MR. STAINTON ON ORGYIA. 



157 



The female of our common Orgyia antiqua has hitherto been 

 considered a fair type of a female of the genus Orgyia ; but recent 

 observations, joined to some which were made nearly thirty years 

 ago, have shown that this assumption was unfounded. Before, 

 however, proceeding to notice the abnormal habits of some other 

 females in the genus, it may be advisable to glance at some of the 

 allied genera, as these new observations on habit are mainly in- 

 teresting as supplying an unexpected link between genera hitherto 

 deemed far more widely separated. 



The insects, therefore, which I must now briefly bring before the 

 notice of this Society are the Psychidce. The Psychidce, though, for 

 convenience of study, we are very apt to treat them as a whole, 

 are really divided into two groups, one of which belongs to # the 

 Bombycina, the other to the Tineina. Some systematizers place 

 the whole of the Psychidce amongst the Tineina ; but the very 

 Bombyciform appearance of the males of some of the larger 

 species renders this step one which is very difficult to follow. In 

 my investigation of the Tineina, I have placed two genera only of 

 these insects in that group, Talceporia and Solenobia, leaving the 

 remaining genera {Fpichnopteryx, Fumea, Psyche, and Oiketicus) to 

 rank amongst the Bombycina. Professor Westwood, in the 1 Pro- 

 ceedings of the Zoological Society' (1854, pp. 240, 241), has, in 

 like manner, maintained the separation of the group, and un- 

 hesitatingly refers the genera Psyche and Oiketicus to the Bomby- 

 cina. In my remarks on the genera Fpichnopteryx, Fumea, and 

 Psyche, I have followed the very able and philosophical treatise of 

 Dr. Hofmann, which appeared in the Berlin ' Entomologische 

 Zeitsehrift ' for 1860. 



All the species of the entire group of Psychidce are, in the larva 

 state, case-bearers, from the Oiketicus with a case two or three 

 inches long, to the smaller Solenobia, of which the case is not 

 above 1\ lines in length ; and the structure and habits of the 

 larvae are all very similar : but in the females of the group we find 

 a singular diversity ; and I will therefore proceed to notice the 

 differences presented by the females in these genera, commencing 

 with the genus Solenobia, which comprises the smallest species, 

 and working upwards to the genus Oiketicus, which contains the 

 largest. 



Solenobia. The female of this genus has its legs, antenme, 

 and eyes well developed ; when it emerges from the pupa, the 

 pupa-skin is protruded from the case, and the excluded female 



