Cryptothelea gloverii (Packard) occurs from South Carolina 
to Florida and westward along the Gulf Coast. Its hosts are re- 
corded as two species of scale insects, and persimmon, oak, hick- 
ory, Acacia sp., Crataegus sp., and Citrus aurantium. The male 
moth is dark or dark red and has a wingspread of 14 to 18 mm. 
Females are 9 to 10 mm. long. Their cases may be covered with 
fragments of scale insects, bark, fruit rinds, or leaves. 
FAMILY NEPTICULIDAE 
This family includes the smallest of the Lepidoptera, the adults 
of some species having wingspreads of only 3 mm. Because of 
their minute size, their retiring habits, and their irregular flight, 
they are seldom seen. The larvae of most species are leaf miners; 
a few construct mines in the bark of their hosts. Many of the 
more common deciduous trees in eastern United States serve as 
hosts for one or more species. The larvae are slightly flattened, 
and their heads are rather deeply retracted into the prothorax. 
When full-grown, the majority vacate their mines, drop to the 
ground, and spin dense, flattened cocoons in the duff (96). 
The genus Nepticula Von Heyden contains many leaf mining 
species. Eggs are deposited on either surface of a leaf, usually 
along the side of a vein. The larvae of certain species mine only 
one side of a leaf; some mine either side; and some mine different 
sides at different periods of larval life. The mines may be linear 
and gradully widen as they are extended, or, at some point, they 
may enlarge suddenly into a blotch. Winter is spent in the larval 
stage. There are one to four generations per year, depending on 
the species. Heavy outbreaks of N. sericopeza Zell., an introduced 
species that mines the seed pods and leaf petioles of Norway 
maple, have been recorded in Maine. Damaged leaves and seed 
pods drop prematurely. There are two and perhaps three genera- 
tions per year. 
The genus E'ctodemia Busck contains a number of species, the 
larvae of which either form galls on leaf petioles or twigs or mine 
the bark of various trees. Members of the genus have only one 
generation per year. E’. populella (Busck) forms pea-sized globu- 
lar galls on the petioles of poplar leaves. EF’. heinrichi Busck larvae 
excavate flattened oval, spiral mines in the bark of young branches 
of pin oak. 
Obrussa ochrefasciella Chamb., the hard maple bud borer, bores 
into and destroys the buds of hard maple. The larvae spend the 
winter in axillary buds and migrate to the main buds in the 
spring. Kulman (446) discussed the biology and importance of the 
species. 
FAMILY INCURVARIIDAE 
The maple leaf cutter, Paraclemensia acerifoliella (Fitch), is 
the only member of this family of economic importance in eastern 
forests. It occurs in southeastern Canada and in the Northeastern 
States south to Virginia and west to Illinois. Its favored host is 
413 
