238 



THE STUDY OF INSECTS. 



dinal fissures into more or less plume-like divisions. In 

 most species the fore wing is separated into two parts, by 

 a fissure extending about one half the length of the wing; 

 while the hind wing is divided into three parts by fissures 

 extending farther towards the base of the wing. Sixty 

 species belonging to the family have been found in North 

 America. 



One of our most common species is the Gartered Plume, 

 Oxyptilus periscelidactylus (Ox-yp'ti-lus per-is-cel-i-dac'ty-lus). 

 This is a small moth, expanding about seven 

 tenths of an inch. It is of a yellowish brown 

 color marked with dull whitish streaks and 

 spots (Fig. 284). The larvae hatch early in the 



.ptaus s P rin g> and feed u P on the newly-expanded 

 periscelidactylus. i eaves f grape. They fasten together 



several of them, usually those at the end of a shoot, with 

 fine white silk; between the leaves thus folded the cater- 

 pillars live either singly or two or three together. They 

 become full grown and change to pupae early in June. 

 The pupa is not enclosed in a cocoon, but is fastened to 

 the lower side of a leaf by its tail by means of a few silken 

 threads, in nearly the same way that the chrysalids of certain 

 butterflies are suspended. The pupa state lasts about eight 

 days. 



Family ORNEODID^E (Or-ne-od'i-dae). 

 The Many-plume Moths. 



These insects resemble the Plume 

 Moths in having the wings fissured ; 

 but here the fissuring is carried to a 

 much greater extent than in that fam- 

 ily, each wing being divided into six 

 plumes (Fig. 285). 



As yet only a single species of this 

 family has been found in North Amer- 

 ica. This is Omeodes hexadactyla (Or- 

 ne-o'des hex-a-dac'ty-la). 



Fig. 285. — Omeodes 

 hexadactyla. 



