Publ. 2. X. 1939. 
1313 
EPIPYROPS. By Dr. Herbert Sick. 
Family: Epipyropidae. 
By Dr. Herbert Sick. 
(See Vol. 10, page 721.) 
The Epipyropidae are closely allied with the Dalceridae, but they have become specialized biologically 
to such a degree that they may be justly treated as a separate family. The life-habits of the larvae of these 
rare species are very peculiar. They live epiparasitically on Hopmopterae (Psyllidae , Jassidae etc.). Westwood 
supplies a rather detailed account (1876) in Trans. Ent. Soc. London, p. 522. According to it, the larvae never 
hurt their hosts, but merely live in the wax-secretions. Thus it is a parasitism similar to that of the Galleria- 
species living in the wax of bee-hives, though the latter also occasionally attack the stock of young bees. In ex¬ 
amining a Phenax variegatus Oliv. (a Homoptera) contained in the Berlin Museum I was able myself to ascertain 
the position of the pupa of an Epipyropida and I presume that the larva spins a thin membrane above itself 
in order to hold itself thereby in the wax. The larva itself, according to Dyar, is almost hemispherical, some¬ 
what elliptic, flattened on the ventral side and very uniformly convex dorsally. The head is rather large and 
retractible. The number of thoracal legs is normal, but they are short and rudimentary. The abdominal legs 
are represented by elliptic hooks on segments 4 to 6, and one pair is distinct on the last segment. The seg¬ 
ments are short, contracted and provided with a large number of secondary hairs. Tubercles are not to be 
distinguished. According to Schwarz, the larvae are covered with a wax-secretion. The colour of the larvae 
is greyish white. The imago is sexually dimorphous. The systematic position is not yet clear. They are surely 
closely allied with the Dalceridae , which is already proved by the fact that some Epipyropidae were described 
as Dalceridae. The latter are again allied with the Limacodidae, according to the shape of the larvae common 
to all the three families. Kirby placed the Epipyropidae to the Liparidae. which is absolutely wrong, since 
beside other marks the Epipyropidae are without a tympanal organ which is developed in the Liparidae. Sharp 
is right in presuming a relationship to the Limacodidae. From these they differ in the absence of the tibial spurs 
and in the radius sector of the forewing, which proceeds from the anterior margin of the cell and defines a part 
in front in the cell. The cell is besides parted yet by a median vein. All the veins mostly arise from the cell 
and are sometimes stalked or also fused. Vein 8 of the hindwing anastomoses with the cell, 7 may arise separately 
from the base or also be absent. The oral membranes are rudimentary and only present in a biarticulate appen¬ 
dage provided with a hair-tuft. Ocelli and chaetosema absent, frenulum plain in both sexes. The species of 
this family sometimes propagate parthenogenetically (or rather in an agamic way), which is rarely the case in 
lepidoptera and. for instance, occurs in Psychidae (Apterona helix Sieb.. Vol. 2, p. 364). 
1. Genus: Epipyrops Westw. 
Proboscis absent; palpi tiny, frons smooth, eyes large, antennae long, bidentate in both sexes; tibiae 
without spurs. Forewing with a slightly protracted apex, the margin uniformly bent, vein 3 arises in front 
before the cell-angle, 4 and 5 from the latter, 6 to 11 from the cell. Hindwing: vein 3 arises before the cell- 
angle, 5 above it, 6 below the upper cell-angle. 
E. barberiana Dyar. Vein 1 of the forewing plain, 1 c present, extending far outward; veins 2 and 3 barberiana. 
equidistant, 4 and 5 rather closely together, 6 and 7 equidistant, 8 and 9 equidistant, arising from the longest 
part of the cell, 10 and 11 like 6 and 7, arising from the cell near the end, 12 freely from the base. Hindwing 
evidently with 3 interior veins, but that part of the wing of the type is altogether ruined; vein 2 from the 
centre of the cell, 3 separated, 4 and 5 near together though not so much as on the forewing; 6 and 7 separated, 
cell rounded, its upper vein feeble; vein 8 from the base, free. frenulum plain. Head and thorax appear 
to be as in Epipyrops ; palpi very small, legs without visible spurs. Arizona and New Mexico. 
VI 
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