212 
PSYCHIDAE. General Remarks. By Dr. E. We sell 
the sexes. His experiments and investigations led him to examine the following factors: overripeness of the 
ova, which produced a large preponderance of influences of temperature, raising same to 37°, which had 
the same influence as overripeness; lowering the temperature to 5° which produced a preponderance of 
Seiler then turned his attention to 2 Solenobia species, triquetrella Fisch.-Rbs. and pi net i Z. Of the 
former of these Hoffmann (compare Dissert. Erlangen 1859, p. 42 etc.) had already ascertained bisexual, 
as well as parthenogenetical propagation. In regard to the latter, bisexual homogenousness had been suspected 
with the parthenogenetical lichenella L. The parthenogenetical form of triquetrella is found widely distributed 
and not rarely in central Europe, whilst the bisexual form is only known from a few isolated localities such 
as, for instance, Reichswald near Erlangen, where Hoffmann had already discovered it. Seiler was able to 
confirm this isolated and sporadic appearance of the bisexual form reminding one of the case of the bisexual 
Cochliotheca crenulella Brd. It has proved impossible to discover any anatomical differences in the $$ of the 
two sex forms of the same species, nor is there apparently any difference in their sacs. On the other hand 
Hoffmann was able to observe very interesting differences in their biological conduct. Whilst the freshly 
emerged parthenogenetic $ begins almost immediately with ovipositing without waiting for the pairing, 
showing meanwhile no inclination whatever towards the Edl, the bisexual ^ on the contrary reposes in ex¬ 
pectancy of the with ovipostor ex-tended on the sac. Should no copula take place, it dies after abt. 8 days 
and only very rarely and cpiite exceptionally deposits a few eggs, which have however proved infertile. The 
parthenogenetic $ only enters into a pairing with a quite immediately on emergence and before the com¬ 
mencement of ovipositing (Hoffmann) or if same is artificially prevented (Seiler). 
In Solenobia pineti Z. conditions are somewhat different than in the preceding, as this fairly common 
species occurs for instance in north Germany about in an equal proportion of 1^:1 $; in localities further 
south where it occurs, the proportions in the sexes change to the disadvantage of the For instance 
in Nuremberg it is said to be 2—3 $$ : 1 however in Munich it is as disproportionate as 23 $2:1 
According to Seiler *) a condition here arises in which the number of £3 cannot possibly suffice to fertilise 
all the $$ and to this he ascribes the commencement of parthenogenesis. Such influences as for instance the 
decimation of the by parasites etc. do not seem to be a decisive factor. Seiler there discovered also a 
parthenogenetic race of S. pineti Z. which was propagating and identically as with S. lichenella L., which 
0. Hoffmann had already suspected to be a parthenogenetical form of pineti. It conducts itself biologically 
just like the parthenogenetical $$ of S. triquetrella. Hartmann succeeded in bringing through 8 generations 
and exclusively bred $$. Seiler assumes that these Solenobiae are about to evolve from the more ancient 
bisexual propagation to the more recent parthenogenetical. 
It would certainly not be permissible to generalise from the particular and assume that what was 
happening in the propagatory biology of the Solenobiae would apply to other species of the Psychidae Genera. 
Nevertheless one would be justified in thinking it possible that analogous circumstances prevail in regard to 
our Cochliotheca crenulella Brd. and its var. helix Sieb. By this we mean that the parthenogenetical form 
S. lichenella L. of the parthenogenetical race helix, would correspond to the bisexual pineti of the bisexual 
(■ . nenulella, so that helix would not, as has so often been done, be considered a separate species, but 
only a parthenogenetical tribe (or race) of crenulella. It is of the very greatest importance that the propagatory 
biology of crenulella and helix be also subjected to most thorough and exacting experiments and research in 
the same painstaking and careful way as with the Solenobiae. Possibly similar results would be achieved as 
Seiler had with l. tubulosa Rtzs. At all events the influence of temperature should be experimented with 
in regard to the determination of the sexes and their proportion to one another. 
In legald to the systematic classification, as this is a Supplementary Volume, only few changes have 
been made. Of the Genus Epichnopterix only the small reticulate species have been separated as a Section: 
Whittleia Tutt. The discovery that in the whitish species of the Genus Rebelia with their whitish fringes, the 
most impoitant characteristic, the tibial spine of the forelegs, is absent, has made their separation into a 
Subgenus Leucanacanthia necessary. 
Similarly only very few alterations have been made in the nomenclature. The author himself withdrew 
the Genus Apterona Mill, as it was proved to be unjustified and had only been introduced into literature 
owing to a misconception. The species are now embodied under the Genus Cochliotheca Rmb., which is generally 
held to be correct. In the first instance Rambur had demonstrated ad oculos to Milliere and convinced him 
that his aiguments for the creation of a new Genus were untenable and later v. Siebold in his Parthenogenesis 
had also entirely refuted same and exposed the erroneousness of the alleged generic characteristics. Sub¬ 
sequently Pfngeler and the present editor had refused to recognise same in various publications. On 
the othei hand I could not bring myself to replace names that have been current in literature for over 50 years 
and which are known to every entomologist, such as Scioptera Rmb., Hyalina Rmb., R. plumella H.-Schdff., 
by new denominations merely for purely pedantical nomenclature! reasons. 
*) Zeitschr. f. induct. Abstammungs- und Veretbungslehre, Bd. XXXI, 1923. 
