THE CHESTNUT BASTMINER 



THE CHESTNUT BASTMINER^ 



{Lepidoptera, Tineida) 

 By AUGUST BUSCK 



Ectoedemia phleophaga, new species. 



Palpi light yellow. Face and head dark ochreous. Antennae black- 

 ish fuscous with narrow ochreous annulations and with large, ochreous 

 white eye-caps. Thorax dark bluish fuscous. Forewings dark bluish 

 fuscous, on the outer half irregularly dotted with black, several of the 

 large sceJes being tipped with black ; a large but poorly defined light 



Fig. 1 . — Venation of Ectoedemia phleophaga Busck. 



ochreous costal patch at apical third and a similar poorly defined ochre- 

 ous patch opposite it on the dorsal edge. Cilia light ochreous fuscous, 

 Hindwing cind cilia light ochreous fuscous ; in the female of normal form ; 

 *in the male with costa sharply excised from the middle with only one 

 large bristle at base and with a long, light ochreous hciir-pencil at the base 

 of costa, reaching to the middle of the wing. Abdomen light golden 

 fuscous. Legs golden on the inner side, blackish fuscous exteriorly. 

 Alar expanse, 9-10 mm. 



Habitat: Falls Church, Virginia. 



Type, No. 16700, U. S. Nat. Mus, 



Closely allied and identical in structure with the other species of this 

 genus feeding on chestnut, the gall-making Ectoedemia castaneae Busck, 

 but larger and with darker wings ; the light colored head and abdomen 

 easily distinguish it from this species. 



The larva, which was first discovered by Mr. F. C. Craighead, lives 

 in the lower layer of the bark on chestnut just above and encroaching 



' This is the species referred to by A. G. Ruggles in Science of Dec. 12, 1 9 1 3, as 

 having an important bearing upon the spread of the chestnut bsu'k disease. 



The mine is figured in the Report of the State Forester of Massachusetts on the 

 Chestnut Bark Disease, fig. 1, 1912. 



