The PistovCase-Bearkr. 9 



tics are shown in the figures at «, a, plate i. The general color 

 of the males is slightly darker, especially the head. 



During the day the moths rest on the leaves and branches with 

 their heavily fringed wings folded closely over the abdomen and 

 their long, slender antennae placed close together and projecting 

 straight forward from the head. They may be seen in this posi- 

 tion on the trees in June. 



ITS NAME. 



This case-bearer belongs to the large group of minute moths 

 known as Tineids. Nearly all the Tineids are easily distinguished 

 from the other moths by their narrow wings which are bordered 

 with very wide fringes (see figure a, plate i). The name Coleo- 

 phora Tfialivorella y by which the insect is recognized among scien- 

 tists the world over, was given to it by Dr. Riley in his report as 

 U. S. Entomologist for 1878 (published in 1879).^ 



The popular name of ' ' apple coleophora ' ' given to the insect 

 by Dr. Riley was soon superceded by Dr. lyintner's name, '"the ap- 

 ple-tree case-bearer. ' ' While it is true that it seems to prefer the 

 apple as a food-plant, there are several other case-bearers which 

 feed upon the apple tree, and one of these — the cigar-case-bearer 

 (Bulletin 93) — is even more common and destructive than the one 

 under discussion. We therefore propose the much more definite 

 and descriptive popular name of "the pistol-case-bearer '^ for the 

 insect. The striking resemblance of the case, which the caterpillar 

 carries about with it, to a pistol makes this popular name especially 

 suggestive to the fruit-grower. 



THE STORY OF ITS LIFE AND HABITS. 



This interesting little pistol-case-bearer has been under almost 



* In Bull. I, Vol. IV, p. 93 of the U. S. Geol. Survey, published February 

 5, 1878, Mr. V. T. Chambers described Coleophora multipulvella . In 1882, 

 Lord Walsingham placed this species in the synonomy of C. malivorella^ 

 stating that Chamber's description applied to Dr. Riley's specimens, but 

 that the former's type of C. multipulvella was not examined. Should Cham- 

 ber's type specimen prove to be Dr. Riley's C. malivorella the last name 

 must fall, on the ground of priority of publication, and the pistol-case- 

 bearer be called Coleophora multipulvella. If Chamber's type is still in 

 existence this point could be easily settled by some one familiar with the 

 Tineids. 



