256 



UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM BULLETIN 207 



with a pale fuscous subbasal line. Alar expanse, 31-44 

 mm. 



Male genitalia with harpe fairly broad, aedeagus 

 somewhat stouter than in transilis, vinculum shorter. 

 Female genitalia with signum present, the latter con- 

 sisting of three or four minute, more or less coalesced, 

 blunt spines. 



Type locality: OvaUe, Chile (type in USNM). 



Food plant: Evlychnia acida PhUippi, Trichocereus 

 chiloensis (Colla). 



Disteibution: Chile: La Serena, Ovalle, Tofa. 



Superficially this species and huanucensis resembles 

 Nanaia substituta. The latter, however, lacks alto- 

 gether the dark shade between the outer angle of the 

 cell and the inner margin so characteristic of cMlensis 

 and huanucensis. The forewings of the three species 

 are similar — long, and narrow and of about the same size 

 and shape. 



528. Sigelgaita huanucensis Heinrich 



Figure 1047 



Sigelgaita huanucensis Heinrich, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., vol. 86, 

 p. 383, 1939. 



Similar to chilensis, except as follows: Paler, white 

 dusting on head, thorax, and forewing more pro- 

 nounced; general color of forewing brownish rather than 

 gray; transverse dark shade from outer upper angle of 

 cell to inner margin pale brown; antemedial and sub- 

 terminal lines interrupted, the latter indicated only by 

 blackish scaling on the veins; a pale brownish shade in 

 area bordering inner margin. Hind wing pure white, 

 with a very faint fuscous shade along costa and a 

 thin, pale fuscous line on termen for a short distance 

 from apex, this line a trifle broader on female than on 

 male and extending nearly to anal angle of wing. Alar 

 expanse, 45 mm. 



Female genitaha without signum. 



Type locality: Hudnuco, Perii (type in USNM). 



Food plant: Opuntia {Platypuntia) Jicus4ndica (Lin- 

 naeus). 



Kiiown only from the female type and male paratype 

 from the type locality. 



529. Sigelgaita transilis Heinrich 

 Figure 553 



lis Heinrich, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., vol. 86, 

 p. 384, 1939. 



Palpi, head, thorax, and forewing dark grayish 

 fuscous finely peppered with white, giving them a slate- 

 gray color. Forewing with antemedial and subterminal 

 lines obscured, indicated by faint whitish lines bordered, 

 for a short distance from costa, by blackish streaks; 

 discal spot at end of cell blackish, rather large ; a row of 

 black dots along termen between the vein ends. Alar 

 expanse, 26 mm. 



Genitalia with harpe narrower than that of chilensis, 

 vinculum considerably longer, and aedeagus slenderer 

 and appreciably tapering toward apex. 



Type locality: Santa Eulaha, Pert! (type in USNM). 



Food plant: Trichocereus sp. 



Kiiown only from the male type. 



149. Genus Amalafi-ida Heinrich 



Amalafrida Heinrich, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., vol. 86, p. 385, 1939. 

 (Type of genus: Cactoblasiis leithella Dyar.) 



Tongue well developed. Antenna of male bipec- 

 tinate; on each of the inner pectinations of the first five 

 segments a row of from three to five flattened, spinelike 

 setae; antenna of female simple and finely pubescent. 

 Labial palpus of male obliquely ascending, of female 

 obliquely porrect. MaxUlary palpus squamous. Hind 

 wing with veins 7 and 8 anastomosing for over half 

 their lengths beyond ceU ; veins 3 and 5 stalked. Eighth 

 abdominal segment of male with two pairs of ventro- 

 lateral hair tufts. 



Male genitaha with apical process of gnathos bifid; 

 harpe with apex oblique; vinculum long; aneUus with 

 base of plate rather broadly sclerotized, arms long, 

 slightly twisted; aedeagus long, moderately stout; 

 penis scobinate. 



Female genitalia without signum; bursa copulatrix 

 large, weakly and scatteringly scobinate; ductus bm-sae 

 long, slender; ductus seminalis from about middle of 

 bursa. 



Larva grayish in color with a tendency toward pale 

 transverse bands *after the manner of OlyceUa larvae, 

 according to Dodd; solitary tunnelers in Platypuntia. 



Eggs unknown. 



The genus at present is represented by only the type 

 species. It is closest to Sigelgaita, one species of which 

 (transilis) also has setiferous pectinations on some of 

 the basal segments of the male antennal shaft. The 

 form of the maxUlary palpi, as well as the shape of the 

 forewings, distinguish the two genera. In Sigelgaita 

 the forewing is much longer in proportion to its width 

 and the termen more rounded than is the case in 

 Amalafrida. According to Dodd, leithella differs mark- 

 edly from the species of Sigelgaita in larval and pupal 

 habits. 



530. Amalafrida leithella (Dyar) 



Figures 555, 1044 



Cactoblastis leithella Dyar, Proc. Ent. Soc. Washington, vol. 30, 



p. 135, 1928. 

 Amalafrida leithella (Dyar) Heinrich, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., vol. 

 86, p. 386, 1939. — Dodd, Biological campaign against 

 prickly-pear, Brisbane, Australia, p. 40, 1940. 



Forewing with the areas between cell and costa, be- 

 tween vein lb and inner margin for a short distance, 

 and along costal half of termen, white with a scattering 

 of black scales; ground color of remaining areas ocherous 

 fuscous, very faintly shaded \vith rufous above inner 

 margin; transverse and discal markings black; ante- 

 medial line incomplete, indicated by a thin, blackish, 

 irregular line from inner margin to ceU and a broad 

 black streak from costa to about middle of the fold (in 

 some specimens this fuses with a black streak, which 

 extends from middle of vein lb to end of cell) ; subter- 

 minal line black, faint (obscured below vein 6 in some 

 specimens), sinuate and dentate, outwardly bordered 

 by a whitish line and beyond this by a second, very 

 faint, parallel, pale fuscous line; at end of cell a large, 

 irregular, black spot; a Hne of distinct black dots along 



