Elachista albella Chambers 1875

Elachista albella (Chambers) (Figs. 70, 121.)
1875. Phigalia albella Chambers, Canad. Ent., vn, 107. Type locality, Texas. 1880. Phigalia albella Chambers, Journ. Cin. Soc. Nat. Hist., 11, p. 203, fig. 28. 1903. Aphigalia albella Dyar, Bull. 52, U. S. N. M., p. 544. 1939. Aphigalia albella McDunnough, Checklist of Lepidoptera, No. 9049.
Head white, palpi white, rather long and curved, the second segment slightly swollen before apex, and sometimes shaded outwardly with fuscous, third segment slender, acute. Antennae white near base, shading outwardly to pale gray,
basal segment with pecten of long hair-like scales. Fore wings, R 4 and R 3 coincident ; white, with scattered brown scales in the apical half of the wing, varying in number from a very few (in the female and in some males) to fifteen or twenty (in some males), several of which may project irregularly into the cilia of the termen. Cilia white. Hind wings and cilia pa'e fuscous ocherous in the male, white in the female. Legs white, fore pair inwardly fuscous, hind tibiae and hairs shining white. Abdomen pale fuscous ocherous.
Alar expanse: 12 to 12.5 mm.
Male genitalia (fig. 70) : tegumen elongate between gnathos and uncus, uncus lobes with a few marginal setae ; gnathos elongate ; sacculus processes large, laterally flattened, broadest before apex, setose; anellus lobes with the setae grouped at apex; vinculum rounded; aedeagus slender, cornutus a long acute spine.
Female genitalia (fig. 121): bursa copulatrix with scattered spicules, no signum ; ductus bursae densely spiculate over one-half the surface near bursa, then coiled in situ, membrane thickened in the coils; posterior to the coils abruptly dilated, with a sclerotized strip dentate on each side ; thence narrowing at the inception of the granular ductus seminalis; ostium small, rounded; lobes of ovipositor elongate.
Specimens examined: 9 6 . 1 9
Colorado: "Colo., 2139," 1 S ; "Colo., 2126," 1 9 [U. S. N. M.] ; Denver, 1 $, "197"; Fort Collins, 4 S, 6-16-96 [M. C. Z.].
Arizona : White Mts., Apache Ind. Res., el. 7000 ft., 1 6 , 1-15 Jn. 25 ( O. C. Poling), [U. S. N. M.].
Iowa: Sioux City. 1 & , May, 1927 (C. N. Ainslie). [U. S. N. M.].
Alberta: Lethbridge, 1 6, 8.VII.32 (R. M. White), [C. N. Coll.].
Food plant and early stages unknown.
The type of Phigalia albclla Chambers is apparently no longer in existence ; it could not be located at the Museum of Comparative Zoology. Elaehista (Phigalia) albella (Chambers) has priority over Elachista (Laverna) albella (Chambers) by a few months.
Chambers' generic description of Phigalia in no way disagrees with characters of this section of the genus, in which veins R 4 and R-, of the fore wing may be coincident, and the second palpal segment thickened or slightly roughened (cf. fig. 6) ; the venation and shape of the hind wing as described is typically that of this section of the genus. The figure given by Chambers shows veins R s and M x of the hind wing separate and closely approximate toward origin, an error easily accounted for by Chambers' poor draftsmanship.
The specimens herein identified as albclla all agree with Chambers' description of the species. In some of the specimens examined, there is a slight bend in vein R t + S near costa, and the suggestion of a vestigial spur.
Male genitalia of three specimens, "Colo. 2139," White Mts., Arizona, and Lethbridge, Alberta agree exactly.
The type locality of Phigalia albella, Texas, probably Bosque County, is in a grassland region ; all of the localities in which the specimens listed above were collected are, with the possible exception of the Arizona locality, in grassland regions.
Elachista albella and the following species (adempta Braun) are very closely related; differentiating characters are given under that species.
In both the United States National Museum and the Museum of Comparative Zoology, Elachista albella has been erroneously identified as Butalis (Scythris) albapennella Chambers, presumably by YValsingham, as both the male and female at the United States National Museum bear his label, and one Fort Collins, Colorado male at the Museum of Comparative Zoology bears his label, "273 A, Wlsm.1898." Butalis (Scythris) albapennella Chambers is a true Scythris, as an examination of the type demonstrates.
Phigalia (A phigalia) ochremaculella Chambers, described on the same page with albella is listed under the unrecognized species ; no type is in existence. From the description, it does not appear to be an Elachista.