ENTOMOLOGIST AND BOTANIST. 



235 



The larva of the Grape-vine Plume invariably 

 hatches very soon after the leaves begin to ex- 

 pand ; and though it is very generally called the 

 Leaf-foldee, it must not be confounded with 

 the true Leaf-folder, described in our last num- 

 ber, and which does its principal damage later 

 in the season. At first the larva of our Plume 

 is smooth and almost destitute of hairs, brt 

 after each moult the hairs become more percep- 

 tible, and when full grown the larva appears as 

 at Figure 148, a, the hairs arising from a trans- 

 verse row of warts, each joint having four above 

 and six below the breathing-pores* (see Fig. 

 148, c). After feeding for about three weeks 

 our little worm fastens itself securely by the 

 hind legs to the underside of some leaf or otlier 

 object, and, casting its hairy skin, transforms 

 to the pupa state. This pupa (Fig. 148, 6), 

 with tlie lower part of the three or four terminal 

 joints attached to a little silk previously spun 

 by the worm, hangs at a slant of about 40''. 

 It is of peculiar and characteristic form, being 

 ridged and angular, with numerous projections, 

 and having remnants of the larval warts ; it is 

 obliquely truncated at the head, but is chief!}' 

 distinguished by two compressed sharp-pointed 

 horns, one of wliich is enlarged at Figure 148, 

 e, projecting from the middle of the back : it 

 measures, on an average, rather more than one- 

 third inch, and varies in color from light green 

 with darker green shadings, to pale straw-color 

 with light brown shadings. 



The moth (Fig. 148, d) escapes from this 

 pupa in about one week, and, like all the sjjecies 

 belonging to the genus, it has a very active and 

 impetuous flight, and rests with the wings closed 

 aud stretched at right angles from the body, so 

 as to recall the letter j. It is of a tawny yellow 

 color, the front wings marked with white and 

 dark brown as in the figure, the hind wings 

 appearing like burnished copper, aud the legs 

 being alternately banded with white and tawny 

 yellow. 



All the moths of the family (Alucitid.e) to 

 which it belongs have the wings split up into 

 narrow feather-like lobes, and for this reason 



* As Dr. Fitch's tlusci-iption of this larva is the only one 

 we know of, ami is rather incomplete, we subjoin the fol- 

 lowing for the scientific reader; 



Mature Larva of I'TEHOi-iioni--! rERiscELiDAfTYLUs.— 

 Average length 0.50 inch < mImi- ].ale ,L,n-.'pnisli-yello\\'. 

 Joints separated by deep (•..ll^ll■il■tiMll^. Eai-li juint'with a 

 transverse row of large rruiuii-.olur.d w;ui>, ^n\iiiL,^ rise to 

 soft white hairs, many of which iux- ^lil.'htlv cliiblMcl at tip 

 Four of the.sc warts above, aucl ^ix below sfiLjuuita, the four 

 lower smaller than the si.x upipir ones The hairs from warts 

 above sti^^niata diver>,^iii^' in all liireeticna and straight, those 

 from the row imninliatily b.-low sti.L.'inataclecurving. Other 

 short ami mure irinute club-tipped hairs sprint^ from the 

 general surface of the body between the warts . Head yellow 

 with labrum slightly tawny. Legs also yellow, immaculate 

 and very long and slender. Described from numerous living 

 specimens. 



they have very appropriately been called Plumes 

 in popular language. In the genus Pterojihorus 

 the front wings are divided into two, and the 

 hind wings into three lobes. In this country, 

 a somewhat larger species (P. carduidnctylus, 

 Riley) occurs on the Thistle, and though bear- 

 ing a close resemblance to the Grape-vine Plume 

 in color and markings, yet difl'ers very remark- 

 ably in the larva and pupa states. 



From analogy we infer that there are two 

 broods of these worms each year, and that the 

 last brood passes the winter in the moth state. 

 We have, however, never noticed any second 

 appearance of them, and whether this is from 

 the fact that the vines are covered with a denser 

 foliage in the summer than in the spring, or 

 whether there is really but one brood, are points 

 in the history of our little Plume which yet have 

 to be settled by further observation. 



On account of its spinning habit this insect 

 is easily kept in check by hand picking. 



The Peak-Leaf Fungus [Rtestelia cancellata). 

 — According to the Gardener's Chronicle this 

 fungus seems to be unusually abundant this 

 year. Its connection, if not its identity, with 

 the curious yellow fleshy fungus often found on 

 the Savin Juniper (Podisoma sabinoi) , has been 

 asserted by M. CErsted, and confirmed by M. 

 Decaisne. The latter botanist placed two plants 

 of Savin affected with Podisoma, one in the 

 ground in the midst of four perfectly healthy 

 young Pear trees, and the other among the 

 branches of a large, equally healthy Pear tree 

 {Bon Cure), at a distance of six to eight feet 

 from the ground. After a few days the Raistelia 

 appeared upon almost all the leaves of the five 

 Pears. Moreover, some leaves which were pur- 

 posely smeared on their under surface with the 

 slimy mucus of the Podisorna were speedily 

 reddened over by the Ra-stelia. M. Itoze, how- 

 ever, has not succeeded in his endeavors to 

 repeat this experiment, and he calls attention to 

 a circumstance which is very significant, that is 

 to say, tlie presence of true Puccinia (smut) on 

 the Podisoma of the Savin in some seasons, and 

 its absence in others, from which he cautiously 

 surmises that the Pear-leaf fungus may be a 

 form of the Puccinia. — Science Gossip. 



At a late meeting of the London Entomologi- 

 cal Society, Mr. Westwood exhibited an Apho- 

 dius, which was given to him by M. Jenyns, 

 who assured him that this insect was frequently 

 vomited by the Hottentots. 



