FAMILY LACOSOMID^E 



" Everything lives by a law; a central balance sustains all." 



C. L. VON KUEBEL. 



This is a small family of moths peculiar to the Western Hemi- 

 sphere. While the perfect insects show structural resemblances 

 to the Platypterygidce, the caterpillars, which have the habit of 

 constructing for themselves portable cases out of leaves, which 

 they drag about with them, resemble in some respects the 

 Psychidce. The young larva of Cicinnus melsbeimeri, imme- 

 diately after hatching, draws together two small leaves with 

 strands of silk, and makes between them its hiding-place. 

 Afterward, when more mature, it detaches two pieces of leaves 

 and makes out of them a case which it carries about with it, and 

 which it can desert at will. When at rest it ties the case to a 

 station selected with a few strands of silk, which it bites off 

 when it desires again to start on a journey among the branches. 

 The larva of Lacosoma makes a case by doubling a leaf at the 

 midrib, cutting it off at the petiole, and taking it with it as a 

 portable house. There are only two genera of this family in our 

 fauna. It is more abundantly represented in the tropics of South 

 America. 



Genus CICINNUS Blanchard 



(i) Cicinnus melsheimeri Harris, Plate XLI, Fig. 17, ?. 

 (Melsheimer's Sack-bearer.) 



Syn. egenaria Walker. 



The species occurs in the eastern portions of our territory. 

 It is not uncommon in Pennsylvania. 



Genus LACOSOMA Grote 



(i) Lacosoma chiridota Grote, Plate XLI, Fig. 21, <$ . 

 (The Scalloped Sack-bearer.) 



The distribution of this species is the same as that of the 

 foregoing. It occurs quite frequently in western Pennsylvania. 

 Specimens from Florida in the possession of the author are 

 smaller and much darker in color. 



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