LEPIDOPTERA OF NEW YORK AND NEIGHBORING STATES 79 



SUPERFAMILY NEPTICULOIDEA 



Family 5. NEPTICULID^I 



Annette F. Braun 



Head and face tufted. Antennae not exceeding three-fourths of winp: 

 length, rather thick, with basal segment enlarged and concave beneath 

 to form an eye-cap. Labial palpi short, porrect or drooping. Maxil- 

 lary palpi long, filiform, folded. Tongue rudimentary. Posterior 

 tibiae with bristles above. Wing membrane aculeate. Fore wings 

 (fig. 52) with media coalescing with radius from base to beyond middle 

 of wing, so that all the branches of radius and media appear to arise 

 from one stem; or coalescing with cubitus for a short distance from 

 base, then, either passing obliquely outward to radius just beyond 

 RO+.,, and anastomosing with radius to beyond middle of wing, as 

 before, or remaining separate from radius, in which case (Trifurcula) 

 R 4+5 is absent. R 2i3 coincident. R 4+5 separating beyond M, or coalesc- 

 ing to apex. Cubitus unbranched, sometimes coincident with M or 

 becoming obsolete beyond its point of separation from M. Second 

 anal vein very prominent. Crossveins absent. A fibula (jugum) 

 present in females of the more primitive genera. Hind wings (fig. 52) 

 with subcosta and R x coincident ; Rs and M coalescing to about the 

 middle of the wing. Media one- or two-branched. Cubitus unbranched. 

 No crossveins. Frenulum of male consisting of a single strong spine; 

 of female, rudimentary, of several minute spines. The function of the 

 frenulum is performed, in the female, by a series of curved spines along 

 base of costa. Hind wing one-half to almost as broad as the fore wing. 



The moths, because of their minute size and retired habits, and very 

 rapid and irregular flight, are not frequently seen. Early in the 

 spring, some species may be collected resting in the crevices of bark. 

 Later, moths may sometimes be found on leaves, usually those of their 

 food plants. Occasionally, because of the peculiarity of all the indi- 

 viduals of a single generation maturing and emerging at the same time, 

 great numbers of moths may be seen on leaves of the food plant and 

 neighboring plants. To secure an adequate representation of the group, 

 however, rearing of the moths from larvae is necessary. 



With the exception of several gall-making species of Ectcedemia, the 

 larvae of all species of which the life history is known, are miners 

 within the tissues of leaves or in bark (rarely in fruits). They show 

 a preference for trees and shrubs, but not a few mine leaves of herb- 

 aceous plants. When full grown, the larva, with few exceptions, leaves 

 the mine, and, dropping to the ground, spins a dense, flattened cocoon 

 amongst the rubbish or in the loose surface soil. 



