^2 MAINE AGRICULTURAL, EXPERIMENT STATION. I913. 



TWO SPRUCE LEAF MINERS. 

 Recurvaria piceaella Kearfott. 



Journal N. Y. Ent. Soc. XI . 155. 1903. 



Packard Fifth Rept. Ent. Com. 850, 1890 (Gclechia obUqiiis- 

 trigclla Pack., nee Chambers). 



The life history of this species has been describe:! b}' Mr. W. 

 D. Kearfott in the Journal of the N. Y. Entomological Society. 

 As our own observations confirm those of Mr. Kearfott we will 

 quote his account adding only the new locality reference and 

 dates. 



"The eggs are laid within a reasonable time after the moth's emerv 

 gence, in due course the young larvae hatch and begin a very minute 

 mine, which is slowly enlarged until cold weather causes torpidit}', and 

 until the earliest sunny and warm spring days, when they desert the 

 old mines and begin new ones (in previous season's leaves) usually far- 

 ther out or nearer the end of the twig." 



"Larva The head is pale brown, prothoracic shield same 



but lighter. Skin red on dorsal, lateral and ventral regions, a dark 

 green patch on each abdominal segment, on central dorsal area. On 

 ventral surface of thoracic segments, between each pair of legs is a 

 deep purplish red spot ; on segments 5 and 6 there is one such spot on 

 each segment on center line." Length 6 to " mm. 



"Pupa. — Body rather thick, of the usual pale mahogany brown color, 

 the antennae and tips of the wings on the under side reaching to the 

 middle of the fifth abdominal segment. End of the abdomen full and 

 rounded, with about ten unequal, irregularty situated slender bristles, 

 which are' slightly curved at the end ; besides these there are several 

 fine bristles along the side of the body near the tip. Length 5 mm." 

 (Packard Forest Insects, p. 850). 



"Molh. Fig. 3. "Head cream-white; antennae with the basal (sec- 

 ond') joint white, beyond ringed with white and black. Palpi white, 

 first and second speckled with black, second (longest) joint ocherous at 

 the end; third (last) joint with two black rings of unequal size, the 

 outer the longer; the tip white. Fore wings moderately wide, oblong 

 ovate. C round color ocherous whitish gra}', costal region blackish, base 

 black. A broad oblique band proceeds from the costal edge to the middle 

 of tlie submedian space, ending in two white spots; there are some whit- 

 ish scales on the outer edge of the band. Just before the middle of the 

 wing is a broad irregular black band, and beyond it in the submedian 

 .space a black spot. A third broad black band crosses the wing, ending 

 on the hind margin and breaking up into three black spots on the hind 

 marain : the liard incloses near them two twinned white dots. Near the 



