230 BRITISH LEPIDOFTERA. 



history of L. lapidella, and to make some progress towards a knowledge 

 of that of the remarkable parthenogenetic L. ferehaultella (pomonae), 

 whilst in the second we have been able to clear up most of the diffi- 

 culties connected with B. sepium. As to its affiinities, the great 

 interest that the family presents, lies in the fact that it is intermediate, 

 in many points of structure, between the Micro- and Macro-Psychids. 

 The eggs, laid in the pupal-skin, are of the same delicate structure 

 as those of the Macro-Psychids, whilst the larva structurally (and in 

 habit) is also Macro-Psychid, the dorsal tubercles being arranged so 

 that ii is nearer the median line than i, whilst in walking the young 

 larva holds the abdominal segments high in the air (the prolegs being 

 entirely useless if the larva be taken from the case) , but the mature 

 larva often drags its body helplessly on the ground. The female pupa 

 also is largely Macro-Psychid, inasmuch as it does not emerge from 

 the larval case immediately before the appearance of the imago ; it has 

 also lost the dorso-anal spikes and the recurved hairs of the terminal 

 segments, which Micro-Psychid characters are still both retained by 

 the male pupa, the pupa also being characterised by the small size of 

 the united abdominal segments 8-10. The case is rather Micro- 

 Psychid in its general appearance, although the more or less vertical 

 conical structure is peculiarly characteristic of this group. The male 

 imagines bear perhaps more resemblance to the Taleporiids than to 

 the Fumeids (yet Bacotia has been generally located with the latter), 

 and the female has the habit of these groups in emerging from the 

 larval case for copulation, and remaining on the outside thereof during 

 oviposition. This combination of Micro- and Macro-Psychid charac- 

 ters makes it quite clear that there is no sharp line of separation 

 between these two divisions, into which we have, for convenience, 

 separated the superf amity, and makes it impossible for us to include 

 these satisfactorily in either division. Besides the general characters 

 of the family already given, the following imaginal characters relating 

 to the antennae, neuration, genital organs, &c, have been worked out 

 by Chapman : 



S . Antenna : Pedicel (1 joint), scape (1 joint), and 1 joint of clavola without 

 pectinations ; pectinations moderately long (1-1^ length of joints at centre of 

 antennae), without scales, flattened beyond middle (spathulate). Mouth-parts : 

 Labial palpi short, 2-jointed, hairy. Legs : 1st tibiae with spur of half its length, 

 starting from middle (like Micro-Psychids). Neuration* : Forewings — subcostal 

 accessory cell present as in all Micro-Psychids, this cell is always absent in the 

 Macro-Pyschids. 7 and 8 separate, 7 to costa. Hindwings— 4 absent. Shape : Both 

 wings elongated with sharp apex, but costa curved downwards towards apex. 

 Genital organs : The valve is cylindrical (in Fumea bulbous), the harpe with a long- 

 neck (in Fumea with a short neck). 



?. Antenna : Joints 12-16, scaleless. Legs: 4- (or less) jointed. Mouth -parts : 

 Maxillae represented by a conical projection. Scales : Abdominal segments scaled, 

 the scales rather broad, narrower on the last segment. Plates: The thoracic seg- 

 ments well chitinised, chitinous plates on abdominal segments divided medially. 



The female, owing to the great specialisation that it has undergone, 

 probably affords more valuable classificatory characters, among the 

 Psychids, than any other stage of the insect. For this reason, we would 

 more particularly draw the attention of students to the detailed descrip- 



* The neuration is very variable — sometimes 3 is absent on the forewing, the 

 secondary cell differs in size, whilst 10 may be bifurcate. In the hind wing 5 may 

 be bifurcate, &e. Two of these aberrant examples show tendency for 4 to disappear 

 in forewing and to appear in hind wing (Chapman). 



