CATALOGUE 



OF 



LEPIDOPTERA HETEROCERA. 



PART III. 



Tribe 6. BOMBYCITES. 



Bombycina, Stainton, Ins. Brit. Tineina, 4. 



The eleven following families, with the exception of the Drepa- 

 nulidce, form the Lepidoptera Pomeridiana of Stephens, which are 

 thus characterized : — 



" Palpi s pissime duo, breves, plerumque cylindrici. Maxillae (aut 

 proboscis) nullae aut brevissimae, submembranaceae, non convolutae * 

 Antennae, maris saltern, plus minusve ciliatae vel pectinatae, nonnun- 

 quam serratae. Caput parvum. Thorax raro cristatus. Corpus 

 -saepissime robustum, apice saepe lanuginosum. Alae elongatae, tri- 

 gonae, plerumque deflexae, indivisae. Larva pedibus sexdecem, ana- 

 libus nonnunquam spuriis." 



Lepidoptera Pomeridiana, Stepk. III. Brit. Ent. Haust. ii. 2. 



With the Lithosiidce and the tribe of Noctuites they form the 

 Noctuo-Bombycides of Herrich-Schaeffer. The Lithosiidce are men- 

 tioned as a distinct family in the preceding part of this Catalogue, 

 but are very closely allied to the Arctiidce, and may be united with 

 them and with the tribe of Zygcenides in one extensive group, which 

 will admit of several divisions. The great tribe of Noctuites may 

 very generally be distinguished at first sight from the Bombycites, 

 but are very little different from some of them in structure. 

 Herrich-Schaeffer distinguishes them from the Liparidce by the 

 ocelli, which are wanting in the latter family, and from the Arctiida> 

 by the costal vein of the hind wings appearing at the base of the 

 wing. 



* This character will not apply to several of the exotic genera. 

 PART III. 3 F 



