254 William T. M. Forbes 



July. Larva shaded with green and crimson. Head, cervical shield, and tnie 

 legs pale brown; a dark spot on center of head; cervical shield narrow; anal 

 plate brown. Larva in a nest about 2 cm. in diameter, formed by an oval wall 

 of silk between two slightly separated leaves; feeding on the lower parenchyma 

 only. On Quercus stellata and related species, in May. 



Massachusetts to Florida. 



3. ME NEST A Clemens 

 (Hyale Chambers; Strobisia, in part) 



Male antennae heavily ciliate ; palpi smooth, second segment thickened, third 

 a little shorter; fore wing (fig. 154) twice as long as wide, with square outer 

 margin; 10 veins, all separate; R* and R 5 united, one dorsal vein absent, 1st A 

 well developed. Hind wing slightly broader, M 2 absent, R and Mj stalked, M 3 and 

 CUj connate. 



This is an aberrant and isolated genus, with the superficial appearance, genitalia, 

 and pupal characters of the Stenoma group. The preservation of 1st A in the 

 imago also shows that it belongs rather in this neighborhood than among the 

 Gelechiidae, where it is commonly placed. 



Key to the species 



1. A large white costal spot 2. melanella. 



1. A minute costal point or none. 



2. Fringe white-tipped at apex 3. albaciliella. 



2. Fringe not white-tipped 1. tortriciformella. 



1. M. tortriciformella Clemens. Black -brown, with a purplish hue; head and 

 antennae deep yellowish fuscous; face pale below; palpi fuscous, whitish toward 

 base. Fore wing with a small lunate white spot, convex outward, at end of cell; 

 fringes and hind wing fuscous; feet pale. 9 mm. {liturella Walker, coryliella 

 Chambers.) 



Caterpillar white; on hazel, in September and October; under a thin silken 

 web placed in the angle between a vein and the midrib, on the under side of a 

 leaf. Pupa in a cocoon formed by crumpling up this web. Moth in April. 



Massachusetts to Kentucky. 



2. M. melanella Murtfeldt. Shining black; face, palpi, under side, a spot on 

 metathorax; a large spot on costa of fore wing at middle, and apical half of 

 fringe, pure white. 8 mm. 



Caterpillar with the same habits as M. tortriciformella; on oak. Moth in 

 May and August. 



Virginia; Kentucky; Missouri. 



3. M. albaciliella Chambers. Purple -black; face, most of palpi, under side, a 

 small and variable irregular spot at end of cell (usually a short discal streak), 

 and outer half of fringe except at anal angle, contrasting white ; thorax wholly 

 black. 9 mm. ( argenticiliella Chambers, — lapsus calami, Strobisia Chambers. ) 



Caterpillar with the same habits as the other species; on under side of black- 

 berry leaf, in June ; skeletonizing the leaf and later eating holes through it. Two 

 broods; moth in July and in early spring. 



New York to Pennsylvania and Ohio. New York : Peru. 



4. PTOCHORYCTIS Meyrick 



Fore wing with 11 veins, R 3 and R 4+r , stalked, both running to costa. Cu 2 aris- 

 ing from cell four-fifths way out, straight; M 3 and Cuj short-stalked. Hind wing 

 hardly broader, with seven veins; M ;+3 and CUj connate; R and M t connate. Ocelli 



