152 
Annals of the Transvaal Museum 
Group IV 1 . 
This may be called the Desmeocraera group, comprising the genera Desmeo - 
craeva, Phyllaliodes, Hypophiala and Stauropus, the members being peculiar 
as the proboscis is absent or, when present, very weakly developed. 
Of these genera Desmeocraera is the largest South African genus and peculiar 
for (i) the absence of the areole, (2) for its well developed palpi, (3) for possess- 
ing spurs on the hind legs, (4) for the presence of all veins, (5) for the smallness 
of the third joint of the palpus. Stauropus originates directly from Desmeo- 
craera, having all the veins but only two spurs on the hind legs; in both genera 
the terminal part of the spurs is peculiar and the palpi are reduced in size and 
porrect. 
The remaining two genera Hypophiala and Phyllaliodes may have originated 
near Desmeocraera, but the position of Phyllaliodes in particular, is far from 
clear to me as veins 6 and 7, 8, 9 and 10 suggest that they arrived from a form 
having an areole in the fore wing. The palpi in both genera are however very 
much reduced. There exists in these two genera a remarkable likeness to the 
Striphnopterygidae in general appearance. 
Group V. 
This group should most probably include Antheua, from which Phalera 
branches off more or less directly as it shows a close affinity to that genus, 
being differentiated from it by (1) the more elongated fore wing; (2) the position 
of veins 6 and 7; (3) the presence of the bar in the hind wing; (4) the shorter 
and less upturned palpi; (5) the reduced pectination of the antennae; (6) the 
general pattern of the fore wing, the last differentiating it at once. Both Rigema 
and Leucophalera may have originated from Phalera. In Rigema the teeth of 
the spurs have been more developed, the palpi are more porrect and shorter, 
but the markings on the abdomen are as in Antheua and Phalera. Leucophalera 
shows a similar development of the spurs, but the rows of teeth are shorter, 
the bar in the hind wing is absent, in the fore wing veins 6 and 7 originate in 
a different way and the process of the fore tibia is also different from that of any 
of the previous genera. 
Group VI. 
This may be named the Chadisra group. It comprises Chadisra, Hoplitis, 
Galona and Amy ops. The genus Chadisra shows affinity to Antheua in the 
structure of the palpi and in the venation of the wings; but the hind wing 
has a bar, and the fore wing is more narrow and elongate with a corresponding 
decrease in surface of the hind wing ; these two last characters are found more 
or less in all genera of this group. There is also a tendency for the branches of 
the antennae to be reduced; these in the more generalised genera are rather 
well developed. The process of the fore tibia is of the same type as that of 
Antheua and the spurs, though longer, terminate in the same manner. I think 
two branches sprung from this genus; one being Hoplitis, which preserves the 
upturned palpi but has lost the areole through anastomosis, the other, com- 
1 Groups IV, V and VI are in many ways closely allied and I regard them as 
originating from a form very similar to the present members of Antheua. Possibly 
they should be included with that genus so as to form one large group. Antheua 
is certainly the most generalised of all the remaining genera although containing 
less species than one would expect for such an old genus. Even nowadays Antheua 
displays a great tendency to vary structurally. It is peculiar, that the bar between 
the upper median and vein 8 of the hind wing is absent in Antheua, present in groups 
VI and VIII and absent again in group IV. 
