( 115 ) XVI. On Gracilaria, a Genus of Tineidae. By H. T. Stainton, Esq. [Read January 6th, 1851.] The genus Gracilaria forms a portion of an exceedingly natural group, the other genera included in the group being Coriscium (which differs from Gracilaria only in the palpi having a tuft be-neath), and Ornix (which has the head rough). The whole of this group are readily recognized by their long filiform maxillary palpi, and by the thickness of the middle pair of tibiae. The per-fect insects when at rest have a peculiar mode of sitting, by which they may be at once known ; they sit with their long narrow wings closed over the back, with the head raised, the body of the insect forming an angle of at least 30° with the surface on which it rests ; the antennae turned backwards, under or over the wings. The essential characters of the genus Gracilaria are, head and face smooth ; palpi thin, recurved, the terminal joint pointed ; maxillary palpi long, thin and projecting ; antennae as long as the anterior wings, or nearly so, slender, not enlarged at the base ; anterior wings long and narrow, with long cilia ; posterior wings long and narrow, lanceolate, with long cilia ; middle pair of tibiae much thickened, with hairy scales. The larvae of all the species are probably, when young, leaf-miners, some continue always so ; those of most of the species, on attaining a certain age, roll up portions of the leaf generally in the form of a cone ; of this cone they mostly eat the inner sur-face, thus discolouring it, and betraying their habitation. Some species change to the pupa in the cone formed by the larva, but I doubt whether this is most frequently the case. The larva of Auroguttella leaves the cone, and rolls up a leaf of the plant on which it feeds {Hypericum perforatum) in the form of a cigar. The genus Gracilaria may be divided into two sections, by the number of veins arising out of the discoidal cell. In Section A. there are nine veins, in Section B. only eight. In order to assist young Entomologists easily to be able to name their species, I arrange the genus in the following form ; but first I should observe that many of the species have a trigonal mark on the costa, extending nearly to the inner margin. Note. — The species marked § have not yet been detected in this country. l 2
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