THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST 



239 



I lie arsenical could be applied to the infested plants either as a dust or as a spray. 

 If applied as a spra\s care should be taken not to use a pressure strong enough 

 to submerge the pads. Plant parts well out of the water could be coated readily. 

 It was noted that this insect was absent in areas where the pond-lilies were 

 entirely co\cred 1)>- the tide each day. 



A NEW GRACILARIA INJURIOUS TO AVOCADO (LEPID.). 



BY AUGUST BUSCK, WASHINGTON, D.C. 



Gracilaria perseae, n. sp. 



Labial and maxilary palpi ochreous shaded on the underside with black. 

 Face light golden ochreous. Head and thorax purplish ochreous. Antenuct^ 

 whitish with black annulations. Forewings light ochreous with a purplish 

 sheen especially on dorsal half and apex; a few black scales on costa at basal 

 fifth, a small black dot "on costa near the middle, and a few scattered black 

 scales at apical fifth seem to be constant in all the specimens before me; there 

 are also a few scattered black scales on the dorsal margin 

 and the extreme apex is slightly clouded with dark scales. 

 Cilia very dark nearly black. Hind wings blackish 

 fuscous with black cilia. Abdomen blackish fuscous above 



Fig. 22. — Harps of Gracilaria persex (1), G. hurscreUa (2) and G. violacella (3). 



light golden yellow on the underside. Anterior tibcC thickened with blackish- 

 brown scales; posterior coxa^ and femora golden yellow with broad, l)lack fasciae; 

 all tarsi white with extreme tip of each point touched with light brown. 



Hahuat.—Umm'x, Florida. U. S. N. M. Type No. 23515. 



Bred from leaves of Avocado (Aquacate), Persea persea, at Miami, Florida, 

 during July by Mr. G. F. Moznette, who states that the species is seriously 

 <lestructi\'e to the young growth. The larvae are typical of the genus; they 

 first make a small mine between the veins of the young leaves, and subsequently 

 fold the tip or the sides of the leaf downwards. The cocoon is white, narrow, 

 oblong, and is spun in a fold on the leaf. 



The species is typical of the genus; in coloration it is similar to and inter- 

 mediate between G. violacelli Clemens and G. hurszrella Busck, but the male 

 genitalia are so different in the three species as to indicate that they are m^t 

 truly closely allied. The outline sketches of the harps suffice to separate the 

 three species. The \ inculum of persece is unusually short for the genus, and the 

 harps are straight oar-shaped (Fig. 1), very different from the deeply-notched 

 harps of hurserella (Fig. 2), and the broadly-curved harps of violacella (Fig. 3); 

 the last form is the more common in the genus. 



October, 1920 



