Lepidoptera of New York and Neighboring States 349 



12. SCYTHBIS Hiibner 



(Butalis Treitschke ; Arotrura Walsingham) 



Head smoothly scaled; eyes small, ocelli and pecten variable, the latter typically 

 present, but absent in our species (group Apostibes Walsingham). Palpi smoothly 

 scaled, upturned about to vertex, or somewhat shorter, maxillary palpi extremely 

 small and folded over base of tongue, as . in the Gelechioidea. Shaft of antenna 

 much as in Yponomeuta ; scaled dorsally only ; with strong bristles on sensory 

 area; hind tibia hairy. Body stout. Fore wing lanceolate (fig. 203) ; R t arising 

 from well beyond middle of cell and short; cell narrow; without accessory cell; 

 Rj and R 5 more or less stalked, forking over apex ; R 5 running to outer margin 5 

 M 3 fused with CUj, and 1st A completedly free, 2d A long, with the lower leg of 

 its basal fork strong. Hind wing nearly as wide ; costa not sinuate ; Sc long ; R 

 and M 1 nearly parallel; anal region small but fully veined, as usual; M 2 and M 3 

 connate or stalked in the typical group, but separate in our species. 



Larva with tufted hair from small warts; with from four to eight seta? on the 

 ventral leg plates; prolegs not especially long, with a complete circle of bi- or tri- 

 ordinal hooks. Pupa with parts practically completely soldered ; wings extending 

 to the seventh segment of the abdomen; antenna? meeting in the middle line, not 

 reaching the end of the wings, which also meet; epicranial and frontoclypeal 

 sutures complete. Prothorax Gelechiid, rather wide; maxillary palpi minute; 

 labials exposed; fore femora concealed. Abdominal spiracles tubular; setae mostly 

 hooked, including the cremastral ones. 



This genus represents a small group with a curious mixture of Gelechiid and 

 Yponomeutid characters in pupa and adult, which is sometimes placed in the 

 Gelechiida?, or made a separate family. There are but few genera, though 

 Scythris has a large number of species in Europe. Most of our species will probably 

 be removed on venational characters, but for the present the series had better be 

 treated as a single genus. Colinita is very close, but has R x in its normal position 

 and M 3 preserved. 



Key to the species 



1. With erect postmedial and oblique antemedial pale bars 1. impositella. 



1. With a spot in fold and a bar at two-thirds 2. graminivorella. 



1. No pale bars. 



2. Apex with golden scales; typically, with a golden streak in base of fold also. 



5. basilaris. 



2. Dorsal third dusted with yellow 6. pilosella. 



2. Solid blackish 3. fuscicomella, 4. eboracensis. 



1. S. impositella Zeller. Head, thorax, and forewings blackish, with some purple 

 iridescence; teguhe pale; two greenish white, somewhat diffuse fasciae, the more 

 basal one oblique and curved, with the lower part longitudinal, the outer erect 

 and oval. A pale dot at base of wing. 12 mm. {matutella Clemens). 



General. Xew York : Pock City, West Farms. 



S. trivinctella Zeller, a related species with more white at the base and with a 

 zigzag postmedial fascia, is to be expected in the west of our territory. 



2. S. graminivorella Braun. Dark brown, faintly brassy; palpi slightly paler 

 inwardly and at bases of segments. Fore wing streaked with paler scales that 

 gather to form distinct dots, the first in the fold at one-third, the second an 

 oblique bar at two-thirds, and a third at the apex. Antemedial spot defined with a 

 vague darker area, lacking the pale scaling, and a similar area between the outer 

 bar and the apex. Hind wings darker, purplish. Abdomen pale below. 11 mm. 



Larva a leaf-miner in grasses (Hystrix, and more rarely, Poa), making several 



