Bulletin - United States National Museum

MICROLEPIDOPTERA OF PHILIPPINE ISLANDS 127
Catalogus, pars 79, p, 494.—Clarke, 1955, Catalogue , . . Microlepidoptera
. . . Meyrick, vol. I, p 43.
Type of the genus, Canthonistis amphicarpa Meyrick, 1922 (Java).
The following points may be added to the description of this genus.
Head smooth, polished. Antenna over 1. Labial palpi with second
joint dilated and compressed laterally, with smoothly appressed
short scales. Maxillary palpi short, distinct, appressed to tongue
(recorded as being rudimentary). Median tuft on posterior tibia
not always distinct, appressed bristly hairs on posterior part of tibia
sometimes rather raised,
Forewing with vein Ic furcate at base (recorded as being simple).
Vein 11 originates just before the middle of cell,
Male genitalia of the general Lecithocera type but with complicated
uncus, the hooked part being subapical. Anellus has two long and
slender, twice bent and sclerotized lobes, Cornuti, two clusters of
small spines and one slender spine.
Female genitalia: Ovipositor short. Sterigma with a small lamella
antevaginalis and large lameUa postvaginalis, occupying the entire
sternite. Signum, a transverse denticulate plate.
Key to the Species of Canthonistis
1. Forewing bright ochreous, purplish central part hardly divided by a very
faint median transverse streak of ground color; 16-18 mm.
C. xestocephala, new species
Forewing yellow, purplish central part distinctly divided from costa almost
to dorsum by an inverted-trapezoidal patch; 15-16 mm (Java).
Canthonistis xestocepJiala, new species
Figures 191, 193, 597
C. amphicarpa
Male, 15-17 mm. Head bright yellow, vertex covered with a
dense cap of closely appressed scales, polished, brightly shining,
yellowish grey mercury. Face pale yellow. Palpus, antenna and
thorax bright yellow, tip of antenna pale tawny. Abdomen sordid
pale fuscous yellow, venter brighter yellow, a lateral stripe fuscous.
Forewing elongate, costa moderately curved at extremities, gently
concave in middle, apex pointed, termen gently rounded, oblique.
Bright yellow. Two large purplish-fuscous patches, rounded and
almost entirely confluent except above, extending along dorsum
beyond base to tornus and filling out the whole wing; anterior blotch
almost reaching costa, posterior not reaching it. Cilia bright yellow,
in tornus purple fuscous,
Hindwing glossy light yellowish fuscous, apex pale yellow. Cilia
pale fuscous, becoming pale yellow along upper half of termen, around
apex and along costa.