13 



name of gTccnhou.sc Icaf-tyor, u cognonicn which has already been 

 adopted. 



DIVISIONAL RECORDS OF INJURY. 



What is probably the first rearing of this species is that of June, 

 18S8, in the laboratory of this office. The 23d of that month Mr. 

 Theo. Pergande found larva* and pupa? in one of the conservatories 

 connected with this Department. The}" had done nmch damage to a 

 number of small plants of the nodding thistle, Carduus [A/^redkf] 

 cernuus^ a European plant sparingly introduced al)out some cities in 

 the Eastern United States. These larva had completel}^ skeletonized 

 the plants, causing them to dry up. From this lot moths were reared 

 June 28. On September 1-i of the same year were received larva and 

 pupa from Mr. E. S.Miller, Wading River, Queens County, N. Y., 

 with the statement that the larva were doing much injur}" to all kinds 

 of "soft- wooded"" greenhouse plants (Insect Life, Vol. II, p. 277). 



The Avriter's first experience with this species was on July 7, 1893, 

 when it was observed in all stages in a conservatory at the ^V^orld's 

 Columbian Exposition at flackson Park, Chicago. One of the exhib- 

 itors in the Horticultural Building showed the writer specimens of the 

 moth, and stated that it was very injurious to dried apples from Mis- 

 souri and Idaho. A personal visit to the building resulted in the dis- 

 covery that the dried apples were, in realit}', injured by the Indian- 

 meal moth {Plodia Inter punctella Hbn.); l)ut by striking some of the 

 ornamental plants in the conservatory with a cane the moths of this 

 leaf-tyer were induced to fiy up and were captured. A careful search 

 of the plants upon which the moths were most frequently noticed led 

 to the finding of the larva. The plants mostl}" attacked were the 

 wandering jew {Tradescantla zehrhui)^ ground ivy {N^ej)eia glecJionia)^ 

 and geranium, the last being least affected. It was noticed that the 

 larva fed chiefly upon the terminal leaves, and, for the most part, on 

 the under surface. They were surrounded usually by a slight silken 

 web, and where two leaves were in contiguity they were often fastened 

 together with the silk, and sometimes a single leaf would be folded. 

 Unfortunately, observations were not carried on as intended, owing. to 

 the fact that the exhibitors having charge of the conservatory evidently 

 became suspicious of the frequent visits of a "Government official," 

 and, no doubt, fearing that publicity might be given of the facts in 

 the case, kept a sharp lookout for insects of every kind, and destroyed 

 every insect in sight. Mention is made of this fact because it resulted 

 in a test of a good but somewhat tedious remedy. August 7 only a 

 single moth coukl be found and no larva. Soon after the writer's first 

 visit in July the attendants trimmed the infested plants and they were 

 afterwards trimmed as often as the larva showed themselves. As 

 already stated, the larva affect more especially the terminal leaves of 



