INTRODUCTION. 5 



Key to the Families of Moths. 



I. Antennae knobbed or dilated ; frenulum 



absent RHOPALOCERA. 



II. Antennae rarely knobbed ; frenulum gene- (Butterflies.) 



rally present, and always in the forms 



tbat bave knobbed antenna? HETEROCERA. 



A. Fore wing witb vein 5 from tbe centre (Moths.) 



of discocellulars, or nearer 6 tban 4. 



a. Frenulum rudimentary 27. Epicopiidae. 



b. Frenulum absent. 



a'. Proboscis present ; legs witb spurs. 

 a 2 . Hind wing witb vein 8 remote 

 from 7. 

 a 3 . Fore wing witb veins 6 and 7 



stalked . . . » 28. Uraniidae. 



b 3 . Fore wing witb veins 6 and 7 



not stalked * Ceratocampidae. 



b 2 . Hind wing with vein 8 nearly 



touching 7 after end of cell .... 2. Brahmaeidae. 

 b'. Proboscis absent; legs without 

 spurs. 

 a 2 . Hind wing with one internal 



vein 1. Saturniidae. 



b 2 . Hind wing with two or three 



internal veins 3. Bombycidas. 



c. Frenulum present. 



a'. Antennae fusiform 5. Sphingidae. 



b'. Antennae filiform. 



a 2 . Proboscis absent 4. Eupterotidae. 



b 2 . Proboscis present. 



a 3 . Hind wing with vein 8 curved 

 and almost touching 7 after 

 end of cell ; vein 1 a reaching 



anal angle 7. Cymatoplioridas. 



b 3 . Hind wing with vein 8 remote 

 from 7 after end of cell. 

 a 4 . Tarsi short as tibiae and 



hairy : stoutly built moths . 6. Notodontidae f- 

 b*. Tarsi long and naked : slightly 

 built moths. 

 a 5 . Fore wing with vein 7 

 remote from 8, and gene- 

 rally stalked with 6 . . . . 29. Epiplemidae. 

 b 5 . Fore wing with vein 7 

 given off from 8 ; hind 

 wing with vein 1 a short 

 or absent 30. Geometridae %. 



* Not known to occur in India. 



t The genus Cyphanta has vein 5 of the fore wing from lower angle of cell, 

 and may be a connecting link with the Noctuidm. 



| Three genera of Geometridai which do not occur in India have vein 8 of 

 the hind wing curved, and nearly touching 7 after end of cell, but are easily 

 distinguished from the Cymatophoridce by the shortness of vein 1 a. In two 

 or three ancestral or distorted genera vein 7 of the fore wing is stalked with 6 ; 

 and in several genera the frenulum is absent. 



