LEPIDOPTERA 617 



mines are abundant in a leaf, it turns yellow and dies. When the larva 

 has made a mine from 12 to 1 8 mm. in length, which it does in from 

 four to five days, it eats its way out through the upper surface. Then 

 somewhere on the upper surface of the leaf it weaves a circular silken 

 covering about 2.5 mm. in diameter. Stretched out on this network, 

 the larva, which is now about 2.5 mm. long, makes a small hole in it 

 near the edge, then, as one would turn a somersault, it puts its head 

 into this hole and disappears beneath the silken covering, where it 

 undergoes a change of skin. It remains in the molting cocoon usually 

 less than 24 hours. After leaving this cocoon it feeds upon the leaves 

 without making a mine ; and in a few days makes a second molting 

 cocoon which differs from the first only in being about 3 mm. in 

 diameter. After leaving this it again feeds for a few days, and then 

 migrates to a twig where it makes the long ribbed cocoon within 

 which the pupa state is passed. The adult is a tiny, light brown 

 moth, with the fore wings whitish, tinged with pale yellowish, freely 

 dusted with brown; on the middle of the inner margin there is a dark 

 brown oval patch. 



The genus Bucculatrix, to which the above species belongs, is 

 placed by some writers in a separate family, the Bucculatrigidcs. 



The family Opostegid^ has been established for the genus 

 Opostega, of which only three species have been found in this country. 

 These are moths with folded maxillary palpi, with the scape of the 

 antennas forming a large eye-cap, and with radius, media, and cubitus 

 of the fore wings unbranched. The hind wings are linear. The 

 combination of the eye-cap and the unbranched veins of the fore 

 wings is a distinctive feature of this family. 



The larvae are very slender, cylindrical, without legs, and are bast- 

 miners. 



Family OINOPHILID^ 



This family includes "strongly flattened moths, with flat coxse 

 closely appressed to the body, usually with smooth heads, rising to 

 a rounded ridge between the antennae, but often with a loose tuft 

 on the vertex, and rather small maxillary^ palpi of the folded type. 

 The' labial palpi have a well-set-off, fusiform, terminal joint as in the 

 Tineidae, and are normally without bristles. The venation in the known 

 genera is more or less reduced." (Forbes.) 



Only one species representing this family has been found in our 

 fauna. This is PhcBoses sabinella, described by Forbes ('22), from 

 Louisiana and Mississippi. It is a shining gray-brown (mouse gray) 

 moth, with a wing-expanse of 9 mm. 



The known larvee of this family feed on decaying vegetable matter 

 and fungi. 



Family GRACILARIID^ 



The vestiture of the head varies greatly; the vertex is clothed 

 with prominent scales in some forms, in others it is smooth. The 



