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AN INTRODUCTION TO ENTOMOLOGY 



wings for the insects of this family. When one of these moths alights 

 on a stalk of grass it quickly places its body parallel with the stalk, 

 which renders it less conspicuous (Fig. 797). Many of 

 the species are silvery white or are marked with stripes 

 of that color. 



About seventy of our species belong to the genus 

 Crambus. The moths of this genus are often seen; but 

 the larvas usually escape observation. They occur 

 chiefly at or a little below the surface of the ground, 

 where they live in tubular nests, constructed of bits of 

 earth or vegetable matter fastened together with silk. 

 They feed upon the lower parts of grass plants; and 

 sometimes on other crops planted on sod land infested 

 by these insects. Thus Crambus caliginosellus is known 

 as the corn-root webworm on account of its injury to 

 young corn plants which it bores into and destroys; it 

 is also known as the tobacco stalk-worm, on account of 

 similar injury to young tobacco plants. 



Another species of this genus, Crambus hortuellus, is 



known as the cranberry girdler. This sometimes does 



considerable injury in cranberry bogs by destroying 



the bark of the prostrate stems of the vines. 



To this subfamily belong the larger com stalk-borer, Diatrcea 



zeacolella, which sometimes bores into the stalks of young com in the 



Southern States, and the sugar-cane borer, Diatrcea sacchardlis, which 



bores into the stalks of sugar-cane. 



Fig- 197 — 

 Crambus. 



vSuBFAMiLY GALLERIIN^ 



The Bee-moth Subfamily 



This is a small subfamily, of which only seven species have been 

 found in our fauna. The best known of these is the bee-moth. Caller ia 

 mellonella. The larva of this species is a well-known pest in apiaries. 

 It feeds upon wax; and makes silk -lined galleries in the honey-comb, 

 thus destroying it. When full grown the larva is about 25 mm. in 

 length. It lies hidden in its gallery during the day, and feeds only 

 at night, when the tired-out bees are sleeping the sleep of the just. 

 When ready to pupate the caterpillar spins 

 a tough cocoon against the side of the hive. 



The moth has purplish-brown front 

 wings, and brown or faded yellow hind 

 wings. The fore wings of the male are 

 deeply notched at the end, while those of 

 the female (Fig. 798) are but slightly so. 

 The female moth creeps into the hive at 

 night to lay her eggs. 



This pest is found most often in weak colonies of bees, which it 

 frequently destroys. The best preventive of its injuries is to keep 



Fig. 798.- 

 lonella. 



-Gallena mel- 



