PSYCHIDES. 113 



so or to place himself in a position that would allow of copulation, 

 whilst the continuous vermiform movements of the 5 increased the 

 difficulty). On the other hand, copulation takes place in a few mo- 

 ments when the female is in the tube of the case. After fertilisation 

 the female retires again into the pupa-skin, which remains at the 

 bottom of the larval case, and fills this Avith the delicate eggs which 

 are packed so closely that they often lose all shape and outline. 



The female of the Psychids (except those that have winged females) 

 bears no resemblance to the male, and Schrank's definition that it is 

 " ein blosser Eiersack" is very nearly, though not quite literally, 

 correct. The head is small, and carries articulated (Solenobiids, 

 Taleporiids, Fumeids), or rudimentary (Ajiterona and higher Psychids) 

 antenna?. The eyes are faceted in the more generalised, quite rudi- 

 mentary in the more specialised, families. The mouth-parts are rudi- 

 mentary (the mouth is said to be closed by a transparent membrane 

 which stretches and contracts by the movements of respiration, although 

 we have not observed it). The thoracic segments carry shiny, corneous 

 dorsal plates, and, in many instances, these are present on some (or 

 all) the abdominal segments, in others, the abdominal segments are 

 soft and without protection of any kind. The spiracles are usually 

 distinct, and the subcutaneous tracheae are easily traceable in some 

 females (P. villosella), as also are the renal tubes ventrally on the 

 anterior abdominal segments. The nerve ganglia along the median 

 line of the venter are also conspicuous in the higher groups, whilst the 

 modification of the terminal segments to form an extensile ovipositor 

 in Solenobiids, Taleporiids, Fumeids, &c, has already been noticed. 

 This Fumeid ovipositor has been repeatedly spoken of as consisting of 

 three segments, in reality, it would appear that there are but two, the 

 apparent third (the middle) one, being probably only a special develop- 

 ment of the membrane connecting the upper and lower segments, and 

 allowing them to be withdrawn one within the other. In Pachythelia 

 villosella, the ovipositor (?) consists of the fleshy 10th abdominal 

 segment, whilst on the 9th, ventrally, are tAvo soft fleshy flaps, Avhich 

 Heylaerts says guard the entrance to the vagina. The female may, 

 or may not, possess an anal tuft of wavy hairs (Avith Avhich the eggs 

 are covered). Almost all the females of the generalised families shoAV 

 some trace of seta? AAmich can often be homologised Avith those borne 

 by the larval tubercles. The feet are exceedingly Avell formed in the 

 lower, exceedingly rudimentary in the higher, Psychids. The abnor- 

 mal deA*elopment of the ovisacs has been already noted. 



The general character of the Psychid antenna is to be scaled dorsally 

 and to have very long hairs ventrally. The scales partake of the 

 character of those on the rest of the insect, those of Diplodoma herminata 

 (niar(/inepunctella) and Fumea are very ordinary scales, those of the 

 haired species, e.t/., I', rillosella, are narrow and hair-like. The 

 " sensory hairs " are very long, generally of a very uniform length, 

 ;iik1 exceed in length the thickness of the antenna. In the Taleporiid 

 (lower) section of the Psychids, the antenna? are simple, the scales 

 and hairs are in tAvo rows (P. herminata, '/'. tubuluHa), Avhilst 

 sometimes one row of bail's seems rather smaller than the other and 

 is on a less projecting knob. In some, the hairs are tolerably uniformly 

 distributed {Solenobia inconsjricuella). In the Macro-Psychids (higher 

 section) the antennae are pectinated, the scales are (as is usual in that 



