The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1880-11-17
Insects Injurious to Orange Trees.
Prot. J. II. Comstock, in E,atomologist Report.


(Notlris citrjtotie12G, Chambers[ n.sp. y
Order LEPIDoPTERA family TINE
IDAE.
Webbing together the halfgrown
leaves of new shoots of the orange,
eating the leaves and destroying
the bud; a cylindrical yellow worm,
With black head and first segment,
dropping by thread when dis
turbed.
Specimens of this insect were last
summer received from Brevard
county, Florida. We do not know
enough of its habits at present 10 do
more than describe it and it's method
OF work.
According to Mr.. HI. S. Williams,
of Rock Ledge, the larvae have been
very injurious to the orange trees in
his vicinity. They infest the young
leaves of the new growth. These
they web together by delicate white
Silken web, and feed upon the bud,
entirely stopping the growth of the
shoot. If disturbed, the worm drops
by thread. 1t is very active, and
when removed from its web runs
quite quickly.
The tull-grown larva measures
12mm. lone-half inch) in length. 1t is
yellowish in color, with the head and
first thoracicS segment black and
somewhat polished. The posterior
margin of the black thorax is pale
yellow. The anal plate and legs are
polished yellow, with the scattered
hairs upon the former blackish; all
other hairs are yellow. The first
pair of legs is black and the rest yel.
low. -
When really to pupate, the larva
rolls Leaf around itself and spins a
!! - = ~ r
transforms TO rather stout, dark
brown chrysals. There is nothing
SO characteristic about the chrysalis
as 10 merit description. The moths
emerge from August 25 to Septem-
ber .. The following is Mr.. Cham
bers' characterization of the species
"NoTHR1s CTR IFoLIELLA, n.sp.
II is possible that this species may
already be known in Southern Eu-
rope, or i'll other orange growing
countries; but | have met with no
account Of it in any work to which l
have access. 1t known, it ought to
be found III Mr.. Stainton's "Tineina
OF Southern Europe" but | have
been unable to find any copy Of this
work i'll this country. A note ad.
dressed some months ago to Mr.
Stanton remains unanswered AS
the species is certainly new in this
country, and | have not been able to
hear OF it elsewhere, l describe it as
new. Yet, il the orange is its only
tood-plant (and none other is known
as yeti, and the orange is not indigo
nous here, it is probable that the in
sect has been imported with its food
plant, and even it ii is as yet unde-
scrlbed, will be fonnd in other orange
growing COuDtIleS
s'The moth is ochreous-gray, or
more properly, perhaps, grayish. OCH
reous (under lens it is ochreous
busted with fuscous), Outer surface
of the second joint of the palpi
brown, except the anterior margin of
the tutt, which is pale -ochreous from
the middle of which springs the aci-
cular third joint, which is pale-ochre-
Gus tipped with fuscous, and is longer
than the second joint. On the disc
of the fore wings, at about the basal
fourth of the wlng-length, is short,
obscure, oblique, reddish. tuscous
streak, behind which is a small brown
discal spot, with another like it
placed opposite to it and touching
the fold further back on the disc are
two similar brown spots, and little
further back, on the dorsal margin at
the end Of the fold, is much larger
spot or patch OF the same color be.
hind the discal nervure the wing is
paler and shows indistinctly wavy,
transverse, fuscous streak, and there
are five circular black spots around
the apical margin; the ella are pale
fuscous Hind wings pale grayish
fuscous, scarcely excised beneath the