Twelfth Keport of the State Entomologist 219 



Among the many insects that prey upon the grapevine, this, in the 

 winged form, notwithstanding its small size, is one of the prettiest and 

 most peculiarly formed of the many species that have the vine for their 

 food-plant. It is not ordinarily very destructive, although widely distrib- 

 uted and more or less injurious from year to year. The present season, 

 however, State Botanist Peck, found it in unusual abundance in his garden 

 at Menands, N. Y,, necessitating his going over the vines and destroying 

 the larvae in the young tips (by pinching with the thumb and forefinger), 

 six times during the season, whereas in former years, only two inspections 

 were needed to keep them under control. 



This species was unusually destructive in Westchester county, N. Y., in 



189 1, as appears from the following letter to the Country Getitlernan : 



I inclose bud and leaf of grapevine, in which you will find a small white 

 hairy worm, which in its first stage appears to be black or brownish, and 

 has the habit of spinning a web and gluing the buddmg leaves together. 

 It is a voracious feeder, and soon destroys the leaves of the vines and 

 young grapes. To-day, I sprayed the vines with whale oil soap suds, 

 and if this is not effective in destroying the pests, I will try Paris green. 

 Perhaps, Dr. Lintner can give the name, and suggest some good way to 

 destroy this enemy of the grape. D. J. G. 



The insect was readily identified as the gartered plume-moth, Oxyptilus 

 periscelidactylus (Fitch), and reply was made giving its general family 

 characters, habits, and distribution, together with the best remedies. 



Characters of the Family. 

 This moth and its closely related species, comprising the small family 

 of Pterophoi'idcc, are easily distinguished from all others, by their wings 

 being split into two or more long narrow lobes. From this peculiar 

 wing-structure, Latreille, many years ago, termed them Fissipermes, or 

 Split-wings. The borders of the wings are densely ciliated, the hind 

 margin of the fore-wings, and the fore and hind margins of the lobes of 

 the two pairs of wings have very long cilias. The long slender legs arc 

 provided with stout spines at the apex of the tibi», a single one on the fore 

 tibia, a pair at the apex of the remaining, and the hind tibice with an 

 additional pair of spines midway of their length. 



Description of the Moth. 



" The moth, which is shown in figures 8, 9, PL V, is an elegant little 

 insect, its wings measuring, when expanded, about seven-tenths of an inch 

 across. The fore wings are long and narrow, and cleft down the middle 

 about half-way to their base, the posterior half of the wing having a 



