Eleventh Eeport of the State Entomologist 157 



Antispila nysssefoliella (Clem.). 

 The Sour Gum-tree Case- Cutter. 



(Ord. Lepidoptera: Fam. Tineid^.) 



Clemens: in Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., i860, p. 11 (description of 



larva and cocoon with account of habits) ; Tineina N. Amer., 



1872, pp. 19-20, 22, 102-103 (life-history). 

 Chambers: in Canad. Ent., vi, 1874, p. 167 {corutfoliella a possible var. 



oi nysscefolieUa) ; in id., ix, 1877, p. 196 ; in id., xi, 1879, P- ^^7 



(cases of several species); in Psyche, iii, 1880, pp. 63, 149 (habits 



and molts of larva). 

 Packard: 5th Rept. U. S. Entomol. Comm., 1890, p. 658 (on Nyssa 



multiflora \sylvatica\ with descriptions after Clemens). 

 Smith: Cat. Ins. N. J., 1890, p. 358 (common on pepperidge, Nyssa 



sylvatkaj very destructive). 

 Waters: in Insect Life, iv, 1891, pp. 137-138 (how the cases ate cut). 

 Lintner: loth Rept. Ins. N. Y. for 1894, 1895, p. 510 (received from 



New York City). 



KXtdii oi Nyssa sylvatica was received September 21st, from Dr. H. 

 G. Dyar of New York from which fifteen oval cases had been cut by a 

 leaf-miner which had mined at least four-fifths of the leaf — on one-half 

 of the leaf, only a few spots of the parenchyma remaining. This was 

 undoubtedly the work of the above-named insect. The larvae of this 

 insect were collected by Dr. Dyar Sept. 15th, and the cases were cut 

 soon after. Early in August of 1891 the insect was observed by Mr. 

 Waters, infesting all the leaves of a sour gum at Glens Falls, N. Y. Dr. 

 Clemens found the larvae mining the leaves in irxredible numbers in 

 earlier years, and Dr. Smith has recorded it as very destructive in New 

 Jersey. 



Description of the Moth and Larva. 



Head above dark brown. Face, labial palpi and fore-feet shining 

 yellowish-ochreous. Antennae dark brown ; basal joint yellowish-ochreous. 

 Fore-wings dark brown, with a greenish reflection, and the base with a 

 bright coppery hue. Near the base is a rather broad, bright-golden band, 

 broadest on the inner margin, where it is nearest the base, and constricted 

 at the fold of the wing ; a spot of the same hue on the costa at the apical 

 third of the wing, and one on the inner margin, midway between this and 

 the band; cilia somewhat coppery, and rather grayish at the inner angle. 

 Hind-wings purple-brown; cilia grayish-ochreous. 



The larva mines the leaves o{ Nyssa multiflora \sylvatica\ in September. 

 The head is dark brown; first segment dark brownish; body very pale 

 green, with dark atoms along the dorsum; ventral surface with a line of 

 two black spots. After the last molting the first segment is black, and 

 the dorsal spots become a black, vascular line. When full fed the larva 

 weaves an oval cocoon within the mine, and cutting the two skins of the 



