210 EEPOKT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF AGRICULTURE. 



of lavender in some individuals. There are two minute black spots to- 

 ■wards the hind margin of each front wing. 



Although the saw-palmetto is not of much service in the arts at pres- 

 ent, still it is used to a certain extent in the manufacture of paper, and 

 this utilization bids fair to increase. Hence our leaf miner, although 

 hardly to be ranked as injurious at present, may become so at some not 

 far distant day. 



A Chalcid parasite has been bred j&:om this insect, which will bo de- 

 scribed in a future report. 



The following is Mr. Chambers's characterization of the species : 



Lavekna sabaxella, n. ep. 



Very pale ochreous yellow, or perliaps rather stramineous. Outer surfaoe of the 

 oecond joint of the palpi trown. There is a small brown spot on the fold near the 

 hind margin of the fore wings, and a larger one at the end of the disk nearer to the 

 costal than to the dorsal margin. Al. cxp. f inch. 



The wings are more elongate and narrow than in L. gleditchialella, but the palpi ar© 

 slender and acuminate as in that species. The larva feeds on the upper side of the 

 palmetto (Sabal) in Florida. It forms of its frasa or excrement large tubes or gal- 

 leries under which it lives. 



THE RESPLENDENT SHIELD BEARER. 



{Aspidisca splendoriferella, Clem.) 

 Order Lepidoptbea ; family Tineidae. 



Mining the loaves of apple twice a year and cutting out an oval case, which it carrica 

 to the trunk or limbs and attaches, a minute whitish footless larva, with SL brownisli 

 head and a yellow-brown spot on fsach segment. 



It is not an uncommon sight in this latitude* to see during the winter 

 numbers of little oval disk-shaped yellowish bodies, 3""" (.1 inch) 

 long, and bearing a resemblance to some kind of seed attached to the 

 trunks and branches of apple trees. (The general appearance of these 

 disks is shown in PL II tig., 2.) If one of these is examined closely 

 it will be seen to consist of nothing more than a section of apple leaf, 

 looking as though it might have been clipped from the leaf by a punch. 

 If sufficient curiosity is aroused to impel one to a further examination, 

 and if the disk be jnilled apart, it will in all i)robability be found to con- 

 tain a smaU yellowish contracted larva, which, had it been left undis- 

 turbed, would have changed to a chrysalis early the ensuing spring and 

 later to a moth. 



During the month of May, after the apple leaves have attained a suf- 

 ficient size, I have often watched the brilliant little adult of this insect 

 running about upon the upper surface of the leaves in the bright sun- 

 light with their wings folded close along their sides. I have never seen 

 them deposit their eggs, and this is probably done at night. Neither 

 have I ever been able to find their unhatched eggs, though the shells 

 are plainly observable on the upper side of the leaf after the mine is 

 sufficiently far advanced to show one where to look for them. 



The young larva, hatching, penetrates to the interior of the leaf 

 and begins a linear mine, which as it increases in size becomes an 

 irregular blotch obliterating the early linear portion. Tlie nearly com- 

 lileted mine bears a slight resemblance to that of Tischeria malifoliella^ 

 which is frequently found upon the same leaf, but difiers in the met that 



* It is impossible to say what the geographical range of this insect is. Mr. Sanborn 

 bred it in Cambridge, Dr. Clemens preaumably in Philadelphia, and Mr. Chambers at 

 Covington, Ky. 



