THE BRITISH NATURALIST. 



i8i 



THE PTEROPHORINA OF BRITAIN, 



BY J. W. TUTT, F.E.S. 



( Continued from page 146.) 

 Oxyptilus, Zell. 



The genus Oxyptilus is probably more abundant in the Palaearctic 

 than in the Nearctic region. It is one of the most difficult genera in 

 the group, many of the species being very closely allied and probably 

 some of the Palaearctic species will have to be sunk as synonymous 

 with others. In Britam we have five species although two of them, 

 p'ilosell ce Sind hieracii are very rare, the latter particularly so. Two 

 fdistans and pilosellre) belong to a group with pale ground colour ; 

 three (hieracii, hetefodnctylus and parvidactylus) to a group having a 

 dark ground colour. 



In Dr. Staudinger's list we have 14 mentioned as inhabiting the 

 palsearctic area, but of these Udiis is considered distinct from distans, 

 whilst on the other hand heterodactylus is not enumerated. Dr. Jordan 

 (" Entomologist's Monthly Magazine," Vol. xviii., p. 121) gives only 

 five American species. The genus is wanting in the angulated apex 

 of the anterior wings, found in the last two genera, and the imagines 

 are the most slender and fragile of the whole of the Pterophori, No 

 species of this genus appears to be common to both the Palaearctic 

 and Nearctic regions. 



The genus is characterised by Wallengren, viz : — " Antennae of 

 both sexes with very short cilia. The forehead obtuse, wanting the 

 tuft or cone entirely. The palpi longer than the head, thick, laterally 

 compressed, ascending, the middle joint tufted at its apex, the last 

 joint longer than the tuft, slender, pointed. Legs long and slender, the 

 posterior tibiae thickened with scales at the middle, and at the apex. 

 The first pair of spines in the posterior tibiae almost equal, the second 

 pair shorter than the shortest spine of the first pair. The anterior 

 wings cleft more than the third part of their length. The seg- 

 ments slender, the anterior segment with no posterior angle, the 

 posterior segment with the angle distinct. The segments of the pos- 

 terior wings slender, the third segment linear, and with no anal angle. 

 The anterior wings flat, when at rest covering the posterior ; the inner 

 margin of the anterior wings not toothed, the fringe of the third 



