Notes on the Larvae of Some Local Pterophoridae. 



BY DAVID S. KELLICOTT. 



The following species are known to me in the larval stage: 

 Platyptilus cardui, Riley; CEdematophorus cretidactylus, Fitch; Liopti- 

 lus homodactylus, Walker; L. kellicottii, Fish, and Aciptilus montanus, 

 Walsingham. These, together with Platyptilus bertrami, Rossi (P. 

 bischoffii, Zell.), Oxyptilus periscelidactylus, Fitch, O. nigrociliatus, Zel- 

 ler, and Pterophorus monodactylus, Linneus are the only species of this 

 family inhabiting the vicinity of Buffalo at present known to me. 



Platyptilus cardui was first described by Mr. C. V. Riley, 

 in Insects of Missouri, I., page 180, 1869, as Pterophorus carduidac- 

 tylus. This paper gives an account of all stages, with figures. I 

 make the following references to additional notices and descriptions: 

 Zeller, Stet. ent. Zeit., xxxii., p. 179, Verh. z.-b. Ges. Wien 1873, 

 xxiii., p. 318; Walsingham, Pter. of California and Oregon, p. 7, 1880; 

 Pterophorus cardui, Riley, Bulletin No. 6, U. S. Ent. Com., p. 83, 

 18S1. 



This moth is not uncommon in the neighborhood of Buffalo. 

 The larvae are to be found from June until August, on Cersium lan- 

 ceolatum and some other species of the genus. A large percentage 

 are destroyed by a parasite which Mr. E. T. Cresson determines for 

 me as one of the varieties of Ichneumon humilis, Provancher. From 

 a half dozen pupae collected in July, 1880, but one moth escaped; 

 five gave the parasite; these enemies were less numerous in 1881. 

 The gregarious larvae draw together the leaves about the terminal 

 bud of the main stem or of a branch, in these webbed masses may be 

 found larvae of different sizes; before transforming they burrow into 

 the end of the growing branch thus- arresting its growth. The with- 

 ered and dead leaves aid the collector by at once indicating the 

 presence of the larvae. 



The pupa, when about to disclose the moth, worms its way out 

 of the burrow after the manner of the pupa of a Tortricid or an JEger- 

 ian; this it is able to do by means of rather stout black cusps on 

 its abdominal rings, and its pointed head-case. The pointed cre- 

 master bears on either side about twenty long hooklets. 



BUL. BUF. SOC. NAT. SCI. JAN., 1882. 



