PROCEEDINGS OF THE UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM issued Imt^IVvA. sIJMs ^y 'A* SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION U. S. NATIONAL MUSEUM Vol. 86 Washington : 1939 No^ 3953 THE CACTUS-FEEDING PHYCITINAE: A CONTRIBUTION TOWARD A REVISION OF THE AMERICAN PYRALI-DOID MOTHS OF THE FAMILY PHYCITIDAE By Carl Heinrich INTRODUCTION This paper is the first of a proposed series dealing with the Amer-ican moths of the family Phycitidae. It is my intention to publish from time to time revisions of those groups that, in other orders, are usually designated as tribes, and to conclude with a general discus-sion of the family, synoptic keys to these groups and their genera, and, if circumstances permit, an illustrated catalog of the American species. The cactus-feeding group is treated first because names are desired for certain undescribed species reared in connection with the investi-gations of the Commonwealth Prickly-Pear Board of Queensland. For several years A. P. Dodd and his associates on the board have been experimenting with cactus insects in an effort to eradicate or control the prickly pear in Australia. Apparently they have been successful. One phycitid species, Cactohlastis cactorum (Berg), has been liberated in Queensland and New South Wales and seems to have established itself and attacked the "pear" with phenomenal suc-cess. Mr. Dodd has in preparation a book dealing with the experi-ments of the board and the life histories of the insects they have studied. It is largely in anticipation of that book that the present taxonomic paper is offered. 109335—39 1 331
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