PACHYTHELIA VILLOSELLA, 401 



states that Oberthiir had sent him the originals of casanella for exami- 

 nation, and that he found them to be large P. villosella, with no dif- 

 ference in the neuration as Bruand says. 



7. var. cinerella, Dup., "Hist. Nat.," supp. iv., pp. 61-62, pi. lvi., fig. 1 (1844) ; 

 Brd., "Mon. des Psych.," p. 53 (1853) ; Mill., " Icon.," pi. 102, figs. 6-12 (1868).— 

 Elle est de la taille de la graminella. Ses quatre ailes sont demi-opaques, d'un gris 

 cendre en-dessus et legerement jaunatre en-dessous, avec la f range un peu plus 

 foncee et les nervines bien marquees, surtout celle qui ferme la cellule discoidale. 

 La tete et le corps sont de la couleur des ailes. Le corselet et l'abdomen sont tres- 

 velus, et les poilsont un reflet d'un gris blond. Les antennes sont grises et les pattes 

 d'un brun rougeatre. Cette espece, que nous n'avons pu reconnaitre dans aucun 

 auteur, nous a ete donnee comme ayant ete prise dans la foret de Fontainebleau ; 

 M. Boisduval en possede plusieurs individus trouves par lui dans cette locality. 

 Elle parait en juillet (Duponchel). 



The figure of cinerella is undoubtedly our villosella, browner than 

 our British examples (at least when fresh), and of about normal 

 size. Bruand notes (Mon. des Psychides, p. 53) this as near P. villo- 

 sella, but with the wings a little narrower ; the colour brownish -ashy ; 

 the antennas somewhat shorter. He adds that Milliere has sent him 

 many specimens of this Psychic!, which he considered to be febrettella, 

 an error into which Pierret also fell. The insect, like nigricantella, he 

 considers to be only a local variety of P. villosella, although the four 

 examples that he had under observation presented very striking dif- 

 ferences, e.g., " cinerella has slightly narrower forewings and rather 

 shorter antennae, the colour less brown and rather inclined to ashy ; 

 the neuration of the superior wings differs, so that the first superior 

 nervure is bifurcate and the second simple in cinerella, whilst in villo- 

 sella the first is simple and the second bifurcate." All one can say is 

 that Bruand's figure of cinerella (pi. i., fig. 30a) is distinctly that of 

 P. villosella, but one is able to speak with much less certainty of his 

 P. villosella (pi. i., fig. 28), which looks a somewhat more slender insect 

 than the species he names it. Bruand adds that Milliere had collected 

 cinerella in the neighbourhood of Lyons, the cases covered with short 

 dry stems, splinters, and with debris of plants and flowers. Edwards 

 bred P. villosella from cases found in the Forest of Fontainebleau in 

 June, 1897. 



Comparison of P. villosella with its allies. — Chapman notes 

 two species as being closely allied to P. villosella, viz., httea and cana. 

 These were described as follows : 



Lutea, Staud., "Hor. Soc. Ent. Ross.," vii., p. 113 (1871). — Psyche febretta, 

 Boyer. ? var. In this difficult genus I will not venture to erect a new species on a 

 single male caught by Kriiper on the Veluchi. It differs essentially from the true 

 southern French febretta, in being yellow-grey (still paler than viciella) not black- 

 grey. The very hairy body and head (which in febretta are whitish-grey) are yellow- 

 grey ; but as the specimen has in common with febretta a very pointed abdomen, 

 and antenna gradually thinning to a point, I should refer it to this species rather 



etre totalement identique, Chez elle la premiere nervule superieure est bifurquee, 

 comme chez cinerella, mais la bifurcation commence presque a la naissance de la 

 nervule : en outre la premiere et la seconde nervules inferieures ont une origine 

 connnune, tandis que chez cinerella elles l'ont distincte (voir a la planche iii). Ces 

 legeres differences constitutent-elles une simple variete, intermediaire de villosella et 

 cinerella? ou bien est-ce la une espece distincte? On ne peut guere trancher la 

 question, d'apres un individu unique dont on ne commit ni la femelle, ni la chenille 

 et son fourreau. Mais je pencherais pour le dernier parti, si cette disposition des 

 nervures etait constatee sur plusieurs exemplaires. J'ai figure, sous le no. 31 de 

 la planche iii., les nervures de casanella, compardes aveccelles de villosella, nigrican- 

 tella et cinerella (nos. 28, 29 et 30). 



Z 



