AMERICAN MOTHS OF THE SUBFAMILY PHYCITINAE 



247 



other species of CactoblasHs, not an altogether reliable 

 or satisfactory character in this genus. 



Type locality: Tapia, Tucumdn, Argentina (type 

 in USNM). 



Food plants: Opuntia (Platypuntia) sulphurea G. 

 Don, Opuntia (^Platypuntia) ficus-indica (Linnaeus). 



Represented only by the type series from the type 

 locality. 



According to Dodd, this species "is distributed along 

 the eastern edge and foothills of the Andes from Men- 

 doza right to the northern boundary of the Republic in 

 0. sulphurea, and almost certainly into southern Bolivia 

 at altitudes to 8,000 feet and probably more. Hence, as 

 far as our information goes, No. 49 (doddi) inhabits 

 territory lying in between that of cactorum and the 

 Peruvian insect (mundelli) ." 



0. sulphurea seems to be the favored host of doddi. 

 Dodd tells me that cactorum does not attack this cactus 

 although it is abundant in territory within the range 

 of that insect. He also states that there are consistent 

 differences in the eggs and egg sticks between the two 

 species and that their larvae can be distinguished in the 

 field. I am unable to separate alcoholic specimens of 

 the larvae with any certainty. The moths can be dis- 

 tinguished easily enough by the following combination 

 of characters : Forewing without terminal row of dots or 

 with but 3 or 4 very faintly indicated; hind wing of 

 male semihyaline white, of female dark smoky fuscous. 



510. Cactoblastis mundelli HeiDrich 



FiGUEE 637 



Cactoblastis mundelli Heinrich, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., vol. 86, p. 

 359, 1939. 



Head ocherous. Palpi cinereous, dusted with black. 

 Thorax ocherous fuscous, heavily dusted with white and 

 black scales, especially on tegulae and posterior margin. 

 Forewing ocherous fuscous with a fine dusting of white 

 scales in costal area from base to apex; some black scal- 

 ing on the veins; discal dot at end of cell somewhat 

 obscured by a dark smudge which extends beyond the 

 cell toward vein lb; transverse black lines distinct and 

 well contrasted against the ground color; dentations of 

 subterminal line as in doddi; a row of seven small black 

 dots on termen at the vein ends. Hind wing of male 

 dull white with a faint smoky tint; veins faintly out- 

 lined in fuscous ocherous; some fuscous shading along 

 costa and a fine fuscous line on termen from apex to 

 about vein lb; hind wing of female pale smoky fuscous 

 throughout. Alar expanse, 38-42 mm. 



Male genitalia with base of apical process of gnathos 

 nearly square when viewed from beneath. Female 

 genitalia not specifically different from those of cac- 

 torum except for a somewhat shorter ductus bursae. 



Type locality: Arequipa, Perti (type in USNM). 



Food plant: Opuntia (Cylindropuntia) exaltata Berger 

 (apparently does not attack the Platypuntias). 



The species is known only from the type series from 

 the type locality. 



It is easily recognized by the color of the hind wings 

 and the ocherous suffusion on the forewings. 



511. Cactoblastis bucyrus Dyar 

 FioDKEs 538, 1026 



Cactoblastis hucyrus Dyar, Ins. Insc. Menstr., vol. 10, p. 16, 1922; 

 Proc. Ent. Soc. Washington, vol. 30, p. 135, 1928. — Heinrich, 

 Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., vol. 86, p. 360, 1939.— Dodd, Bio- 

 logical campaign against prickly-pear, Brisbane, Australia, 

 p. 39, 1940. 



The male is much darker than the males of other 

 species of Cactoblastis. Palpi and thorax heavily dusted 

 with blackish scales. Head and collar ocherous. Fore- 

 wing brownish fuscous; white dusting inconspicuous, 

 the pale scales more ocherous than white in the male, 

 in female more whitish than ocherous and a trifle more 

 noticeable; black antemedial and subterminal lines 

 somewhat obscm'ed by the dark ground color, conspicu- 

 ous only toward costa, dentations of subterminal line 

 as in doddi; a row of seven black dots along termen at 

 vein ends. Hind wing brownish fuscous in both sexes. 

 Alar expanse, 30-41 mm. 



Male genitalia with arms of anellus somewhat shorter 

 than those of cactorum, doddi, and mundelli. Female 

 genitalia with bursa very minutely and sparsely scobin- 

 ate. The signum, Uke that of other species of Cacto- 

 blastis, is individually variable. Extremes of variation 

 are shown in figures 1026 and 1027. 



Type locality: Mendoza, Argentina (type in 

 USNM). 



Food plants: Trichocereus, Echinopsis, Denmoza. 



Distribution: Argentina: Tucumdn, Tapia, Men- 

 doza, Catamarca, Andalgald. 



141. Genus Cahela Heinrich 



Cahela Heinrich, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., vol. 86, p. 361, 1939. 

 (Type of genus: Olyca ponderosella Barnes and McDun- 

 nough.) 



Tongue short but stout. Antennae of male and fe- 

 male pubescent, the pubescence shorter in the female. 

 Labial palpus of male obliquely uptiu-ned, of female 

 porrect, with third segment downcurved and second and 

 third segments longer than those of male; male palpus 

 not extending above middle of front and with third 

 segment short. Maxillary palpus squamous. Hind 

 wing with veins 7 and 8 shortly anastomosing beyond 

 cell; 3 and 5 stalked. Eighth abdominal segment of 

 male simple. 



Male genitalia with apical process of gnathos fused; 

 harpe with apex evenly rounded; vinculum short; 

 anellus with base of plate narrowly sclerotized, arms 

 long and broad, slightly twisted; aedeagus stout, 

 sclerotized throughout. 



Female genitalia with signum developed as a ridged 

 plate (a hollow, blunt, flattened, more or less thornlike 

 projection into the bursa) ; bursa copulatrLx large, finely 

 scobinate expecially in the neighborhood of the signum; 

 ductus bursae scobinate at genital opening; ductus 

 seminahs from bursa near signum. 



Larvae whitish, not banded or conspicuously spotted; 

 solitary in habit; stem borers in Cyhndropuntias. 



Eggs laid singly. 



