




366 XIX. —THE 
MICROPTERYGIDAE., 
ae © ae ae 

CHAPTER XIX. 
THE MICROPTERYGIDAE. 
The Micropterygidae* are distinguished by the follow- 
ing characters :— 
The head is rough; the ocelli are present; the maxillary 
palpi are long, several-jointed, folded. The fore-wings are fur- 
nished with a jugum; vein 1b is furcate sometimes connected 
by a bar with the dorsum; ic connected with the cell by a bar 
near the base; forked parting-vein strong, rising from lower 
margin of cell near the base, secondary cell well-marked, vein 
12 connected with cell by bar near base. Neuration of hind- 
wings essentially the same as fore-wings; there is no frenulum. 
(Plate A., figs. 10, 11, 14, 15, 16.) 
The most primitive family of Lepidoptera, including 
about 72 known species of which 23 are from New Zealand, 
but they are probably often overlooked. More forms. of 
this highly imteresting and important group probably re- 
main to be discovered in New Zealand, and search is 
recommended in damp places or margins of brooks in 
forests at considerable clevations in early spring, before 
other insects are common. In Europe most of the family 
occur in very early spring. 
It appears most probable that the New Zealand 
Micropterygidae were originally derived from South 
America, through the intermediary of the Antarctic lands, 
and that the species of Sabatinca found in Queensland 
reached that country from New Zealand. 
The New Zealand genus Sabatinca is the most ancient 
known. It differs from the European genus Hriocephala 
in still retaining the following ancestral characters, i.e. the 
trifureation of vein 1b, the sub-basal bar between the part- 
ing vein and upper cell-margin, the additional vein rising 
out of 11, and a second additional vein rising out of 12 
near base. The possession of these structures causes the 
neuration of Sabatinca to be practically identical with that 
of Rhyacophila, a genus of Trichoptera (caddis-flies) ; 
(Plate A., figs. 12, 13 neuration of Rhyacophila munda) ; 
the only important difference is that in Rhyacophila there 
is an additional vein rising out of 4 in the fore-wings, but 
it is interesting to observe that this very vein has dis- 
appeared in the hind-wings. Nothing at all approaching 
this form of neuration is known in any other Order of in- 
sects, and it is highly improbable that so complex a type 
could have originated twice independently; there need be 
no hesitation therefore, in concluding that the relationship 
(which is equally indicated in the mouth-parts and other 
structures) is real. (Meyrick). 

*An article by Mr. Philpott on the uncus of the Microptery- 
gidae appears in the Transactions of the Entomological Society 
of London, 1926, pp. 371-376. 
Most of the New Zealand species fly in the sunshine, 
in forest glades, where they are extremely hard to see in 
the broken lights. 
The larvae of the European species are apodal and 
leaf-miners, except that of Hriocephala, which feeds 
amongst wet moss. At present our knowledge of the life- 
histories of the New Zealand species is somewhat fragmen- 
tary. <A larva, discovered by Mr. Philpott, and believed to 
be that of Sabatinca barbarica, is described in the Transac- 
tions of the Entomological Society of London pp. 487-453, 
1922; also the pupa skin and cocoon of S. incongruella. 
The foodplant of the larvae of both species is believed to 
be a species of liverwort. 
Three genera of Micropterygidae are represented in 
New Zealand. 
1. MNESARCHAEA. 2. MICROPARDALIS. 
3. SABATINCA. 
Genus 1—MNESARCHAEA, Meyr. 
No mandibles. Tongue short. Labial palpi well developed. 
Maxillary palpi terminating in a porrected brush. Middle tibiae 
with two apical spurs. (Plate A., figs. 10, 11 neuration of Mnes- 
archaea hamadetpha). 
We have five species of this very interesting endemic 
eenus.* 
MNESARCHAEA PARACOSMA. 
(Mnesarchaea pdracosma, Meyr., Trans. N.Z. Inst., xviii., 180.) 
(Plate XXXIX., fig. 26 9.) 
This obscurely-marked species has occurred at Nelson, 
Dunedin and Lake Wakatipu. 
The expansion of the wings is considerably under 2? inch. 
The fore-wings are elliptical, pale golden-ochreous with two 
whitish transverse bands; the first at 4 strongly oblique almost 
reaching the tornus, the second at # nearly straight; there are 
a few faint brownish scales on the costa near the base and on 
the fold; a conspicuous pdtch of darker scales in the dise before 
the middle; several irregular elongate patches near the outer 
edge of the first transverse band and a very dense patch if 
brownish scales on the apical area; the cilia are golden-ochreous 
mixed with brownish seales near the apex. The hind-wings are 
grey with strong golden-purplish reflections; the cilia are brown- 
ish-ochreous on the costa and grey on the termen. 
The perfect insect appears in December and January. 
It is found amongst rough herbage, in open country, 
ascending to elevations of about 2,000 feet above the sea- 
level. 

*An article, by Mr. Philpott, on the genitalia of the mem- 
bers of this genus appears in the Transactions of the New Zea- 
land Institute, vol, lvii., pp. 710-715, 































