AMERICAN MOTHS OF THE SUBFAMILY PHYCITINAE 



297 



faulty in several details. The type of championella (and 

 only knovm example of the genus) is a female and not a 

 male as stated by Ragonot and Hampson. The vena- 

 tion is similar to that of Plodia — veins 3 and 5 are slightly 

 separated at base, not from a point, and 3 and 5 of hind 

 wings are connate and not shortly stalked. The female 

 genitalia are also similar to those of Plodia except that 

 there is no signum. The labial palpi are obhque. 



The genus is obviously very close to Plodia and Ribvxi 

 but in the absence of a male it is impossible to charac- 

 terize it properly or determine its status accurately. 



616. Bethulia championella Ragonot 

 Figures 123, 1120 



Bethulia championella Ragonot, Nouv. Gen., p. 37, 1888; Mono- 

 graph, pt. 2, p. 304, 1901. — Druce, Biologia Centrali-Amer- 

 icana, Lepidoptera, Heterocera, vol. 2, p. 287, 1896. 



The Ragonot figure of the type (Monograph, pi. 35, 

 fig. 16) is somewhat misleading. An enlarged photo- 

 graph, before me, shows the blackish margins defining 

 the antemedial and subterminal lines stronger and some- 

 what broader than those in the published figure and a 

 distinct scattering of blackish scales over the white areas 

 of the forewing; the antemedial line is angulate (not 

 "oblique") and the black border of the subterminal is 

 complete (not broken as in the figure) and shows a 

 sharp angulation at vein 6. 



In female genitalia the projecting shield behind geni- 

 talia is subtriangulate and broadly flaring to its wide, 

 slightly convex terminal margin. 



If other specimens are ever received from Central 

 America they should be easily identified; for champion- 

 ella is the only described white species, except Socipatra 

 rUeyella, in any of the genera, of similar venation and 

 with the ductus bursae sclerotized and flattened for part 

 of its length. From rUeyella it is easily distinguished by 

 its genitalia. 



Type locality: San Joaquin, Vera Paz, Guatemala 

 (type in BM). 



Food plant: Unknown. 



Known only from the type specimen. 



184. Genus Ribua Heinrich 



Rihua Heinrich, Proc. Ent. Sec. Washington, vol. 42, p. 31, 1940. 

 (Type of genus; Ribua innoxia Heinrich.) 



Tongue well developed. Antenna simple and pubes- 

 cent. Labial palpus oblique in male, porrect in female 

 (the third segment downcurved). Maxillary palpus 

 minute, filiform. Forewing smooth; 9 veins; vein 2 

 from just before lower outer angle of cell; 3 from the 

 angle; 4 absent; 5 closely approximate to 3 at base; 6 

 from below upper angle of ceU, straight; 8 and 9 united; 

 10 from the cell, closely approximate to 8 for some dis- 

 tance from cell; male with costal fold enclosing a scale 

 tuft. Hind wing with vein 2 from weU before outer 

 angle of cell; 3 and 5 approximate at base; 7 and 8 com- 

 pletely anastomosed beyond cell (rarely, in individual 

 specimens, with 8 represented as a short spur at costa) ; 

 cell slightly less than one-half the length of wiag; disco- 



cellular vein curved. Abdomen of male with a pair of 

 dorsolateral hair tufts on eighth segment. 



Male genitalia with apical process of gnathos asjTn- 

 metrical, bearing two short hooks. Transtilla a narrow 

 band with flattened central process fusing to apical proc- 

 ess of gnathos (fig. 622) . Harpe with costa shghtly pro- 

 duced at apex, otherwise simple. Vinculum long and 

 broad. 



Female genitalia with ductus bursae flattened and 

 sclerotized for most of its length; bursa copulatrix with 

 or without signa, latter when present consisting of one 

 or two small, bluntly pointed, dischke spines, ductus 

 seminalis from near anterior end of bursa. 



The genus is close to but distinct from Plodia, dis- 

 tinguished by the following combination of characters: 

 Veins 3 and 5, and 8 and 10 closely approximate at base; 

 labial palpus of male oblique; tufts on eighth abdominal 

 segment of male simple; apical process of gnathos asym- 

 metrical and bifm-cate; aneUus fusing with gnathos; 

 ductus seminalis from near anterior end of bursa. 



617. Ribua innoxia Heinrich 

 Figures 622, 1115 



Ribua innoxia Heinrich, Proc. Ent. Soc. Washington, vol. 42, 

 p. 32, 1940. 



Forewing ash gi'ay, obscurely marked and shaded with 

 blackish fuscous; an ill-defined dark basal patch; ante- 

 medial line faintly indicated, oblique, shaded outwardly 

 by a blackish band; subterminal line obscure, pale, 

 straight and parallel with termen, narrowly shaded 

 inwardly and outwardly by dark scaling; the veins 

 faintly dark-shaded ; a scattering of dull reddish scales 

 on the wing, especially along lower fold, on upper vein 

 of cell and bordering subterminal line; all marking 

 obscm-e and dark shading more or less diffused. Hind 

 wing dull white; a narrow fuscous shade along costa and 

 termen, most conspicuous at apex; veins shghtly dark- 

 ened. Alar expanse, 12-16 mm. 



Male genitalia with prongs of apical process of 

 gnathos separated (space between them U-shaped); 

 vinciflum nearly twice as long as tegumen. Female 

 genitalia with two signa. 



Type locality: Cuba (type in USNM). 



Food plant: Fungus on pineapple. 



The larvae of this species are frequently intercepted 

 at our southern ports on pineapples from Cuba, but 

 apparently do no damage to the fruit. A moth was 

 recently received from Cuba which had been reared 

 from a larva in decaying sugarcane. Apparently the 

 species is more of a scavenger than anything else. 



618. BiLua contigua, new species 

 Figures 623, 1117 



Forewing reddish brown; black dusting sparser than 

 on innoxia and largely replaced by red scaling; trans- 

 verse lines obliterated. Alar expanse, 12-14 mm. 



Male genitalia with prongs of apical process of 

 gnathos close together, the space between them narrowly 

 V-shaped and the prongs much shorter than those of 



