10^2 



DEPRESSARIA HYPERICELLA. [PlATE III. FlG. 1. 



of the terminal shoots, and by their 

 development being thus arrested a 

 peculiar puckered or contorted ap- 

 pearance is given to the tops of those 

 plants which are attacked by this 

 larva, which thus readily attract the 

 attention of the collector. As the 

 head of a single plant will generally 

 contain sufficient nourishment to feed 

 up one of these larvae, the larva has 

 no occasion to remove from one plant 

 to another, but demolishes at its lei- 

 sure the tender shoots in the midst 

 of which it has located itself; the 

 larva is consequently much stouter 

 and much more shiggish than is 

 usual with the larvae of this genus. 

 The larva feeds throughout May and 

 during the first foitiii<j;ht of June; 

 about the middle of June it becomes 

 full fed, and assumes the pupa state 

 without quitting the top of the plant. 

 In three or four weeks' time the per- 

 fect insect appears, but lives so re- 

 tired a life that little is known of its 

 habits. 



Description of the Imago. 

 Amongst those species of the ge- 

 nus in which the anterior wings are 

 not marked with numerous short 

 dark longitudinal streaks there occur 

 a few of which the anterior wings 

 have a purplish fuscous ground co- 

 lour; such, for instance, are Purpurea, 

 Capreolella, Impurella, Conttnninella 

 and Sypericella ; from the two first- 

 named species Hjjpericella is readily 

 distinguished by its larger size. Im- 

 purella, it is true, approaches it in 

 size, but may be easily separated by 

 the anterior wings being marbled 



plusieurs petlts bourgeons terminaux, 

 qui s'arretent par-la dans leur de- 

 veloppement ; il en resulte que les 

 sonimites de la plante, oii vit la che- 

 nille dont il s'agit, presentent un 

 aspect conglomere ou crispe qui attire 

 I'attention de I'Entomologiste. La 

 sommlte d'un seul pied offrant ordi- 

 nairement de la nourriture en quantite 

 suffisante pour une chenille, elle n'a 

 pas besoin d'aller d'un pied a un 

 autre, mais elle devore, a son aise, 

 les pousses tendres parmi lesqiielles 

 elle s'est logee. Cette chenille est 

 ainsi plus grosse et plus paresseuse 

 que les autres chenilles de ce genre. 

 Elle mange pendant le mois de Mai 

 et la premiere moitie de Juin ; vers 

 la mi-Juin elle atteint son de- 

 veloppement complet, et se change 

 en chrysalide sans quitter la sommite 

 de la plante. En trois ou quatre 

 semaines le papillon est eclos, mais 

 il vit d'une maniere si cachee qu'on 

 ne sait pas grande chose de ses 

 mceurs. 



Description du Papillon. 

 Parmi les especes de ce genre 

 dont les ailes anterieures ne sont 

 pas marquees de nombreuses stries 

 courtes foncees, longitudinales, se 

 trouvent quelques-unes qui out le 

 fond des ailes anterieures d'un brun- 

 atre pourpre ; par exemple, les Pur^ 

 purea, Capreoldla, Impurella, Conter- 

 mincila et H ypericdla ; des deux 

 premieres especes VHiiperkdla se 

 distingue facilement a sa taille plus 

 grande. h'Impunlla n'est qu'un 

 peu plus petite que \ Hypericdla, mais 

 on la distingue aux ailes anterieures 



