A NEW TYPE OF CADDIS CASE FROM THE LOWER 

 EOCENE OF TENNESSEE 



By Edward W. Berry 

 Of the Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Md. 



The fossil remains of the cases of Caddis larvae are not so common 

 as not to be noteworthy, and an especial interest attaches to the 

 peculiar type described in the following note, which is also the 

 earliest case, so far as I know, to be recorded from North America. 



In the preliminary account of the flora of the Wilcox group cer- 

 tain arthropod remains were referred to somewhat incidentally,^ 

 and, on the authority of Miss Mary J. Rathbun, were tentatively 

 assigned to the isopod genus Ligyda Rafinesque {Ligia Fabricus). 

 Subsequent field studies have shown that these remains are exceed- 

 ingly common at certain localities in the Holly Springs sand, the 

 middle formation of the Wilcox group in northern Mississippi, and 

 the basal formation of this group in western Tennessee. 



I have never been satisfied with the identification of these fossils 

 as isopods, and having observed a leaf-like venation on the segments 

 in the better preserved specimens, I concluded that they represented 

 some Wilcox species of Caddis case. Recently Prof. J. G. Needham 

 has examined specimens for me and verified my conclusions, and I 

 am also indebted to him for various references to the literature on 

 the recent Trichoptera. Since, as previously remarked, the fossil 

 remains of this interesting order of insects are by no means common, 

 and since none with larval cases of this type of manufacture have 

 been found fossil heretofore, they merit careful description. 



As it is altogether imj^ossible, from the cases alone, to be sure of 

 their generic identity, the pseudogeneric term Folindusia^ meaning 

 wrapped in leaves, has been coined for their designation. This is 

 in conformity with the use of Indusia as a similar pseudogeneric 

 term for fossils of the familiar sand grain type of tube. Following 

 the usual taxonomic method the present fossils may be called Folin- 

 dusia wilcoxiana and described as follows : 



FOLINDUSIA, new genus 



FOLINDUSIA WILCOXIANA. new species 



Cases large, flat, two faced, constructed entirely of cut fragments 

 of drift leaves. About 3 times as long as wide, usually decreasing 

 in width posteriorly, but never more than 2/7's, and often scarcely 

 perceptibly. The end pieces are normally nearly semicircular, and 



1 Berry, E. W., U. S. Geol. Survey Prof. Paper 91, p. 33, pi. Ill, figs. 7, 8, 1916. 



No. 2686.-PROCEEDINGS U. S. NATIONAL MUSEUM, VOL. 71. ART. 14. 



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