244 



XJNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM BULLETEST 2 07 



what wider dark shade along costal margin; these dark 

 shadings broader in the female than the male; also in 

 the female the veins are outlined by fuscous scaling; 

 cilia white with a dark subbasal line. Alar expanse, 

 35-47 mm. 



Male genitalia figured from specimen from Azuda. 



Female genitalia with bursa copulatrix containing a 

 scattering of microscopic scobinations, otherwise simple; 

 scobinations in genital opening stronger and more 

 dense, also in genital opening a few fine setae (the latter 

 probably a generic character) . 



Eggs unknown. 



Larva "cream or buff colored, with dark spiracular 

 markings," according to Dodd. 



Type locality: Hispaniola (type in BM). 



Food plant: Opuntia (Platypuntia) spp. 



Distribution: Dominican Republic: Azuda (Jan.). 

 Haiti: Port-au-Prince (Jan.). 



Nothing has been published on the life history of this 

 species, and little is known about it. The larvae are 

 presmnably sohtary in habit and confined to the Platy- 

 puntias. The distribution of phryganoides is probably 

 confined to the West Indies. 



138. Genus Alberada Heinrich 



Alberada Heinrich, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., vol. 86, p. 350, 1939. 

 (Type of genus: Melitara parabales Dyar.) 



Tongue as in Melitara. Antenna of male bipecti- 

 nate, of female pubescent. Labial palpus porrect and 

 downcurved. Maxillary palpus squamous. Hind wing 

 with veins 7 and 8 anastomosing beyond cell; 3 and 5 

 stalked. Eighth abdominal segment of male simple. 



Male genitalia with apical process of gnathos bifid, 

 the two prongs rather widely separated; harpe with the 

 apex evenly rounded; vinculum short; aneUus with base 

 of plate narrowly sclerotized, arms moderately long and 

 stout; aedeagus stout, weakly sclerotized in middle 

 except on midventer. 



Female genitalia with signum developed as a ridged 

 plate; bm-sa copulatrix finely scobinate and wrinkled; 

 ductus seminalis from middle of bursa. 



Larvae bluish, not banded; solitary feeders in the 

 joints of Cylindropimtias. 



Eggs laid singly or in masses of two or three. 



The genus is close to Melitara, differing in the follow- 

 ing characters : Veins 7 and 8 of hind wing anastomosed, 

 3 and 5 stalked, aedeagus only partially sclerotized, 

 apical process of gnathos with prongs weU separated, 

 bursa copulatrix with signum. 



The distribution is apparently limited to Mexico and 

 the southwestern part of the United States. 



503. Alberada parabates (Dyar) 



Figures 533, 1021 



Melitara paraba,tes Dyar, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., vol. 44, p. 322, 

 1913; Proc. Ent. See. Washington, vol. 30, p. 134, 1928.— 

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

 1918. — Dodd, Council for Sci. and Ind. Res., Australia, 

 BuU. 34, p. 27, 1927. 



Alberada parabates (Dyar) Heinrich, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., vol. 

 86, p. 350, 1939. 



Forewing fuscous with area between lower vein of 

 cell and costal margin and from antemedial to sub- 

 terminal lines heavily dusted with white; area between 

 lower vein of cell and inner margin and from base to 

 sub terminal line suffused with ocherous fuscous; on the 

 middle of this area a more or less extended smudge of 

 blackish brown; antemedial line black, bordered inwardly 

 by a fine of white scales, dentate and sinuate, a sharp 

 dentation at vein 11, a longer one in the cell (extending 

 nearly to middle of wing), another equally long and 

 acute dentation at the fold, and two very slight denta- 

 tions between lb and inner margin; subterminal line 

 black with a white outer border, dentate and sinuate, 

 the angulations deep, the angulation between 5 and 6 

 reaching almost to cell; area beyond subterminal line 

 dark fuscous, paler in some specimens; along termen a 

 row of black dots at the vein ends; discal black dot at 

 end of cell conspicuous in most specimens. Hind wing 

 white, semihyaline; costal margin bordered with 

 fuscous and a fine dark fuscous line on termen for a 

 short distance from apex; in many females a stronger 

 fuscous shading in apical area. Alar expanse, 35-48 

 mm. 



Male genitalia over twice as large as those of biden- 

 tella; aedeagus more extensively sclerotized. Female 

 genitalia larger than those of the other species of the 

 genus and with scobinations in bursa finer. 



Eggs laid singly or in masses of two or three. 



Type locality: Cerritos, San Luis PotosI, Mexico 

 (typeinUSNM). 



Food plants: Opuntia (Cylindropuntia) imbricata 

 (Haworth) and probably several other Cylindropimtias. 



Distribution: United states: California, San 

 Diego, Warner (Sept.), Palm Springs (Apr.), Oceanside 

 (Aug.), Riverside (Oct.); Arizona, Christmas (Gila 

 County), Fort Grant (July), Oracle (July), Redington, 

 Santa Catalina Mts. (Sept.), Baboquivari Mts. (Apr., 

 June, July, Aug., Sept., Oct.), Sells Post Office (Indian 

 Oasis, Apr.), Douglas (June, Sept.), Mohave County 

 (Aug.) ; Texas, Presidio County (July), Brewster County. 

 M:6xico: San Luis Potosi, Cerritos (Aug.), Tamaulipas, 

 Tula (June). 



504. Alberada bidentella (Dyar) 

 Figures 532, 1022 



Zophodia bidentella Ds^ar, Proc. Ent. Soc. Washington, vol. 10, 



p. 114, 1908. 

 Eumysia bidentella (Dyar), Ins. Insc. Menstr., vol. 13, p. 221, 



1925. 

 Alberada bidentella (Dyar) Heinrich, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., vol. 



86, p. 352, 1939. 



Much smaller and paler ih&n parabates but with simi- 

 lar pattern, the groimd color more ocherous than fus- 

 cous, the white dusting on forewing heavier, the denta- 

 tions of antemedial and subterminal lines shorter; discal 

 dots distinct and not fused as is frequently th>e case in 

 parabates. Alar expanse, 19-24 mm. 



Male genitalia similar to those of parabates but much 

 smaller and with central ventral part of aedeagus more 



