646 



AN INTRODUCTION TO ENTOMOLOGY 



This is one 



^^ 



Fig. 792. — Des- 

 mia funera/is. 



vein Cu of the 



Subfamily PYRAUSTIN^ 



The Pyraustids 



of the larger of the subfamilies of the Pyralididae; 

 about three hundred species have been described 

 from America north of Mexico. This subfamily in- 

 cludes many small moths; but it contains also the 

 majority of the larger species of pyralids; some of 

 the species are very striking in appearance. 



The members of this subfamily differ from other 

 pyralids by the following combination of characters. 

 There is no fringe of long hairs on the basal part of 

 hind wings; veins R2 and R5 of the fore wings arise 



from the discal cell 

 distinct from vein 

 R4 (Fig. 790); and 

 the maxillary palpi 

 are never very large 

 and triangular. 

 Among our better 

 known species are 

 the following. 



The grape leaf- 

 folder, Desmia fun- 

 erdlis. — This is a 

 common species 

 throughout the 

 United States, the larva of which feeds 

 on the lea\'es of grape. The lar\'a folds 

 the leaf by fastening two portions to- 

 gether by silken threads. When full 

 grown it changes to a pupa within the 

 folded leaf. The moth is black with 

 shining white spots. The male (Fig. 

 792) differs from the female in having a 

 knot-like enlargement near the middle 

 of each antenna. There is some vari- 

 ation in the size and shape of the white 

 spots on the wings. In some females 

 the white spot of the hind wings is sep- 

 arated into two or three spots. There 

 are two generations of this species in the 

 North and three or more in the South. 

 The basswood leaf-roller, Pantogra- 

 pha limdta. — Our basswood trees often 

 present a strange appearance in late 

 summer from the fact that nearly every 

 leaf is cut more than half way across the 

 middle, and the end rolled intoatube (Fig. 793). Within this tube there 



Fig. 793. — Nest of larva of Pan 

 tographa limaia. 



