10 



11 



12 



13 



14 



15 



16, 



17, 



IS 



19 



20 



Bursa copulatrix lacking ornamentations 11 



, Bursa copulatrix with separate, thornlike spines, few 

 to many in number; spines in some species arranged 



spirally Parargyractis Lange, 1956 in part 



Bursa copulatrix with sclerotized plates, groups of 



small, dentate or spinulate spines 6 



Bursa copulatrix with scattered, dentate or spinulate 



spines Usingeriessa Lange, 1956 



3ursa copulatrix with sclerotized plates or spines 



arranged in a definite pattern 7 



Bursa with sclerotized bands or plates, spines vestigial 



8 



Bursa with distinct spines arranged in a definite 



pattern 9 



Bursa with band in bursa extensive, curved, with ends 



approximate; collar of ductus bursae long 



Oligostigma Guenee, 1854 



Bursa of 1 or 2 small bands of closely set spines 



9 



Bursa with 2 groups of closely arranged spines .... 



Neocataclysta Lange, 1956 



Bursa with restricted, linear bands composed of very 



small spines 10 



Bursa with 1 linear band made up of small spicules 



Oxyelophila Forbes, 1922 



Bursa composed of 2 linear bands 



Parapoynx Hiibner, 1826 in part 



Ductus bursae slender, long, may extend to 1st or 

 2nd abdominal segment in some species; lightly 

 sclerotized and little differentiation of basal part 



Parapoynx Hiibner, 1826 in part 



Ductus bursae shorter, never attaining base of abdomen; 

 base of ductus sclerotized, usually differentiated 



from distal part 12 



Bursa copulatrix opaque, surface roughened, reticu- 

 lated, or with raised elevations or spines 13 



Bursa copulatrix transparent, surface markings absent 



17 



Bursa copulatrix constricted anteriorly with a bowed 



sclerotization Argyractoides Lange, 1956 



Bursa lacking sclerotized structure 14 



Surface of bursa finely reticulated; collar section of 

 ductus bursae between base and bursa enlarged, 

 greatly attenuated distally; bursa weakly developed 



Synclita Lederer, 1863 



Surface of bursa roughened, or with raised elevations 

 collar section of ductus bursae not attenuated distally; 



bursa saclike, developed 15 



Bursa with sparsely scattered spines over surface 



Nymphuliella Lange, 1956 



Surface covered with densely distributed spicules 



or raised elevations 16 



Base of ductus bursae wide, joined distally to valve- 

 like spined structure; ovipositor short; anterior apo- 

 physes not joined at base Munroessa Lange, 1956 



Base of ductus bursae elongated; sclerotized collar 

 of bursa in place of spined structure; ovipositor very 

 long; anterior apophyses greatly developed, joined 



at base Chrysendeton Grote, 1881 



Ductus bursae with longitudinal striations; little 

 differentiation between basal and terminal parts of 



ductus bursae Undulambia Lange, 1956 



Ductus bursae lacking longitudinal striations; usually 

 a basal sclerotized part of ductus bursae clearly 



separated from terminal part , 18 



Ductus bursae very wide; bursa a spheriodal, mem- 

 branous sac Oligostigmoides Lange, 1956 



Ductus bursae narrow; bursa elongate, or if spheroidal, 



clearly differentiated from ductus bursae 19 



Base of ductus bursae well developed, attenuated 



terminally; surface scobinate or spiculate 20 



Base of ductus bursae more restricted; scobinations 



or spicules absent 21 



Surface of ductus bursae scobinate; a distinct valve- 

 like sclerotization between base and terminal part of 



ductus bursae N ymphula Schrank, 1802 



Surface of ductus bursae spined; valvelike sclerotized 

 plate absent Contiger Lange, 1956 



277 

 Lange: Lepidoptera 



21. Base of seminal duct enlarged and sclerotized; basal 

 part of ductus bursae not distinctly separate from 

 terminal part Eoparargyracfis Lange, 1956 



— Base of seminal duct not enlarged; basal part of ductus 



bursae distinctly separate from terminal part 



Parargyractis Lange, 1956 in part 



The morphology of the larval and pupal stages of 

 the Nymphulinae are imperfectly known. For this 

 reason adequate keys to the North American genera 

 cannot bo given at this time. Forbes (1923) utilized 

 gill numbers to separate out the eastern species. 

 The investigations of Berg (1950) indicate that gill 

 numbers are difficult to use for taxonomic purposes 

 as the number varies with the instar available and 

 with individuals of the same instar. 



Preliminary Key to Known Larvae 



of North American Genera 



Mandibles small, teeth arranged in a semicircle; 

 species constructing cases and feeding on floating 



or partly submerged plants 2 



Mandibles large, flattened, teeth arranged in a flat 

 plane; with simple, blood gills; species living under 

 webs on rocks under water, feeding on algae and 



diatoms Parargyractis Lange, 1956 



With branching, tracheal gills; in cases made of ex- 

 cised portions of leaves of aquatic plants 



Parapoynx Hubner, 1826 



Gills absent 3 



Case spheroidal, made of Lemna leaves 



Neocataclysta Lange, 1956 



Case oblong, with sharp lateral edge, made of excised 

 portions of leaves of various aquatic plants 



Nymphula Schrank, 1802; 



Synclita Lederer, 1863; 



Munroessa Lange, 1956 



Key to California Adults 

 Based on Superficial Characters 



1. Outer margin of hind wings lacking a series of black 

 metallic spots; M a of hind wings present; 1A of fore 

 wings absent Synclita occidentalis Lange 1956 



— Outer margin of hind wings with a series of black 

 and metallic spots; M, of hind wings absent; 1A of 

 fore wings present, vestigial 2 



2. Outer margin of hind wings excised below apex; margi- 

 nal black spots of hind wings distinct, preceded with 

 a narrow, black line 



Usingeriessa brunnildalis (Dyar) 1906 



— Outer margin of hind wings not excised, but evenly 

 rounded; black spots of hind wings not as clearly 

 separated, inner line preceding spots interrupted, if 

 present 3 



3. Both wings uniformly irrorated with gray; black spots 

 on outer margin of hind wings reduced; southern 



California species 



Parargyractis schaefferalis (Dyar) 1906 



— Wings not uniformly irrorated with gray; color of back- 

 ground white or rufous with some scattered gray scales 



4 



4. Ground color of both wings white; fore wings with 

 ochraceous transverse bands; hind wings with a costo- 

 discal black-outlined mark just basad of white field; 

 southern California species 



Parargyractis kearfottalis (Dyar) 1906 



— Ground color of fore wings reddish-brown; basal ochra- 

 ceous bands of fore wings absent; costodiscal black 



