PuirPorr.—T'bial Strigil of the Lepidoptera. 215 
The Tibial Strigil of the Lepidoptera. 
By Atrrep Рнпротт, F.E.S., Assistant Entomologist, Cawthron Institute, 
Nelson. 
[Read before the Nelson Institute, 13th ie steal 1922 ; received by Editor, 21st October, 
1922 ; issued. separately, 6th June, 1924.] 
Plate 18. 
THE antennae of insects, being frequently clothed with hair, and often 
bearing dentate or pectinate processes, stand in need of some method b 
which they can be kept free from dust, particles of food, and other matter, 
which if not removed «е sooner or later interfere with the carrying-out 
of their functions. Few insects have entirely naked legs; in almost all 
cases the limbs are clothed nt spines, hair, setae, or scales, such armature 
acting as combing or brushing organs for the head, wings, and other parts 
of the body. For the treatment of the antennae, however, special struc- 
tures have been evolved in several groups. In the ants, for instance, the 
apical spur of the anterior tibia and һе base of the opposing first tarsal 
segment are armed with a row of spines, the antennae being drawn through 
them ; in the honey-bee the first tarsal segment has, near its base, а trans- 
verse rounded notch which fulfils the same purpose. In the Coleoptera the 
embers of the Carabidae have the anterior tarsi armed beneath with a 
complieated series of combs and brushes. But in the Lepidoptera alone 
does an antenna-cleaning apparatus appear as an ordinal character. 
In the literature at my disposal I have been unable to discover any 
detailed description of the lepidopterous strigil. Meyrick (Handbook of 
British Vise get p. 4) says, “ The anterior tibia [in Lepidoptera] is 
nished beneath with a median VP process," but does not 
make та reference to the structure. Sharp (Cambridge Natural History, 
vol. 6, p. 314) states that “the front tibia [in the Lepidoptera] usually 
possesses on its inner aspect a peculiar movable pa ad; this seems in some 
cases to be a combing-organ; it also often acts as a cover to uliar 
scales." J. B. Smith (Revision of the Deltoid Moths, Bulletin of the United 
States National Museum, No. 48) describes at some length the very peculiar 
modifications of the legs in that group of чэк. чө. ps but I have not had 
an opportunity o of examining any species dea y him. 
Though in this paper I treat these due Meus or combs for 
the antennae, it must be remembered that their actual use in such a 
connection has not been observed;* it is because the modification of the 
antennae and the tibial structure seem to be correlated that I adopt this 
provisional view of the function of the latter. it will be found that, in 
gener = mue with z most “ plumose " antennae have the most 
barely half the size. It may also be observed that the position and shape 
of the organ, v wars with the modification of the tibia, are such as would 
be | peu a he function indicated. 
Exe stances, to be referred to, it does not appear that 
the me of the tibial strigil will prove of much value to the systematist. 
* Since the above was written the act of passing the antennae through the strigils 
has several times been observed. It is not uncommon to see moths which have been 
put in the cyanide killing-bottle, as soon as the effects of the fumes begin to be felt. 
commence to comb their antennae rapidly with the strigils. 
