CLEAR-WING MOTHS OF FAMILY AEGERIIDAE 193 



Hist., vol. 1, pt. 6, p. 260. pi. 29, fig. 14 (female), 1901.— Smith, 12th Ann. Rep. 

 New Jersey Agr. Exp. Stat., 1891, pp. 378-381, figs., 1892; Insect Life, vol. 4, 

 p. 29, 1892. — Kellicott, Journ. Columbus Hort. Soc, vol. 5, p. 21, 1890; Can. 

 Ent., vol. 24, p. 44, 1892.— Fletcher, Ent. Rep. Canada Dept. Agr., 1895, p. 149, 

 1896.— Lugger, 4th Ann. Rep. Entomologist State Agr. Exp. Stat. Univ. Minne- 

 sota, 1898, pp. 54-55, 1899.— McDunnough, Check Hst of the Lepidoptera of 

 Canada and the United States of America, pt. 2. No. 8684, 1939. 



Bembecia flavipes Beutenmuller, Bull. Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist., vol. 4, p. 171, 1892. 



Bemhecia pleciaeformis Beutenmuller, Bull. Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist., vol. 5, p. Zi, 

 1893. 



Male. — Antennae black, bipectinate, more or less appressed, not tufted 

 at tips. Labial palpus rough, yellow. Head brown-black, orbits yellow ; 

 occipital fringe whitish. Collar black. Thorax brown-black marked with 

 yellow; a small patch on the side, a thin lateral stripe below the collar, 

 a subcircular ring from above forewing to metathorax, sometimes in a 

 broken line, a spot at base of forewing above and another anteriorly be- 

 neath yellow. Metathorax laterally tufted with yellow and with yellow 

 hair pencils at the sides beneath. Abdomen brown-black, broadly banded 

 with yellow on posterior part of all segments above and beneath ; seg- 

 ment 3 elevated on top with yellow and black hair mixed ; anal tuft short, 

 rounded, black and yellow mixed. Legs yellow, rough, femora and tibiae 

 of hindlegs marked or not marked with black outwardly; first joint 

 of posterior tarsus thickened with scales. Forewing transparent, bi'oadly 

 bordered and margined with brown, brighter inside ; discal mark bright 

 brown ; fringes dark brown ; beneath shaded with yellow basally ; costa 

 and discal mark black. Hindwing transparent, narrowly margined and 

 fringed with brown-black. 



Female. — Antennae simple, strong, not tufted at tips. Larger and stouter 

 than the male. Last or two last abdominal segments usually entirely 

 yellow or slightly mixed with black ; anal tuft inconspicuous. 



Expanse : Male 22 to 28 mm., female 24 to 34 mm. 



Distribution. — United States, Canada, British Columbia. 



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



Remarks. — This insect is of considerable importance as a borer in 

 species of Rubus, blackberries and raspberries, both wild and cultivated. 

 Its distribution in North America north of Mexico is general wherever 

 suitable food plants occur. The moths appear during August and Sep- 

 tember and are active fliers on sunny days about brambles, but they are 

 difficult to distingui.sh from common yellow jackets, which they resemble 

 closely. The roundish, brown eggs are laid singly on the canes of the 

 food plant near the ground. The young larvae bore into the roots, winter- 

 ing there in various stages of growth. Nearing full growth during the 

 summer of the year following, they usually ascend into the canes, which 

 they girdle a few inches above the surface of the ground, causing them 

 to wilt or break. Pupation then takes place within the hollow stump. 

 The pupa is provided with a triangular, sharp-pointed, chisellike process, 



