92 N. S. ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY 



SOME NOTES ON THE CRAMBINAE OF NOVA SCOTIA 



By. E. Chesley Allen. 



THE CRAMBINAE constitute a large sub-family of the family Pyralidae. While 

 these moths have characters of bodily structure and wing venation that distinguish 



them from nearly allied groups, the most apparent characters are the extreme 

 length of the labial palpi, these being often as long as the head and thorax together, and 

 densely clothed with scales; and the peculiar habit that the moths have of alighting 

 vertically along plant stalks or blades of grass, and folding the wings around the body. 

 This last peculiarity has given the sub-family the common name of "Close- wings," 

 while from their grass-frequenting habits they are sometimes known as "Grass moths." 



The coloring found in the group consists of white, with different shades of yellow, 

 brown and gray. Metallic scales, gold, silver, or leaden, mark the wings of many species, 

 particularly on the fringes of the outer margins of the front wings. 



The Crambinae are important from an economic point of view, the larvae feeding 

 upon members of the grass family; and while whole fields of corn and grain have been 

 known to be destroyed by them, their work in grass fields is apt to be disregarded as 

 the feeding is done at or near the surface of the ground, often beneath the surface, 

 some species boring into the stems. But though unapparent, it is only reasonable to 

 assume that in f elds where a dozen moths may be seen at every step, and this is no un- 

 common occurrence, the work done by the larvae must be very serious. 



As may be expected, they have their natural enemies. Both dipterous and hymen- 

 opterous parasites having been bred from them. The adults are extensively preyed up- 

 on by birds, sparrows catching them in the grass, and swallows as they take their flight. 

 Those species which frequent lowlands are food for dragon flies, and the writer has ob- 

 served robber flies catching and devouring them. 



When persistently pursued the adult insect folds its wings and legs close to the 

 body and drops motionless to the grassy tangle below. Any disturbance of the grass 

 only tends to shake its wedge-like form farther down amid the roots and humus, where 

 by means of its rigid stillness and sombre coloring it is well hidden. 



The best published work on our American Crambinae is a monograph, "The 

 Crambidae of North America," published in 1896, by Prof. C. H. Fernald, of Amherst, 

 Mass., in which the author minutely describes eighty-two species. In more than three- 

 quarters of these, however, the author says: "Early stages and food plant unknown." 

 This, with the fact that since 1896 entomological literature has been meagre in 

 information on this sub-family, shows that much work remains to be done in this im- 

 portant group. 



The following notes on the abundance of twenty- one species thus far found in Nova 

 Scotia are offered only as a preliminary list. Most of the species mentioned were iden- 

 tified by direct comparison with material in the collection of Prof. Fernald, to whom 

 the writer is deeply indebted for his genial hospitality and patient personal assistance. 

 4555. Raphiptera min'mella, Robinson. 



This is the smallest species yet observed in the province, and may be recognized 



by this character and the very acute apex of the fore wing. Up to the present vear, 



(1917), but one specimen has been seen, Yarmouth, Aug. 17, 1914, but on July 5, 



1917 they were found common in a sphagnum bog near Larry's River, Guysboro 



Co., and on July 17, 19t7, one was taken in a sphagnum bog near Clarke's Harbor, 



Cape Sable Island. 

 4560. Crambus hamellus, Thunberg. 



Several were ta ! : en at Yarmouth, Aug. 31, and Sept. 5, 1913. The writer has 



seen none since. 



