6 U.S. NATIONAL MUSEUM BULLETIN 2 89 



mentioned the presence of the larva of Carposina fernaldana in nearly 

 ripe currants. A short note on the prune limb borer, Bondia comonana, 

 was presented by Kiefer (1943) in which the larva was described as a 

 borer in the soft, gummy enlargements on the trunks of peach trees. 

 This species is also known to bore in healthy branches and sometimes 

 enters the fruit of its host. Reportedly, it passes the winter as a pupa 

 protected inside a cocoon. 



The biology of a Japanese species, Commatarcha palaeosoma Meyrick 

 apparently is very similar to the North American Bondia comonana. 

 According to Yano (1959), the larvae of C. palaeosoma bore under the 

 bark of certain species of trees belonging to the family Fagaceae and 

 produce gall-like protuberances; however, no mention is made by 

 Yano of any attempts to actually determine the cause of the swellings, 

 and it is likely that the moth was merely assumed to be the principle 

 agent involved. In general appearance these protuberances, as illus- 

 trated by Yano, closely resemble the black knot disease so common on 

 several species of North American Prunus. As discussed on p. 45 this 

 particular disease is caused by an ascomycetous fungus, Plowrightia 

 morbosa (Schw.) Sacc. The larva of B. comonana has been reared from 

 black knot galls on numerous occasions and may actually aid in dis- 

 seminating the spores of this disease; however, the growth and devel- 

 opment of the fungus seem to be the principal cause of the disease 

 symptoms. Very likely the tumorous swellings discussed by Yano are 

 actually caused by a similar pathogen, with the larvae of the moth 

 becoming involved at a later stage of the cycle, or at most, assisting 

 in the transmission of the disease. 



Morphological Characters 



A few morphological features due to their relative complexity or 

 importance to the systematics of this family deserve special emphasis. 



Head. — All species of Carposinidae examined in the course of this 

 study demonstrated a sexual difference in the structure of the antennae. 

 The sensory cilia arising from the venter of the shaft are greatly elon- 

 gated in the male, frequently several times longer than the diameter 

 of the antenna. In aU females studied, the cilia are considerably 

 shorter, usually no more than half the diameter of the shaft in length. 



The mandibles are very reduced in size, but are present in all New 

 World genera. The maxillary palpi are also greatly reduced but present. 

 Typically they consist of a single, globose segment (fig. 41), but in 

 some specimens of Carposina, a minute, budlike apical segment or 

 constriction can be observed. Philpott (1926) reported a typical, one 

 segmented palpus in two genera studied by him. 



The labial palpi, similar to the antennae, often show evidence of 

 sexual dimorphism. This difference is to be noted in the scaUng along 



