CATERPILLARS OF THE FIR. 



869 



26. The fir mite. 



Order Arachnida ; suborder Acarina. 



Quite prevalent on the fir, working at the base of the leaves at the 

 ends of the twigs, in summer and early 

 autumn, in Maine ; little dark mites, with 

 rounded bodies, and quite active in their 

 movements, causing the leaves of the fir 

 especially to curl up, and to show the light 

 under side. These little active mites spin 

 a slight web in the axils at the end of the 

 shoots. They are dark bi"own, with a yel- 

 lowish head and thoracic region, while the 

 legs and under side are of the same yellow- 

 ish tint. They were observed from the 

 middle of July until the 1st of September 

 at Brunswick, Me., and occurred on the 

 white pine as well as on the fir trees. 



The following species are also said to oc- 

 cur on the fir : 



Order Lepidoptera. 



27. Loxotcenia afflietana (Walk.). Fernald's 



Cat. Tortricidse, p. 13. 



28. LopJioderus velutinana (Walk.). Miss 



Murtfeldt in Fernald, 1. c, p. 16. 



29. Gelechia ohliquistrigella Chambers. fig. 296. -Work of a mite oa fir. 



