140 PROCEEDINGS OF THE CALIFORNIA 



Pacific Coast Lepidoptera, No. 20. Notes on the Case- 

 Bearing Moths, (Psyehidae,) with notices of Californian 

 Species. 



BY HENRY EDWARDS. 



Among the whole of the insect races perhaps there are no more curious and 

 interesting examples than are to be found in the family Psychidce, the species 

 of which, in the early stages of their growth, weave habitations for the cater- 

 pillars of fragmeuts of stick, bark, lichens and other vegetable substances, 

 carrying these singular structures about with them through the whole of their 

 larval stage, and, in the case of the female, arriving at maturity, bringing 

 forth her eggs, and eventually dying without once quitting her self-constructed 

 prison. The Psychidce are a portion of the great silk-spinning family of th'e 

 Bombytidoe, but present many characters which are distinct in themselves, and 

 entitle them to rank, as they are now by most entomologists allowed to do, as 

 a separate and well-defined tribe. 



Though containing comparatively few genera and species, they have a wide 

 geographical distribution. Examples of the group are to be found in Europe, 

 North and South America, West Indies, Mexico, Ceylon, Northern India, 

 China, South Sea Islands, and Australia, being most abundant in the sub- 

 tropical regions of the globe. Many of the species are, however, small in 

 size, and it is possible that a very large number yet await the industry of ob- 

 servers. 



In the construction of the caterpillar cases, they manifest wonderful ingenu- 

 ity, and their houses are even more remarkable than those of the well-known 

 caddis-flies among the Neuroptera. Pieces of bark, leaves, straws cut to a uni- 

 form length, twigs, mosses, lichens and grass, form, among the various spe- 

 cies, the outer covering or decoration of the home, while the interior is lined 

 with dense soft silk, the threads of which are also used to bind together the 

 external fragments. Almost as soon as the larva is hatched from the egg, it 

 begins the formation of its case, never quitting its habitation as it enlarges in 

 size, but splitting it at the sides, weaving into the opening portions of the veg- 

 etable matter chosen and adding to the exterior larger pieces of stick, straw 

 or leaves, as the case may be. " While the creature is small, and the house 

 of no great weight, it is carried nearly upright, but when it attains size and 

 consequent weight, it lies flat, and is dragged along in that attitude." The 

 abdominal legs are furnished with a series of strong hooks, by which the larva 

 retains so firm a hold of the interior of its tube that it is impossible to remove 

 it without injury. When feeding, only the head and the first three or four 

 segments are protruded, and if the caterpillar wishes to remain quiet, it fastens 

 itself by strong silken threads to the branch on which it may chance to be; 

 these threads, on a desire for removal, being bitten off close to the case. 



It has the power of turning round inside of its case, and when full grown, 



