134 ANALES DE LA SOCIEDAD CIENTÍFICA ARGENTINA 



ink, etc. : but there is only one instance on record, I believe, of any Lepi- 

 dopterous Inseet having this property ; and not being aware of it at the time 

 I was pursuing iny investigations, I was very much astonished, on exami- 

 ning the pupae, to find that they belonged to the order Lepidoptera, none 

 of which are parasitic in their osconomy: and this rendered the fact still 

 more anonialous and perplexing. The under side of one of these magnifled 

 at fig. 15 (1), shows the antennae, legs, and wings, folded in the usual 

 nianner, and flg. 16 (2) represents the back of the same. 



Eemarkable as these facts must appear to the naturalist, they are not more 

 so than the astonishing contrivance for inclosing and protecting the pupa. 

 In what way the opereulum is formed to fit so beautifully that there is litt- 

 le doubt, when the plant is alive, this suture would be with difñculty dis- 

 covered, is a question that nothing but actual observation can solve. It 

 may certainly be fairly inferred that it is the operation of the Caterpillar, 

 since there are no galls wanting opérenla , and the existence of the dead 

 pupae within thein proves that it is not the work of themoth: neither have 

 the Lepidoptera the means of cutting or biting except in the Caterpillar state. 



On reviewing the subject it appears probable that the female moth de- 

 posits her eggs in the buds ; that the secretions of the caterpillars cause the 

 forruation of the galls, which, when fullygrown. form, as it were, cocoons 

 for the protection of the ehrysalides ; and that, in order that themoth may es- 

 cape when hatched, the Caterpillar cuts out an opereulum, which fornis a plng 

 that can be easily removed by the moth when it bursts from the chry salís. 



I shall not speculate further on the wonderful ceconomy of this little in- 

 sect ; but in order to identify it I shall proceed to give its characters as 

 well as I am able from the imperfect state in which it is found in the galls. 



Ordo Lepidoptera. Fam. Tortricidae! Genus Cecidoses. — Capiit par- 

 vum. Antennae corpus longitudine aequantes, gráciles, ciliatae, articulis 

 elongatis numerosis, in capitis vértice prope oculos insertae. Thorax squa- 

 niulis derjressis vestitus. Abdomen subrobustum, ovato-conicum. Pedes 

 longi : tibiis anticis spiná prope apicem munitus, intermediis posticisqne 

 ad apicem calcaratis, his dense squamulatis et in medio praeterea bi-spino- 

 sis; tarsis 5-articulatis, articulo basali longissimo; ungwibus pnlvillisquemi- 

 nutis. Alae sublanceolatae. 



Observation. — A l'époque oü travallait Curtís, on n'avait pas en- 

 coré consideré la vénation alaire ponr la distribution des fainilles des 

 Lépidoptéres. Aujourd'hui que ce travail est réalisé, il me sera peut- 

 étre possible d'avancer quelque peu la classification des papillons qui 

 nous oceupent. 



(1) Figure 16 g du présent article. 



(2) Figure 16 / du présent article. 



