52 R. W. CROSSKEY 



own synonymy, but only on the basis of the extraordinary attenuation of the male 

 abdomen in the type-species, Rhaphis elongata Wulp (Text-fig. 115). However, 

 Mesnil writes of Rhaphis 'Eine Gattung aus Ceylon (9 unbekannt)', and his accept- 

 ance of Rhaphis as valid is perhaps due to inadequate information on the type-species: 

 in fact elongata is known from southern India and Philippines, as well as Ceylon, 

 and the female has been known (although apparently not described) since it was 

 first reared from a hepialid host in southern India in the logo's (host record in 

 Beeson & Chatterjee, 1935 : 179; Beeson, 1961 : 351). Examination of the female 

 from Beeson's rearing (in BMNH collection and certainly correctly associated with 

 the male) shows that it is indistinguishable from the female of Doleschalla species 

 from other parts of the Oriento-Australasian regions, and indicates without doubt 

 that Wulp (1896ft) was right to treat Rhaphis as synonymous with Doleschalla. 

 (In passing it may be observed that elongata is not the only Doleschalla species 

 in which the male abdomen is exceptionally attenuate: conspicuous elongation 

 occurs also in the male of D. tenuis Malloch from Sabah and Sarawak, see Text-fig. 

 108, a species which also has the female abdomen of normal Doleschalla shape, 

 Text-fig. 114.) 



The names Doleschallopsis Townsend and Macrosophia Townsend are both placed 

 here as new synonyms of Doleschalla after examination of the primary types of 

 the type-species (lectotype <$ of D. makilingensis Townsend from Philippines in 

 USNM, Washington, D.C. and holotype $ of M . papua Townsend from New Guinea 

 in MNHU, Berlin). The holotype of papua is a fully typical female of Doleschalla 

 and I can see no characters by which it differs. The lectotype and other specimens 

 of makilingensis have a pair of small apical scutellar setae developed in addition 

 to the normal two pairs of scutellar marginals found in Doleschalla but degree of 

 development of these apical setae is very variable, and in the absence of other 

 differentiating characters it is not justified to attribute generic validity to Doleschal- 

 lopsis. Hence in the present treatment the tribe Doleschallini is considered 

 monogeneric for Doleschalla, and Rhaphis, Doleschallopsis and Macrosophia are all 

 considered synonyms of Doleschalla. 



The genus Doleschalla is in need of revision. Specific limits in the genus are 

 uncertain, except for those species (elongata, tenuis) in which the male abdomen 

 shows excessive elongation of a very distinctive kind. Study is needed to determine 

 the degree of intraspecific variability, whether male genitalia provide useful char- 

 acters, and whether females show features for reliable specific separation. Many 

 so-called species have been described, particularly by authors of the last century 

 working with specimens from Moluccas and New Guinea, but poor condition of some 

 of the types, inadequate information on natural variability and the difficulty of 

 correlating the sexes, make it uncertain how many of these should be considered 

 valid and which names apply to the same species. 



The main characteristics of Doleschallini are as follows. Eyes bare. Facial carina absent. 

 Epistome flat. Parafacials and parafrontals bare. Genal dilation not developed. Head 

 subtriangular in profile, shorter at epistome than at antennal axis (Text-fig. 29). Vibrissae 

 undeveloped. Ocellar setae absent. Inner vertical setae converging or crossing. Arista 

 plumose. Proboscis short. Palpi well developed. Prescutum as long as scutum. Noto- 



