CATERPILLARS OF THE FIR. 
869 
26. The fir mite. 
Order Arachnida ; suborder Acarina. 
Quite prevalent on the fir, working at the base of the leaves at the 
ends of the twigs, in summer and early 
autumn, in Maine ; little dark mites, with 
rounded bodies, and quite active in their 
movements, causing the leaves of the fir 
especially to curl up, and to show the light 
under side. These little active mites spin 
a slight web in the axils at the end of the 
shoots. They are dark brown, with a yel- 
lowish head and thoracic region, while the 
legs and under side are of the same yellow- 
ish tint. They were observed from the 
middle of July until the 1st of September 
at Brunswick, Me., and occurred on the 
white pine as well as on the fir trees. 
The following species are also said to oc- 
cur on the fir : 
Order Lepidoptera. 
27. Loxotcenia afflictana (Walk.). Fernald's 
Cat. TortricidaB, p. 13. 
28. Lophoderus velutinana (Walk.). Miss 
Murtfeldt in Fernald, 1. c, p. 16. 
29. Gelechia obliquistrigella Chambers. 
