

 readily separable from the other three species on its 

 forewing pattern. The contrasting white subcostal 

 streak (when distinguishable) is diagnostic. It is more 

 or less obsolescent in the paler specimens. Wing color 

 varies from pale powdery gray to whitish ocherous. 

 The name opalescellum applies to the more yellowish 

 specimens but represents nothing more than a color 

 form. H. electellum is close to the Eiu-opean nebvleUum 



which has similar genitalia and larval habits, nebulellum 

 being an important enemy of sunflower in Russia (see 

 V. Schzegoleff, Journ. Oil Industry, Moscow, p. 44, 

 November 1928). However, there appear to be enough 

 differences in habitus to distinguish the two as distinct 

 species. Alar expanse, 15-25 mm. 



Type localities: Blanco County, Tex. {electellum, 

 in AMNH, ex Rutgers); Texas (texanellum, in Paris 

 Mus.); California (opalescellum, in. USNM; tenuipunc- 

 tellum, in Paris Mus.) ; Everglades, Fla. (differtellum, in 

 USNM). 



Food plants: Flower heads of various asteraceous 

 plants (Anthemis, Aster, Bidens, Brauneria, Chry- 

 santhemum, Coreopsis, Dahlia, Helianthus, Heliopsis, 

 Bvdbeckia, Tagetes, Viguiera, Ximenesia); also from 

 flowers of Opuntia and cotton and several U. S. Dep. 

 Agr. rearings (at Mission, Hidalgo, and Brownsville, 

 Tex.) from fruit of orange (on the trees). Sunflower 

 seems to be the most favored food plant. 



Distribution: United States: Florida, Miami 

 (Apr.), Orlando (June); Louisiana, Baton Rouge 

 (July), Vernon Parish (July); Texas, Blanco County, 

 Brownsville (Mar., Apr., Aug., Sept.), College Station 

 (June), Hidalgo, Liberty (July), Mercedes (Feb.), 

 Mission (Jan.), New Braunf els (May), Presidio (Sept.), 

 Sabinal (Mar.), San Benito (July, Aug., Sept.), San 

 Diego (May), Smith Point (Sept.), Victoria (Mar., 

 May, Sept.), Zavilla (Apr.); Mississippi, Natchez 

 (May); Missouri, New Madrid (Aug.), Scott County 

 (Oct.) ; Iowa, Ames (Aug.) , Sioux City (June) ; Kansas, 

 Onaga; Nebraska, Fort Calhoun; South Dakota, Elk 

 Point (Aug.); Colorado, Boulder (Sept.), Denver 

 (June), Pueblo (Sept.); New Mexico, Fort Wingate 

 (May, June), Jemez Springs (Apr.), Las Vegas, Pecos 

 (June); Arizona, South Liberty (Sept.), Santa Rita 

 Mts. (Aug.); California, Sacramento (Aug.); Wash- 

 ington, BonneviUe (July), Pullman (June, July, Aug., 

 Sept.), Walla WaUa (June, July), Wenatchee (Aug.). 

 Miixico: Cuernavaca (July), Orizaba (May), Tehuacdn 

 (May, June). Guatemala: Guatemala City. Cuba: 

 Havana (Sept.). Bermuda (Jan., Mar., Apr., May, 

 July). 



The foregoing locaUties are for specimens before me. 

 The species is generally distributed throughout the 

 United States. 



442. Homoeosoma 8typticellim:i Grote 



PiGTJHB 976 



Homoeosoma slypticella Grote, Bull. U. S. Geol. Geogr. Surv. 



Terr. vol. 4, p. 703, 1878. — Hulst, Phycitidae of N. Amer., 



p. 193, 1890. — Hampson, in Ragonot, Monograph, pt. 2, 



p. 252, 1901. 

 Homoeosoma uncanale Hulst, Trans. Amer. Ent. Soc, vol. 3, 



p. 162, 1886; U. S. Nat. Mus. Bull. 52, p. 434, 1903.— 



Barnes and McDunnough, Contributions, vol. 4, p. 175, 



1918.— McDunnough, Check list, No. 6324, 1939. (New 



synonymy.) 

 Homoeosoma uncanalis Hulst, Phycitidae of N. Amer., p. 192, 



1890. 

 Homoeosoma stypieellum Hulst, U. S. Nat. Mus. BuU. 52, p. 434, 



1903 (misspelling). 

 Homoeosoma stypiicellum (Grote), Forbes, Cornell Mem. 



p. 634, 1920.— McDunnough, Check list. No. 6371, 1939. 



