Insecutor Inscitiae Menstruus 



Vol. n OCTOBER, 1914 No. 10 



A NEW CALIFORNIAN COLEOPHORA ON PLUM 



{Lepidoptera, Coleophorids) 

 By CARL HEINRICH 



Coleophora sacramenta, new species. 



Palpi white, streaked with golden brown above ; second joint tufted. 

 Antennae white, distinctly annulated beyond second segment with light 

 golden brown ; base covered above by large white projecting tuft. 

 Face, head, and thorax silvery white. Fore wings white, faintly pep- 

 pered with brown scales, the irroration becoming more apparent toward 

 the tips of the wings ; cilia a light golden fuscous, shading to dark brown 

 at apex of wings. Hind wdngs dull lead-gray ; cilia on costa concolor- 

 ous ; dorsal cilia golden fuscous. Abdomen white, faintly zmd inegularly 

 irrorated with fuscous scales ; anal tuft silvery white. Tarsi faintly annu- 

 lated with golden brown. 



Aleir expanse, I 5 mm. 



Habitat, Santa Clara, California. 



Food plant, Prunus. 



Type, Cat. No. 18908, U. S. Nat. Mus. 



Described from six specimens received from Mr. E. O. Essig, secre- 

 tary of the State Horticultural Board of California, with request for a naune. 

 He states that the species is quite destructive to the foliage of the culti- 

 vated plum trees in the vicinity of Sacramento. The adult moths, accord- 

 ing to data on the specimens, issue during the latter part of April. 



The larva is not a leeif miner, but belongs to that group which feeds 

 externally during the whole of the larval period. The mature case is 8 

 to 8.5 mm. long, pistol-formed, similar to the European C. currucipen- 

 nella, though not quite so rough, black except at the upper edges of the 

 flaps, which shade into brown. The mouth is slightly deflected, and the 

 posterior end makes a sharp right angle with the upper edge of the case. 



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