112 
The moth has a wing expanse of half an inch. Fore wings dull 
yellowish or greenish brown, varying much in color, with irregular 
lighter markings crossing the wings obliquely. Hmd wings ashy 
brown. 
This is a peculiarly difficult insect to deal with. Coming at a 
time when it will not do to treat the plant with arsenical poisons, 
and working apparently beyond the reach of othei topical applica¬ 
tions, it is difficult to contrive any treatment of it which will not 
involve a sacrifice of the crop, except the tedious and expensive 
mode of hand picking. It is possible that pyrethrum suspended in 
water would effect the purpose by penetrating the clusters of webbed 
leaves, but as I have not seen the species in Illinois, I have hadjj 
no opportunity to experiment. I append, for the sake of accuracy 
of determination, the original description of the moth: 
“Palpi dull yellow 7 , apical joint fuscous. Fore wings with a large, 
dark brown basal patch, varied with testaceous or yellowish. The 
central fascia is dark brown, varied with testaceous, and is sepa¬ 
rated from the basal fascia by a yellowish band, containing dull j 
silvery scales, or a tarnished silvery band; exteriorly, the fascia 
throws off three more or less distinct, short, rounded projections, , 
two near the middle of the wing, and the other at the mnei maigm, 
with a triangular patch exterior to the latter; from the costa, near ; 
the tip, is an oblique, dark brown band, varied with testaceous 
scales, to the hinder margin, beneath the middle. The interspaces 
between these markings are filled up with yellowish, somewhat silvery j 
hued, or with dull, tarnished silvery hue. and the markings are 
edged with yellow. Costa with yellowish white streaks, with central 
dark brown streaks. Hind wings dark fuscous/’ 
C. Injuring the fruit, ripe or unripe. 
1 . By eating away its substance, 
a. A smabUyellow ant. 
The Small Yellow Ant (Solenopsis fug ax, Latr.) 
Order Hymenoptera. Family Formicid.e. 
This is a minute yellow ant, very abundant everywhere, and com¬ 
monly nesting under stones,* which was discovered last spring and J 
summer to be the author of considerable mischief in the corn field, 
and also to eat holes in ripe strawberries. r 
It belongs to the sub-family Myrmicina, which is characterized 
especially by the fact that the peduncle of the abdomen is competed 
of two nodes, instead of one, as in the larger and more abundant 
sub-family, Formicina. 
*Mr. Aug. Forel makes the interesting statement that this minute ant, nests without 
danger within the homes of larger hostile species, where it inhabits galleries so smau 
that its enemies cannot follow it into its retreats. From these it sallies out to prey ui 
the young of its hosts, and perhaps also to filch from their stores of food. It has like 
the habit of protecting root-lice. It is not confined to these double nests, hovve\er, 
forms its independent establishments. 
