CLEAR-WING MOTHS OF FAMILY AEGERIIDAE y 



Remarks. — This is the persimmon borer. In general, the insect follows 

 the distribution of its food plant, the wild persimmon (Diospyros inr- 

 giniatia). It is found sparingly in New Jersey and Pennsylvania (Haim- 

 bach) and in Delaware (Frank M. Jones) and becomes increasingly 

 numerous southward from Virginia. The moths are active fliers in sun- 

 shine but are not particularly attracted to flowers, although they hover 

 about them in search of mates. Judged by their scanty representation in 

 most collections they are captured only occasionally. In life and action 

 the moths are perfect mimics of the black, red-banded wasp. Lophopom- 

 pilus atrox (Dahlbom) ; also they bear a striking resemblance to the 

 female of the peach borer, Sanninoidea exltiosa. 



The life cycle covers 2 years, sometimes 3. In the South the time of 

 emergence is April and May ; in more temperate regions, June and July. 

 The eggs are laid or dropped at the base of the trees, preferably young 

 growth and saplings. Hedgerows and cutover woodlands are favorite 

 places. The larvae are voracious feeders, tunneling downward into tap 

 roots, 16 to 18 inches below the ground (Riley). On young shoots and 

 saplings the injury causes wilting or breaking. Attacks on old trees are 

 less serious. 



The larvae, preceding pupation, prepare irregularly shaped cases of 

 frass and chips extending outward and upward an inch or more, leaving 

 access to their tunnels in the wood or root. On saplings the cases fre- 

 quently are well above ground. This provides free movement for the 

 pupa, which drops quickly down when disturbed and moves up into the 

 case when safe. Heavy infestations have been encountered in Florida and 

 Alabama. In Missouri, E. A. Brower obtained long series by breeding 

 from pupae. He found it necessary to acquire wood sections containing 

 galleries and pupal cases intact, as pupae, when extracted, rarely transform. 



The injury caused to our own native persimmon, while serious, may 

 not be considered as of prime economic importance. However, the insect 

 may prove a serious menace to the growing development of the introduced 

 Japanese persimmon, which is cultivated by grafting on native stock. 



Control measures as practiced against the peachtree borer, Sanninoidea 

 exitiosa, should apply. 



Genus SANNINOIDEA Beutenmullcr 



Samiinoidca Beutenmuixer, Bull. Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist., vol. 8, p. 126, 1896 ; Mem. 

 -Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist., vol. 1, pt. 6, p. 265, 1901. (Genotype, Aegeria exitiosa 

 Say.) 



Tongue long, spiraled. Antenna ihree-fourths of length of forewing, 

 moderately dilated to the tufted apex ; in male with fine ciliation ; in female 

 simple. Labial palpus upturned to top of the face ; second joint thickened 

 with a short, nearly smooth brush ; third joint short, blunt. Posterior tibia 

 rough-scaled on upper half and tufted at spurs. 



