Lepidoptera of New York and Neighboring States 155 



7. BUCGULATBIX Zeller 



(The ribbed-cocoon makers) 



Head rough on vertex; front smooth, extending far below the eyes in a point. 

 Antennae not long, with a well-developed eye-cap, fringed with stiff hairs; labial 

 palpi small, hanging; maxillary palpi minute; tongue very weak, naked, distinctest 

 in the niveella group, which also spin atypical cocoons. Fore wing lanceolate 

 (fig. 110) with cell mostly in upper half of wing. Cu running nearly through the 

 center of the wing; with all radials; Rj arising near base, oblique; the others 

 running directly across to costa; A not forked. Hind wing also lanceolate, with 

 broad fringe; with veins more distinct than in Bedellia, R running to apex; two 

 medials preserved; Cu simple. 



The larva at first forms a serpentine mine with a central frass-line, much like 

 that of Nepticula; then leaves the mine, and skeletonizes the leaves, leaving one 

 epidermis uneaten; it then lives exposed on the leaf. 



Larva with head normal, the front extending about two-thirds way to vertex. 

 Body cylindrical, stout, green ; setae normal; iv and v distant ; i farther from 

 middle line than ii, even on segments 8 and 9 of abdomen; prolegs strong, with 

 two transverse bands of hooks (the anal pair as usual with a single row). True 

 legs normal. Pupa in a silk cocoon, as a rule attached longitudinally to a twig; 

 abdomen dorsally spinulated, with third segment free; a stronger row of spines 

 on anterior edge of each segment. Labial palpi covered, hind legs much longer 

 tban antennae; abdomen ending in a pair of laterally directed angles or spines. 



The species are closely similar, and numerous, and may not always run cor- 

 rectly in the key; I have been obliged to omit a couple from lack of material. 

 T^e cocoon is almost always spun in a characteristic way, so as to form longi- 

 tudinal ridges with the silk threads in a regular pattern between them; in two 

 or three species it is simply oval, with irregularly arranged silk. Bucculatrix 

 is an aberrant genus, apparently nearest to the Lyonetiidae, but with the larva 

 modified for external life. 



Key to the species 

 1. Fore wing, head, and eye-cap dominantly white or cream yellow. 



2. Cream yellow, with vague shaded markings ; no black ; very small, 4 mm. 



I. luteella. 

 2. Always with black in tuft or apical fringe, and usually in both. 



3. With black apical scales in fringe and a slightly yellow shade on vertex 



and wing-tip only 5. niveella. 



3. With more extensive markings. 



4. Thorax white; fore wings brown, contrasting 6. errams. 



4. Thorax yellowish, wings shaded with luteous. 



4. Thorax and ground color of wings pure 'white (the thorax rarely 

 tinted with straw yellow). 

 5. Expanse 8-12 mm., markings defined, pale yellow. 



6. Three costal streaks besides the brown apical shading. . .4. montana. 

 6. Two costal streaks besides the brown apical shading. 



7. First costal streak most distinctly connected to anal angle. 



2. magnella. 

 7. First costal streak turning longitudinally in middle of wing, 



second connected to anal angle 3. fusicola. 



5. Smaller; markings brown, and when palest ill-defined; first streak 



free at tip, second parallel to it and sometimes running to anal 



angle. 



6. Markings blurred, yellowish; apical dot circular, followed by two 



bars 11. albicapitella. 



