228 



THE STUDY OF INSECTS. 



on the leaves of grape and of the Virginia creeper. An 

 entire brood of these larvae will feed side by side on a 

 single leaf while young. 



Harrisina texana (H. tex-a'na) occurs in the Southwest. 

 It closely resembles the preceding; but is bluish black 

 with a reddish orange prothorax. Harrisina coracina (H. 

 cor-a-ci'na) also occurs in the Southwest. This species is 

 entirely black. 



Superfamily PYRALIDINA (Pyr-a-li-di'na). 

 The Pyralids (Pyr'a-lids). 



This superfamily includes moths of medium or small 

 size ; but so large a proportion of the species are small that 

 the superfamily is commonly classed with the two following 

 as Microlepidoptera. 



The members of the different families included in this 

 superfamily differ so greatly in appearance that it is not 



possible to give a gen- 

 eral description that 

 will serve to distinguish 

 it. It is necessary to 

 study structural char- 

 acters to find evidences 

 of a common bond, and 

 here as in other groups 

 we find the structure of 

 the wings most useful 

 for this purpose. 



As a rule there are 

 FIG. 270. wings of Nomophiia noctueiia. three anal veins in the 



hind wings and two in the fore wings. In this respect this 

 superfamily agrees with the preceding families and with the 

 two following superfamilies. But in most cases the Pyralids 

 can be recognized by the fact that the subcosta and radius of 

 the hind wings are separate along the discal cell, but grown 



