iSgi.] 



THE BRITISH NATURALIST. 



37 



THE PTEROPHORINA OF BRITAIN, 

 By J. W. TuTT, F.E.S. 



Amblyptilia, Hb. 



Like Cncemidopliorus, this is another very restricted genus, only two 

 species being known to inhabit the European area, and both these 

 are found in Britain. Two species also, are found in the Nearctic 

 region, one of which is common both to the Palsearctic and Nearctic, 

 viz. : —punctidactyla ; but the commoner acanthodactyla does not appear 

 to occur in America. Like Playptilia, the members of the genus 

 Amblyptilia, have the apex of the anterior wings much angulated, but 

 the genus is otherwise very distinct. Both the European species are 

 dark but the American pica has a v^hite ground colour. This genus 

 is thus characterised by Wallengren (Dr. Jordan, " Entomologist's 

 Monthly Magazine," Vol. VI., p. 121) : — " Antennae of both sexes 

 with very short cilia. The forehead ornamented with a very short 

 pyramid of scales. Palpi longer than the head, thick, laterally com- 

 pressed, ascending with the last joint short, slender, and pointed. 

 Legs slender, long, the tibiae only in the least degree thickened 

 towards the apex. First pair of spines in the posterior tibiae nearly 

 equal ; longer than the second pair. The anterior wings furnished 

 with a tooth of scales on their inner margin, not cleft to the third part 

 of their length. The segments broad, the posterior segment almost 

 hatchet-shaped, the posterior angle of the segments well marked. 

 The segments of the inferior wings slender, the third segment with 

 the anal angle sufficiently distinct, nearer the apex, furnished with a 

 tuft of scales. The anterior wings flat, covering the posterior when 

 at rest." 



With regard to the two British species in this genus, ptmctidactyla 

 and acanthodactyla, there is some difficulty. They have similar habits, 

 occur at the same time, and the larvae present parallel ranges of 

 variation. Mr Porritt, who has bred both species from larvae, and 

 readily distinguished them in the larval stage, is quite satisfied of 

 their distinctness. Mr. Soutli, who appears to have had no practical 

 acquaintance with punctidactyla (vide. " Entomologist," Vol. XXII., 

 pp 31-32 and 106, and more especially Vol. XVIII., pp., 97, 98), 

 treats it under the synonym of cosmodactyla as a var. of acanthodactyla. 

 In " Entomologist," XXII., p. 106, I wrote : — " Mr. Porritt says, 



