MICROLEPIDOPTERA OF NEW GUINEA 
29 
Contrary to the lack of superficial structural characters for separation, 
i.e., those of the body and the wings, the peculiarities of the male genitalia, 
the number of the socii, when present, in the females (Tortricinae, one 
socius, Eucosminae, two socii), and the general facies facilitate the 
discrimination of the two subfamilies. 
As to the other tortricoid groups, most authors agree upon the family 
rank of the Phaloniidae; the Chlidanotidae (Meyrick) is a little known 
small tropical family. The groups Ceracidae and Schoenotenidae have 
recentty been considered worth of family rank by the present author 
(Diakonoff, 1950 and 1952). The Melanalophidac (Diakonoff, 1941) at 
last, have been changed in Melanalophinae by Obraztsov (1949), but 
we do not agree with this change. Up till now this family is represented 
by a single Javanese species, which possesses a pecten on the scape of the 
autennae. The nature of this outstanding character, not known in any 
Tortricoidea, neither described in any of the more or less allied groups, 
as, e.g. Carposinidae or Glyphipterygidae, supports our view. In our 
opinion only future discoveries either of congeners of M elanalopha or of 
Tortricidae in possession of an antennal pecten, might provide proofs for 
the correctness of Obraztsov’s measure. 
TORTRICINAE 
This subfamily is abundant in New Guinea; it forms about 36 per cent 
of the total number of species collected by the Expedition. This abundance 
of Tortricinae is important from a zoogeographic point of view, as it 
results into a development of the fauna of New Guinea parallel (not 
identical!) with that of the Australian Continent. 
The distribution of the tortricid subfamilies Tortricinae and Eucosminae 
is not easy of explanation. We cite Meyrick ( Gener . Ins., fasc. 149, p. 2, 
1913); 
“... Both families must apparently have originated in the Indian 
region. Throughout Europa, Asia., Africa, and North America (South 
America is at present doubtful) the Eucosmidae predominate, outnum- 
bering the Tortricidae, in the proportion of three to one. In Australia and 
New Zealand the conditions are reversed, the Tortricidae being dominant 
and outnumbering the Eucosmidae (if recent Indo-Malayan immigrants 
are excluded) also in the proportion of three to one. Both families seem to 
be well adapted to tropical and temperate climates alike. The New Zealand 
Tortricine fauna can be quite satisfactorly accounted for on the view that 
it is based on the Australian, with the addition of a slight South American 
element. The Australian Tortricine fauna however consists of a larger 
Tortricid and smaller Eucosmid elements, both of an advanced type and 
not including representatives of the earlier forms which must have co- 
existed abundantly in the region from which this fauna was derived, which 
must have been the Indian region. The only possible explanation seems to 
