THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST. 175 



The gall-making insects belonging to the same order (Lepidoptera) 

 as our little moth, are by no means common, and the only other gall 

 of this character with which I am acquainted, at all resembling the 

 one just described, occurs on the stems of Artemisia compestris in 

 France, and is produced by the larva of a very different little moth 

 with pale yellow wings shaded with orange, first described by Herrich- 

 Schseffer by the name of Cockylis hilarana. This last gall is figured 

 on Plate l,of the "Annales de la Societe Entomologique de France" 

 for 1S56, and its history is detailed by M. E. Perris, at pages 33-38 of 

 the same volume. The gall is similar in form, but narrower, with the 

 walls thicker than that of my insect, while the larva is yellowish- 

 white. 



Gelechia gall.esolidaginis, N. Sp. — Larva.— Length 0.60. Cylinderical. Color dark dull- 

 brown, without shine. Largest on midJle segments ; tapering from 4th to head, and from 9th to 

 extremity. Each segment impressed transversely in the middle, thus forming two folds, the thor- 

 acic segments having other such folds. Six small piliferous spots, two each side of dorsum and 

 one above stigmata, which, together with the stigmata, are shiny and of a lighter brown than the 

 body. Head and cervical shield light shiny-brown. 



Chrysalis. — Length 0.50. Mahogany-brown. Form normal. Blunt at extremity. 



Perfect moth. — Average length 0.38. Alar expanse £ 95, ^ 0.75. Fore wings deep purplish- 

 brown, more or less sprinkled with carneous. A light carneous band starts from the costa near the 

 base, and curves towards the middle of the inner margin, which it occupies to a little beyond the 

 beginning of the cilia, where it curves upwards towards the tip, reaching only half way up the 

 wing. Here it is approached from above by a somewhat diffuse spot of the same color, which starts 

 from the costa just behind the apex, and runs down to the middle of the wing. 



In the plainly marked individuals there is an extra line running from the middle of the inner 

 margin, outwardly obliquing to the middle of the wing, and then back to the inner margin a little 

 beyond where the cilia commence, but in the great majority of specimens this mark is indistinct. 

 Cilia light carneous. Hind wings slate-gray, with the cilia lighter. Antennas finely annulated 

 with the same two dark and light colors. Head, thorax and palpi light, with a sprinkling of the dark 

 brown. Body dark, with light annulations, The species varies in the distinctness of its markings, 

 and the light parts of the wing appear finely sprinkled with brown under the lens. Male generally 

 smaller than female, with the antennaj proportionately a little longer. 



Described from numerous bred specimens. 



It seems to resemble G. longifasciella of Clemens, in coloration and pattern ; but unfortunately 

 our late lamented microlepidopterist, failed almost always to give the measurement of the species 

 he described, and it is impossible to tell how much mine really resembles that species. Yet, as 

 longifasciella was described from two mutilated specimens, received from A. S. Packard, jr., and 

 as that gentleman has seen my insect and declared it an undescribed species, there can be little 

 doubt of the fact. 



Concealed within its gall, as this worm is, one would naturally 

 suppose that it would rest unmolested from the outside world, and 

 that no parasite could attack it through its green-walled fortress. Such 

 however is not the case. Those oft-quoted lines, written in that spirit 

 of ridicule, in the exercise of which Swift was always happy, 



"The little fleas that do so tease, 

 Have smaller fleas that bite 'em, 

 And these again have lesser fleas, 

 And so ad infinitum," 



are as applicable to our gall-maker as to most other insects. There 

 are indeed no less than six parasites which attack it, and from many 

 hundreds of galls examined,! estimate that one worm out of every 



