Publ. 4. 111. 1925. 
PERICOPINAE. By Dr. M. Hering. 
425 
in the $$ of some species may attain an enormous stoutness (e. g. in Daritis trapeziata, Composia credula, 
Eucyane pylotis, Dysschema heliconides and many other species), makes the flight sluggish, rectilinear, and 
causes it to rest frequently, so that it is not difficult to capture the scared up insect, unless it follows its habit 
of flying up to the crowns of the trees. 
On being scared up all Pericopinae, it appears, fly in daytime, but the swarming time of many species 
is at night. Prof. Carlos Hoffmann, in Mexico, whom we herewith heartily thank for the kindness of 
communicating his numerous biological observations, distinguishes the mimetic species as day-fliers from the 
non-mimetic species as night-fliers. The latter often come to the lantern, but generally not so often as might 
be expected from the frequent occurrence in daytime and the commonness of the larvae. 
The larvae have two different types: forms densely clothed with bristly hairs not quite dissimilar to 
the larvae of the Arctiid genus Ecpantheria, and such resembling the type of our Callirnorpha- larvae. For the 
first form the larva of Dysschema tiresias may serve as example, for the latter that of Pericopis sacrifica. 
The pupae of the Pericopids, as far as my experience goes, are badly preserved. Those of Dyssch. tiresias 
are freely suspended between the leaves of the ends of the bushes in a web made of few, long silk-threads, 
so that they are sometimes to be noticed already from a great distance as a dark centre in a web, suspended 
like a spider. This remarkably resembles the habit of Indian Hypsids (such as Hypsa alciphron), which 
lepidopteral group we have denoted to be the Indian representatives of the American Pericopinae. In a similar 
way as there, the pupa of the Pericopinae is also quite normally shaped, recalling that of our Callirnorpha, and 
like the pupae of many other Arctiids (such as Oeonistis quadra) very glossy, as if it were polished. 
The pupal stage seems to be rather short (sometimes about a fortnight) in tropical species. The imagines 
are so very tenacious of life that it is quite impossible to squeeze them to death with one’s fingers; they also 
offer great resistance to the killing-bottle. 
Pericopinae. 
The members of this subfamily are generally denoted as the American Hypsidae\ Hampson ranged 
them with Callirnorpha among the Callimorphidae, which combination we cannot follow here, since Callirnorpha 
is better placed to the genuine Arctiinae by reason of the neuration as well as of the larva. The Pericopinae 
differ from all the other Arctiids by the peculiar course of vein 8 in the hindwing. The latter is at the extreme 
base entirely fused with the anterior edge of the cell in the Arctiids (i. e. its base is situate above the anterior 
edge of the cell, which looked at from above is no more visible at this place); in the Pericopinae, however, the 
extreme base of vein 8 is separate, the anterior edge of the cell rises behind it. The larva of the Pericopinae, 
on the 2nd and 3rd thoracal segment, has but 1 tubercle above the row of stigmatal tubercles; it thereby differs 
from the larvae of all the other Arctiids which have at least 2 tubercles there. In primitive Pericopinae ( Com¬ 
posia ) there are besides two subdorsal tubercles which, however, are already slightly fused. Callirnorpha has 
more than 1 tubercle, whereby it also proves its distant relationship to the Pericopinae. The latter invariably 
show a well developed proboscis whereby they differ from all the similar Lymantriids; the hind tibiae exhibit 
2 pairs of spurs in the older genera, in the others 1 pair. The tympanal organ is thoracal, and in its structure 
resembles that of the Arctiidae and S'yntomidae, thus testifying its close relationship of these three groups. 
Vein 5 in the forewing rises nearer at 4 than at 6, distinguishing it from the similar Geometrids and Dioptids. 
There are here accessory eyes, which are wanting in the Lithosiinae. In contrast with similar Syntomidae, vein 
8 in the fore wing is well developed. The subfamily comprises about 310 forms chiefly distributed in Tropical 
America; few go as far as the northern and southern temperate zones. The veins were denominated in accordance 
with tlie system of Comstock-Needham; thus the subcosta denotes vein 12 in the forewing, 8 in the hindwing; 
the radial branches 1 to 5 denote the veins 11 to 7 in the forewdng, the radial ramus 7 in the hindwing. The 
median branches 1 to 3 are the veins 6 to 4 in the forewing and hindwing, the cubitus 1 and 2 are the 
veins 3 and 2, the analis is the fold-vein 1 c, and the axillaris means 1 a and 1 b. Some genera are enumerated 
by way of appendix, although they are no genuine Pericopinae, vein 8 in the hindwing is not separate at its 
base. But as they are mostly sought for among the Pericopinae, they have here been dealt with for the 
reason of practical purposes. In some genera with a distinct sexual dimorphism ( Pericopis ), future investigations 
will necessitate yet several species to be combined. 
Review of the'genera of the Pericopinae. 
1. In the hindwing the subcosta is separate at the base, after that for some distance fused with the anterior 
edge of the cell (genuine Pericopinae). 
A. Hind tibiae with 2 pairs of spurs. 
I. 2nd radial branch in the forewing separate or only partly anastomosing with the 3rd to 5th. 
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