INTRODUCTION 
The present paper is the first part of a report on Microlepidoptera 
collected by the Third Archbold Expedition of 1938 — 1939 (which is also 
called the American-Netherlands Indian Expedition) to Central Nether- 
lands New Guinea. 
For the itinerary of this Expedition, the description of collecting 
localities and other particulars we refer to the publications by Mr Richard 
Archbold, Dr A. L. Rand and Dr L. J. Brass (1942) *), by Dr L. J. 
Brass (1941) * 2 ), and by Dr L. J. Toxopehs (1938 — 1950) 3 ), (1940) 4 ). 
The intention of the Expedition was to collect material and data on 
fauna and flora of the hitherto very little known mountainous region of 
Central New Guinea, in which task it fully succeeded. 
The collecting group of the Dutch party of the Expedition consisted 
of the late Dr L. J. Toxopetjs, of his assistant, the late J. Olthof and 
of a number of Indonesian collectors of the Buitenzorg Museum. This 
party was chiefly entrusted with the collecting of insects. The collection of 
Microlepidoptera brought together by them fully deserves to be called 
unrivaled. It is probably the largest collection of this group of insects 
ever brought home by a single expedition which operated during one year. 
This material enables us for the first time to get a glimpse of the constitution 
of the microlepidopterous fauna of New Guinea, as previous records, with 
a few exceptions, are fragmentary and incidental, and mostly concern 
coastal regions. From the high mountains of Central New Guinea no 
records were hitherto available. 
Purposely we use the word glimpse. For, however rich the present 
collection may be, the number of genera and species which becomes known 
still represents in our conviction an infinitesimally small percentage of the 
whole fauna, the true extent of which we do not venture at present to 
estimate. New Guinea possesses one of the richest and most varied faunas 
b Archbold, Richard, A. L. Rand and L. J. Brass, 1942. Results of the 
Archbold Expeditions No. 41. Summary of the 1938 — 1939 New Guinea Expe- 
dition. Bull. Amer. Mas. Nat. Hist., vol. 79, pp. 197 — 228, plates I— XXV. 
2 ) Brass, L. J., 1941. The 1938 — 1939 Expedition to the Snow Mountains, 
Netherlands New Guinea. Journ. Arnold Arboretum, vol. 22, pp. 271—342, plates 
i -in. 
3 ) Toxopeus, L. J., 1938 — 1950. Entomologische notifies uit Nieuw-Guinea. 
1938. Entomol. Meded. Ned. -Indie, vol. 4, pp. 37 — 43; 1939. Ibidem, vol. 5, pp. 
11-17, 24-37, 59-71, pi. 2, 3-4, 9-10. 1940. Ibidem, vol. 6, pp. 17-21, 37-43, 
pi. 3. 1941. Ibidem, vol. 7, pp. 13-18, 45-48, pi. 1-2. 1950. Idea, vol. 8, pp. 
24-30, pi. 1. 
4 ) Toxopeus, L. J., 1940. Netherlands Indian —American Expedition to 
Netherlands New Guinea (3rd Archbold Expedition to New Guinea 1938 — ’39). 
List of Collecting Stations. Treubia, vol. 17, pp. 277—283, map. 
