810 Journal of Agricultural Research vol. xx, no. n 



GELECHIA HIBISCELLA BUSCK 



(PL- 93, c) 



Gelechia hibiscella Busck, 1903, in Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., v. 25, p. 869-871. 

 Gelechia hibiscella Busck, 1903, in Dyar, List North Amer. Lep., no. 5739. 



This species was originally described from larvae collected on Hibiscus 

 moscheutos in the vicinity of Washington, D. C. 



On the shores of Miller's Lake and Lake Charlotte in Chambers Co., 

 Tex., we found the larvae fairly abundant in early September (191 8) on 

 both Hibiscus lasiocarpus and H. militaris and also occasionally on Kos- 

 telezkya spp. During October of the same year adults were reared from 

 these. The male genitalia compared with those of typical specimens 

 from the type locality agree in all details. A figure of the elaborate 

 and characteristic genitalia is given in Plate 93, C. 



Gelechia hibiscella seems to be limited in food plant to Hibiscus and 

 one or two other closely allied Malvaceae. We have never found it on 

 cotton or okra, but there seems to be no reason why it should not thrive 

 on these. The feeding habits vary somewhat according to the charac- 

 ters of the plant on which the larvae feed. On the broader-leaved Hibis- 

 cus moscheutos around Washington and the similar //. lasiocarpus in Texas 

 the larvae feed chiefly on the leaves, rolling them up and partially biting 

 through the stems before pupation so that the folded leaf is easily shaken 

 to the ground by a slight wind. Within this roll they pupate. Occa- 

 sionally the larvae also attack the seed pods, but from the writer's obser- 

 vation this is rather rare in the broad-leaved species of Hibiscus. In 

 the narrow-leaved H. militaris and in Kostelezkya spp., on the other 

 hand, the habits are quite different. Here the larvae feed chiefly in the 

 flowers and seed pods, pupating in the withered flowers, and do not 

 attack or use the leaves at all. 



There is no possibility of confusing this species with Pectinophora 

 gossypiella. The larvae as well as adults of the two are very different. 

 In Gelechia hibiscella the body of the larva from the beginning of the 

 metathoracic segment to the caudal end is white, longitudinally marked 

 with continuous, narrow, somewhat wavy, reddish brown stripes; one 

 pair on the dorsum, lying between the paired setae I; one subdorsal 

 stripe on each side, above seta III, and a lateral stripe in the spiracular 

 area. Except on the metathoracic and ninth abdominal segments none 

 of the body tubercles are touched by the longitudinal stripes but lie 

 between them on the white areas. The first two thoracic segments are 

 reddish brown with the anterior portion of the mesothorax white above. 

 The anal shield is yellow ; the thoracic legs and prothoracic shield are black. 

 The chitinizations about body tubercles moderate but conspicuous, 

 black or blackish brown, rounded or oval, and sharply defined; crochets 

 of prolegs uneven biordinal and in a complete circle, 32 to 36, brown; 

 anal fork present, rather stout, 6- to 8-pronged; head yellow-brown, 



