M 3G British Columbia. 1922 



The three species are superficially very close, but delawaricus can be separated from 

 tenuidactylus and ningoris by the second joint of the labial palpi having a projecting ventral 

 tuft which nearly reaches the tip of the third, and tenuidactylus can be distinguished from 

 ningoris by the position of the median spurs on the hind tibiie. Iu tenuidactylus these spurs are 

 attached to about the middle of the tibia?, while iu ningoris they are attached three-fifths or more 

 of length of joint from its base. 



Genus PLATYPTILIA Huebner. 



Platyptilia Huebner, Vera. bek. Sehmett., 420, 1S2G. Characters: Front with a prominent 

 scale tuft in some species, usually with at least a moderate tuft. Palpi short, scarcely exceeding 

 front, to long; second joiut oblique; third porrect. Tibia? sometimes with slight scale-tofts. 

 Fore wings cleft not more than one-third their length, anal angle evident ou both lobes, in some 

 species prominent and in some retreating. Hind wings trifid, third feather with black scales or 

 scale-tuft in fringes of inner margin in most species. 



1. Plattptilia PUXCTiDACTYLA Haworth, Lep. Brit., 479, 1812. 

 Alucita cosmodactyla Hiiebuer, Samml. Eur. Sehmett., 35, 1S23. 



Primaries brownish-grey to olive-black, with a very variable superficial white irroration. 

 Costa with white dots on a blackish ground running from base of wing to cleft. A black 

 triangle, paler on the costa, reaches just beyond base of cleft. Third feather of secondaries 

 with black scales along inner margin, a large triangular scale-tooth just beyond middle and a 

 small tuft at apex. Expanse. 20-23 mm. 



This is the cosmodacti/Ia of our previous lists, which Meyrick places as a synonym of 

 punctidactyla. Although only previously recorded from Kaslo. it is widely distributed, as I 

 have it from Victoria (Blackmore) ; Fitzgerald (Carter) ; Goldstream (Blackinore) : Duncan 

 (Day) ; Wellington (Bryant) ; Fraser Mills (Marmont) ; Lillooet (Phair) ; Mount McLean 

 (Hanham) ; Fort Fraser (Anderson) ; Kaslo (Cockle) ; and Chilcotiu (Buckell). The species 

 extends as far east as Manitoba, south to Illinois, Colorado, and South California. It also 

 occurs in Europe and Japan. It feeds on a number of food-plants; Meyrick < Handb. Brit. Lep., 

 433, 1895) gives Stachys, Aquilcgia and Geranium as the European food-plants. Dyar records it 

 from Kaslo as feeding in the red bracts of the high-bush honeysuckle (Loniccru involucrata) , 

 Mr. Cockle bred specimens from the Indian paint-brush (Castillcja) in 15)07. 



2. Platyptilia pica Walsiugham, Pter. Gal., Ore., 21, 18S0. Primaries white to well beyond 

 base of cleft, followed by a black shade which terminates at the usual transverse white lines (in 

 the two lobes. Costa black with white spots and a heavy black triangle before cleft. Terminal 

 area brownish with white scales which sometimes cover the darker colour. Third lobe of 

 secondaries much as in the preceding species. The abdomen offers the only constant distinguish- 

 ing feature. Its upper surface is marked with a large white triangle on each segment, apex 

 forward, and the last few segments are almost entirely white. Beneath it is broadly white in 

 its distal half. Expanse, 1S-24 mm. 



This species is rather uncommon, the specific localities being Victoria (Carter) ; Fitzgerald 

 (Blackmore); Duncan (Day); and Wellington (Bryant). It has not been recorded from the 

 Mainland as yet. The types were taken at Crescent City. North California, and it has been 

 taken at Seattle and Mount Rainier. Wash. 



The species varies considerably and in some cases closely approaches punctidactyla. The 

 two species, however, can always be separated by the white triangles on the abdomen as noted 

 above. 



3. Platyptilia tessehadactyla Linnseus, Faun. Suec, 370. 1761. Primaries rather evenly 

 greyish, the markings produced by variation in the mixture of white scales, and therefore 

 powdery and indefinite. Costa darker, dotted with white, with the usual dark triangle before 

 cleft, sometimes very vague. Outer transverse white line present, incomplete on second lobe. 

 Secondaries with dark scales at tip of each lobe and a weak tuft of approximately equal dark 

 scales jusl beyond middle of inner margin of third lobe. Palpi small, scarcely exceeding front. 

 Thorax white behind. Expanse, 16-20 mm. 



This is apparently a rare species in the Province. In Dyars "Kootenai List" he records 

 two specimens— Lear Lake .Mountain (July 29th) and Kokanoe Mountain (August llthL None 

 have been recorded since until this year. Mr. K. S. Thomson, who was with a surveying party 

 In the mountains some Kt miles from Princeton, captured a single pterophorid which was deter- 



