52 
Heptagrotis gen. nov. 
Type, Agrotis phyllophora Grt. 
Eyes naked. Palpi upturned, the third joint somewhat porrect; 
second joint heavily fringed below with hair; third joint smooth, with 
traces of an apical tuft below. Front smooth. Male antennae weakly 
fasciculate. Tibiae all spined; fore tibia much longer than first tarsal 
joint w r ith complete row of spines on inner side and a fringe of hair on outer 
side, concealing a couple of apical spines. Mid tarsi with fourth row of 
spines laterally on outer side. Thoracic vestiture largely composed of hair 
or hair-like scales, rather rough without distinct tufting. 
Figure 31. Male genitalia of Hepi agrotis phyllophora Grt. 
Male Genitalia. Strongly aberrant. Clasper short, broad, and ir- 
regularly rounded apically with neither corona nor pollex; sacculus very 
strongly developed, bulging strongly over costa at base and then narrow- 
ing and continued along lower margin to apex of clasper; harpe lacking. 
Clavus lacking. Juxta a long, rather narrow plate. Uncus thin, pointed. 
Aedoeagus with spiculate apical band of chitin and small lateral protuber- 
ance covered with short spines. 
On account of the marked divergence of the genitalia it has been 
necessary to separate phyllophora from its usual associations; it would 
seem to show more relationship with the Abagrotis group than with the 
Graphiphora section. 
In dealing with the following section, which largely comprises the 
species formerly placed in the genus Noctua , the writer was at once struck 
by the extraordinary divergence between the species on genitalic char- 
acters, whereas in outward structural characters, notably the spining of the 
fore tibiae, there was an equally great similarity. Two courses were open — 
either to split the group into a number of small genera, based largely on 
genitalic characters, necessitating the creation of a number of new generic 
terms, or to lump the species under the ol lest available generic name, 
leaving genitalic characters out of consideration. 
