12 Geo. 5 Provincial Museum Report. M 



inined by Dr. Lindsey as this species. In Mr. M. Ruhmann's material there is a single specimen 



labelled Vernon, but without date. The species occurs in Eastern Canada and the Atlantic 

 States, extending west to Pennsylvania and Colorado. It also occurs in Europe and West Central 

 Central Asia. 



4. Platyptilia carduidactyla Riley, Rept. Ins. Mo., 180, 1869. Primaries brownish-buff, 

 with the costa dark brown dotted with white as far as the usual brown triangle, which is much 

 the darkest part of the wing. The heavy triangle contains a dark transverse dash before cleft 

 which is visible only in pale specimens; both lobes pale brown crossed by a vague light line 

 toward outer margin. Fringes grey-buff with a row of brown scales in base along outer margin. 

 grey tufts at apices and anal angles, and two dark-brown scale-tufts on inner margin. Secondaries 

 grey-brown, fringes slightly paler, with short dark scales at apices of first two lobes. Fringes 

 of inner margin of third lobe with a prominent triangular tooth of dark-brown scales at middle. 

 This tooth is preceded and followed by a variably complete row of short, dark scales and the 

 lobe is whitish before it. Frontal tuft moderate, blunt, surpassed by third joint of oblique palpi. 

 Expanse, 20-27 mm. 



This is one of our commonest species and is widely distributed. I have specimens from a 

 large number of localities; from A'aucouver Island to Rossland and from Prince Rupert to 

 Vavenby. It occurs all throughout the United States and has been taken at Labrador. According 

 to Riley, the larvre are gregarious, living in webbed heads of common thistles. 



5. 1'latyptilia percnodactyla W'alshigham, Pter. Cal., Ore., 8, 1880. The general appear- 

 ance of this species is substantially the same as the preceding, differing chiefly in the greatly 

 peduci d scale-tuft ou the third lobe of secondaries. 



In carduidactyla this scale-tooth is distinctly triangular; in percnodactyla it is often very 

 weak and made up of scales of approximately equal length. They may be forms of one species, 

 but the early stages of percnodactyla are unknown. Careful breeding may clear up the standing 

 of the species. Specimens which have been definitely determined as this species are from 

 Victoria (Carter) ; Coldstream (Blackmore) ; Wellington (Bryant) ; and Mount McLean (Day 

 and Hanham). 



6. Platyptilia edwardsii Fish. Can. Ent.. XIII., 72, 1SS1. Primaries buff, frequently tinged 

 with brown and hoary with whitish scales, the buff appearing only in the pale markings and 

 along the inner margin. The usual dark triangle is blackish-brown. Brown shade continued 

 along costa to base, towards which it becomes faint. Brown spot in cell is usually connected 

 with costa. Inner margin frequently with brown shades. Both lohes with pale outer line, 

 incomplete on second, preceded by a heavy brown shade which blends into buff or greyish 

 towards triangle. Terminal area hoary with whitish scales over brown. Secondaries grey- 

 brown, third lobe having scattered brown scales on inner margin and a variable but always 

 weak tuft of slender, almost equal brown scales within outer third of feather. Thorax somewhat 

 boary, whitish behind. Palpi moderate, oblique, scarcely exceeding the short, conical frontal tuft. 

 Expanse, 1!)-2!) mm. 



This is apparently a high-altitude species in British Columbia and has only been taken in 

 a few localities — Hope Mountains (Day) ; Mount McLean (Hanham and Day) ; Kaslo (Cockle) ; 

 Rossland (Danby) ; and Mount Cheam (Harvey). The types were taken at Boston and Amherst, 

 Mass., and it also occurs on Mount Rainier, Wash. 



Ed/wardsii can always be separated from the two preceding species by the scale-tooth on 

 the inner margin of the third feather of secondaries being always placed at the outer third, 

 while in carduidactyla and percnodactyla it is in the middle of the lobe. In addition, the 

 species is considerably darker in appearance and generally larger, although all three species vary 

 considerably in size. 



7. Platyptilia ortiiocarpi Walsinghain, Pter. Cal., Ore., II., 1880. Primaries ochreous along 

 inner margin, mixed brown and white with a few ochreous scales toward costa. Costa itself 

 narrowly blackish-brown with white dots. Dark triangle before cleft. Terminal area brown, 

 hoary with white scales, preceded by a faint transverse pale line, less complete on second lobe. 

 Spaces between this and triangle ochreous irrorate with white, with an elongate triangular 

 brown dash and costal shade on first lobe and two dashes on second. Cleft margined with a 

 few dark scales. Secondaries brown, third lobe more ochreous. Fringes greyish with white 

 bases along inner margins and at apices of first two lobes; containing a few brown scales in 

 basal half of third lobe. Palpi brownish ochreous, moderate, oblique, touched with white above 



