INSECTS INJURING OAK-LEAVES. 197 



fers in the oblique central fascia extending to form a sharp angle 

 towards the apex of wing, in the angulated portion containing two 

 black streaks, and in this fascia extending, as a faint band, to the 

 inner margin and beneath the ocellated patch. 



Ph. burgessiana Zell., which may not be distinct from pulchellana 

 Clem., and Ph. laciniana Zell., which, also, may not be distinct from 

 dubiaria Clem., are closely allied to murtfeldtiana, but the basal patch 

 is darker than in those species, thus resembling spirecefoUana. (Eiley.) 



Moth. — Male : Expanse, 10™"'. White, the primaries with a dark-brown patch on 

 basal half of inner margin and with an oblique fascia extending from the middle of 

 costa. Head reddish brown ; palpi white, tinged with brown at base. Thorax 

 white, becoming embrowned on the disk ; primaries white, the apical half shaded 

 with ferruginous, with a broad blackish-brown patch on the basal half of the inner 

 margin, the patch rounded on its costal border and having a very indistinct coppery 

 reflection from some of the scales in particular lights; from the middle of the costa 

 an oblique reddish-brown fascia extending to form a sharp angle just before the apex 

 of wing (these inclosing two black streaks), and retreating suddenly to curve around 

 the ocellated patch, into which it sometimes sends a slight angle, and to attain the 

 inner margin of the wing ; this fascia much paler on its inner half than on its costal 

 half, bounded exteriorly from costa to inner margin by a white line, and shading off 

 on the inner half of its basal border into the white ground color ; costa beyond the 

 fascia to the apex streaked with white and ferruginous, the apex ferruginous ; just 

 below the apex two white streaks ; ocellated patch white, generally containing a 

 black streak ; posterior margin ferruginous ; fringes tinged with ferruginous, pale at 

 base, darker at apical angle ; secondaries gray ; under surfaces gray ; primaries 

 shaded with fuscous ; legs white, with the usual fuscous shadings on tarsi. Abdo- 

 men gray, silvery beneath. (Riley.) 



276. THE OAK-LEAF CRYPTOLECHIA. 



Cryptoleehia scMageneUa Zeller. 

 Order Lepidoptera ; family Tineid.e. 



This is a remarkable insect, both as a caterpillar and moth. It is not 

 uncommon in the larval state on the oak, where we have seen it in Maine 

 and Rhode Island in September. Professor Riley found, October 22, 

 1882, in Virginia, several larvae of this Tineid feeding on oak. One 

 moth issued June 2, 1883. It feeds between the leaves, drawing them 

 together with silk threads. When about to pupate, it turns over a por- 

 tion of the leaf nearly an inch long, lines the interior of the cell thus 

 made with silk, and the moth appears the following spring. We have 

 compared the moth with a type specimen sent to us several years ago 

 by the late Prof. P. C. Zeller, and now in the Museum of Comparative 

 Zoology, Cambridge, Mass., and it is undoubtedly that species, though 

 the row of blackish dots so dist inct in the fresh specimen reared by us 

 are not to be seen in the type specimen ; otherwise it agrees exactly 

 with the latter. It is a not uncommon insect, but, so far as known, 

 more curious than destructive, though it may at times disfigure the 

 leaves of valuable shade trees. It is the largest Tineid larva we have 

 met with. 



