April, '10] PARROTT: CHERRY ERMINE MOTH 159 



host-plants mentioned by various writers are the cultivated. and wild 

 cherry, medlar, apple, Sorbus aucuparia and Fra.ciiius excelsior. 



The moths of these two species are very similar in appearance and 

 are frequently indistinguishable. Representative specimens of 

 malineUa have the front wings and the fringe white, while padeJIa 

 has the fringe and a portion of the front wings more or less tinted with 

 greyish. Doctor ]\Iarchal is of the opinion that malinella is a variety of 

 padella, which has adapted itself to the apple. Differences are also 

 to be noted in other stages. Rebate and Bernes- state that the cater- 

 pillar of padella is of a greyish-yellow in color, the cocoons are thin 

 in texture, of a greyish-white color, and are more or less isolated in the 

 nest, while the larva of malinella is lighter in color, the cocoons are 

 thicker, and are grouped in clusters. 



Other species attacking fruit trees are H. mahalehella Gn., which is 

 common on the mahaleb cherry; H. evonymella L. {^padi Z.) which 

 subsists on the European Bird Cherry {Prumis padus) and has been 

 reported as occurring on the cultivated cherry ; and H. irrorella Hb., 

 which usually feeds on the willow and is said to have attacked culti- 

 vated plums. 



A Native Species of Ermine Moth, There is one native species, 

 H. niultipunctella Clem., which according to Chambers'* is very common 

 in Kentucky. Dyar * records the Atlantic States as its range of dis- 

 tribution and Gaumer has obtained specimens of the species in Kansas. 

 The caterpillar feeds on the leaves of Euonymus afropurpurens Jacq. 

 and spins its webs over the plant as is characteristic of the insects of 

 this genus. Through the kindness of W. D. Kearfott I have been able 

 to examine specimens of the adults, which differ from the foreign 

 species described by the larger number of black dots on the front 

 wings and the marked difference in the coloration of the hind wings 

 of the sexes. All the wings of the male are white, while the female 

 has the anterior wings white and the posterior wings dark grey. 



Economic Importance. The Ermine Moths are regarded abroad 

 as very destructive pests of fruit trees, and because of their importance 

 to horticultural interests, standard European works of reference on 

 orchard insects usually contain a verv- complete account of these 

 species. Marchal (1) reports that in certain areas of France muli- 

 nella appears almost every year in more or less destructive numbers, 

 and that in some communities where there have been serious outbreaks 

 for successive years, almond trees have been killed. In 1902, malinella 



^Rebate, E. and Bernes J., La Chenille Flleuse du Prunier, p. 1-32, 1909. 



'Chambers, V. T., Can. Ent, Vol. 4, p. 42, 1872. 



* Dyar, H. G., List of N. A. Lepidoptera, p. 489, 1902. 



