Gelcchiidae 



known to be more or less injurious to vegetables, in which they 

 either burrow in their larval state, or upon the foliage of which 

 they prey. We can speak of only a few of them. 



Genus PHTHORIM^A Meyrick 

 (i) Phthorimaea operculella Zeller. (The Potato-moth.) 



Syn. terrella Walker ; solanella Boisduvat ; tabacella Ragonot. 



This insect, represented in Fig. 243, the ravages of which upon 

 potatoes in Algiers and other Mediterranean countries have been 

 well known for many years, and which has more recently caused 

 much mischief in New Zealand and Australia, has quite recently 

 found lodgment in California, having been apparently accidentally 

 imported from Australia. In Algiers it is known in certain years 

 to have destroyed fully two thirds of the potato-crop. It is a dan- 

 gerous and annoying pest. The best 

 remedy for it is said to be the total de- 

 struction of infected potatoes, and the 

 protection of the stored tubers from 

 access by the ovipositing females. 



Genus GNORIMOSCHEMA 

 Busck 



(i) Gnorimoschema gallaesoh- 

 daginis Riley. (The Solidago Gall- 

 moth.) 



The man who has loitered by the 

 waysides in the country must often 

 have noticed the manner in which the 

 stems of the common golden-rod are 

 frequently swollen and enlarged about 

 two thirds of their length from the 

 root. This swelling may be caused by 

 the larvae of several insects, but one a 6 



of the most frequent causes of the ab- FIG. 244. Galls of the Soli- 

 normal growth is the larva of a little J^Jaitt^254!^ 



moth tO Which the above SCSquipeda- row at d, larva at e; b, gall, 



lian name has been given. The life- P ening at c ' 

 history of the insect was carefully worked out by Professor 

 Riley, and from his interesting paper upon the subject, contained 



425 



