﻿128 
  BRITISH 
  LEPIDOPTERA. 
  

  

  but 
  also 
  by 
  the 
  structure 
  exhibited 
  by 
  the 
  thoracic 
  tubercles 
  i 
  and 
  ii 
  (which 
  

   are 
  nearly 
  transversely 
  arranged 
  in 
  both 
  sections, 
  and 
  often, 
  apparently, 
  

   absolutely 
  so 
  in 
  Adactylus 
  bennetii 
  and 
  Gillmeria 
  pallidactyla). 
  These, 
  

   usually 
  in 
  the 
  Alucitids 
  (sens, 
  lat.), 
  are 
  placed 
  slightly 
  trapezoidally 
  ; 
  

   in 
  the 
  Agdistids, 
  however, 
  they 
  are 
  not 
  only 
  very 
  small, 
  but 
  are 
  equally 
  

   spaced, 
  i.e., 
  i 
  and 
  i, 
  i 
  and 
  ii, 
  and 
  ii 
  and 
  iii 
  are 
  about 
  the 
  same 
  distance 
  

   apart, 
  whilst 
  in 
  the 
  Alucitids 
  i 
  and 
  i 
  are 
  widely 
  apart, 
  i 
  and 
  ii 
  are 
  close 
  

   together 
  (and 
  usually 
  conjoined), 
  ii 
  and 
  iii 
  widely 
  apart, 
  and 
  so 
  on, 
  

   that 
  is, 
  whilst 
  in 
  the 
  Agdistids 
  the 
  tubercles 
  are 
  individually 
  and 
  

   separately 
  placed, 
  in 
  Alucitids 
  they 
  occur 
  on 
  each 
  side 
  as 
  four 
  pairs 
  

   (omitting 
  special 
  notice 
  of 
  the 
  accessory 
  tubercles). 
  

  

  Hubner, 
  in 
  1825 
  (antea, 
  p. 
  78), 
  made 
  the 
  Agdistids 
  equal 
  in 
  value 
  

   to 
  the 
  rest 
  of 
  the 
  plumes 
  (rightly 
  excluding 
  the 
  Orneodids) 
  calling 
  

   them 
  Integrate 
  and 
  the 
  rest 
  of 
  the 
  Alucitids 
  Trificlae. 
  He 
  also 
  gave 
  

   the 
  tribal 
  name 
  Agdistes 
  (the 
  oldest 
  plural 
  name) 
  to 
  the 
  group 
  from 
  

   which 
  we 
  have 
  taken 
  our 
  own 
  superfamily 
  name, 
  and 
  diagnosed 
  them 
  

   (Verzeichniss, 
  p. 
  428) 
  as 
  having 
  — 
  

  

  The 
  wings 
  whole, 
  moderately 
  broad 
  and 
  long, 
  the 
  legs 
  delicate, 
  the 
  abdomen 
  

   long 
  ; 
  both 
  the 
  wings 
  lance-shaped, 
  scarcely 
  obtuse, 
  shaded 
  with 
  grey 
  — 
  Agdistis 
  

   (adactyla) 
  . 
  

  

  Careful 
  examination 
  of 
  the 
  various 
  stages 
  leads 
  one 
  to 
  assume 
  that 
  

   the 
  Agdistids 
  may 
  come 
  nearer 
  to 
  the 
  Platyptiliid 
  than 
  to 
  the 
  Alucitid 
  

   (sens, 
  rest.) 
  branch 
  of 
  the 
  Alucitides. 
  It 
  is 
  among 
  the 
  Platyptiliines 
  one 
  

   finds 
  other 
  plumes 
  with 
  "undivided 
  wings"; 
  these 
  also 
  have 
  a 
  

   specialised 
  frenulum 
  of 
  similar 
  structure 
  ; 
  there 
  is 
  also 
  rather 
  more 
  

   alliance 
  in 
  the 
  general 
  larval 
  and 
  pupal 
  characters, 
  and 
  the 
  egg 
  is 
  of 
  

   the 
  more 
  cylindrical 
  form. 
  

  

  It 
  is 
  almost 
  impossible, 
  in 
  the 
  present 
  state 
  of 
  our 
  knowledge, 
  to 
  

   differentiate 
  the 
  various 
  characters 
  on 
  which 
  the 
  superfamily 
  should 
  

   be 
  subdivided, 
  for, 
  at 
  present, 
  we 
  have 
  little 
  detailed 
  knowledge 
  of 
  the 
  

   various 
  species 
  in 
  their 
  early 
  stages, 
  and 
  practically 
  no 
  comparative 
  

   studies 
  have 
  been 
  made 
  of 
  them 
  except 
  those 
  noted 
  (infra) 
  of 
  the 
  larvae 
  

   and 
  imagines. 
  The 
  superficial 
  resemblance 
  of 
  the 
  imagines 
  has 
  led 
  authors 
  

   up 
  to 
  the 
  present 
  time 
  to 
  place 
  almost 
  all 
  the 
  Palgearctic 
  Agdistids 
  into 
  

   one 
  genus, 
  but 
  the 
  larval 
  characters 
  suggest 
  that 
  there 
  is 
  considerable 
  

   subdivision 
  possible 
  within 
  the 
  family. 
  These 
  characters 
  have 
  been 
  

   worked 
  out 
  on 
  the 
  larvae 
  of 
  certain 
  species 
  at 
  considerable 
  length 
  by 
  

   Chapman, 
  who 
  summarises 
  his 
  facts 
  as 
  follows 
  : 
  

  

  I. 
  All 
  hairs 
  clubbed. 
  

  

  1. 
  Tubercles 
  iv 
  and 
  v 
  level. 
  — 
  Adactylidi. 
  

  

  A. 
  Dorsal 
  humps 
  only 
  on 
  the 
  prothorax 
  and 
  9th 
  abdominal 
  segment 
  

  

  — 
  Adactylus 
  bennetii, 
  A. 
  staticis,* 
  larva 
  from 
  Harn 
  er 
  Salahin 
  

   (Walsm. 
  coll.). 
  

  

  B. 
  Globular 
  processes 
  on 
  thorax 
  — 
  larva 
  from 
  Chiclana 
  (Walsm. 
  

  

  coll.). 
  

  

  2. 
  Tubercles 
  iv 
  and 
  v 
  moved 
  backwards 
  and 
  iv 
  raised 
  — 
  Agdistidi. 
  

  

  A. 
  Curious 
  buttons 
  on 
  abdominal 
  trapezoidals— 
  E 
  rnestia 
  lerensis. 
  

  

  B. 
  Tubercles 
  i 
  and 
  ii 
  on 
  large 
  conical 
  or 
  other 
  processes. 
  

  

  a. 
  On 
  all 
  abdominal 
  segments 
  — 
  -Agdistis 
  adactyla, 
  A. 
  

   frankeniae, 
  A. 
  heydenii. 
  

  

  * 
  Chapman 
  notes 
  that 
  Adactylus 
  bennetii 
  and 
  A. 
  staticis, 
  which 
  have 
  been 
  con- 
  

   sidered 
  by 
  some 
  authors 
  to 
  be 
  geographical 
  races 
  of 
  the 
  same 
  species, 
  exhibit 
  

   considerable 
  difference 
  in 
  their 
  larval 
  structure. 
  

  

  