Vol. XXX] ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. Ill 



Coleophora cretaticostella Clemens. 



Colcophora cretaticostella Clemens, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phil., i860, 

 5; Tin. No. Am., 89, 1872; Chambers, Can. Ent., VII, 124, 1875; 

 X, 112, 1878; Busck. Proc. Ent. Soc. Wash., V, 192, 1903. 



I have eleven specimens reared on blackberry, two captured speci- 

 mens from Cincinnati and one captured specim.en from Bedford, 

 Massachusetts, which I refer to this species. The general ground color 

 is a shining ocherous, deepest in the apex and along the border of the 

 broad white costal streak, becoming much paler, and in worn specimens 

 whitish toward the dorsal margin. It is only somewhat worn speci- 

 mens which show the streaking with ocherous, really due to the slight 

 abrasion of the surface along the veins. The scales thickening the 

 basal segment of the antennae form, in perfect specimens, a tuft pro- 

 jecting not only in front but for the length of two segments at the 

 apex. 



The cases are found on the under side of leaves of black- 

 berry, the larvae mining into the leaves durmg late summer 

 and fall, and in the spring feeding on the young leaves which 

 they skeletonize in irregular patches. Four cases are cut 

 from the mined leaf, of which the third and fourth show on 

 the dorsal edge the serrations of the margin of the leaf. 

 Usually a portion of the earliest case and often part of the 

 second are lost before the fourth piece of leaf is added. In cut- 

 ting this last portion of the case, the preceding case is attache*d 

 on the under side of the leaf near the margin so that when 

 first constructed, this portion of the completed case is not in 

 a line with the earlier portion. The larva winters in this case, 

 which is at this time flattened, with the separate leaf frag- 

 ments of which it is constructed easily distinguishable, and 

 shows the leaf serrations along its upper edge ; the lower edge 

 is undulating with a distinct projection marking the hind end of 

 the last leaf fragment. The case becomes much worn during 

 the winter, and where the larvae winter on the food plant in 

 the open, the serrations on the dorsal edge, and often much of 

 the leaf covering of the case are worn ofif. In the spring the 

 case is rounded out, further strengthened with silk which may 

 partially cover the worn leaf surfaces, so that the mature case 

 often bears slight resemblance to the case of the fall before. 

 This case is evenly curved backward on its dorsal surface; on 



