LEPIDOPTERA 



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Lepidoptera which he termed Frenulum-losers were descended from 

 frenulum-bearing ancestors (Comstock '93). 



The Lacosomidas 

 seem to be the sole sur- 

 vivors of a very distinct 

 line of descent . In many- 

 respects they appear to 

 be closely allied to the 

 Bombycidce and to the 

 Satumioidea ; but they 

 differ markedly both in 

 the structure and in the 

 habits of the larvae ; and, 

 too, the wings of the 

 adult, although at first 

 sight resembling those of 

 the silk-worm, are really 

 quite different. In the 

 coalescence of the 

 branches of radius of the 

 fore wings veins R3 and 

 R4 remain widely sepa- 

 rate, while in the Bomby- 

 cidse and in the Satumi- 

 oidea these are the first 

 branches to coalesce. 



This is a small New 

 World family. Members 

 of it are distributed over 

 a large part of the West- 

 ern Hemisphere; but so far as is now known only three species occur 

 in the United States. Two of our species are found in the East ; the 

 third one, Lacosdma arizonicum, was described from Arizona. 



Melsheimer's sac-bearer, Ciclnnus melsheimeri.- — The larva feeds 

 on the leaves of various species of oak. The habits of the young 

 larvae have not been described. The older larvae make cases of leaves 

 in which they live and which they carry about (Fig. 910). The adult 



moth (Fig. 911) 



is of a reddish 



gray color, finely 



sprinkled all 



over with minute 



black dots ; there 



is a small black 



Fig. 909. — Wings of Cicimius melsheimeri. 



Fig. 910. — Case of larva of 

 Cicinmis. 



spot at the end p- 

 of the discal cell 



Cicinmis melshei- 



of the fore wings ; 

 and both pairs of wings are crossed by a narrow blackish band. 



