218 BRITISH LEPEDOPTERA. 



may be large, or it may be small and the two preceding larger, i.e., 

 they may be of apparently single joints, or two may be welded together 

 (probably this accounts for the varying number of joints). The ovi- 

 positor consists of two joints and an intervening membrane which, 

 when stretched, has precisely the same appearance as the joints, and 

 accounts for the ovipositor of this and other species being described as 

 3-jointed, as all these araneiform-Psychids appear to have the same 

 structure of ovipositor. In T. tubulosa the rods of the terminal joints are 

 four — two ventral not larger than the joint, and two dorsal nearly 

 5mm. in length, so that when the ovipositor is retracted, their proxi- 

 mal extremities are in the thorax, when exserted, near the base cf 1st 

 joint. The ventral rods of the 1st joint are not much more than 

 lmm. in length, and the dorsal (bifurcated) about l-5mm. 



Variation. — There is some difference in the depth of the colour of 

 the males, in the distinctness of the reticulation, and in size. 

 Peyerimhoff notes that the Alsatian examples vary from pale yellow, 

 hardly reticulated, to blackish-grey. Freer observes a rare colour 

 aberration distinctly flushed with purple. Nolcken states that both 

 sexes received from Mann and taken in the Vienna district differ from 

 those of the Baltic provinces, in that the males of the latter are some- 

 what darker and more distinctly reticulated, whilst the cases are 

 longer, &c. Zeller notes that a male which he captured, and at first 

 considered to be Incurvaria argillella, has almost as elongate forewings 

 as Spanish examples ; the ground colour is unicolorous, of the tint of 

 the spots of the ordinary examples, only greyer towards the base. The 

 hindwings are also clear yellowish-grey. He also mentions a male in 

 his collection with shorter and blunter forewings than usual ; whilst 

 Guenee referred to this species, a (?) form with the head-hairs of the 

 same tint as the thorax ; Zeller refused to consider this the same 

 species and named it guenei. 



a. ab.gaenei, Zell., " Linn.Ent.," vii., p. 342(1852) ; H.-Sch., " Sys. Bearb.," v., 

 p. 113 (1854); SnelL, " De Vlind.," p. 447 (1882).— Var. an spec, diversa ? Obscurior, 

 absque flavo, alas anticse vix conspicue tessellatas, fronte concolori (Guenee, Ann. 

 Soc. Ent. Fr., iv., 1846, p. 14). 



Zeller notes that he has bred hundreds of specimens and never saw one 

 without the red head-hairs. We observe in Healy's MS. notes a record 

 that on July 17th, 1860, many imagines were bred, some of which had 

 dark (not yellow) heads, the larvae of these came from West Wickham. 

 Snellen notes that ab. guenei, has been found in a pine-wood at Breda. 

 /3. ab. minor, n. ab. — A very small male, 15mm. in expanse, the forewings 

 rather pointed, almost unicolorous, and under a lens almost without any trace of 

 the normal pale specklings. It was bred by Mr. Prout from Ccombe Lane, near 

 Croydon. 



Keported parthenogenesis in T. tubulosa. — Parthenogenesis has 

 been recorded in this species by Freer (Ent. Record, vi., p. 89). 

 He writes (in litt.) that he calculates about one in ten of the females to 

 be parthenogenetic, and that a batch of females left in a box will 

 usually produce some fertile eggs. [Freer calls the insect bombycella.] 



Comparison of T. tubulosa with T. politella, etc. — In size, this 

 species is generally less than T. ]:<>litella, and the pale, yellow, reticula- 

 ted forewings make it easily distinguishable frcrn the two preceding 

 species (jmbicornis and pulitella) (Zeller). Biuand also notes the male 

 as being a little smaller than T. politella, and adds that the female is 



