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  BRITISH 
  LEPIDOPTERA. 
  

  

  character 
  of 
  lunaedactyla 
  (phaeodactyla) 
  and 
  microdactyla 
  led 
  us, 
  in 
  

   1892 
  (Brit. 
  Nat., 
  ii., 
  p. 
  61), 
  to 
  fix 
  lunaedactyla 
  as 
  the 
  type 
  of 
  the 
  

   genus. 
  In 
  his 
  Handbook, 
  etc., 
  p. 
  437, 
  Meyrick 
  places 
  Marasmarcha 
  

   (still 
  containing 
  these 
  two 
  divergent 
  species) 
  between 
  two 
  Alucitine 
  

   groups, 
  represented 
  by 
  Pselnophorus 
  (brachy 
  dactyl 
  us) 
  and 
  Alucita 
  (osteo- 
  

   dactyla, 
  tephradactyla, 
  lienigiana, 
  monodactyla, 
  lithodactyla, 
  etc.), 
  with 
  

   which, 
  certainly, 
  lunaedactyla 
  has 
  no 
  really 
  close 
  relationship. 
  

   Hofmann 
  accurately, 
  in 
  our 
  opinion, 
  places 
  it 
  between 
  the 
  Stenopti- 
  

   liines 
  and 
  Oxyptilines, 
  but 
  Rebel, 
  after 
  eliminating 
  microdactyla, 
  leaves 
  

   Marasmarcha 
  among 
  the 
  Alucitines 
  (Car., 
  3rd 
  ed., 
  p. 
  75). 
  

  

  The 
  fact 
  is, 
  Marasmarcha 
  has 
  such 
  mixed 
  structural 
  characters, 
  

   that 
  it 
  is 
  difficult 
  to 
  place 
  it 
  really 
  satisfactorily. 
  Its 
  early 
  stages, 
  and, 
  

   up 
  to 
  a 
  point, 
  its 
  imaginal 
  structure, 
  show 
  it 
  to 
  be, 
  in 
  its 
  broad 
  

   characters, 
  on 
  the 
  Platyptiliid, 
  and 
  not 
  the 
  Alucitid, 
  side 
  of 
  the 
  plume 
  

   stirps. 
  The 
  larva 
  is 
  essentially 
  Stenoptiliine, 
  the 
  pupa 
  shows 
  alliance 
  

   with 
  the 
  Amblyptiliines 
  and 
  Oxyptilines, 
  whilst 
  the 
  imaginal 
  

   characters 
  are 
  very 
  confusing. 
  The 
  genital 
  organs 
  show 
  no 
  close 
  

   relationship 
  with 
  the 
  Amblyptiliines, 
  Oxyptilines, 
  or 
  Eucnaemido- 
  

   phorines, 
  with 
  which 
  one 
  is 
  inclined, 
  on 
  the 
  characters 
  of 
  the 
  early 
  

   stages, 
  to 
  place 
  it. 
  Concerning 
  this, 
  Chapman 
  writes 
  (in 
  litt.) 
  : 
  

   " 
  Marasmarcha 
  occupies 
  a 
  somewhat 
  solitary 
  position, 
  and 
  yet 
  has 
  a 
  

   more 
  central 
  position 
  than 
  any 
  other 
  of 
  our 
  British 
  genera 
  (central, 
  not 
  

   basal). 
  It 
  is, 
  in 
  fact, 
  an 
  extreme 
  Oxyptilid 
  in 
  some 
  aspects, 
  and 
  has 
  

   close 
  affinities 
  with 
  the 
  Alucitids, 
  such 
  as 
  do 
  not 
  occur 
  elsewhere 
  on 
  

   the 
  Platyptiliid 
  side 
  of 
  the 
  group. 
  The 
  post-spiracular 
  larval 
  tubercles 
  

   ally 
  it 
  with 
  Amblyptilia 
  (and 
  suggest 
  relationship 
  to 
  Alucitids); 
  the 
  

   larval 
  habits 
  are 
  very 
  close 
  indeed 
  to 
  those 
  of 
  Capperia 
  heterodactyla. 
  

   The 
  pupa 
  may 
  be 
  described 
  as 
  an 
  extreme 
  Oxyptilid. 
  In 
  common 
  with 
  

   the 
  Amblyptiliines, 
  it 
  possesses 
  the 
  dorsal 
  processes 
  associated 
  with 
  

   tubercles 
  i 
  and 
  ii, 
  and 
  which 
  attach 
  both 
  these 
  genera 
  to 
  the 
  Oxypti- 
  

   lines, 
  but 
  it 
  possesses 
  also 
  the 
  mediodorsal 
  processes 
  so 
  characteristic 
  

   of 
  some 
  Oxyptilids, 
  and 
  it 
  possesses 
  not 
  only 
  the 
  median 
  series 
  that 
  

   occurs 
  in 
  some 
  Oxyptilids, 
  nor 
  only 
  the 
  lateral 
  series 
  found 
  in 
  others, 
  

   but 
  both 
  sets. 
  With 
  this 
  extreme 
  development, 
  and 
  with 
  the 
  Alucitid 
  

   features 
  yet 
  to 
  be 
  referred 
  to, 
  it 
  is 
  curious 
  that 
  the 
  pupa 
  of 
  Capperia 
  

   heterodactyla 
  (teucrii) 
  should 
  exhibit 
  the 
  hair-processes 
  so 
  common 
  in 
  

   Alucitids, 
  and 
  that 
  Marasmarcha 
  should 
  be 
  entirely 
  without 
  them. 
  

   Not, 
  perhaps, 
  entirely, 
  however, 
  as 
  the 
  appendage-cases 
  and 
  wing- 
  

   nervures 
  are 
  roughly 
  nodulated. 
  The 
  imago, 
  in 
  wing-form 
  and 
  

   -marking, 
  is 
  closer 
  to 
  the 
  Alucitids 
  than 
  any 
  other 
  Platyptiliid. 
  The 
  

   hind-margin 
  shows 
  a 
  strong 
  tendency 
  to 
  be 
  lost 
  in 
  the 
  pointed 
  form 
  of 
  

   the 
  Alucitids, 
  and, 
  especially, 
  the 
  loss 
  of 
  submarginal 
  line 
  and 
  other 
  

   markings 
  in, 
  and 
  parallel 
  to, 
  the 
  hind-margin 
  is 
  notable. 
  The 
  ancillary 
  

   appendages 
  of 
  the 
  $ 
  are 
  still 
  more 
  remarkable. 
  The 
  Platyptiliid 
  

   appendages 
  differ 
  from 
  the 
  Alucitid 
  in 
  two 
  marked 
  particulars. 
  The 
  

   Alucitids 
  have 
  spines 
  on 
  the 
  clasps, 
  often 
  developed 
  into 
  long, 
  almost 
  

   hair-like, 
  processes; 
  these 
  are 
  wanting 
  in 
  all 
  Platyptiliids 
  (with 
  the 
  

   possible 
  exception 
  of 
  Eucnemidophorus, 
  where 
  a 
  beginning 
  of 
  this 
  

   structure 
  may 
  be 
  claimed) 
  except 
  Marasmarcha. 
  Here, 
  in 
  lunaedactyla 
  

   (phaeodactyla), 
  two 
  such 
  spines 
  are 
  present, 
  coiled 
  round 
  in 
  a 
  circle, 
  

   and 
  giving 
  a 
  curious 
  appearance 
  of 
  carrying 
  a 
  disc, 
  let 
  into 
  its 
  middle 
  

   to 
  the 
  clasp. 
  These 
  two 
  spines 
  are 
  probably 
  united 
  at 
  their 
  bases. 
  In 
  

   any 
  case, 
  they 
  are 
  so 
  close 
  together, 
  and 
  parallel, 
  that 
  they 
  often 
  look 
  

  

  