494 



ANNUAL REPORT SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 1920. 



a blackened mummy (fig. 4, A, b) or to a mere dry flake (#), but 

 it is always the remains of the summer larva (pi. 1, F), indicating 

 that the caterpillar probably carried the parasitic grub from the 

 mine in its own body, but that, once the case was secured for the 

 winter, its further development was inhibited. The parasitic grub 

 transforms in early spring within the case, alongside the remains of 

 its victim, to a flat, shiny-black pupa (fig. 4, Z>, C), and this to the 

 adult (F), which emerges by gnawing a hole through the side of the 

 case. 



The adult parasite is about one-twelfth of an inch in length, of a 

 brilliant blue-black color, showing green or bronze reflections accord- 

 ing to the angle of the light. On the middle of the back there is a 

 bright yellow spot, and there are generally yellow epaulets at the 

 bases of the wings. The eyes are bordered above with yellow and 

 there is usually more or less yellow on the face. The four wings are 



Pig. 5. — A, mines of the Serpentine Miner in an apple leaf ; B, mines of the Trumpet 



Miner in an apple leaf. 



transparent and without markings, but are iridescent with emerald, 

 violet, and purple. The legs are pale yellow, with darker feet and 

 usually brown hind femora. The name of this species is Cirrospilus 

 favicinctus. 1 It belongs to the family Chalcididae of the order 

 Hymenoptera. 



The summer cases were found infested by another parasite, 

 Closterocerus trlcinctus, 1 the pupa of which is black and flattened 

 like that of the other. The adult is even smaller. Its body is of a 

 shining blackish-blue color, turning to green and gold where the 

 light strikes it strongest. But the front wings give the distinguish- 

 ing character to this species, since they are crossed by three distinct, 

 curved, blackish-brown bands. 



The resplendent shield-bearer is but one of a number of moths 

 whose caterpillars feed by making mines in the apple leaves. An- 

 other common one is the trumpet miner, so called because the shape 

 of its mine suggests that of a flaring horn. (Fig. 5, B.) This spe- 



* Identified by Mr. A. B. Gahan, TJ. S. Bureau of Entomology. 



