274 BBITISH LEPIDOPTEEA. 



2. Vermiform $ 



a. Anterior tibial spurs preserved . . . . Psychidea*. 



b. Anterior tibial spurs lost . . . . Epichnopteryx. 

 B. Transition form, anterior tibial spurs § ; 4 posterior 



tibial spurs; antennal pectinations unsealed .. .. Proutiinae. 

 II. Anterior tibial spurs long (^) ; antennal pectina- 

 tions scaled — 



1. Araneiform ? . $ 4 posterior tibial spurs . . Fumea. 



2. ? ? . cJ 2 posterior tibial spurs, ? anterior 



tibial spurs . . . . . . . . . . Psycheoididae. 



3. Vermiform ? . $ posterior spurs evanes- 



cent f or lost. 



a. Long-winged . . . . . . . . Oiketicidae. 



b. Square-winged . . . . . . . . Psychidae. 



It is interesting to note that section I refused to lose the posterior 

 spurs and so is a restricted group, whilst II, by losing them, became a 

 dominant and extensive group. Further one may note that the more 

 primary forms, Luffiidae, Proutiinae (and Oiketicidae ?) are long-winged. 

 Section I is round-winged and section II (apart from the Oiketicidae) 

 square-winged. Granted that the Oiketicids had a Fumeid origin 

 (not necessarily from Fumea), there can be no question that these are 

 more generalised than the Psychids (excluding those derived more 

 directly from the Lumids), the male characters of the anterior tibial 

 spurs, the presence of well-developed scales, as well as the neuration, 

 confirm this view. So little is known of the structural characters of 

 this large exotic group that it may contain within itself a long range 

 of more generalised and specialised forms. Of the true Psychids, 

 those included in the Aeanthopsyche of Heylaerts [Psyche of Standfuss) 

 appear from the scale-structure, tibial spurs, &c, to be the most 

 generalised, e.g., Canephora unicolor, Pachythelia villosella, Aeanthopsyche 

 opacella. Of the remainder, one section has the remarkable character 

 of moulting twice in assuming the pupal state ; this would be sufficient 

 to define it, being a most unusual and peculiar habit, but it may also 

 be separated by its neuration as well as by being what Standfuss 

 defines as Pupicolae, the remainder (with the Acanthopsychids) form- 

 ing his Pupifuijae. We may accept these names of Standfuss and 

 divide the Psychids proper thus : 



A. Preserve the anterior tibial spurs . . . . . . Acanthopsychinae. 



B. Lose the anterior tibial spurs — 



1. With two moults to pupal stage ; imagines with) Empedopsychinae 



somewhat generalised neuration . . . . J" (Pupicolae). 



a. Slenderly built species . . . . . . Sterrhopterix. 



b. Robustly built species . . . . . . Stenophanes. 



2. With one moult to pupal stage ; imagines with ) Oreopsychinae 



somewhat specialised neuration . . . . } (Pupifugae). 



a. Slenderly built species . . . . . . Scioptera. 



b. Eobustly built species j HyaS^' 



There is a relation between the length of the antennas and the 



* Psychidea, Ebr. = Epichnopteryx (Group b), Heyl., Ann. Soc. Ent. Belg., 

 xxv., p. 72, defined as follows : " Les tibias anterieurs avec une epine tibiale ne 

 depassant pas la moitie de la longueur du tibia anterieur — sapho, nocturnella, 

 nudella, vestalis, staudingeri, millierei, flavescens." Bambur gives nudella (pccli- 

 nella in error) as the type of the genus, and one may note the genus as having : 

 Antennal pectinations with hairs on the upper surface (no scales) ; the anterior 

 tibial spine short £ or J, arising at middle of tibia. 



t The Psychid posterior spurs are noted as "evanescent or lost" so as to 

 cover cases where traces of them may be detected. 



