a ee ey a 
156 GULECHID™. 
thorax ; the longer second joint compressed and with appressed scales ; 
terminal joint slender and pointed. Tongue of moderate length, 
clothed with scales. Wings oblong or elongate, with rather long cilia, 
the posterior with obtuse anal angle. In the anterior wings the lower 
branch of the apical vein runs into the costa before the apex; the sub- 
dorsal vein is fureate; in the posterior wings two veins proceed from 
the transverse vein. 
This genus, as now restricted, still contains species of various 
aspects and different habits, though in structure they show a com- 
plete agreement. Some of the species are so brightly coloured, 
they might be expected to be day-flying speeies, which I am not 
aware to be the case; others are of a dingy sombre appearance. 
Tripuncta and fuscescens have a peculiar hovering flight, and run 
about in the net with their wings slightly raised, almost invariably 
dying with their wings over the back (thereby trying the patience 
of the collector). Unite//a has a partiality for standing almost 
perpendicularly on its head, a position which (I believe) Zunaris 
also sometimes assumes; but more frequently Zwnaris reposes pa- 
rallel to the surface on which it rests, with its pretty annulated 
forelegs stretched out before it, like a Cerwra. 
The larva of ménutella is probably, like that of pseudo-spretella, 
a general feeder on all sorts of dry goods; the latter, from its 
large size, must do a considerable amount of injury where it ob- 
tains a footing, and, though formerly unknown, is now abundant 
throughout London, and has appeared in many of the provincial 
towns; it may orginally have been imported, but it will probably 
continue British, as long as there is trade and population in these 
islands. As an instance of the voracity of the larva of pseudo- 
spretella, Mr. H. Doubleday, who has been much tormented with 
them in his breeding-cages, has known them devour a living pupa 
of Smerinthus populi. The larvee of ald the other species probably 
feed in decayed wood, and, as it is not likely that they attack 
healthy trees, cannot be considered as injurious to us; but are 
more to be considered in the light of scavengers employed in re- 
moving that which is decayed and useless. 
There are seventeen species in this genus which have occurred 
in this country; these species may be arranged in the following 
table :— 
a. Anterior wings black or dark fuscous. 
4. With two yellow spots. Species 1, 2. 
4b. With three yellowish spots. Species 3, 4. 
bb 6. With yellowish fascize. Species 5. 
aa, Anterior wings dark orange, with black marks on the margins. 
Species 6, 7. 
