AMERICAN MOTHS OF THE SUBFAMILY PHYCITrNAE 



2 



544. Drescoraopsia soraella (Druce) 

 Figures 16, 284, 761, 762 



Homoeosoma soraella Druce, Biologia Centrali-Americana, Lepi- 



doptcra Heterocera, vol. 2, p. 565, 1899. 

 Drescoma soraella (Druce) Dyar, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., vol. 47, 



p. 328, 1914. 

 Drescoma drucella Dyar, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., vol. 47, p. 328, 



1914 (new synonymy). 

 Drescomopsis subelisa Dyar, Ins. Inst. Menstr., vol. 7, p. 62, 1919 



(new synonymy). 



Forewing with costal area above middle of cell and 

 from just beyond base to sub terminal line vrhite; re- 

 mainder of wing a dull purplish fuscous ; a rather broad 

 glossy dark brown oblique antemedial band dividing 

 the white area and extending half way across wing; ex- 

 treme base of wing on costal half similarly colored; a 

 narrowly lunulate brown patch on midcosta and a simi- 

 lar shade extending from apex transversely toward cell, 

 broken toward costa by faint indication of a subterminal 

 pale line; discal dots small but distinct; under magnifi- 

 cation the dark brown markings show an admixture of 

 reddish scales. Hind wings dark smoky fuscous, the 

 veins and terminal margin slightly darker. Alar ex- 

 panse, 14-16 mm. 



Male genitalia with apical process of gnathos sharply 

 pointed; clasper a short, sharp spine; transtilla a 

 narrow, short, arched band with lateral ends produced, 

 pointed, and directed anteriorally. Female genitalia as 

 given for the genus. There is considerable individual 

 variation in the size of the bursa, but as this is an 

 expansible organ (when unsclerotized) its size and shape 

 mean little or nothing. 



Type localities: Jalapa, Mexico (soraella, in BM) ; 

 Porto Bello, Panama (drucella, in USNM) ; Cayuga, 

 Guatemala (subelisa, in USNM). 



Food plant: Unknown. 



Distribution: Mexico: C6rdoba (May), Jalapa. 

 Guatemala: Cayuga (Apr., June). Costa Rica: 

 Juan Vinas (June, Nov.), Sitio. Panama: Paraiso 

 (May), Porto Bello (Mar., Oct.), Rfo Trinidad (Mar.). 

 Ecuadok: Zaruma. Brazil: Santa Catariria, Santa 

 Catarina Isl. (June). 



Dyar evidently did not look very carefully at his 

 male type of drucella or the specimens from Costa Rica 

 he had as soraella or he never would have put them into 

 a genus with eight veins in hind wing, nor associated 

 with his males of drucella some small females of Dres- 

 coma cyrdipsa. The true females of his drucella he 

 later described as Drescomopsis subelisa. 



Genera 153 and 154: Illatila and Lascelina 



[Venational division A. Forewing with 11 veins; 4 and 5 stalked. 

 Hind wing with vein 2 close to or from lower outer angle of cell; 

 discocellular vein curved. Male genitalia with transtilla 

 absent; apical process of gnathos considerably reduced. Labial 

 palpus upturned.) 



153. Genus Illatila Dyar 



Illatila Dyar, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., vol. 47, p. 334, 1914. (Type 

 of genus: Illatila gurbyris Dyar.) 



Tongue well developed. Antenna pubescent, simple. 

 Labial palpus upturned, slender; reaching a little above 

 vertex; third segment acuminate, more than half as long 

 as second. MaxiUarj'- palpus filiform, appressed to face. 

 Forewing smooth; 11 veins; vein 2 from before the lower 

 outer angle of cell, well separated from 3; 3 from the 

 angle; 4 and 5 short stalked, the stalk separate from 3 

 at base; 6 from below upper angle of cell, straight; 8 and 

 9 stalked; 10 from the cell, closely approximate to 8-9 

 for a short distance from cell; male without costal fold. 

 Hind wing with vein 2 from lower outer angle of cell; 

 3 and 5 stalked for less than half their lengths ; 7 and 8 

 anastomosed beyond cell for a trifle less than half their 

 lengths; cell short, less than one-third the length of 

 wing; discocellular vein curved; on male the inner 

 margin thickened and folded with a fringe of hairs 

 enclosed within the fold. Eighth abdominal segment 

 of male with sternite produced as a sclerotized pocket, 

 projecting into abdomen. 



Male geni tafia with apical process of gnathos weak, 

 straight, very slender (needlelike). Uncus sub triangu- 

 late. Transtilla absent (elements not distinguishable). 

 Harpe rather narrow, apex evenly rounded; sacculus 

 produced at extremity into a short spine; base of 

 sacculus hairy, but not produced. Anellus a curved 

 plate. Adeagus short, moderately stout; cornuti pres- 

 ent, consisting of rather short stout spines in clusters. 

 Vinculum stout, triangulate ; terminal margin roimded. 



Female genitalia with strong signa, developed as a 

 small cluster of blunt, stout, thornlike spines; ductus 

 bursae sclerotized throughout, tubular, stout; genital 

 opening simple; ductus seminalis from bursa between 

 signa and ductus bursae. 



This genus is quite distinct in genitalic characters 

 from anything else in group II. Its nearest affinities 

 seem to be with Dijundella and related genera in group I. 

 It contains but one tropical American species. 



545. Illatila gurbyris Dyar 



Figures 60, 561, 1054 



Illatila gurbyris Dyar, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., vol. 47, p. 334, 1914. 



Dyar's original description is accurate and adequate 

 except that the ground color is a rusty brown rather 

 than "brownish gray," discocellular vein of forewing 

 outlined by blackish scaling with a broader pale outer 

 border (Dyar's "discal spot")- Alar expanse, 12-13 

 mm. 



Male genitalia with gnathos weakly attached to 

 tegumen at base of uncus, its lateral arms produced 

 anteriorly (in relation to head of insect) into widely 

 spaced ribbonlike bands. Apex or uncus broadly 

 rounded. Cornuti consisting of three spine clusters, two 

 of them of stout and one (apical) of slender spines. 

 Vinculum a trifle longer than broad (foreshortened in 

 fig. 561); tapering; terminal margin narrowly rounded. 

 Tegumen with lateral margin at base produced into a 

 rounded projection with serrate edge. 



Female genitaha with bursa finely scobinate over 

 most of its inner surface; ductus bursae bulging and 



