LEPIDOPTERA 625 



into the hollow stems and feed upon the soft lining of the interior. 

 Here inside the hollow stem they change to pupas. The moths appear 

 in late July and early August, and soon go into hibernation in 

 sheltered places. 



Family ETHMIID^ 



This family includes a small number of moths, which were former- 

 ly included in the family CEcophoridas. The family Ethmiidae was 

 established by Busck ('09b), who states that the main structural 

 character of the imago by which this family can be distinguished 

 from the CEcophoridae is the proximity of vein M2 in the hind wings to 

 vein Ml instead of to vein M3 as in the CEcophoridae, it being radial 

 not cubital. Fracker ('15) describes larv^al characters distinctive of 

 the typical genus Ethmia. 



The members of this family have broad wings. The fore wings 

 are usually bright colored, with striking patterns, often black and 

 white. 



The larvae, as a rule, are social, living in a light web. They feed 

 chiefly on plants of the family Borraginaceae. ^ 



Most of the species belong to the genus Ethmia of which about 

 thirty are now known. 



Family STENOMID^ 



This family includes large moths as compared with most "micros." 

 The wings are broad, especially the hind wings. In the fore wings 

 all of the branches of the branched veins are typically present. 

 In the hind wings vein Mi is joined at its base to vein Rg. 



The larvae live in webs on leaves, especially of oak. 



There are about twenty North American species, most of which 

 belong to the genus Stenoma. 



A common species in the Atlantic States is Stenoma schlcegeri. 

 This is one of our larger species, having a wing-expanse of 30 mm. 

 The moth is of a dirty white color with the fore wings mottled 

 with darker bands and spots, and with a conspicuous patch of 

 brown scales near the base of the inner margin. When at rest on a 

 leaf the insect folds its wings closely about its body, and resembles 

 in a striking manner the excrement of a bird. 



Family GELECHIID^ 



The head is smooth or at most slightly ruffled. The labial 

 palpi are long, curved, ascending, and usually with the terminal seg- 

 ment acutely pointed. The maxillary palpi are vestigial or wanting. 

 The venation of the wings (Fig. 767) is more or less reduced; the 

 stem of vein M is wanting; vein ist A is wanting in the fore wings; 

 and sometimes in the hind wings also. In the fore wings the second 

 anal vein is forked at the base, i. e., the tip of the third anal vein 



