5 



7S NEW YORK STATE MUSEl'M 



riorly and of a bright brown color. Each of the al)clominal .seg;ments is 

 provided witli two transverse rows of teeth, the posterior ridge composed 

 of minute, close-set, rasplike points, while those composing the anterior 

 ridtre are longer and more scattered. 



In disclosing the moth the chrysalis protrudes itself from its case for 



nearly its entire length, holding itself in position by the anal hooks. 



Imago. Alar expanse from .5 to .55. Length .22. Head and palpi 

 densely tufted, brown with a slight purplish reflection, eyes grayish blue, 

 antennae short. Thorax with a brown ilorsal tuft and dark blue patagia. 

 Abdomen fuscous shading to brown above with a silky lustre ; front and 

 middle legs fuscous inclining to cinerous, hind legs silvery cinerous, tarsi 

 annulated with pale buff. Front w'ings dark chocolate-brown and metallic 

 blue ; the latter color predominates in the basal third, but is interrupted 

 about midway by an irregular fascia and some scattered Hecks of br(nvn ; 

 middle portion of the wing mainly brown, but penetrated from both 

 apical and basal sides with streaks and points of blue ; on the outer 

 third the blue and brown colors are thoroughly intermixed in a somewhat 

 intricate pattern, the apex being brown variegatetl with four or five irregular, 

 blue spots, while th(; inner angle is occupied Ijy a large oblong blue spot 

 divided by an oblique, narrow, brow-n stripe. The costa presents in a strong 

 light a succession of broad and narrow blue streaks on a purplish brown 

 ground and on the outer edge is a narrow border of the latter color, while 

 the fringe is of a more or less intense blue. Hind wings fuscous, shading to 

 cinerous at base, with a silky lustre, fringe cinerous. Under surface of both 

 front and hind wings fuscous, the former a shade darker than the latter and 

 displaying a faint irridescence. No sexual differences excejjt the smaller 

 size, the relatively narrower abdomen, and conspicuous anal tuft of the male. 

 Murtfcldt 



Life history. A considerable proportion of rose leaves will be found in 



early spring, with their tips blackened and tightly webbed together with 



glistening white silk. An examination may reveal a minute larva eating 



into the heart of the growing point, not only blackening and distorting the 



young leaves, but in many instances destroying the incipient flower bud. 



This species is occasionally so abundant in Missouri that fully 20;^ of the 



buds, particularly white or light colored varieties, are destroyed. There are 



at least three successive broods in a season, the later ones attacking plants 



in full leaf. The full grown larva deserts the mass of webbed leaves and 



constructs for its protection a neat case by slitting the blade of a leaf on 



