AMERICAN MOTHS OF THE SUBFAMILY PHYCITINAE 



279 



Male genitalia with apical process of gnathos 

 V-shaped, the prongs narrowly triangulate. Harpe 

 with strong transverse sclerotized ridge at base of 

 cucullus and projecting slightly beyond lower margin 

 of harpe; costa smooth; apex angled. TranstiUa with 

 flaring apices of its elements divergent. Aedeagus 

 moderately stout. 



Female genitalia show some individual variation in 

 the number of teeth in the signum (4 to 6) . The shape 

 of the shield behind genital opening is also variable 

 (compare figs. 1072 and 1073). 



Type localities: California (gilvescentella, in Paris 

 Mus.); Los Angeles, Calif, {nigrella, in USNM). 



Food plants: Raisins, cotton, Gaura parmflora. 

 These food-plant records from reared specimens in the 

 National Collection. Moths have been frequently seen 

 about stored unprocessed raisins in California and have 

 been reared from larvae feeding on the raisins, but 

 apparently doing only minor injury. The life history 

 has not been worked out. The habits of the larvae are 

 presumably similar to those of Vitula and Ephestia. 



Distribution: United States: Colorado, Denver; 

 Utah, Eureka (July, Aug.), Provo (June, July, Aug., 

 Sept.), Stockton (July), Vineyard (June); New Mexico, 

 Mesilla (Apr., July); Arizona, Fish Creek Station 

 (Sept.), Tempe (Apr.); California, Blythe (Sept.), 

 Claremont, Fresno (July), Laguna Beach, Loma Linda 

 (July), Los Angeles (Mar., Apr., July), Pasadena 

 (June), Riverside (Apr., June, July), Sacramento 

 (Mar.), San Diego (Mar., May, June), San Gabriel 

 (July); Washington, Almota (Apr.), Belhngham (Aug.), 

 Pullman (June, July, Aug., Sept.), Snake River (Jime), 

 Wenatchee (Aug.). Canada: British Columbia, Keve- 

 meos (Aug.), Seton Lake (Aug.), Victoria, Wellington. 

 M]&xico: Baja California, Ensenada (Apr.) 



The name nigrella applies only to a suffused color 

 form in which the dark dusting on the central area of 

 forewing extends into the terminal area. In series from 

 any given locality intergrades occur between it and 

 typical gilvescentella. The species appears to be con- 

 fined to the North American region from the Rocky 

 Mountains westward. 



573. Ephestiodee infimella Ragonot 

 Figure 590 



Ephestiodes infimella Ragonot, N. Amer. Phycitidae, p. 16, 1887; 

 (Ragonot and Hampson), Monograph, pt. 2, pp. 264, 265, 

 IfiOl.— Hulst, Phycitidae of N. Amer., p. 194, 1900.— 

 Forbes, Cornell Mem. 68, p. 635, 1923.— McDunnough, 

 Check list, No. 6380, 1939. 



Forewing similar in pattern and color to the more 

 suffused specimens of gilvescentella but averaging 

 smaller. In many specimens, especially those where the 

 basal area is pale and contrasted against the rest of the 

 wing, there is more or less shading of reddish luteous; 

 color as variable as in gilvescentella. Hind wing pale to 

 dark smoky fuscous. It is the common species in 

 eastern and central United States. Alar expanse, 

 10-15 mm. 



Male genitalia with the prongs of apical process of 

 gnathos slender, cylindrical, and widely spaced at base. 

 Harpe with the transverse, sclerotized ridge at base of 

 costa not projecting beyond lower margin of harpe; 

 costa irregularly serrate at middle (a variable and not 

 too reliable character, costa however never entirely 

 smooth under high magnification); apex rounded. 

 TranstiUa with apices of its elements divergent at their 

 apices but less flaring than those of gilvescentella. 

 Aedeagus moderately stout. Female genitalia not 

 essentially different from those of gilvescentella. 



Type locality: North Carolina (type in Paris Mus.). 



Food plants: Wild cherry, seeds of Ambrosia 

 (Forbes). The wild cherry record is from a specimen 

 reared from larvae collected by A. Busck at Cape 

 Henry, Va. 



Distribution: United States: Massachusetts, Mar- 

 tha's Vineyard (Aug.); Connecticut, East River; New 

 Jersey, Anglesea (June), Montclair (Aug.); Pennsyl- 

 vania, Hazleton (July) , Oak Station (July) ; Maryland, 

 Hyattsville (Aug.), Plummers Isl. (May, July); District 

 of Columbia, Washington (Aug.) ; Virginia, Cape Henry 

 (July) ; North Carolina, Tryon (Aug.) ; Kentucky (Aug.) ; 

 Illinois, Chicago (June), Putnam County (May, Sept.); 

 Iowa; Missouri, St. Louis (June) ; Arkansas, Washing- 

 ton County (July); Texas, Burnet County. Also re- 

 corded by Hampson from Colombia; but this record is 

 undoubtedly based on a misidentification. From all 

 available evidence the species is limited in its distribu- 

 tion to North America. 



574. Ephestiodes erythrella Ragonot 

 Figures 591, 1074 



Ephestiodes erythrella Ragonot, N. Amer. Phycitidae, p. 16, 1887; 



(Ragonot and Hampson), Monograph, pt. 2, pp. 264, 266, 



1901.— Hulst, Phycitidae of N. Amer., p. 195, 1900.— 



McDunnough, Check list. No. 6384, 1939. 

 Eurythmia coloradclla Hulst, Canadian Ent., vol. 32, p. 175, 



IGOO.— McDunnough, Check list. No. 6390, 1939. (New 



synonymy.) 

 Ephestiodes benjaminella Dyar, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., vol. 27, 



p. 922, 1C05.— McDunnough, Check list. No. 6383, 1939. 



(New synonymy.) 



Forewing vinous red, dusted with whitish gray in the 

 basal area and with some faint blackish dusting along 

 costa and on the veins ; in the dry areas of Colorado and 

 Utah the ground color somewhat paler, with consider- 

 able whitish gray dusting in the area between the trans- 

 verse lines and little or no appreciable blackish dusting 

 on costa and veins; transverse lines whitish, somewhat 

 more distinct than in gilvescentella and similarly shaped 

 and dark margined (in some specimens they appear 

 curved, in others straight, due to the extent of the black- 

 ish shade bordering them, but in reality slightly angled 

 as in the other North American species) ; discal dots ob- 

 scure. Hind wings pale to moderately dark smoky 

 fuscous. Alar expanse, 13-17 mm. 



Male genitalia similar to those of infimella except 

 apex of harpe angulate. Female genitalia showing no 

 distinctive specific characters. 



