LEPIDOPTERA 



713 



Lepidoptera which he termed Frenulum-losers were descended from 

 frenulum-bearing ancestors (Comstock '93). 



The Lacosomidge 

 seem to be the sole sur- 

 vivors of a very distinct 

 hne of descent. In many 

 respects they appear to 

 be closely allied to the 

 Bomb^xidas and to the 

 Saturnioidea ; but they 

 differ markedly both in 

 the structure and in the 

 habits of the larvse ; 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- 

 cidae and in the Saturni- 

 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- 

 em 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, Lacosoma arizonicum, was described from Arizona. 



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

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

 lars^as have not been described. The older larv« 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 



spot at the end 



of the discal cell 



of the fore wings ; 

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



Fig. 909. — Wings of Cicinnus melsheimeri. 



Fig. 910. — Case of larva of 

 Cicinmis. 



Fig. 911.- 

 meri. 



-Cicinnus melshei- 



