128 STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



5. A NEW PEACH-WORM. 



Depressaria persicaeella Murt. sp. nov. 



A miniber of wonns woikiiifr in jieach leaves were received from ^Ir. T. D. Atkinson 

 of Holland, Miclii«ran. on September 17. (Fig. 6). They were lepidopterous larvae,. 



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Fig. 6. Peach Leaf -binder, Z)epressaj'io persi>fFe//ff ."Nlurt. (Original.) 



and were said to be very troublesome. Tlie same species was received on July 3, 1899. 

 from Monroe, ^lichigan. One or two complaints were made from other places thougli 

 no specimens were sent. 



The larvae are very restive, wriggling violently when disturbed. They bind together 

 the leaves of the peach with fine white silk, forming nests of loosely bound leaves, in 

 which they live and where they change to pupae. The finding of the larvae on July 

 3d, and also on September 17th, would seem a good indication that the insect is two- 

 brooded. 



Specimens of the larvae from Holland were placed in suitable cages and the moth,^ 

 a small, nearly black insect, spreading about five-eighths of an inch, was obtained the 

 following spring. The adults commenced to appear about April 14th, and continued 

 to emerge till the middle of May. Of course this is much earlier than would happen 

 if the insects were out of doors. 



Specimens were sent to ]\Iiss Mary E. Murtfeldt, of Kirkwood, Mo., who has kindly 

 drawn up the following description of the adult insect: 



Depressaria persicaeella, Murt. sp. nov. 



"Antennae dark fuscous, indistinctly pectinate and annulate on the vmder side with 

 pale buff. Palpi long, exceeding the vertex, basal joint short, pale : second joint one- 

 third longer than apical ; brush quite dense, dark fuscous overlaid with buff or cream 

 colored scales palest on inner surface; apical joint dark, very slender with extreme 

 tip cream white, most distinctly so in the male. Tongue long, sparsely scaled. Vertex 

 dark brown, face cream white. 



"Thorax and tegulae purplish brown. 



J 



