MARCH, 1862. 189 



[Extracted from the Proceedings of the Entomological Society of 

 Philadelphia, Vol. I. pp. 147151, March, 1862.] 



NOKTH AMERICAN MICRO-LEPIDOPTERA. 



BY BBACKENRIDGE CLEMENS, M.D. 



BEDELLIA SOMNULENTELLA.* 



IN the January number of the Proceedings of the Academy 

 of Natural Sciences for 1860, page 8,f I described a species of 

 the genus BEDELLIA under the specific name Staintoniella. 

 Subsequently Mr. Stainton, of London, pronounced our 

 American species to be the same as the European, and kindly 

 sent me specimens for comparison. Our insect should hence 

 be known as somnulentella, the name of the European species 

 with which it is identical. 



Early in last October, a little friend, who amuses himself 

 by searching for mined leaves for me, brought me some leaves 

 of the Morning Glory (Ipomosa purpurea), in which he had 

 detected mines. It instantly occurred to me that they were 

 the work of a species of Bedellia, as I knew this to be the food 

 plant of the genus. The leaves were put in breeding vessels, 

 and in due time I had the satisfaction to secure a number of 

 imagos. The species is double-brooded ; the last brood ap- 

 pearing during the latter part of October and early in No- 

 vember. 



The larva and its habits are described in European works, 

 but I desire to put on record in the Proceedings, for the 

 benefit of American students, my own description of its 

 habits. 



* See ante, pp. 39 and 96. H. T. S. 

 f See ante, p. 9G. H. T. S. 



