CLEAR-WING MOTHS OF FAMILY AEGERIIDAE 153 



femora black. Forewing opaque, brown-black, with vitreous streaks 

 before wing base ; underside shaded with orange. Hindwing transparent, 

 opalescent; margin lustrous brown-black, broadened by scales between 

 the veins; inner margin before and at base orange-red. 



Female. — Antennae simple, blue-black, rufous at bases, at tips, and be- 

 neath. Thorax with yellow stripes laterally and transversely on meta- 

 thorax. Abdomen dark chestnut-brown; much larger than that of the 

 male. Otherwise like the male. 



Expanse: Male 26 to 30 mm., female 36 to 42 mm. 



Distribution. — Eastern half of United States and southeastern Canada, 

 extending from Vermont to the Mississippi Valley. 



Type. — Male. In the Boston Society of Natural History. 



Remarks. — As a species of considerable economic importance the grape- 

 vine root borer has been the subject of numerous investigations and 

 publications since reported by Thaddeus W. Harris in 1854. However, 

 these investigations almost entirely were confined to vineyards and to 

 grapes under cultivation. Outstanding among published accounts of this 

 species is the one by Fred E. Brooks (West Virginia Agr. Exp. Stat. 

 Bull. 110, Nov. 1907). Aly own attempts to associate the borer with 

 native wild grapes have been successful in only one instance. An old 

 well-established stand of fox grape, Vitis labrusca, sprawling over open, 

 sandy soil near Stapleton at the southern end of Staten Island, N. Y., 

 was found infested. Early in August 1927 moths of the borer, invariably 

 males, were observed in rapid flight searching for the more sluggish 

 females, mostly at rest on the foliage. As usual the moths in their 

 flight were associated with a common wasp of the genus Polistes, to which 

 they bear a striking resemblance in appearance and action. About 30 

 specimens of the moths, including both sexes, were netted on repeated 

 visits to the locality. Examination of the main, central root showed 

 no larval attacks, but on outgrowing, horizontal roots, the attacks were 

 or had been serious. Fully grown larvae 1^^ to 2 inches long were 

 few, but half-grown larvae, 1 inch or less in length, were numerous during 

 August. Tough-fibered, elongated, and outwardly soil-covered cocoons 

 were found by sifting the surface sand near the roots. A few still con- 

 tained living pupae, but from greater numbers the moths had emerged, 

 in each case leaving half of the pupal shell protruding from the upper 

 end. Persistent search on other native wild grapes growing in thickets 

 or climbing trees has given no evidence of the borer's attack. Low- 

 growing vines in open country are preferred. To obtain material suitable 

 for rearing involves much labor. It is easier to collect the moths at 

 known colonies on sunny days. 



The life cycle is two years. A female lays 300 to 400 eggs, singly or 

 in small numbers on foliage and stems, or on the ground. The eggs 

 are oval, flattened at the sides, light brown and about 1 mm. long. The 



