Lepidoptera of New York and Neighboring States 251 



Caterpillar with front less than half height of head ; head held more 

 or less horizontally; adfrontals narrow, and not extending much 

 above front. Body with primary setae only, above vii; vii represented 

 by 3 to 6 setae. Thoracic legs adjacent, prolegs normal, short, each 

 with a complete ellipse of bi- or triordinal hooks. 



Ptochoryctis, with its case-bearing larva, and its multiple setae on 

 the prolegs, approaches the Lacosomidae, but differs in lacking the char- 

 acteristic, rough, enlarged head, and swollen abdomen thicker in the 

 middle. The pupa of Stenoma is short and flattened, and has minute 

 maxillary palpi lying close to the antennae. The clypeal suture is not 

 distinct. The antennae meet on the midventral line beyond the tip 

 of the tongue and then diverge again. The labial palpi are covered. 

 The ninth segment of the abdomen has a tuft of hooked setae on the 

 venter, besides the cremaster. In Menesta this tuft of setae is on a dis- 

 tinct lobe. 



The family divides into two well-marked groups, sometimes con- 

 sidered to be separate families. The Xylorictinae (Ptochoryctis), which 

 are almost confined to the Old World, have R 5 running to the outer 

 margin and long-stalked, and Cu 2 widely separated from Cu 1 . 

 Their larvae are borers or case-bearers. The Stenominae are found 

 mostly in the New World; they have R 5 most often running to costa 

 and almost always free, and Cu 2 usually connate or stalked with Cu^ 

 Their larvae are brilliantly marked and live exposed. The larva of one 

 neotropical species bores in fruit. Besides the species here included 

 in the family, some authors would add Strobisia, and perhaps other 

 genera from the Gelechiidae. 



Key to the genera 



1. CUj and Cu 2 preserved, often stalked. 



2. R 3 and R 5 long-stalked; R 4 lost 4. Ptochoryctis. 



2. R 4 and R 5 separate or hardly stalked; R 3 free. 



3. Fore wing less than twice as long as wide 2. Setiostoma. 



3. Fore wing more than twice as long as wide 1. Stenoma. 



1. CUi and Cu 2 completely fused; a radial also lost (fig. 154) 3. Menesta. 



1. STENOMA Zeller 

 (With Ide Chambers, Brachiloma Clemens, Harpalyce Chambers) 



Palpi smooth, upturned beyond vertex; ocelli absent; male antennae heavily 

 ciliate, without pecten. Fore wing about two and a half times as long as wide; 

 costa arched, apex rounded, outer margin strongly convex, nearly erect and 

 short; inner margin more nearly straight. R 3 normally free and running to 

 costa, in one of our species running to outer margin and connate or very shortly 

 stalked with R 4 , which in>all the United States species runs to the costa. M, and 

 M 2 free, nearly straight; M 3 nearly straight, rarely arising from base of stalk 

 of Cu. Cu x stalked, connate, or barely separate from Cu 2 , varying somewhat 

 in a single species. Cu 2 starting from cell or from Cu-stem almost per pen- 



