As a result of breeding carried on in the course of Insect Faunal Survey in the Maritime Provinces, combined with a study of genitalic characters, it has been found that the present application of names, especially in the alnivorella group and the so-called “red-winged forms”, is very faulty. More species, similar in general appearance but easily differrentiated on male genital characters, have been found to occur than has been previously supposed; it is with a view of straightening out the nomenclature that the following notes have been prepared.

In 1941 Irvine Fox (Canad. Ent., 73:2) stated in an article on North American Japygidae that not a single species had been reported from Canada, and no subsequent record appears in the literature. It is therefore a privilege to be able to publish the first record of the occurrence of one of these interesting insects in Canada.

During the first week of April, 1937, while on a collecting trip in central Florida, the writer found a larva of a notodont on oak; at the time of collecting the larva was referred to Symmerista with some doubt as it was unlike the northern specimens, being darker in color and with less contrast in pattern. This larva pupated at Ithaca and the moth, a normal albifrons female, emerged the end of May. Nothing more was thought of the matter until the writer began a general survey of the genitalia of the Notodontidae, preparing a series of genitalic slides of each American species. It was after discovering that the northeastern species of Symmerista was easily and readily divisble into three species on both male and female genitalia that the larva was thought to have some significance.

This species is very common in Oklahoma and apparently in Texas. It restricts itself to areas of virtually pure sand where it replaces Canthon laevis laevis (Drury). It is very similar to laevis, the types of which came from New York and Maryland. Our New York and Pennsylvanian specimens of laevis are distinctly coppery over the entire dorsal surface and have the granules of the dorsum relatively close. Specimens from Illinois, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Alberta are similar and are typical laevis in every respect. Specimens from South Carolina and Florida show no coppery luster.

In the Phycitid genus Salebria Zell. the name subcaesiella Clem. with synonym contatella Grt. has been listed in our current check lists as a variety of virgatella Clem. with synonym quinquepunctella Grt.