326 EEPOET OF THE COMMISSIONER OF AGRICULTURE. 



1070), that U. americalis feeds in the larva state in the nests of an ant 

 {Formica rufa). He also stated that so far as he knew this was the first 

 lepidopterous insect known to develop in ants' nests. This statement, 

 however, elicited from Lord Walsiugham the following stateuieiiis. pub- 

 lished in the same magazine (January, 1884, i>. 81): "Noticing your 

 mention of Helia americalis as a myrniicophilous lepidoptcron, J wonhl 

 remind you of Myrmicocela ochracccUa, Tgstr., which is founJ also in 

 ants' nests. It is allied to the true Tinea;.^^ 



According to Guen^e, however, the larva of F. americalis "lives on 

 leguminons plants, as Eedysarum, MeUlotus^ Pisvm, &c., and even on 

 corn, and is very destructive." He adds that the clirysalis is contained 

 in a cocoon spun between leaves. 



DESCniPTiVE. — Larva. — Body mofinratcly thick, sUgbtlj' tapering towards each end, 

 dull brown, with a well-marked darker dorsal and lateral liuo ; the piliferous warts 

 arranged much as in Tortrix fumiferana, which the larva somewhat resembles, but the 

 warts not so conspicuous; the head is slightly paler than tlie body 



Pupa. — Body short and thick, rather fullerthan usual, color pale hora-brown. Ab- 

 dominal spine broi),d and thick, s'.ibconical, rounded; vertically llattened above and 

 beneath, the surfaces being somewhat convex, and the sides ridged above and below. 

 At the extreme end of the spine are two long, slender bristles curved at the end ; on 

 the upper side of the spine are two bristles which converge and are closely connected 

 with the two at the tip. Length, 8'""' to l)""-". 



Moth. — Fore wings ash-gray, darker on the outer half, crossed by three black lines. 

 The first line, situated at the base of the wing, is short and represented by a black 

 costal mark, succeeded by a curve4 black line ending ju.st behind the median vein, 

 not crossing the wing. Second line zigzag, situated on the basal fourth of the wing; 

 it begins as an oblique mark on thocosta, edged within with white; behind, the line 

 makes two sharp teeth ; on th.e median vein it points inwards, and again outwards in 

 the submedian space. The third line is ranch broader and less wavy ; it curves in- 

 ward on the discal space, partly inclosing a large, diiTuse, discal, ocherous patch. 

 Above this patch on the costa is a black mark bordered on each side with white ; a 

 submarginal, fine, wavy white line. At the base of the fringe is a black interrupted 

 Uno. Hind wings ocherous gray, crossed by three diffuse, wavy, blackish lines. Ex- 

 panse of wings, 20°"° to •22'»". 



THE SPRUCE PLUME-MOTH. 

 (Oxi/ptihis nigrociliatits Zeller.) 



The chrysalis of this Plume-moth was beaten from the branches of 

 the spruce June 23, at Brunswick, Me., under §uch circumstances as to 

 lead me to believe that the larva feeds on this tree. In Europe no mem- 

 ber of the family to which it belongs {Pteroplioridoi) is stated, so far as 

 we have been able to ascertain, to feed on coniferous trees, so it is 

 worthy of mention, though too infrequent to be of much si.<,Miiflcance. 

 The moth issued July 10, and has been named for nio by Professor Fer- 

 nald. 



The larval skin occurred with the chrysalis ; the head is of the nor- 

 mal form, pale in color, while the cast skin showed that the body was 

 covered with long, dense hairs. 



Descru'Tive. — Pupa. — Like that of PL periwelidactylua, the thorax bcing'obliquely 

 truncated, and the body somowhat compressed. Thorax in front with six pairs of 

 long, curved, stiff hairs, those of the abdomen in two dorsal rows of five pairs, and a 

 lateral row of short, stout spines ; from each of the dorsal 8])ine8 radi.ate four slciHlor 

 hairs; from tlie spines of the lateral row arise two hairs which are curled and parallel 

 with the longitudinal axis of the body. The wings extend to near the middle of 

 the sixth abdominal segment. Color, pale green; wings and body whitish green. 

 Length, 7™™. 



Moth. — Uniform dark brown, fore wings forked with four white costal spots, the 

 third the largest and widest, tha fourth line.nr, oblique, and extending on the sec- 

 ond or hinder division of the wing ; ilie latter witli a white spot near the b.ase. Scal- 

 lops of the fringe white, a black patch ai, the internal angle; hinder edge of the wing 

 white, apex blackish. Expanse of wings, 16'"'". 



