66 U.S. NATIONAL MUSEUM BULLETrN" 256 



and basal half of the forewings. Its known distribution is the coastal 

 belt of southern California from Los Angeles to San Diego. In July 1924 

 and in June and July 1 925, the larvae were attacking the flowers and 

 fruit of the Platyopuntia Opurtia liltoralis. In both seasons the insect 

 was prevalent in the Los Angeles district and destroyed an appreciable 

 quantity of the prickly pear fruit. The habits were similar to those of 

 the Texas form. Pupation occurred in July, and moths emerged in 

 [uly and August. 



Ozamia fuscomaculella clarefacta Dyar 



The distribution of this insect extends from Texas through Mexico as 

 far south as the State of Vera Cruz. In Texas it is known to occur 

 along the Rio Grande from Brownsville as far west as the Devil's River 

 and northward through Uvalde and the foothills country as far as 

 Marble Falls, but is has not been located along the coastal strip be- 

 tween Corpus Christi and Galveston. It is generally prevalent in the 

 large fields of Opuntia lindheimeri between Uvalde and the Rio Grande 

 at Laredo and Eagle Pass. In Mexico it extends through the eastern 

 States of Coahuila, Nuevo Leon, Tamaulipas, and Vera Cruz. The 

 distribution in Mexico may be more extensive, since undetermined 

 Ozamia larvae have been observed in the Pacific coast State of Sinaloa. 



Investigations have not shown the existence of any Ozamia in west 

 Texas and New Mexico. In June 1926, however, larvae were fairly 

 plentiful in prickly pear fruit around Tucson, Arizona, but unfortu- 

 nately the adults were not reared. During the years 1924-1930 when a 

 great deal of attention was paid to the cactus insects of this section of 

 southern Arizona, Ozamia larvae were not recorded on any other 

 occasion. 



The usual host plant is the Playopuntia Opuntia lindeheimeri, which 

 is the dominant, and often the sole, prickly pear of southeastern Texas 

 and northeastern Mexico. The closely related 0. cacanapa a plant of 

 rather limited distribution, is freely infested. As it is unlikely that the 

 insect would evince a high degree of preference for specific hosts, prob- 

 ably the fruit of any prickly pear growing within its range of distribution 

 would be favored. 



Ozamia fuscomaculella clarefacta is purely a flower and fruit enemy. 

 Flower buds and young fruit rot or dry up from the attack, and 

 several may be destroyed by one larva. Where fully developed green 

 fruit are infested, they ripen prematurely and fall to the ground, but 

 as they do not decay rapidly, one fruit may suffice for the growth of 

 each larva. In the many extensive fields of Opuntia lindheimeri, which 

 bears heavy fruit crops, Ozamia does not, as a rule, destroy a high 

 percentage of the fruit, but in isolated patches or among scattered 



