1862.] 147 



NORTH AMERICAN MICRO-LE IDOPTERA. 

 BY BRACKENRIDGE CLEMENS, M. D. 



BEDELLIA SOMNIJLENTELLA. 



In the January number of the Proceedings of the Academy of Natural 

 Sciences for i860, page 8, I described a species of the genus Bedellia 

 under the specific name Staintoniella. Subsequently Mr. Stainton, of 

 London, pronounced our American species to be the same as the Euro- 

 pean, and kindly sent me specimens for comparison. Our insect should 

 hence be known as sojunulentclla, the name of the Eui'opean species 

 with Avhich it is identical. 



Early in last October, a little friend who amuses himself by searching 

 for mined leaves for me, brought me some leaves of the Morning Glory 

 {Ipomoea purpure(i), in which he had detected mines. It instantly 

 occurred to me that they were the work of a species of Bedellia, as I 

 knew this to be the food-plant of the genus. The leaves were put in breed- 

 ino'-vessels, and in due time I had the satisfaction to secure a number of 

 images. The species is double-brooded ; the last brood appearing during 

 the latter part of October and early in November. 



The larva and its habits are described in European works, but I desire 

 to put on record in the Proceedings, for the benefit of American students, 

 my own description of its habits. 



In early life the larva mines in a narrow, very serpentine track, some- 

 times intricately winding, and much resembling the mine of a Nepticula 

 larva. It is perfectly transpai'ent, with a central line of " frass," but in 

 consequence of exposure to the weather, after its abandonment by the 

 young larva, the delicate cuticles of the leaf are destroyed. When the 

 young larva is about one line long, it appears to leave the linear mine, 

 and thenceforward it mines the leaf in blotches, entering between the 

 cuticles from the under surface. These blotches are perfectly transpa- 

 rent, or glassy in appearance, when the leaf is held up to the light, and 

 the larva, with its peculiarities of coloring, is seen with perfect distinct- 

 ness. The point at which the larva raises the lower cuticle of the leaf is 

 maintained open, and the terminal rings of its body remain at this open- 

 ing, or the larva retreats to it to void its " frass" externally. One leaf is 

 often inhabited by several larvae. 



The lower surface of the leaf is occupied around the mined places by 

 numerous cross-threads, woven by the larva and which resemble spider- 

 threads. These are freely traversed by the larvae in moving from one part" 

 (if the leaf to another. 



