NATUKAL SCIENCES OP PHILADELPHIA. 259 



T. nubilipennella . Labial palpi yellowish, dark brownish exteriorly. 

 Eead and front dull fuscous or brownish yellow. Antennae dull dark brown. 

 Thorax brownish yellow. Fore wings deep fuscous, sprinkled with dull yel- 

 lowish, with a yellowish spot on the inner margin at the base, and the middle 

 of the inner margin tinged with the same hue ; with a deep fuscous spot 

 at the end of the disc and two others of the same hue rather indistinct, one in. 

 the fold beyond the middle, the other on the disc and a little posterior to it. 

 Sometimes the dull yellowish hue prevails, freely dusted with deep fuscous, 

 and with the spots more distinct than in the darker specimens. Hind 

 wings bluish, shining gray, with the cilia of the same hue. Ex. al. 5.50 to 6.50 

 lines. 



Imago on wing in September. 



T. var.iatella. Palpi pale yellow, blackish externally. Head yellowish 

 white. Thorax gray, with tegulae black, tipped behind with gray. Abdomen 

 blackish. Antennas blackish brown. Fore wings whitish, varied witli dark 

 brown and blackish ; with a dark brown streak containing blackish scales, 

 curving somewhat from the costa at the base to the fold ; with a blackish brown 

 spot on the fold, rather before the middle, slightly connected with one of the 

 same hue nearer the base on the costa; with a dark brown, somewhat oblique 

 patch about the end of the disc and one at the tip of the wing, and with the 

 apical portion dusted with the same hue ; a few white spots on the cilia of the 

 inner margin, and on the costa behind the discal patch; before the discal patch 

 are two well marked white spots on the costa, the one nearest the discal patch 

 having a blackish central dot ; the inner margin, toward the base, white, varied 

 with dark brown stria? ; cilia grayish, Hind wings dark brown, rather tinged 

 with reddish, cilia the same. Exp. al. 5.5 lines. 



Imago on wing in September. 



Xylesthia. 



Head roughly haired. Ocelli none. Eyes round, visible in front. Antennae 

 filiform, with whorls of scales on each article, and the basal joint with a tuft 

 of scales in front that conceals it, not as long as the body and about one-half 

 as long as the fore wing3. Maxillary palpi very short, scaly and concealed 

 beneath the labial palpi. Labial palpi cylindric, with a tuft of hair beneath, 

 and with lateral bristles ; the third article smooth and quite short. Tongue 

 not quite as long as the palpi. Wings exceeding the body; the anterior oblong 

 ovate, with elevated tufts of scales ; the posterior ovate, with the costa excavated 

 at the insertion of the costal nervure. 



X. pruniramiella . Antenna? yellowish white. Palpi and head hoary. 

 Thorax hoary, dusted with brownish. Abdomen dark brown. Fore wings 

 blackish brown and luteous brown, somewhat varied with whitish, with patches 

 of elevated scales at the base and along the fold ; with an indistinct whitish 

 band crossing the middle of the disc, one nearer the base still fainter and one 

 about the end of the disc, with a white dorsal spot at the inner angle and a 

 whitish streak from the costa above it, with another whitish costal streak be- 

 tween this and the tip ; a blackish spot at the tip white margined before ; cilia 

 brownish, white at the dorsal spot. The luteo brownish hue usually prevails 

 toward the tip of the wiog and sometimes the whitish markings are indistinct. 

 Hind wings dark brown, somewhat tinged with reddish, cilia the same. Exp. 

 al. 6 to 6.5 lines. 



The larva of this insect feeds on the woody excrescences found on the 

 branches of the plum tree. These nodose tumors have recently attracted the 

 fruit-grower's attention, but I am unable to say whether the larva is the cause 

 of the disease. It does not confine its operations to the cortical portion of the 

 node, but bores the wood likewise.. I have found it associated with another 

 much larger larva, but the imago of the only specimen I received, escaped 



1859.] 



