118 BRITISH LEPIDOPTERA. 



habit of the larva, and the very primitive form of the pupa for its 

 alliance with this section (Trans. Ent. Soc. Land., 1894, p. 348). 



The Psychids have been spoken of recently by authors as if they were 

 Tineids of the very lowest type. This is not so. They form a generalised 

 superfamily, but not only is the larva of a rather high type (for a 

 generalised group), the pupa also has advanced much more than has 

 that of Anthrocera since they separated from the main stem. Although 

 we consider that the common features of the Anthrocerids and Psychids 

 were not derived the one from the other, but were obtained from a 

 common ancestor remote from both, yet, taking into account the 

 respective specialisation of the two superfamilies, it is evident that 

 such points of resemblance as exist in Heterogynids and Psychids 

 have been derived by the latter from the former, rather than vice versa. 



The Pterophorids, as Chapman has proved , have no alliance 

 structurally with the Orneodids (Alucitids) and Pyralids, with which 

 they have been associated, and Dyar and others have shown their 

 alliance with the Anthrocerid stirps. Their larvae exhibit a very wide 

 range of variation, some possessing quite simple tubercles, with a single 

 seta, and having tubercles, i, ii and hi, arranged above each other, and 

 above the spiracle, almost exactly as in certain Psychids. Others have 

 the tubercles converted into many-haired warts, very similar to those 

 of Anthrocerid larva? ; in many, i and ii are united into a large many- 

 haired wart, iii forming a second, and iv and v a third, similar wart, 

 thus forming on each segment a ring of prominent hairy warts, so 

 characteristic of this stirps. One genus, Agdistis, has tubercles bearing 

 a simple seta on all tbe abdominal segments except the 9tb, on which 

 there is a caudal horn, reminding one of the Sphingids. This genus, too, 

 is said to have iv and v developed as post- and sub-spiracular tubercles 

 respectively, a most aberrant condition, if true, for this stirps. That 

 the Pterophorids thus show, inter se, a wide range of larval characters is 

 evident. Some of these characters, too, are largely correlated with the 

 habits and mode of life of the larvae, those with simple tubercles being 

 borers. The near approach of the larva? which bear many-haired warts, 

 in their habits and structure, to those of the Anthrocerids is very 

 marked. It must be admitted, in spite of this, that the affinities of 

 the Pterophorids are more puzzling than those of any other of the 

 generalised superfamilies of the stirps. Tbe pupal attachment by a 

 cremaster, in this group, is also remarkable. 



The difficulty of placing the Pterophorids at all satisfactorily is, 

 perhaps, sufficient warrant for following Chapman and Dyar in this 

 respect. The former concludes that they might be placed with his 

 Micros whose larva? are exposed feeders. He saysf : Dyar places these 

 with the Anthrocerids and Limacodids, and, both in structure and habits, 

 the larva falls into that division as readily as into any other ; at any 

 rate, it is almost certainly not a member of the Adelid series. Further, 

 Chapman states that there is extreme divergence between the pupa of 

 Pterophorids and that of Pyralids, the latter having a pupa that is a 

 true Macro in dehiscence, with the 4th and 7th abdominal segments 

 fixed in both sexes and possessing no Micro characters, except a dorsal 

 headpiece (a character that goes very high up), maxillary palpi, and, 



* Trans. Ent. Soc. Lond., 1896, pp. 129 et sea. 

 f "Notes on Pupae," etc., Trans. Ent. Soc. Lond., 1896, pp. 136-137. 



