6. THE GRAPE-VINE. 



AFFECTING THE LEAVES. 



A pale green cylindrical worm, nearly half an inch long, with rows of white ele- 

 vated dots sending out radiating white hairs. Consuming the young leaves, 

 and hiding itself in a hollow ball made of leaves -drawn together by cobweb- 

 like threads. 



The Gastered or Gkape-vise Plume. Pterophorus periscelidactylus. 



Both in Europe and in this country the leaves of the Grape- 

 vine constitute the favorite food of a number of larvae as well as 

 of several insects in their perfect state. Dr. Harris has given the 

 history of seven American larvse, mostly of the larger moths, 

 which feed upon these leaves ; and every season, species which 

 have not yet been described are presenting themselves to notice. 

 One of these equally interesting and quite as injurious as either of 

 the species whose history has already been published, I here pre- 

 sent to the reader's view. 



' On a visit to Union Village upon the 1 6th of June, John T. 

 Masters, Esq., pointed out to me several curious instances of the 

 depredations of insects, in trees along the village streets, and in 

 the vegetation of his garden and yards. One of these insects was 

 then in the midst of its career, consuming the young and tender 

 leaves of his grape vines, which are mostly of the Isabella variety, 

 and forming a retreat for itself by drawing the edges of one, two, 

 or three leaves together, by means of fine silken threads like cob- 

 web, thus making a large roomy cavity, commonly of a globular 

 form, within which the worm appeared to lie in repose during 

 the day time. If the edges of the leaves at any place did not 

 exactly come together, the gap between them was closed hy a 

 patch made of silken threads woven together into a membrane 

 resembling bank note paper. 



