Sahay # WN ep hitetaige ne ay SEM ada,» SPO yaa ae Sa SMP MiB aeea eal h y ates GTN Hangs we Vey Wom MER Heh newcteete e bh 8 PART RP a tag Mle Wek Ph Tore Ve is cata te . By PTA LSU A ina reas ak fede Aa ay MM ath tage dy bane Toe ee ree HARVARD UNIVERSITY e Library of the Museum of Comparative Zoology i i Pint , ij i ) Q tt Miwith, : oe te ka r i ' 7 ats) } A ft : ue es A hice ‘i j 1 ieee Het et eh a eet A Ser ii Mn ac ©) Pe Vim Baran Zz oO g P ea Bee \© - eae wr an = ae 4 \©O a) me, ea Oo ce | = O 20 yoreny ~D) = aS > 2 a : = 63: Cornwall. Reminiscences of. 232. Correction. 203, 286. Cossus cossus Linn. (Lep., Cossidae). Hibernation and pupation of. 27, 294, 295. Cranleigh butterflies, 1963. 172. Cucullia absinthii L., etc., in a London garden. 22. Cucullia absinthii L. moves north. 17. Cucullia verbasci Linn. Foodplant of. 297. Cucullia verbasci Linn. on Buddleia. 267. Dagger are you? Which. 215. Dingle 1963. 18. Diptera in Galloway and Central Wales. 44, Emus hirtus L. A postscript on. 145. Enargia paleacea Esp., a _ correction. 267. Enargia paleacea Esp. in Wiltshire. The occurrence of. 268. Enargia paleacea Esp. in Surrey. 266. Enargia paleacea Esp. new to Suffolk. Q44, Erebia ligea (Linnaeus) (Lep., Satyridae). Comments on the supposed occur- rence in Scotland of. 121. Eremobia ochroleuca (Schiff.) the dusky sallow in Wiltshire—a further re- DOF td: Eriogaster lanestris L. second year. 118. Eromene ocellea Haw. in Hampshire. 243. Eucosma pupillana Clerck in Kent. 214. Euphydryas aurinia larvae in second winter. 88. Euphyia tluctuata Schiff. and Rhodo- metra sacraria L. in 1963. 60. Eupithecia insigniata Hutbn. and Hadena compta in North Bucks. 60. Eurois occulta L. in 1964. 296. Eurois occulta L. in August. spread immigration of. 44. Eurois occulta L. in Middlesex. 267. Eurois occulta L. in Suffolk. 245. Wide- Formica sanguinea Latreille (Hym., Formicidae) in Southern England. 107. France and North Italy in June 1964. A trip through. 211. Gavarnie to Digne, August 1963. 11. Greatstone, Kent—July 1936. Holiday at. 91. Greece in April 1964. 187. From. iv GENERAL INDEX Hadena barrettii Dbld. the hard way. ule Hadena compta (Fabr.) and Cucullia absinthii (L.). The spread of. 142. Hadena compta Fabr. in Norfolk. 267. Hadena lepida Esp. ssp. capsophila Dup. on the East Coast. 28. Hampshire migrants. 216. Heliothis peltigera Schiff. straw) in Wessex. 256. Heliothis peltigera Schiff. More about. 278. Herse convolvuli L. in Shanklin. 266. Hod Hill. 270. Hyloicus pinastri in Portsmouth. 236. Hyponomeuta Latr. at Blackheath. A note on two species of. 117. (bordered Idaea lineata Scop. (the black veined moth). 115. Idiocerus (Hem.-Hom., Cicadellidae) in suburban North West Kent. The genus. 55. Inverness-shire in 1963. 36. Ireland 1964. 223. Ireland 1963. Western. 40. Isle of Wight, 1963. Lepidoptera in the. 68. Jersey tiger—a third attempt. 249. Lampides boeticus L. on Ascension Island. 268. Latin. More about. 100. Leto venus Stoll. (Lep., Hepialicae). A note on. 189. Leucania loreyi Dup. in Cornwall. 233: Leucania obsoleta Hibn. Foodplant of. 268. Leucania unipuncta Haw. in Kent. 243. Linnaeus a bighead? Was. 100. Literature, Current. 29, 30, 57, 58, 89, 90, 120, 146, 175, 200, 217, 269, 298. Lithacodia deceptoria Scop. in Glouces- tershire. 214. Lithophane leautieri and other notable records of moths at Arundel. 296. Lithophane leautieri in Somerset. 264. Lithosia quadra in Wales and Bristol. 236. Looking back over 1963. 95. Lycaenidae. Gynandromorphism in British. 89. Lysandra_ bellargus Rott. A scale defect in. 236. Macroglossa stellatarum L. in Sussex and Kent. 215. Madeira in the spring, April 1964. 252. Malacosoma neustria. Unusual appear- ance of. 45. Melanism in Bournemouth. 199. Melanism in Lepidoptera in the west of Ireland. 155. Melanism in the New Forest. 216. Meliana flammea Curtis at Arundel, Sussex. 193. ‘New Forest M.V. Records. Microlepidoptera. Notes on the. 16, 158, 230. Microlepidoptera. The. 258. Micro-Psychids. Looking for. 31. Migrant moths at Weston-super-Mare. 297. Migrant Lepidoptera in 1964. 193. Migrant Lepidoptera in Hampshire. 200. Migration of butterflies in Malaya. A prolonged. 142. Monopis rusticella in early January. Emergence of. 87. Myiolia caesio Harris in Surrey. 142. Early. Nephopteryx hostilis Steph. and Brachi- mis inornatella Dougl. new _ to Suffolk. 245. New Forest. More migrants in the. 245. More. 25. Nola trituberculella Bose (centonalis Hiibn.). 215. Notes. 1964. 245. Nymphalis antiopa L. in Surrey. 119. Odontaeus armiger (Col., Scarabaeidae) in Northamptonshire. 296. Orthoptera notes for South West Britain, 1963. 136. Patrick Buxton Memorial Prize. 260. Pelosia obtusa H.-S. (Lep., Arctiidae), a species overlooked in Britain? 181. Phlyctaenia cilialis Hubn. (Lep., Pyraustidae) new to Kent. 228. Phytomyza _ scolopendrii Rob. Desv. (Dip., Agromyzidae). 118. Platytes alpinellus Hubn. at Blackheath. 116. Polymorphism in north east Derbyshire. 282. Pontia daplidice L. in Wiltshire in 1945. An occurrence of. 119. Procris statices L. (the forester). aberration of. 147. Prodenia litura Fabr. 118. Prodenia litura Fabr.: The Mediter- ranean Brocade (Lep., Noctuidae). Additional records of. 199. Prodenia litura Fabricius: The Mediter- ranean Brocade (Lep., Noctuidae) in England, 1963. 59. Psychophagus omnivorus (WI1k.) and its attacks on the pupae of Lepidoptera. Some notes and observations on the Life history and habits of the para- site. 165. Records for 1963. Red admirals. of. 296. Rhodometra sacraria Li. 258, 267. A new Some late. 60. An apparent migration Salad days. 83. Scientific names. 99. Season. The 1963. 28. Solenobia triquetrella Hubn. 209. GENERAL INDEX Vv Sphecia bembeciformis Huibn. in Derby- shire. 264. Staphilinus stercorarius Oliv. Staphilinidae). A note on. 246. Stauropus fagi L. (the lobster moth). Thoughts on rearing. 185. Stigmella aeneella (Hein.)—A new to Britain. 23. Stigmella ulmifoliae Hering in Kent. 243. (Col., species Teichobia filicivora Meyrick in Devon. 20. Thestor ballus Fabr. 214. Thumatta senex Hiibn. in Scotland. 235. Trichius fasciatus L. A correction and a warning. British range of.. 144. Trichoptera. The larval taxonomy of the British. 194. Utetheisa pulchella L. in the New Forest. 200. Vanessa atalanta 200. Venilia maculata L. in September. 244. in central London. Welsh hills. In the. 247. Wild life tape recording competition. 148. Willow warbler, Phylloscopus trochilus L., fly catching. 143. Wiltshire. Entomological records from. 86. Xylocampa areola Esp. A new aberra- tion of. 286. Yugoslavia. A visit to. 279. Zygaena algira Boisduval, 1834 (Lep., Zygaenidae). The identity of. 35. Zygaena Fabricius (Lep., Zygaenidae) in Scotland in 1963. Collecting. 149. Zygaena Fabricius (Lep., Zygaenidae). New synonymy in the genus. 129. Zygaena Fabricius (Lep., Zygaenidae). The silvicola Burgeff group of the genus. 1, 46, 74. OBITUARY NOTICES Burras (1871-1963). A. E. 61. Clark. Gowan C. 178. Easton. Nigel Typherleigh. 27. Hammond, F.R.E:S., Ele eos Kershaw, D.S.O. Hardinge. 265. Watson. Nora. 265. an appreciation. Colonel Sidney AUTHORS Aimlewe Re Ge 1255: Allan, P. B. M. 265, 297. Allen, A. A. 55, 87, 116, 117, 144, 145, 237, 246, 261. Amsel, H. G. 200. Aston, Alasdair. 244, 245. Atkins, F. B. 268. Barrette Ko Ee J. 107, 189; 287. Birkett, N. i. 102, 126, 236, 279. Blathwayt, C. S. H. 297. Bretherton, R. F.- 29, 177. Brindle, A. 194, 289. Brown, S!€. Ss - 23: BGWeCe CaGs, 258, 267. Burton, J. F. 136. Byers, F. W. 232. Cadbury, C. J. 181. Carolsfeld-Krausé, A. G. 209. Chalmers-Hunt, J. M. 17, 59, 91, 193, 214, Bal, OP ey Chappell, A. M. 264. Chatelain, R. G. 234. Chipperfield, H. E. 142. _Claassens, A. J. M. 292. Collier, A. E. 172. Collingwood, C. A. 58. Cook, R. R. 248. Crauhurds C2 Add: Cue, Percy. 28. Davieyn Aceh ous Dickson, C. G. C. Drone Cr Hew 243. Duke, A. J. 189. 173, 214. Hagles, E.R. 120: Hilerton: J: 60: Fearnehough, T. D., 68, 215, 266, 267. Freebrey, A. M. 243: Gardner, A. E. 146. Gem, IF da. aA. Greenwood, J. A. C. 159, 2438. Haggett, G. M. 62, 193, 296. Harman, T. W. 96. lglgneaere, (Er, WV, Slo, CPi Dia Haynes, R. F. 268. Hayward, R. 2386, 243. Heslopa ie Re Ps 1195 246: Howarth, T. G. 176. Huggins: He @. 16; 18, 155; 158, 223: 230; 286, 294. vi GENERAL INDEX Irvin, A. D. 83. Jackson, R. A. 63, 115. Jacobs, S. N. A. 29, 30, 89, 100, 146, 207, DAA Ae QA coo ose Johnson, E. E. 244. Johnson, J. H. 264, 282. Johnson, Sir George. 153, 187, 259. Leech yin ded) 29582295296" 297. Lempke, B. J. 31: Lipscomb, C. G. 68, 275. Manley, W. R. L. 149. Mason, M. G. 267. Mere, Robin M. 28. Messenger, J. L. 66. More, David. 245. Muggleton, J. 267. Myers, A. A. 267. Newton, J. 214. Old Moth Hunter, An. 247. Parmenter, L. 57, 58, 89, 90, 118, 142, 144, 146, 175, 198, 246. Payne; J. H: 88: Payne, R. M. 44. Pelham-Clinton, E. C. 121. Postans, A. T. 165. Reid, W. 296. Reiss, H. 129. Reisser, H. 99. Rossell, H. G. 238, 235. Rutherford, C. I. 17. Saundby, Sir Robert. 267. Sevastopulo, D. G. 118. Shipp, T. M. 296. Siggs, L. W. 5, 200, 216, 245. Skinners poeH a+ Stafford, A. E. 87. Sutton, F. R. 200, 245. Symes: Hy 865287, 14S) 1855-199.) hb. VIS: Taylor, J. S. 189. Todd, R. G. 268. Torlesse, A. D. 40. Tremewan, W. G. 1, 35, 46, 74, 129, 149. Vaux, R. M. C. 40. Waddington, L. G. F. 100, 249. Wakely, S. 20, 22, 91, 172, 271. Weddell, B. W. 86, 258. West, B. K. 142. Wightman, A. N. 210, 295. Worms, Baron C. G. M. de. 215, 252, 286, 296. 11, 60, 61, cs The Entomologist’s Record and Journal of Variation SPECIAL INDEX VOL. 76, 1964 PAGE DIPTERA ACICUS@ CEYPISUANIS)! “f).c:cscc-c4-.sceeeesiscceccce 45 Aibiceps "(CP NWOMICWIS)—...c205.2..0.s.. 045-62: 175 Amara (Eby COPLEPay *...6:..0..0csers-002- 46 Ayoritgieiy. (Gor C70 1G) eo ateeeeeeee ence “Fea O ESE 46 USCA CV ATOLOLE A) 2... 0.8. ccccsecscssdescesce 46 AUISheie (GLOSSIMAN eee ieis cio eres .esctereees 90 autumnalis (Dicranomyia) ............ 45, 46 Herberina (Criorrhina) ......).............. 174 bergenstammi (Cheilosia) .................. 45 bifasciata (Metalimnobia) ............... 45 bifurcata (Rhypholophus) .................. 46 DOLE A UISHSCEICONNVIA) ....20...c0.-0.82050ce 00 Q47 VERS Te (Vie) rr 4142 choreay (Dicranomyia) = ......-....5.0....c0- 45 CUTECTOUMIS (SVMS) S.c5.c.cc0c0.cecescecececee 45 claxipennis )(TricypPHoOWa)) ...2....5:.....2. 46 erabronirormis (ASIIUS) *.2..2.0...si..0.00-2 175 cyanella (Dasyphora) ................0.s.+00 144 cylindrica (Leptogaster) .................. 175 GEMM tae (GOMONNVNA) se o.t5cccececssccccecot eee 45 didyata (DiICranonryia)’ 22.66 6c 006s... 45 Marsalis CETWOrOWIY a) 2.2.5...:.0:eccecsec ces 143 GEMAITS MCE NAT OMMA) rset see chores cedeeet ee 58 EVansr WVAPCCrOUrOMNINd) .2....2.2cdecc.2.0c 00 147 PASGUAiay (CREO) oy iiceeveigscsceresckessessest ones 45 ferruginea (Phylidorea) _.................. 46 Hawities! (GCOSATE US) iio cs... ccccunsbsecccecces 45 Havipes (PrichinOni1yia) ........)............ 143 MUECOSA CemOEPINIVA) © ..2.......:00sssccc scone 174 Pe (aT GOP) ee el 45 milvapenrnes (Pipulay os... cs... 45, 46 fuscicornis (Helomyza) ..................... 58 PUATECUES” (SV PESTS)” Eoc2 2. cc e.i..asl.-cocdeasseets 45 TO SS einer ea ne ee 89, 90 haemorrhoidalis (Rypholophus) ...... 46 MEUSGAeC OPTMPOSTA)) occses sos. coscesesesewecicens 46 Berazeer VP RMOpHY Wa) 5.0 442 immaculata (Tricyphona) .................. 46 impunctatus (Culicoides) ............0..... 58 firemarica” (Poietes) ro elec oes 58 hneola- (Phaylidorea) 200/88 46 TET STS Id haa 51 To | 45 RMOrdhs (Cruenmoniad) 22.0.0) .5.fec0clk ee, 45 TGsea (PIO PLEGAyer yokes 22s. or es oon ees lee 46 Tuterpenamis: (Tipula) ee 46 macrostigma (Lintonia) f3.00...0050.0ess 45 maculata (Rhipidia) ...............0.0...... 45 maritima {(Anomalopteryx) ............... 147 MPa cMOn ata (Di ULa)) ees hese 45, 46 melanoceros (Tricyphona) .................. 46 modesta (Dicranomyia) ............... 45, 46 EimSse tite (MOTE) Uae Tete ee de 144 SIMEON Sra kee oe cies Naar cies eile OATS 175 myopina (Chlorops) ..................... 198, 246 neglecta, (Chlorops). ...................:. 198, 246 PAGE Hemoralis.. (Pilaria): 4.) e312 46 nubeemlosa. (Limonia)-oee es... 46 ochracea (Austrolimnophila) ............ 45 pagan) (Tipe ny care ees. 45, 46 Parved (ESI): oe. Pai Ue 144 HeLsOnaAtas (Pocota) neers ee 174 phalerata (Drosophila) ..................... 58 pomonacs(Bibio)aZ cae tee ee: 44 quadrifaria (Nephrotoma) ............... 45 Fanunculi).(Criorrhing) 1 en! ke. ee 174 TiVOSAy (PEGICIa) As c1ick558s OAS oe 46 CUii Ss, (Tipwlay acu... fC An AS. IRR 46 scolopendrii (Phytomyza) ...:.....00....41 118 Serigtn - (Ligulayys<.230 Soe eo ee: ee 45 silemtis, (Sericoniyia) (nite). AAs 45 spinipes (Rhamphomyia) .................. 45 straminea «(Crunobia)> (7.00.6. 46 Subtihis: (Paradicranota), 2.006.) 46 SPivatica:; (Uila)c.. eee ee. ees: 45 BPICHIW eP Biecs SOA HA 143 Trichinoniyian Pe A 6a ee 143 tfivialis: (Erioptera)maniiy st 46 Varia (Rhypholophus) Lies eee 46 vaniesata~ (Phaonia)! see ee 58 vomitoria .(Calliphorayiec ss. ol ee 58 AON Os ile eee) eee 175 LEPIDOPTERA abietaria (D. ribeata) abruptaria (Menophray e780). os. 96 abseissana (bObesia)Mee fae. s 5. 255k. 8 275 absinthiata (Eupithecia) .................. 44 absinthii (Cucullia) ......... 17, 22, 28, 142 AECECtA (PY PHES)® en ee ee 1D. 4ks5 aceris” (Apatele)! 4.008 Bes iin. ee 166 achhatana=(Aqicylis): Veet tien es ea 94 achatinella (Nyctegretis) ............ 94, 274 actaea* (Hipparchiay™ ice. 8 15 acteon, (Ehiymelticus), 8 Soa ie se 99 adsharica-AZy eae). a ey ee 9 adusta (Eumichtis) ......... 26, 43, 157, 235 AtUStaba (Aisi a ieee a eeae ret. 26 aaven a KOLRMIOGSiay crews tad Me er 96 aegeria (Pararge) ... 69, 70, 73, 153, 163, 178, 180, 189 aegon (P. argus) aeneeila (Stismiella)y: ire oer hve) pM 23 aeriferana (Ptycholomoides) ....., 28, 94 aesculania=(Alsophita) 2070 I 68 aetheren(Melitacal 0 Gk. ed oe 180 acthiops: (Brebiia) 200 ee 121 AO 7 UMS H(CWOSHTI A ones! eh SRS 26, 98 aimitata (Perizoma) 5) ne 26, 69 agatiina (Amathes)..0.. 005 07" 26, 235 agenjoi (Z. nevadensis) 2 SPECIAL INDEX PAGE agestis (Aricia) ...... Ris ily see oo Al. 105; 154, 163, 189, 200 aglaia (Argynnis) ... 11, 15, 37, 39, 42, 43-710; 12, ‘(ae 403; 105; 126 albercanuse (Brea) excesses cee 104 albicillata (Mesoleuca) ............... 25, 38 albicolon (Heliophobus) ............... 70, 94 albup un Gta (ew Gama) eere-c-c--eeeee ee 30, 296 ali alan((NOlal) :ccscgress eee ere aces 93, 274 alpulaiag(Asinena), 2. (xin asi. mie se 69 albiulatayGPertz oma) geese: -. ence 26, 44 alceae (Carcharodus) ...... 126, 163, 179, 188 ALC CHAS HIRI MCTEOS)) ao. ocesses+< a cseee ee neces 281 alchemillata (Perizoma) ..........2..5: 44, 230 alciphron(lnyjGalema) yess ceeree oe oseeeee 12 ANG YON (ERP Dare hie) eesswereses-- bee Ade Ae DEXA OLM (PA DUMTO) yo sccccsens eee See eee 188 alounra: (Ziyi Saelia)) weree sess ase eee 35, 131 aloirica (Ep parchiial aieesce-tes: .. 58a 162 almie ((Aqaiiele)in' sees sase he eee eee 97, 215 alprcolas(AmmatneSs) lr. ores ce eeeee cee 39, 245 Alpines) (Platyies) igen tae 116, 158 aylromibundy (CY KC rake Ware ssyespcece cobb sasade ste 25, 97 aliermana (Steno MES ie tessa ase. etek 94 alternaria (Semiothisa) ..................... 93 awiernaiay (HPLPRGNOC) i rstssedenees.. Weakeccseeseers-eeee badicella, .(Depressaria)) as a2: - (Drepamn a). <....0:.225-- 96 contamimei (Zy faecal): Eee ce ce sssceeee 13 contaminellus: (Pediiasia)y .2:t2::.:.2-e- 5::::- hee es 94 fwilviaitias (Cioarial eee eee pees 44, Q74 fumosella (Solenobia) ....!.......0........... 34 SPECIAL INDEX PAGE furcata (Hydriomena) .............0.0:. 44, 241 SCL PECOAABY EA). p2c0050.2.00v celled beaeeee 166 SLi M@eaMas (BACLLA) 12.0... iil beens 92 MELIMMCIELA.. DEPPOCUS) 0.2. 2252-5... -d50sb etka 230 Mirvel AMAMCA)......05..42;05512. 42, 43, 70, 235 fuscedinella (Coleophora) .................. 91 fusconebulosa (Helialus) ... 26, 84, 225, 230 galathea (Melanargia) ... 12, 15, 66, 70, 93, 126 AAPA CAPER NOE) (60203 .02.co.0k 0202s 8 26, 69 MMI GANAYEACHA) .52.2522-+0rccecenesses Dele 1k gamma (Plusia) ... 23, 28, 29, 39, 44, 60, 164, 193, 216, 254 gemmaria (C. rhomboidaria) cemmiferana (Grapholita) ............... 70 genitalana (Cnephasia) ...............0.- 93 gentianana (Endothenia) .................. 68 gerronella (Brachmia) ....................006 94 giesekingiana (Zygaena) _............... Bie gigantellus (Schoenobius) .................. QTA Sty aaa, (ASPILALES) ........2i0fs2.00. ceca 42, 44 PRC PULGL CHEAP AMSN EIA) tracted e ioc cs Yona ccetbwatonbbe evo 105 areasa WAMAaLNeS).. 2.2... 0.05. f.2. 230, 235 glauca (H..bombycina) PAR AIIGA S(HICE DNA) conn .: 2k ecnssseccnesoscene 26 POT AE GEA COSUL) Fo. ca iocascerinseeecotesteres 43, 69 gonodactyia {Platyptilia) .................. 69 goossensiata (Eupithecia) .........0........ 26 _ gorgone (Erebia) ............... HA ADE AS hs SOPMIGA CORUM OSILA) Cerise. tds ee oewlen'e ol 68 eracilis (Orthosia) ............: 38, 69, 229, 230 PRAMS) (COLAPTCE YX). .-.0-..5.2sc05sec08 26, 43 CTR AS LITT TIO Wl OCA e 120 2 i a 133 PLISeaba (UMMOSECRE) [Sila cc.e.wideeeteldeg Q71 grossulariata (Abraxas) ......... 44, 224, 230 halterdita (Lohophora): voieiiiioe.. 6... see 26 Darpasiuta) (Drepanay)iies. Mokena 38 NAS tata ee MEMIM AP LCTA)......-.000.ssoeececess 26 MaSiiamal wWAGICTIS) (.2.cfi si scedReGths.- cn ck tee 275 haworthiata (Eupithecia) ............ 26, 94 iaywortiid 4(CCLACTIA)).....c10ci.cceseace-t0c. feet 234 EE ADE, WENIREUVC)s 1.5 code chance lancedsdedueeedane 142 hectare (HEMladus)) abst esse. coset ei olse 26 hetvolae (AmehOSGelis)) ..2...5.5.-2. 6.2 71, 98 BES PEELE A SOPOT) i. 501005.d0eiksarsee aces cedars 38, 96 hera (KE. quadripunctaria) hermione (Hipparchia) ................. 156 hippocrepidis (Zygaena) ............... 13, 134 hippothoé (Lycaena) ............ 1353 405s, 255 RMIT ee Tere CEA VCla) “podem se sera Goods .08 96, 166 hispidaria (Apocheima) ..................... 95 hortueciins:,. (Crambus)rici heb lie 4h hortulata (Eurrhypara) ............... 23, 44 hostilis. (NephopteryxX) ............... 215, 274 hucherardi (Hydraecia). «2.:................. 39 TENS (EFODIALUS)) then. dic. ccsedececeeneenees 44 haan (COMMAS) es eurecacs fwcaimesaneweateek aa: 224, 243 hyperantus (Aphantopus) ... 41, 43, 73, 266 icarus (Polyommatus).... 40, 41, 43, 69, '106,2 127, 128, 154, 1638, 179, 189, : 200, 281 icterata. (Hupithecia) <..2.0...0i..... 44, 226 _ ida (P. cecilia) idas (Plebejus) ......... 12, 15, 105, 128, 260 iduna (Euphydryas) ...........0........ sai te 260 PAGE imella.,. (Mononpis)).. ..--33.ct0c068-2<4-2- 94, 275 MMtaria(Scopula). oss sakes ase 26 immaculata. Glemistola): séis.:2-3-3.-2-469 26 immundana, (Epimotia) ec... ee 91 imipiwes: (hen Gaia). ,..iaecgen 3. 43, 98 HICAERAL ADS. (NOLOCEHD) mses cS. nae 227 incerta: (Orthosia) ......-.2:.-2:.-; 68, 230, 257 inconspicuella (Solenobia) ........:...... 33 mcdicata., (PUprtpeeia). ic: sab-sicstee-saeee= 26 TIMES CAMA DELES)) |. 222s. sere ence eae 178 mopians (Ee ySterosta) © < mtess.23-62. 92, 275 MOrMataniae (AMC YAS) ss eassseesett 8. s see 92 inornatella (Brachmia) ...... 915 Via weio insigniata (Eupithecia) ......... 60, 96, 97 interjecta (Euschesis) ............ T1, 94, 226 miercocarionis, -(PNSia) teers: ecb 3 235 io (Nymphalis) ... 68, 71, 72, 74, 85, 166, 179 LOWa:, CPUMISTA) Oi. .ce2c.scseuaroe eens 44, 230, 274 ipsilon (Agrotis) ......... 29, 39, 68, 193, 216 iris (Apatura) ... 28, 72, 74, 85, 119, 161, 214, 216, 246 Peres mlaris) (AMepI a) yee eee seis eke Q74 ireorata, (Scopula)” 22 noma ke 254 TEVOLeLLAa: (SCUIWA) ir .....neereee ole HON Hie: jacobaeae (Callimorpha) © .........-.... 116 janira (M. jurtina) jasioneata. (MiupHheeia) iis. shes s. ots he 225 yasins , (CHAPAMES) 33 ee cee ee 164 RIAiperata, (EWera)s Tess eer ees. see 224 jurtina (Maniola) ... 41, 43, 65, 71, 73, 120, 163, 178, 281 RERERIOET iCPTOMRIS) ) © <..2.snens oc eee eee ae 188 hacta, (Zyeaenay. .. tet ee. eles 129 album (leucanitaa sets 71, 296 kanesmris (Eriomaster) 2..27221...5... 26, 118 lappona > (Brebiay tise ee cots. 222 eo: i fapponaria (Poecilopsis)) ..5..242 22 37 Farictan a ji(Spil Ono tal iecessessse soa sce 94 Tariciata. (uprthecta)mners.-55.-eeeeeeee 26 lathonia (Argynnis) ......... 13, 16, 126, 162 La timasclaniatwUACleris)i serene eee 275 Tavaterae (Spilothiyaws) pees. ee eee 13 leautieri (Lithophane) ............ 98, 264, 296 lefebvrel: (EBrebia) ...............0.essec0 12, 14 lematella, (CNESIAS)) oi tseeecss-seseee soe ee 69 lepida (Hadena) ......... 19, 26, 28, 156, 157 leporina-(Apatele) © .2-2:5::.-5:-...- 29, 86, 297 leucographa (Hydraecia) .................. 95 leucophaearia (Erannis) ............... 68, 95 leucostigma (Celaena) ............ 25, 26, 226 liehenea:s (HUMIC TIS) meteseesere et: ees 71 Lichenella. (Solenobia) ewes 33 lienigianus. (Leioptilus) <................... Q74 izes (reba) sc eee LOSS OZ A 2b5 lienata (Orthonamia) .:i5)0:..41500. baae ee 295 thenen (Blastohasisy(22s2". 355 teens 23 Hisushel (Sturn ee 2 ee eS kN oes 69 Tinea o/e1cg Was held 20 ISTE 8 RR eer ice oem Q54 USTAG)2 3 Wn OLIG eee: 9 Renee ae cee cneipeas 415, 174 lineola (Thymelicus): <:....:20.... iio (5, Ds lberosas (PLOCWS)) Mec stz..ess ee eee 43, 226 lithareyria,. (Leucaniay yips2i.23 eS 43 lithoxsydlea. (APalvead)isesaics. os cetee cesses 43 Hagocalis= (Meucamialerresrc:s..ccc net at est 94 littoralis (P. litura) 6 SPECIAL. INDEX. PAGE Tittiras (ARMCHOSECLIS) ozs). iecteseeeaaaess 98 litura (Prodenia) ............ 59, 118, 199, 254 liturata, (Semiuotiisay ieee: 38 livornicam (Celerio) We ee-te-ee-c-t see ne eeeee 26 lixella: "(Coteophora) <8 eee. eee hear 272 lonicerae (Zygaena) ... 26, 37, 135, 149, 153 loreya) (Gem Gama eee eens cae 233, 254 Joteblay-(AMELAS TIA) | eceetae sa scaeees esses ee 93 1Oti (Ay @aeMa). | ace cl sone aees ooh oeeee se ecesee 133 lubricipeda (Spilosoma) ............... 43, 166 Narcens(EbyG@ir ale Cia) ee: 2.2 ecs eae ea ee 226 lucernea (Ammagrotis) ...... 19, 42, 43, 224 Ma ci@ella a (ATISEOESTI A) ieee ees seoeeeese 92 Ipeiern ave yy (Le GRTaeR ENS) > sdes5ecr cosophosdacseabbana: 84 huciparanenl Plexda) i As ar cete eet: 23 ince Hey, «(CD iOn OOM Ate)))) “pans deaaecoseescbaasnceeor 60 ioverruorsvey (UNOOiMINIG))) Wasesachesasoccseooonec 26, 164 Wace (IMENT GTA) see soc araoees acres 164 lundbladi (Gymmnoscelis) .................. 254 luneburgensis (Aporophyla) ...... 210, 234 lunula (Aporophyla) ...................5+ vi 2315) lunwlan(Colophasia). jiete.s-ccess-ceees 39, 93 Tapwlama n(Hepialis). ieee ie ie ce wcanse esse 225 arideovam (Wena) mers eeeaeesoe eae eee = 43 Tuabeale (SPU OSOMA Neen theese veces 43, 166 luteata (H. flammeolaria) luteolata (Opisthograptis) ............ 44, 69 diycaOne (NiaMTOWA)! oie:: nests oon teeeeceeee eee 16, 105 IbyGHirenera) ((VAWASTRZY Wesace noncnepasctaccpecrececcsocs 180 machaon {Papilio) ...... Ad ts) AGS 1035 4123, 154, 160, 178, 180, 187, 188, 211, 273, 280 maaciemta. (ASTOCMOLA) ust...cesnrseeckeeeesenee 39 macularia (Pseudopanthera) ...... 26, Q44, 71 maculata (P. macularia) maderensis (Cosymbia) ...................-+ Q54 maera (Lasiommata) ............ 103, 126, 281 malinellus (Hyponomeuta) ............... 117 MAlvac (PB yEGUS)) cece ce hee eesee = chee 69, 74 MaMa d(ZySaAenay)+....suscwcsysesossneeeee 8, 10 manniana (Phalonidia) ..................... 92 TaN BITS) | esseseceeeee seeeee eee 15, 161, 280 TAM Om (Beal secsesetees os cseee 41, 13, 14, 104 margaritellus (Crambus) .................. 17 margaritana (P. dipoltella) iImacrearitata --s 1 Gia Per roseana (PHAlONIa) — dect...weceon0.5-. co0.-2 <= 68 rostralis (Hypena) ............ 26, 95, 96, 98 rotundella (Depressaria) ............ 93, 94 Tuberata: (Hy Griomena): .s-c.2-2:03---2-e-<- 235 gubi (Callophrys),,.24:...24...00-.--s0- 74, 154 rubi (Chrysophanus) ................ 178, 180 PUBL UPMAT SIA) 2 :c05-ocesteaetddaensw peeeze 26, 226 rubi (Macrothylacia) ............ 70;.. 715;-276 Bi (WME CIA). cu. aceesacdeesdseceone epee tones 37 TWD Tdata. (EU hiya) ese ene eee 26, 38 Fubicana.:(PHalonia) i, occ. secon DRY DS tubiginata (Plemyria) ...........<.--- 94, 235 pabiginata. (Scopula) | .2c..-.s.se--0--ue00e 272 rubiginea (Dasycampa) .:..../.:1..2.s..006 95 rubicoliis (Atolmis)) .c.vs2c.:2204.. 22. 224, 233 Eubricosa (Cerastis). velsci2s te) -aereces 68 Bata w(COCNODIA)N. [sae Beeeena: Se aese soe 97 Mat ata. (CHESTAS), VA ees Gee Te ee Scions. Q74 Fuficapitella (Sti@mella). © .......:.5...6.2-. 213 PALICOENIS (Chao) ere eos eh ae eee aa 166 EaSosana, (Phiheochnroa). vices .2ce 275 HuMLCIS™ (Apatele) ices esos eeece eee 43, 70 rumina (Zerynthia) ...... tS is bayA, alvirhe 180, 254 TaeaprariantT heria) ie 7s.eeecere 68, 95 RHpLcola, (Coch yal Gita): lessee eee 93 rurea (A. crenata) Tusticella’ (MOnopis)) 224 2i.:222. eee 87 sacraria {(Rhodometra) ... 28, 29, 60, F 98, 164, 178, 211, 245, 258, 267 Saiieaea (Colostyia) Asch hk Cee. ieeseae 44 Salacelila aC ya) i csccteeeoeeeee eee 275 SA CIS a UCC OMA) rayne canteen te oes 106, 2411 salinellus (P. aridellus) sambucaria (OurapteryX) ..:.....<5...:.... 44 samiatella, (Stigmella) ...2..28sssei cee se: 213 saucirimalis (Pyrausta) > :..1¢. sio seascusehte kes sc 94 senex (Comacla) ...... 26, 181, 183, 184, 235 Sepiariai (GHOPMOS) sy. cecesenc eee eee 14 Seria SCORE) wre cnu hea mane ees 26 SOLICEALIS i(Rivulayh ees see eee 4A SCLEPADELAC : (PCOS), casocecstenss sae oaeeee 13 sexalisata {Mysticoptera) .................. Q74 SOxStiS ata, (AmpauNeS)) ss secetc ese pee acne 43, SUIS (EDT OCUIS Ne ac: Soetsen- co oe cece Q45 SiN ANS. (iV ACA) ee eleoerees 229 sinapis (Leptidea) ...... 1G oS seaeed Des 161, 189, 281 Siterata (Chilorocly sta) paenn sees, ee 235 SOMAACINAS = CEA OMA) ie rete neers reese 234 spadicearia (Xanthorhoé) .................. 69 Spa dicellacs(Selac ia) passscesseeee eecee eres 213 sparganella (Orthotaelia) .......0.......... 94 SPareoamie NOMA Sia) eens 39, '70 SPATS aha AMICON DK) Toes teens 26 sphegiformis (Aegeria) | .................00<« 26 sphinxs (Brachyonicha)) -e-aesese-ees eee 71 Spllodaciyila. AAIICIUA) Mice. ccnenens eres 70 Solna (CMe CTA) ar. .y.cs: eee ener ee pep al Sponsas(Catocala). yitvermes:-s. seer 26, 164 Stabilism(Orthosia), sce eee ee 68 Stainton, (Bankesia) ih. crestor ee eeeans 31 Siabices:-(26OCEtS) =. eae Bails Wri QIAF statilinus (Hipparchia) ... 15, 126, 162, 281 stellatarum (Macroglossum) ... 69. 163, 215, 266 stiemaiaica, (Amaimes). v....220-. apace 26 straminea (Leucania) ... 26, 41, 43, 70, 97 Siatarial eB ISiOM) iyo e eee ere 28, 68 Striava, (OOSCINTa). ..2.322-c4. see 164, 247 Siricallarial (ESreOnia)) (eee eee ee 25 Str oud (NOU He yess eee aye nee 97 stygne (E. meolans) . Suasat (Madea) ere speak erate eee perce 26 subbaumanniana (C. piercei) suberivora (Nepticula) ......+.........0...- 213 sublustris {Apamea) ............... 23, 43, 244 subnotata (Ru piuWecira) ieee eee 25 subocelica \(Thiotricha)! 15. 2crs.00ece 94 subpropinquella (Agonopterix) .......... 94 subsericeata “(StGRPI A)! cna. ccaece ices ecee 44 Subtusar (Zemopia) esse een cee eee 26 subumbrata (Eupithecia). .........0........ 44 succenturiata (Eupithecia). -............... 25 it SPECIAL INDEX s PAGE Sana |(maMmproptery xX) .. ..4--.--2---- 26 Promlimhmrellian(CalopLiia) ...,..-..---2--«-n2 + 213 superbella (Euchromius) .................. 213 SUSPECT A VE ALASLICNEIS) oj .ncecceceanessber ee 97 sutschana (P. obtusa) swammerdamella (Nemophora) ......... 69 SEER EBA AS) side pimps oc mamdas: rn nos> 38, 96 SVIVEShEANIa (SREEENA). oe. jen. co: .tae.0-02200% 26 sylvestris (Thymelicus) ......... 65, 74, 127 Syringaria _(APEIPA) >~.....:.-c2...0s-0+06 38, 297 PACHT ALS (SCHEAMEDA), 2 .65..5.5¢.0050.085. 94, 98 tages ((Erymmnis) .........00.... 69, 74, 126, 281 POISE IEILOR eA Bia. coos ce 154, 179 tavaxicr (Caradrina): ..05.8 44, 157, 225 tarsipennalis (Zanclognatha) ...... 20, 44 MOUSE OTC A+ (AVGACMA)r-.5:. ceecc ic sesccodsedecs 10 THOCAMAIS: CL APUGUS)~ ..05.....0.500s0cee0s 154, 163 HOUUEGPA A ESARDUA)) Pees. cceoccsscacsceokonedees 69 templi (Dasypolia) ............... 39, 71, 98 tenebrata (Panemeria) ............... 26, 69 HEMEDLOSa: > (TRAUESIMA) + 200i. .odec ees ooee 26, 44 fenniata (HWpPVNeCia) .............c.c ccc lbeee 94 tephradactylus (Oidaematophorus) ... 225 Hen CH ea (BGI) ofA. ..2.2ccccssoceescecs 93 HORAN eMUMETINIOS), Oo tr... fncec.sacceesnde 4142 TELS te ORISMIe) eer A eer Ree 26 ((ESNEVGEE ic] SER ae) ) rr a 26 HeLa REA (SGLEMI a) 5.0... scscc.0s css s0s ee 166 PHAlASSTVA (PAM eTUA oleic. ss. sees. 43, 166 thersites (Polyommatus) ............ 188, 189 ELOKE TALIS: S (ANCSTEECE WG LAS) ath eta Neh 236 tincta (P. hepatica) MEENA CAm (PSEA ODINTA): 1.0... 0c. .ceneconesnce 164 tithonus (Maniola) .................. iss WRB les iil (19 ra POY) wy (CB 278 Key 0100 OE) a Q54 A AE SERCOUOS) 5 oo cco dncnscpassnevberse 43, 128 fl AESWEC EN EIINETIS) | fies ses ccc. cs ccocsisbe cmev ever 26 EAMSAUpIIa (ZVLACMA) . oo. cbecsscesteeeess 134 transappenina (Z. romeo) PEAOSVErS. CHIEDSHIUA) oan ..caegisseac-ae ose 68 Re AMMFANM CE MOOSE)! 6 coe ecs eyez dcysceeassec se 230 tremula (Pheosia) ............ 43, 69,166, 187 AECMIO AM LNOTOUON TA), c.cnccocn>acoy'ssecepescsscs 166 triangulum (Amathes) ................00. 43 PRICCLOF MR (COLEOPNOTA) — ec yoccssedeiscenccoses Q72 tridens (Apatele) ...... 21, 166, 199, 215, 264 GINA CHS (WOALAIIIA). | a. co.gtnocee nse leciosscecesen 226 TOM eASTOCAIMIPA,)- -. fc ..uceedese-s0escees 163 PaO LIE SCOLOMTAMATIVA) ¢ vi.0c52.)-.nscss 5.320 ay trifolii (Zygaena) ............ 26538; dab, 450 TAME MuNMatay (Sterrhna)) ot .c8. ees. ee.ces 26, 70 tringipennella (Aspilapteryx) ............ 94 GH Eri ay (WIIG A) eta teetee bas. Basdas.b sees 4A serene Tea Siler (U3) ps :6 Sea ee lo 26, 44 triptolemus (Z. romeo) tripunctaria (Eupithecia) .................. 26 twiquetrella...(Solenobia) 2.....2:...... 33, 209 tristellus.-(Crambus) 22.2.0. sci eeese 16 els tetey CRM OO) 21a cee eee sa 19, 98, 235 trituberculana (Celama) ...... 215, 273, 74 timuncatar (DySStLOMmMa) s..c...2-c06 050 44, 229 Rea COVn DMB) ty Be eee 26 imi OMEN ONS) 2h.) Me teen temmeaa ee tad uate ees, 19 tullia (Coenonympha) ......... 119, 152, 247 my ar isy (ER PeDia). 60.2.5. 122224. 103, 104, 127 PA iyphae: (NOMaSTIA) .....2.:25..5 10, 166, faVNSNG A) CIN eREIR Ea) Tiers SU cere eee eee oe teee ae TANCE AM Asa aSDEVGESI al) e.cce es eeeeeeeeee Him tohae: (Strenveliay =" eee. ultimella (Depressaria) .................. umbellana (Agonopterix) — .....5.....2... (nia nes) (TENA AMIE) oad Soke ke 94, umbratied, (Cueulita): Vise .2fa..-.cceee umbratica (R. tenebrosa) UM ANU tes CP ey I a)e eae ct ace ese eee HANS S(ApaMVed) esas... ons. 26, pmionalis (Palpiia) soe... 98, unipuncta (Leucania) ......... 30, 243, Q54, unitana (Tortrix) PeReaies | BARREN tia unitella (Borkhausenia) _...,.............. urticase (Abtais)<~ til. teh ays. 4S. 68, 71, 72, 103, 166, 179, 189, urticae ‘(Spilosoma) .................. 94, Voice taney (COMPSHT) yee eee. eee Vania Ch VCO OUd)) cae: eee ee 26, Vablatan (RINGT ANE . act eterer tee ee, Velaitas (OGNTOUES) y ieiiesrscct ose heec occ eee venosata (Eupithecia) _......... 19, 25, 158, MEMES CIGCRO)E) Pete ccna te ee ete ee verbasci (Cucullia) ......... 70, 96, 233, 267, versicolora (Endromis) ......... 37, 166, 168, versurella (Coleophora) _................:. vespiformis (Ae@eria) .....5.....0....2.0.-06 Vestieralis. (ASkOtIS): cco Rl Vetusta, ((X yilenay, #32 occee) eee 40, wibiceha (Coleophora). - icccas--c- eee Vibtiemiana (TOwinrix) oes ee ee Witte: (Zy SAenaies ... se ee ee. wicrame “(Turanama) Sic... asses... 8, Vallica (Arciiay See 68, 69, 166, AUTITIS va nail. (COCA: v vsccsseeccoeeceseeer oe se 166, varensie(Celemia)) 25 it eee ee 40, wir elata - VAGASTS) se erce. soee setae s eats see ae virgata (Mesotype) — 2..............eeeeee 26, virgaureae (Lycaena) _......... 12, 103, 104, Wiridama | (MOLEC) sce ee ee eee oan: ViriplacaA(HelO this)! gens eee Ques Va UDA CE OMISTING)) meres. eee ee Vitellina: (ieucamia) (Mao eos ae cs... wailesella (Leucoptera) ...........:s......6 w-album (Strymonidia) _............ 74, Wa tiara Sane) Mr fore ee ae ee xanthographa (Amathes) _...... 26, 28, 39, RaAnthomista-(ANtitype)er cs. f oo econ KAMA. CLACALZE) oe see tes eee ets. NEV LOST AMA (AUECHMINDS) i sees tecees eee eere xylostellus (Ypsolophus) ..................... zelleri (Melissoblaptes) ................00... ZiczZac \(NOtodonta) >..2..225.2.- 19, 43, 69, 166, zophodactylus (Stenoptilia) ............ COLEOPTERA allard (Omalium). (20026. Bk. aipinay (Abeta) ... 2..2-fescsbes-c-ceers 263 bipustwiaw. (Aleochnama) « .: so0s2.ce ds.ccccsessedees oie 0uh 59, 140 HGP Hen OVEN SENIAT CA io. 2s eee Se cccte duivap oseealoa 59 INDEX th PAGE TeWEaY, (CEXOTEMTTICEN)! 53 seesaccesossccasse 108, 140, 288 ASLO Tele CELOMEINN Geb) eee ee eee 108, 140, 288 Sallounle tie (Meymremni@ ai meee eee 59, 139 sanguinea (Formica) ......... 59, 107-14, 140, 287 SCalblo rim Oadisn (visyarnni a) eee cee eee 139 schencki (Myrmica) ............ 59, 189, 287 simillimum (Tetramorium) ............. 144 SUGIIMNG Gis (MoyeanaNGa))) sae eee ee ie testaceus (Strongylognathus) ............ 139 transkaucasica (Formica) _............... 58 tuberum®! (meplothorax)) es. .-2e- soe 59 (Guam ORE TDIS! ((ERISTIMIS)) 9 segasarcoccasccomece 140, 287 GVA OC Oar Ses weaves tere Sen eee cei eect 281 ORTHOPTERA brunneus (Chorthippus) ...c......-:..... 138 domesticus” (Acheta): ~ucsecec.-..e see 137 dorsalis (Conocephalus) ............ 136, AS8o et DUETIced on griseoaptera (Pholidoptera) ............ 136 srossum (Stethopiiyma) s.2.......-.--.-- 137-8 parallelus (Chorthippus) .................. 138 punctatissima (Leptophyes) _............ 137 SUL OWU Ei, MG Men aero ae ee 137 viridissima (Tettigonia) .................. 136 ViITIGMNTSs (OMOCESHUS) eee. eee 138 TRICHOPTERA brevipennis (Anabolia) _............... 289-92 dubia, \(lronemuia)s ;..2.8 20223 289-92 (Larvae, etc. :—) basalis (Lasiocephala) _............ 195, 198 Brachycentrinacy ms ie... 194, 196, 197 ciliaris. (Notidobiay: 22. 195, 196 CEUNMNOEGUA: 1 ee serach ee ae rec eee ae 197 decipiens (Limnephilus) _ .................. 292 fimbriatum (Lepidostoma)............... 197 (GONE Giz Fe MeN en er Cots ae ene eel lS ae Om a 195 GOCTIMAC! Aeeteaccct. see cc 194, 196, 197 hintum (Gepidostoma)) .22-.s--.. 197, 198 irrorata: (Crunoeera)i oi. 2). 195, 198 aSiOGe pI allay weeensctensteseee ee eee 194, 197 Te eDIGOSCOMAM o Ysera cnee 197 Hepidostomatinae: ~~ sess 194, 196, 197 MMe pad ales see 194, 195, 291 nigriceps (Limnephilus) .................. 292 MME COLTS (SLO) Neeson ee eee 197 IN@GUCOD TAME eee eee eee mam. Se 3 194 DaldipEs: (SUMO e 9 kee ese ee eee eee 197 personatum (Sericostoma) _......... 195, 196 prlOSac(GOEKA ie eee ok eee eee, 197 SCH COSUOMMAN ome ones cee iar Rae aed eun tile ee 194 SCICOSTOMMANG A Cit nent eee eee 194-8 SCHUCOSLONMMAU IMAC a oa neh ee eee 194, 196 ASV EI KOT, ae wa hers eet ge RE Ne eed ee oe ae ere 195, 197 subnubilus (Brachycenturs) ...... 195, 197 a brs 2 : a er Peeves. 23 a" oa 1 os 1 JANUARY 1964 | THE i ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD AND JOURNAL OF VARIATION Edited by S. N. A. JACOBS, F.R.E:s. with the assistance of Ae) A. A. ALLEN, B.SC., A.R.C.S. C. A. COLLINGWOOD, B.SC., F.R.E.S. ‘> NEVILLE BIRKETT, M.A., M.B. H. C. HUGGINS, F.R.E.S. \ M H L. PARMENTER, F.R.E.S. J. M. CHALMERS-HUNT, F.R.E.S. H. SYMEs, M.A. Major A. E. COLLIER, M.C., F.R.E.S. S. WAKELY Commander G. W. Harper, R.N.(Retd.), F.R.E.S. ees we = PANY fap PA ay HME LOSE: | a a AGILE ESE cal ie ine Peta i tite Dae ce . ~ sh tag) r t Riss es ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION 35s. POST FREE. / Hon. Treasurer, CLIFFORD CRAUFURD, | _ Denny, Galloway Road, Bishop’s Stortford, Herts. EE a) 4 . & e é g : eg PRICE IA NET _ THE WORLD IN THE PAST WHAT IT WAS LIKE AND WHAT IT CONTAINED B. WEBSTER SMITH, F.G.S. Here is given a popular account, in simple non-. technical language, of the wonders recorded in Nature’s Great Stone Book of the Earth. Every cliff, field, quarry or river has a tale to tell. We wander amongst the Coral Islands, Mountains and Volcano Craters. We read of the Birth of the Earth and the Dawn of life; the Succession of Ages, each characterised by its own peculiar form of life. Every student of Nature will be thrilled by this most interesting story of the world when it was young. 73 plates in full colour 193 half-tone photographs 2is. net. THE STANDARD NATURAL HISTORY FROM AMOEBA TO MAN Edited by W. P. PYCRAFT, F.L.S. The wondrous story of evolution unfolded in this great book will be of unceasing interest to the general reader. Here will be found a comprehensive and lucid account of the development of species from the Invertebrates to the Vertebrates, from the Protozoa to the Primates. At the same time, pains have been | taken to ensure a sufficiency of scientific detail to || make this work an invaluable source of reference to |f the student. The names of the contributors should | inspire confidence, for they are men of world-wide |] reputation in their several subjects. The work is not | dependent upon, but is assisted by, its LG etna Over 900 text illustrations 12 colour plates 35s. net. From all Beakacliers FREDERICK WARNE & CO. LTD. Oe 1-4 Bedford Court, Strand, London, W.C.2 | S Bee The Silvicola Burgeff Group of the genus Zygaena Fabricius (Lep., Zygaenidae) By W. GERALD TREMEWAN Department of Entomology, British Museum (Natural History) and Huco ReEIss, Stuttgart The recent separation by Alberti (1958: 314) of Zygaena romeo Duponchel and osterodensis Reiss (=scabiosae auctorum) has made a study of the genitalia of the various subspecies necessary. In the following paper, the subspecies ere now grouped under two species according to their genital characters and the remaining species of the group have also been studied. The terminology of the genitalia follows that of Alberti Ciae. cit.). In addition to difficulties in separating the species, a considerable amount of confusion has existed in the nomenclature. The name osterodensis Reiss is here considered to be the name of the species for- merly known as scabiosae Scheven while the latter is placed as a subspecies of purpuralis Brunnich. This was first suggested by Reiss (1933: 252) who considered that the specimens figured by Schaffer (1766: pl. 16, figs. 4, 5), and named scabiosae by Scheven (1777: 97), were true purpuralis. The latter species is still found in the neighbourhood of Regensburg but the species osterodensis (=scabiosae auctorum) does not occur there and, even if it were found there in the time of Schaffer, it must have been so rare that it could not have predominated. Therefore, it is reasonable to assume that, if both species occurred at Regensburg, Schaffer took the commoner species (purpuralis) for his illustrations. On the basis of this argument, Reiss (loc. cit.) considered romeo Duponchel to be the species name. However, as stated above, romeo has recently been separated by Alberti (loc. cit.) as a species distinct from scabiosae auct. and, the next available name for the latter is osterodensis Reiss. This has already been suggested by Bernardi & Viette (1960: 245). The name minos Denis & Schiffermtller, which was considered by Dujardin (1952: 246) to be the species name of osterodensis, should, in our opinion, be used to represent the subspecies of purpuralis which occurs in the Vienna district of Austria. This opinion is also held by Bernardi & Viette Coes" Cit.). The examination of a Zygaena specimen, which was accepted as the type of dalmatina Boisduval, led to a further change in the name of the species (Tremewan, 1961b: 283). The name romeo was then returned to subspecific rank and dalmatina was taken as the species name. The study of the genitalia of this group has revealed that the species romeo probably does not occur in Dalmatia. It was originally thought that the subspecies goriziana Koch from GOrz, Istria and koricnensis Reiss from Kori¢na, Bosnia, were conspecific with romeo. An examination of the genitalia of the type of koricnensis and of genitalia drawings of two para- types (¢, 9) of goriziana showed these to be subspecies of osterodensis (=scabiosae auct.). The distribution (fig. 1) suggests that romeo does not occur in Dalmatia. After the publication of the Zygaena type catalogue (Tremewan, 1961b), Holik (1961: 51) published an article on the problem and maintained his earlier opinion (Holik, 1935: 60) that dalmatina is a subspecies of punctum Ochsenheimer, and that the specimen in the Bois- 2 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD 15/1/1964 duval collection was not the true type. In reply to Holik’s paper, an article was published by Reiss & Tremewan (1962: 39) when an attempt was made to confirm the validity of the type. In the original description of dalmatina, Boisduval (1834: 45) stated that the specimen was found in Daimatia, in the nieghbourhood of Ragusa (Dubrovnik). Boisduval compared the specimen with examples of “scabiosae’ (romeo Duponchel) from Italy and the Alps and stated that many of the Italian and Alpine specimens were referable to dalmatina. The specimen which was illustrated as the type (Tremewan, 1961b: 283, pl. 54, fig. 18) is conspecific with romeo Duponchel and is, in fact, probably one of the Italian or Alpine specimens mentioned by Boisduval. Holik, who has examined a photograph of the specimen, stated (in lit.) that it is an example of romeo orion Herrich-Schaffer. The additional evidence shows that it can no longer be regarded as the genuine type of dalmatina. Neither the species romeo nor osterodensis are known to occur at Ragusa while punctum is found abundantly in this locality (Holik, in lit.). It is therefore logical to follow Holik’s opinion that the true dalmatina is the subspecies of punctum occurring in the Ragusa district of Dalmatia. The distribution (fig. 1) of romeo and osterodensis overlaps in Istria, the west Alps through southern France to the East Pyrenees. It is possible that, in these localities, hybridization occurs as many specimens from these areas have what appear to be intermediate characters in the geni- talia. Such intermediate characters have been noted in romeo parvorion Holik, romeo freyeri Lederer, romeo orionides Burgeff, romeo lozerica Holik, romeo urania Marten and osterodensis eupyrenaea Burgeff. Acknowledgment is due to Dr. P. Viette, Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle, Paris, for the loan of material from the Le Charles collection. We also thank Mr. M. Koch, Dresden, for supplying drawings of the genitalia of male and female paratypes of osterodensis goriziana Koch in his collection. Also to Mr. G. Pardo Gonzalez for the loan of a paratype of nevadensis picos Agenjo, and to Lt.-Col. W. B. L. Manley for making the loan possible. Z. gallica Oberthur .¢6 genitalia. Horns of uncus short, broad and flat, variable. In the aedeagus, the lamina dorsalis is triangular in shape, shorter and broader than that in nevadensis Rambur, laterally edged with strong spines. Near the base a transverse row of strong and fairly well developed spines, rather variable in length but usually longer than those in nevadensis. Central part of lamina dorsalis spiculate, anterior to basal spines, scobin- ate. Lamina ventralis rather narrow but broader at the base, comprised of a field of short, strong spines, latter stronger and larger at the base and towards the centre. A portion of the vesica spiculate, cornuti hardly evident. Vesical pad or “Blase” present. Q genitalia. ‘Schildchen” very broad, triangular in shape. A slight development of the lamella postvaginalis, lamella antevaginalis ovoid, elongate. Ductus bursae weakly sclerotized on one side, anteriorly. Bursa copulatrix spherical, signum vestigial or absent. First pair of tibial spurs present or absent. Superficially, gallica may be distinguished from giesekingiana Reiss by the narrower forewings and rather denser scaling. The middle forewing streak is rarely broken in gallica and, when this does occur, is found only in aberrant specimens. 3 THE SILVICOLA BURGEFF GROUP OF THE GENUS ZYGAENA FABRICIUS “SSIOM SisUapolajsO “7 PUB ‘JeyoUOdNd Oawot. “7 “ANCUILY s7suapvsaaU NUaDHAZ Jo UONqiuaysIq—T Sly ‘SS!3y SISN3GOY3LSO *Z = CG) aHONOdNg O3WOy *7 = @ uNEWVY SISNZQVA3N "7 = (CD 4 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD 15/1/1964 Z. gallica gallica Oberthur Z. gallica Oberthir, 1898, Bull. Sec. ent. Fr., p. 21. Type locality: Neighbourhood of Digne, Basses-Alpes, France, 1000 m. Material examined: Lectotype ¢, 25 gd, 32 9, Digne, Basses-Alpes. ¢ genitalia. As above. The differences in the genitalia of gallica and giesekingiana are slight and possibly do not justify their separation into two distinct species. The two lateral spines at the base of the lamina dorsalis are more strongly developed in giesekingiana. © genitalia. Ductus bursae weakly sclerotized compared with that in giesekingiana, signum vestigial or absent in gallica, vestigial in giese- kingiana. The genitalia of gallica are figured by Le Charles (1935:15) and Alberti (1958: 314). The latter author has placed gallica as a subspecies of nevadensis Rambur but we see no justification for this. The genital differences, although small, remain constant. The lamina dorsalis of gallica is longer, while the lateral spines are longer and more strongly developed. In the females, the lamella antevaginalis in gallica is broader than that in nevadensis and the ductus bursae is broader and more heavily sclerotized. In nevadensis the signum is well developed but is vestigia: or absent in gallica. Reiss (1953: 141, pl. 9, figs. 10, 11) illustrates the nominate subspecies in colour. Z. gallica frigidagailica Dujardin Z. gallica frigidagallica Dujardin, 1956, Bull. mens. Soc. linn. Lyon, 25: 254. Type locality: Céuze, environs de Gap, Hautes-Alpes, France, 1500 m. Material examined: 1d, Céuze (coll. H. Reiss). 6G genitalia. As in gallica gallica. Z. gallica ssp. A series of 60 ¢ and 4 2 from Mt. Ventoux, Perrache, Vaucluse, represents a new subspecies. The specimens differ from those of the nominate subspecies in having less rounded forewings. The red coloration is brighter and the hindwing border is narrower. 6 2 genitalia. As in gallica gallica. Z. giesekingiana Reiss 6 genitalia. Horns of uncus short, broad and flat, variable. In the aedeagus, the lamina dorsalis is broad, triangular, laterally edged with strong spines, a larger and stronger spine on each side at the base, between these two large spines a transverse row of spines decreasing in length towards the middle. Central part of lamina dorsalis spiculate, Anterior to basal spines the lamina dorsalis is scobinate. Lamina ventralis broad at the base, narrowing anteriorly, comprised of a field of short, strong spines, latter thicker and shorter at base and towards the middle. Part of vesica spiculate, cornuti hardly evident, vesical pad or “Blase” present. @ genitalia. ‘“Schildchen” very broad, triangular in shape. Lamella postvaginalis moderately developed, lamella antevaginalis curved but narrower than that in gallica. Ductus bursae moderately sclerotized on one side, bursa copulatrix spherical, signum vestigial. First pair of tibial spurs present or absent. THE SILVICOLA BURGEFF GROUP OF THE GENUS ZYGAENA FABRICIUS 5 Z. giesekingiana Reiss Z. giesekingiana Reiss, 1930, in Seitz, Die Gross-schmetterlinge der Erde, Supplement, 2: 9, pl. Lh. Z gaiven &, interrupta Boursin, 1923, Bull. Soe. ent. Fr., p. 68, fig. 1 (infraspecific). Type locality: St. Barnabé (Vence to Coursegoules), Alpes-Maritimes, France, 1000 m. Material examined: 11 Gd, 2 9°, St. Barnabé; Grasse, Alpes- Maritimes. 362 genitalia. As above, see also under gallica gallica. The genitalia are figured by Le Charles (1953: 13) and Alberti (1958: 314). This species was originally described as a form of gallica by Boursin. It was later raised to specific rank by Reiss who renamed it giesekingiana. The name interrupta Boursin is infraspecific and, having no status in nomenclature, is not available. The name giesekingiana is therefore valid. Verity (1953: 51) incorrectly gave priority to the name interrupta Boursin, Le Charles (1953: 14) was of the same opinion and, in addition, considered giesekingiana and gallica to be conspecific. Alberti (loc. cit.) considered giesekingiana to be conspecific with nevadensis but we see no justification for this conclusion. The genital differences between nevadensis and giesekingiana remain constant. It is, however, difficult to decide whether giesekingiana and gallica are speci- fically distinct as the genital differences are small. It is interesting to note that they fall into two groups: (1) gallica, which has a wider distribution than giesekingiana and which at present can be separated into three geographical races or subspecies as follows: (a) gallica gallica from Digne, Basses-Alpes; (b) gallica frigidagallica from Céuze, Hautes- Alpes; (c) gallica ssp. from Mt. Ventoux, Vaucluse; (2) giesekingiana which is known from four localities, all closely situated in the Alpes-Maritimes, and which cannot be separated into various subspecies. The localities are St. Barnabé (type locality), Grasse, Coursegoules and Thorenc. The larvae of giesekingiana feed on Lathyrus filiformis Gay which is also the foodplant of gallica (Reiss, 1953: 135). Reiss (1953: 141, pl. 9, figs. 1-8) illustrates giesekingiana in colour. Z. nevadensis Rambur 6 genitalia. Horns of uncus short, broad and flat, rather variable. In the aedeagus, the lamina dorsalis is rather long, triangular in shape, laterally edged with strong spines, a longer and more strongly developed spine on each side at the base. Between these two basal spines a trans- verse row of spines which vary in length and which become shorter towards the centre. Central part of lamina dorsalis spiculate, basal part anterior to large spines, scobinate. Lamina ventralis narrow, comprised of a field of short, strong spines which become smaller posteriorly. Part of the vesica spiculate, a single group of cornuti composed of a field of minute spines. Vesical pad or ‘“Blase”’ present. Q genitalia. “Schildchen” broadly triangular but variable in shape. Lamella postvaginalis moderately developed, unsclerotized, lamella ante- vaginalis rather broad, elongate. Ductus bursae moderately sclerotized, especially on one side. Bursa copulatrix spherical, signum present, fairly strong, comprised of approximately 18-34 spines. First pair of tibial spurs present or absent. 6 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD 15/1/1964 Z. nevadensis nevadensis Rambur Z. nevadensis Rambur, 1866, Catalogue systématique des Lépidoptéres de VAndalousie, p. 166, pl. 1, fig. 10, Z. nevadensis atlantica Le Charles, 1957, Rev. franc. Lépid., 16: 21, pl. 5, figs. 37, 38 (nomen nudum). Type locality: central parts of the Sierra Nevada, south Spain. Material examined: A series of both sexes from the Sierra Nevada and the Sierra de Alfacar, Granada. do genitalia. Spines at base of the lamina dorsalis variable in length, usually short and reduced. A single group of minute cornuti, vesical pad or “Blase” present. © genitalia. Lamella postvaginalis moderately developed, lamella antevaginalis broadly elongate, ductus bursae moderately sclerotized, _signum present. Le Charles (1957: 21) applied the name atlantica to two specimens of nevadensis which are purported to have been taken at Ifrane and Douala in Morocco. As no description accompanied the publication of the name atlantica Le Charles, it can only be treated as a nomen nudum and, for convenience, is placed here under the nominate subspecies of nevadensis. In the text, Le Charles stated that the specimens were referable to the species romeo Duponchel but in the legend to plate 5 refers them to nevadensis! The figures 37 and 38 on plate 5 undoubtedly represent two examples of nevadensis. It would be of interest to verify whether neva- densis does actually occur in Morocco. Z. nevadensis dumalis Marten Z. nevadensis dumalis Marten, 1957, Ent. Z., 67: 14. Type locality: Sierra de los Filabres, upper half of Baza, south Spain. 1400 m. We have been unable to examine material of this subspecies. Z. nevadensis kricheldorffi Reiss Z. nevadensis kricheldorffi Reiss, 1933, in Seitz, Die Gross-schmetterlinge der Erde, Supplement, 2: 252; 1931, Int. ent. Z., 25: 114, figs. Type locality: Neighbourhood of Guarda, Portugal, 800 m. The genitalia of this subspecies have not been examined. Z. nevadensis guadalupei Koch Z. nevadensis guadalupei Koch, 1948, Eos, Madr., 24: 326. Type locality: Guadalupe, Prov. Caceres, Spain, 654 m. We have been unable to examine material of this subspecies. Z. nevadensis schmidti Reiss Z. scabiosae schmidti Reiss, 1931, Int. ent. Z., 25: 112, figs. Type locality: Neighbourhood of Arenas St. Pedro, Prov. Avila (Sierra de Gredos), Spain. Material examined: 1, paratype, Arenas St. Pedro; 18 gd, 9 9°9, San Ildefonso, Segovia and La Granja, Spain. 6G genitalia. Lateral spines of lamina dorsalis rather shorter and thicker than those in ssp. nevadensis. Vesical pad or “Blase” present. THE SILVICOLA BURGEFF GROUP OF THE GENUS ZYGAENA FABRICIUS 7 © genitalia. A slight development of the lamella postvaginalis, lamella antevaginalis elongate, ductus bursae moderately sclerotized, signum present. Originally described as a subspecies of scabiosae auct. but later trans- ferred by Reiss (1933: 252) to nevadersis which was then separated as a distinct species. The paratype examined is figured by Tremewan (1961b: ado. pl aT, He: 25): Z. nevadensis muda Marten Z. nevadensis muda Marten, 1957, Ent. Z., 67: 15. Type locality: Upper half of the Tera valley, between Laguna de Yengua and Laguna de Villachica, east of Mt. Moncalvo, Prov. Zamorra, Spain, 1300 m. We have been unable to examine material of this subspecies. Z. nevadensis falleriana Reiss Z. scabiosae falleriana Reiss, 1931, Int. ent. Z., 25: 111, figs. Type locality: Albarracin, Sierra Noguera and Sierra Alta, Aragon, Spain, 1400-1700 m. Material examined: 17 gd, 11 2 2, Orihuela, Aragon, 1700 m. 6 genitalia. Spines at the base of lamina dorsalis rather short but becoming longer laterally. A single group of cornuti, vesical pad or “Blase” present. © genitalia. Lamella postvaginalis moderately developed, lamella antevaginalis elongate, ductus bursae moderately sclerotized, signum present. This subspecies was originally described under scabiosae auct. but was subsequently transferred to nevadensis by Reiss (1933: 252). Z. nevadensis picos Agenjo A. scabiosae picos Agenjo, 1953, Graellsia, 11: 1. Type locality: Fuente Dé, Camalefio, Santander (Picos de Europa), Spain, 1001 m. Material examined: 1 <, paratype, Fuenté Dé, Camalenho (G. Pardo coll.); 3 6g, 10 99, Riano, Leon (W. B. L. Manley coll.). This was originally described as a subspecies of scabiosae auct. but an examination of a paratype ¢ has shown it to be a subspecies of nevadensis. Agenjo, in the original description, also referred to specimens recorded by Reiss (1931: 113) and Koch (1948: 322) but these specimens are osterodensis (scabiosae auct.) and are referable to ssp. cantabrica Marten. In addition to the paratype, a short series of nevadensis (3 ¢ 5,10 9° 9) from Riano, Leon has been examined. These specimens were previously placed as ssp. picos which was then transferred to nevadensis (Tremewan, 196la: 6; 1963: 8). Z. nevadensis timida Marten Z. nevadensis timida Marten, 1956, Ent. Z., 66: 287. Z. agenjoi Le Charles, 1957, Rev. franc. Lépid., 16: 21, pl. 6, figs. 39, 40 (syn, nov.). Type locality: Neighbourhood of Vallibona, mountains between Castellon and Tortosa, east Spain, 900 m. Material examined: 1 4, Tortosa (Z. agenjoi Le Charles, lectotype ¢ [Paris Museum coll.]). 8 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD 15/1/1964 6 genitalia. As in nevadensis nevadensis. We have been unable to examine the type material of timida Marten which was described as a subspecies of nevadensis. An examination of the lectotype ¢ of Z. agenjoi Le Charles, which was described as a species, shows it to be conspecific with nevadensis. The lectotype of agenjoi originated from Tortosa (leg. Marten) and was probably captured in the same locality as the type specimens of ssp. timida, under which the name is now placed as a synonym. The lectotype d of agenjoi was selected by Le Charles (1960: 103). Z. nevadensis ssp. -A short series of nevadensis (6 Od) from Sta. Fe, Sre. Montseny, Catalonia, probably represent a new subspecies. The most noticeable character in these specimens is the wide hindwing border. One specimen is strongly aberrant and has the forewing spots confluent and suffused with red scaling. 6 genitalia. Spines at the base of the lamina dorsalis short but well developed, vesical pad or “Blase” present. Z. mana Kirby 6 genitalia. Horns of the uncus short, flat, variable. In the aedeagus, the lamina dorsalis is elongate and triangular in shape, laterally edged with short, strong spines. Near the base, a transverse row of strong spines, variable in length, often decreasing in size towards the centre. Central portion of lamina dorsalis spiculate, anterior to basal spines, scobinate. Lamina ventralis narrow, comprised of a field of strong, short spines, latter decreasing in size posteriorly. Portion of vesica spiculate, cornuti hardly evident. “Blase” absent. Q genitalia. ‘“Schildchen” very broad, variable, triangular in shape. Lamella postvaginalis developed, weakly sclerotized, bursa copulatrix spherical, signum absent. In superficial characters mana may be separated from osterodensis (=scabiosae auct.) by its smaller size, broader forewings with rounded apex and generally broader hindwing border. Forewing streaks rather thicker than those in osterodensis. Antennae of mana shorter and rather more heavily clubbed than the antennae of osterodensis. First pair of tibial spurs absent. Z. mana mana Kirby Z. mana Kirby, 1892, A synonymic Catalogue of Lepidoptera Heterocera (Moths), p. 64 (nomen novum for erebus Staudinger). Z. erebus Staudinger, 1867, Stettin. ent. Ztg., 28: 101 (preoccupied). Z. erebaea Burgeff, 1926, Mitt. miinch. ent. Ges., 16: 15. Type locality: Adshara region, Georgia, Transcaucasia. Material examined: 5 dd, 2 929, Achalzych, Adshara region. 6 2 genitalia. As above. A considerable amount of confusion has existed in the synonymy of this species which was originally described as erebus by Staudinger. The name erebus Staudinger, 1867, is a secondary homonym of erebus Meigen, 1830, which is a synonym of anthyllidis Boisduval, 1829. Kirby (1892: 64) proposed the name mana to replace erebus Staudinger. In 1926, Burgeff proposed the name erebaea, apparently not aware of the name mana THE SILVICOLA BURGEFF GROUP OF THE GENUS ZYGAENA FABRICIUS 9 Kirby. The name erebaea Burgeff is therefore a synonym of mana Kirby. This synonymy was correctly published by Verity (1953: 50) and has been accepted by Holik & Sheljuzhko (1955: 112) and Alberti (1958: 315). The species has been confused with adsharica Reiss with which, super- ficially, it is very similar. However, the two species may be readily separated on genital characters. Z. adsharica, which flies in the same region aS mana mana, is not closely allied and belongs to the brizae Esper group of species (Cirsiphaga Holik). In superficial characters, adsharica may be separated from mana by the lower forewing streak which is broader and occupies the whole of the area between veins 1b, 1c, and the median vein. In mana, the lower forewing streak is narrow and constricted in the middle and does not extend in breadth to vein 1b. The first pair of tibial spurs are present in adsharica but are absent in mana. Z. mana chaos Burgeff Z. chaos Burgeff, 1926, Mitt. munch. ent. Ges., 16: 15. Z. erebus ab. interrupta Burgeff, 1914, Mitt. miinch. ent. Ges., 5: 45, pl. 5, fig. 18 (infrasubspecific). Type locality: Bethania near Tiflis, Georgia, Transcaucasia. Material examined: 1 ¢, paratype, Bethania, Tiflis. 6 genitalia. As in mana mana. Verity (1953: 51) placed the names interrupta Burgeff and chaos Burgeft as synonyms of mana. This is incorrect as chaos is a distinct subspecies. The name interrupta is infrasubspecific and, although published earlier than chaos, is not available. Burgeff originally described chaos as a dis- tinct species but Holik & Sheljuzhko (1955: 116) have correctly placed it as a subspecies of mana. The paratype examined is figured by Tremewan (1961b: 308, pl. 57, fig. 25). Z. mana tarkiensis Holik & Sheljuzhko Z. mana tarkiensis Holik & Sheljuzhko, 1955, Mitt. miinch. ent. Ges., 44/45: 115. Type locality: Berg Tarki near Petrovsk (Machatsh-Kala), Dagestan, Ciscaucasus. Material examined: 2 ¢ ¢,1 92, Kurush, Dagestan. 62 genitalia. As in mana mana. Holik & Sheljuzhko (1955: 116) placed the population of mana from Kurush under ssp. tarkiensis. Z. rjabovi Holik 6 genitalia. Horns of uncus short, flat and variable in shape. Lamina dorsalis triangular in shape, laterally edged with strong spines, a trans- verse row of strong spines, variable in length, near the base, central area spiculate, anterior to basal spines, scobinate. Lamina ventralis narrow, comprised of a field of short, strong spines, larger and more strongly developed at the base. A portion of the vesica spiculate, cornuti com- prised of a field of minute spines. “Blase’’ absent. First pair of tibial spurs present. Z. rjabovi Holik Z. mana rjabovi Holik, 1939, Ent. Rdsch., 56: 115. Type locality: Daratshitshag, Armenia, 2000 m. 10 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD 15/1/1964 Material examined: 2 ¢<, Daratshitshag (coll. H. Reiss), prep. Nos. 24154A, 24154B, F. Dujardin. S$ genitalia. As above. Holik originally described rjabovi as a subspecies of mana Kirby. Koch (1939: 403; 1940: 199) placed rjabovi as a distinct species. Holik (1940/41: 213) referred to Koch’s opinions but still maintained that rjabovi should be considered a subspecies of mana. Reiss (1953: 141, pl. 9, figs. 15-18) placed rjabovi as a separate species and illustrated four specimens in colour. Holik & Sheljuzhko (1955: 117) placed rjabovi as a distinct species following the opinions of Koch (loc. cit.). Alberti (1958: 316) placed rjabovi as a subspecies of mana. Z. rjabovi is closely related to mana and is very similar in genitalia but may be separated by the longer and more elongate lamina dorsalis. The spines at the base are shorter although this may be a variable character. The uncus horns of mana are rather larger and broader than those of rjabovi. Superficially, it may be distinguished from mana by the broken, middle streak in the forewings. Z. teberdica Reiss ¢ genitalia. Horns of uncus short, flat. In the aedeagus, the lamina dorsalis is triangular in shape, laterally edged with short, strong spines. Near the base a transverse row of strong spines, moderate in length. Central area of lamina dorsalis spiculate, anterior to basal spines, scobinate. Lamina ventralis narrow, comprised of a field of strong, short spines, latter decreasing in size posteriorly. Cornuti of vesica hardly evident, ‘‘Blase’’ present, well developed. First pair of tibial spurs absent. Z. teberdica Reiss Z. erebaea teberdica Reiss, 1939, Ent. Z., 53: 113. Type locality: Teberda region, north Caucasus. Material examined: Holotype 4, Teberda region (coll. H. Reiss), prep. no. 29154, F. Dujardin. ¢S genitalia. As above. Z. teberdica was originally described as a subspecies of erebaea Burgeff (=mana Kirby) by Reiss who subsequently raised it to specific status (Reiss, 1953: 141, pl. 9, fig. 14). The type is figured in colour by Reiss (loc. cit.). Holik & Sheljuzhko (1955: 114) placed teberdica as a subspecies of mana Kirby. Alberti (1958: 315) placed the name teberdica as a synonym of mana. However, in our opinion, teberdica should be considered as a distinct species and may be separated from mana by the shape of the lamina dorsalis which, in the latter species, is more elongate than that in the former. The lateral and basal spines are longer in mana. The absence of the “Blase” in mana may, if constant, be a further character for separating the two species. Superficially, teberdica differs from mana in its smaller size, rather broader hindwing border and the middle streak of the forewing. In teberdica, the middle streak is constricted but in mana is usually of equal width throughout. (To be continued.) FROM GAVARNIE TO DIGNE, AUGUST 1963 19) From Gavarnie to Digne, August 1963 By C. G. M. DE Worms, M.A., Pu.D., F.R.E.S. Much was written in the early part of this century about these two classic localities situated in the Hautes Pyrenées and Basses Alpes respectively, but, though they have been visited regularly by collectors, little seems to have appeared in our literature about them in recent years. I have therefore thought it of interest to give an account of my sojourn in both these famous resorts at a rather later period of the season than most people have been to them for their rich lepidopterous fauna. Mr R. F. Bretherton and I were much encouraged by an article written by the late Brig.-Gen. B. H. Cooke (1925, Entomologist, 58: 87) describing a whole summer in 1924, which he spent from May to August, based on Argelés. In it he gave a complete list of the butterflies he noted in the main part of the Central Pyrenees as well as those on its northern fringe together with their respective localities, though he did not describe their terrain and the countryside in detail. We, therefore, decided to join forces at Gavarnie early in August. I set out by the orthodox route on the 1st August by train to Paris and then took the very fast Pyrenées Express which landed me at Pierrefitte-Nestolas, just south of Lourdes, at 8.30 a.m. next morning. But a very wet welcome awaited me, in fact it was the heaviest rain of the summer in that region. A bus took me the 20 miles steadily ascending to Garvarnie at 4500 ft. where my haven was the well-known Hotel des Voyageurs run by the Viergez-Bellou family since well into the last century. In spite of the deluge I managed to sally forth during this first after- noon to see if there were many changes in these surroundings since my two previous brief visits to them in 1949 and as far back as 1928. I found the village of Gavarnie had been greatly enlarged with many new hotels and shops, but what was more interesting was a metalled road which had been recently constructed up the Gave d’Ossoue towards the Pic du Vignemale where a rough path had only existed before. This made accessible one of the best collecting grounds, since it proved to be one of the few that had not been grazed flat by cattle and sheep. But it was not till the morning of the 3rd that I was able to sample it to advantage. Fortunately the sun broke through after 24 hours of continuous rain with much flooding. I made my way slowly for 2 miles up the winding road from the Hotel and was soon able to appreciate the wealth of butterflies still on the wing. It was on the ungrazed slopes just after crossing the torrent that I came across the biggest concentration, for here Parnassius apollo pyrenaica H.-B. and Papilio machaon L. were sailing about in numbers, though many were past their best, while no less plentiful were Aporia crataegi L. and Colias croceus Foure. Gonepteryx rhamni L. and Aglais urticae L. were both numerous, also Argynnis aglaia L. and Lysandra coridon Poda in the form minutepunctata Vty. with very pale underside. There were a few Melitaea didyma Esp. and M. dictynna Esp. still on the wing, the former with very dark females. The Satyrids were mainly represented by the very small and bright form of Hipparchia alcyone W.V. But of the two Erebias seen in this rich locality one flitting round tufts of long waving grass turned out to be E. manto Esp. in the spotless form constans Eiffel, while a smaller species in the more rocky parts proved to be E. gorgone Bdv., which is confined to the Pyrenees. Coppers in- 12 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD 15/1/1964 cluded Lycaena virgaureae pyrenemoniana Vty. and L. alciphron veronius Frhst. I only saw one Maculinea arion Rott. and two of the local small form of Polyommatus escheri Hbn., while the inevitable Melanargia galatea L. was in abundance everywhere. That fine afternoon I spent in a walk towards the famous Cirque with its towering sheer rock faces over which several waterfalls descend from the huge glaciers of Mont Perdu and other large peaks. But most of the meadows had been cut in this region. There were still a few worn Erebia meolans gavarnica Obth. (=stygne Ochs.) and I saw another M. arion Rott. In the evening Mr. and Mrs. Bretherton and their younger son arrived by car, having spent nearly a week travelling across France. We made a late walk up the lower part of the Gave d’Ossoue, and among many of the butterflies already mentioned, we added the Skipper Pyrgus accreta Verity. A glorious morning, still and sunny, greeted us on the 4th when we all set out at an early hour on foot for the Cirque in order to reach it before the hordes of tourists who invaded it daily by foot or on the backs of horses or mules. The three miles along the main river took us just over an hour and it was not till we began to ascend during the final mile that we started to see a number of insects on the wing. The first was a small Erebia of the complex tyndarus group which that eminent authority, Mr B.S. C. Warren has designated as E. neleus murina Reverdin. Another butterfly of especial interest was Boloria pales L. of the form pyrenemiscens Verity which from its anatomical characters some authors regard as a separate species. It was flitting about in numbers low over the herbage at the entrance to the Cirque and more plentifully on a higher slope which was covered with a fine growth of the tall blue Pyrenean Iris, a grand sight. A further attractive insect to welcome us early in the day were several Pontia callidice Esp., mainly females, careering over the steep slopes. There were still a few Colias phicomene pyrenaica H.-S. to join them. The screes high above the pinewood at the western end of the Cirque were alive with Erebias, particularly E. epiphron Knoch, as well as E. neleus murina Rev., but the most interest- ing insect in this region was E. gorgone Bdv. of which the males varied greatly in size and spotting, but we only took a single female on this occasion. This sex has a most striking chequered underside to the hind- wings. This species seemed only to affect the rough grass on the edge of the screes. I noticed a larger Erebia settled on a small rock bordering the scree slope. It turned out to be a male E. lefebvrei Scop. with a ring of large spots all lanceolate. This species, too, which is a denizen like the previous one of the Pyrenees, was most fascinating and extremely variable not only in ground colour, but in markings. Russell Bretherton who ventured near the big cascade on the floor of the Cirque after crossing a large snowfield took several of this insect, including some fine females. Most were velvety black referable to f. rowlandi Warren, while others had large red patches both on the upper- and undersides of the forewings. The spotting, too, was most variable with specimens having only a few on all the wings compared with others with a complete ring of large spots. But this form of E. lefebvrei Scop. is much more heavily marked than its subspecies astur from the Eastern Pyrenees and Northern Spain. James Bretherton who had ascended the heights above the cliff wall brought back among other captures a single Erebia lappona Esp. f. sthennyo Graslin. The Blues were mainly represented by a very bright form of Plebeius idas alsophila Verity, also by P. argus pyrenaica Tutt, FROM GAVARNIE TO DIGNE, AUGUST 1963 13 Cupido minimus Fuessl., Cyaniris semiargus Rott. and the Coppers Lycaena dorilis and L. hippothoé L. The Skippers noted included Pyrgus serratulae Ramb., P. accreta Verity, Spialia sao Hubn., and Adopaea lineola Ochs. The only Burnets seen were Zygaena filipendulae L. and a single Z. hippocrepidis Hbn. The nettles in the whole region seemed to have been devoured by legions of larvae of Aglais urticae L. of all sizes. We estimated we had seen at least 30 species of butterflies in the ideal conditions prevailing during the day. The next day, the 5th, we motored down the valley to Gédre, then up the adjoining Vallée d’Héas ascending some five miles to the end of the road, but it became somewhat overcast when we surveyed the local slopes. As we were returning by a steep path, we came across a bank of long grass alive with Erebia manto Esp. which rose in dozens as we walked through it, but many were already past their best. We retraced some of our route down the main valley and then walked up the side Vallée d’Estaubé where a large reservoir has recently been built with a very high barrage, which we crossed and then skirted the western side of the lake where there was plenty to keep us busy. Lysandra coridon Poda was in abundance as also was L. bellargus Rott. A number of Issoria lathonia L. were flitting along the narrow path which was also patronised by several Spilothyrus lavaterae Esp. of a very small form. Hesperia comma L. was well to the fore and we also took Argynnis niobe L., but probably the most interesting capture was an example of the small Burnet, Zygaena contaminei Bdv., a very local species confined to the Pyrenees and Northern Spain. The next morning we further explored up the Gave d’Ossoue motoring up the very narrow and steep road to the upper pastures which had been very heavily grazed and it was only when we found an unimpaired slope did we see much on the wing, mainly Melitaea didyma Esp., M. parthenie Borkh. and some much fresher E. manto Esp. as well as the first Turanana baton Bgstr. A heavy thunderstorm cut short our collecting for the rest of that day and a dull morning broke on the 7th when we set out once more by car down the valley past Luz and then up to Cauterets which I had last visited in 1949. But it was still very wet and misty when we drove up the tortuous road to the Pont d’Espagne at some 1500 ft. above the town where a huge car park now exists and also a téléférique to take the hundreds of tourists up to the famous Lac de Gaube at just over 0000 ft. But we elected to ascend to this beauty spot by foot up the steep path through the pinewoods, taking nearly an hour, but fortunately when we did reach the lake, the clouds parted, though not enough to see the great Pic du Vignemale towering above it. However, for a short time butterflies began to appear, especially Parnassius apollo L., Issoria lathonia L., Adopaea lineola Ochs. and Erebia neleus murina Rev. We motored back to Gavarnie late that evening and next day at an early hour Russell Bretherton and I set out on foot towards the Cirque, then up a winding path to the west till we came out on an open plateau, very bare of herbage due to grazing. A most surprising capture in this barren area were two examples of Thecla spini W.V. with a large orange patch on the forewing similar to the Spanish form. Pontia callidice Esp. was also flying at this altitude, but we soon came on some rough hillsides where Erebias were in plenty, mainly E. gorgone Bdv. with a few E. manto Esp. We then ascended to the Port d’Espagne at some 7000 ft. where there is only a large stone to mark the Spanish frontier. At this point, on a 14 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD 15/1/1964 stretch of very steep scree, E. lefebvrei Scop. was flying in plenty, though as usual very difficult to net and with many somewhat worn. We returned in dull weather by a long and winding route over much grazed ground till we almost reached the Gave d’Ossoue near which by a torrent we came on a rough patch where numbers of butterflies were resting, mainly Plebeius argus L. with a good many E. manto Esp., while clumps of figwort were smothered with larvae of a Cucullia which may prove to be C. scrophulariae Cap., but a disappointment was the absence of Polyommatus pyrenaica Bdv. which had been reported from that region. It was probably already over. The morning of 10th August we once more set out down the valley to Luz, then up the big motor road through Baréges, to the very steep ascent to the summit of the Col de Tourmalet at 7250 ft., well above the clouds, but only a few Erebia epiphron Knoch. and E. meolans Schweiz. were flying at this level. However in the afternoon we walked up the toll road leading to the Observatory on top of the Pic du Midi at 9000 ft. The south-facing slopes were bathed in sunshine with the screes abounding with Erebia lefebvrei Scop. which were flitting up near the edge of the road, but most of them kept tantalisingly out of reach of the net, though a few which ventured across the road were captured. They were accom- panied by a good many of the black geometer Gnophos septaria Guen. Russell Bretherton who ascended to the Observatory came across a small colony of the very local Burnet Zygaena anthyllidis Bdv. which only occurs just beneath the summits of the highest Pyrenean peaks. But when we returned to the Col the clouds had descended making the drive down very slow and quite hazardous. Unfortunately the Brethertons had to start back to England early on the 10th which proved to be the finest day of our stay. I once more set out on foot for the Cirque where butterflies were even more plentiful than on our previous visit a week earlier. Boloria pales L. was skimming everywhere over the siopes, whije the scree harboured many more Erebias, particularly E. gorgone Bdv. including several females. When I surveyed the rough ground below the high waterfall E. lefebvrei Scop. was in numbers and mostly in much better condition than those seen in other parts, in fact there seemed a fresh emergence of this insect which I found quite easy to catch on a patch of ground covered with a brightly- coloured anemone to which they were attracted. Among them I was surprised to take a solitary female E. evias Godt. E. neleus Warren was also extremely plentiful. It was altogether an ideal day for collecting and seeing the full scale of insects on the wing. I spent my last day, the 11th, up the Gave d’Ossoue where most of the species I had previously observed were flying in increased numbers, especially Hipparchia alcyone W.V. An unexpected visitor to this area was Limenitis rivularis, not usually seen at these altitudes. This insect brought the total to just 60 species of butterflies noted in this Gavarnie region and its vicinity in the ten days of our visit. I set out from Gavarnie at an early hour by bus on the 12th for Lourdes» where I caught a through express via Toulouse and Narbonne to Mar- seilles and thence, after a short wait, I travelled north again to St Auban and on to Digne which I reached about 10 p.m. after a journey of some 450 miles. My headquarters was the spacious Hotel Mistre in the main street of this very pleasant and comparatively large town situated on the FROM GAVARNIE TO DIGNE, AUGUST 1963 bb River Bléonne. Mr. Stoughton Harris, who had spent a profitable week’s collecting there in June 1963, had told me of some of the best localities for lepidoptera, as also had Col. H. Bridges who was there in 1962. I was soon to appreciate the wealth of this region when I set out on foot the next morning in brilliant sunshine to some wooded slopes on the out- skirts of the town just to the north. The feature of these famous surroundings in this late part of the season is the abundance of the large Satyrids which were my chief quest. In a flowery clearing I met them in force. The scabious heads were well patronised by both sexes of Hipparchia actaea Fab., the males a superb glossy black. They were accompanied by a few H. cordula Fab. which could be readily distinguished by their more rounded forewings, while huge females of H. circe Fab. were to be flushed almost at every step in the long grass. H. arethusa W.V. was just starting to appear as also was H. statilinus Hbn., though only the males. This favoured spot seemed to attract all the butterflies of the region. Lysandra coridon Poda was swarming together with a good proportion of L. bellargus Rott. The hedges were alive with Maniola tithonus L. and Melanargia galatea L. and among others of the 27 kinds of butterflies I saw that first morning were several Gonepteryx cleopatra L., many Colias australis Verity, C. croceus Fourc., and Papilio podalirius L., also P. machaon L., Argynnis cydippe L., M. cinxia L., M. didyma _ Esp. and a single female Pieris manni Meyer. As is often usual in such moun- tainous parts, a thunderstorm in the afternoon precluded further collecting for the day, but when I revisited this rich spot the following morning besides the species already mentioned I was able to add Melitaea phoebe Knoch, Polyommatus escheri Hbn., Argynnis aglaia L., Hesperia comma L. and a large speckled Skipper which turned out to be Pyrgus foulquieri Oberthur. On 15th August I set out on foot up one of the valleys towards the south-east of Digne to cover the 33 miles to the Thermal Hotel situated under a rocky cliff in a small gorge. The whole river is lined with thick scrub, mainly sallows, poplars and sea buckthorn, but it soon clouded over so that very little was seen on the wing en route. However, it cleared sufficiently near the hotel for me to see quite a number of species flying in a small meadow by the river. These included Argynnis daphne W.V., A. dia L., A. paphia L. and Agrodiaetus damon W.V., all somewhat past their best, as well as Limenitis rivularis near the hotel, while a very dark form of Melanargia galatea L. was in abundance. On the outskirts of Digne on the way home I came across some long grass smothered with Blues at rest, the most interesting of which was Plebeius idas with large females flushed with blue of the form calliopis which feeds exclusively on the rhamnoides and may well be a separate species. Hipparchia dryas Scop. was flying on this ground with several males still in good order. The next morning I once more paid my usual visits to the wooded slopes where Hipparchia arethusa W.V. and H. statilinus Fab. were much more numerous. In the afternoon I got a lift up the five miles of winding road to the foot of the long and steep escarpment of the Dourbes at 4500 ft. Here a grassy plateau was alive with butterflies, mainly Lysandra coridon Poda swarming together with numbers of Colias australis Verity. I walked the three miles downhill collecting all the way. ~ Round some bushes I saw some large Satyrids flying which turned out to be Hipparchia hermione L. and a single H. fidia L. In another stretch 16 ENTOMOLOGIST S RECORD 15/1/1964 where the ground is very much eroded into bare channels, there were a few Maniola lycaon Rott. and Coenonympha dorus Esp. Lower down I took several Leptidea which turned out to be both L. sinapis L. and L. duponcheli Staud. which are not readily distinguishable in their summer broods except by their respective antennae, since L. duponcheli lacks the white fleck on the underside so prominent in L. sinapis L. August 17th proved a thoroughly wet day which made any collecting impossible, but on the 18th the sun was out again in all its strength. I paid another afternoon to the Dourbes by taxi, going somewhat higher than before. In a lavender field in full bloom butterflies were again in plenty, in particular Papilio podalirius L. and P. machaon L. While waiting for the taxi to pick me up at the lower level after walking down again, I happened to spot two full-fed larvae of P. podalirius L. on a small plum tree. But there was no sign of Erebia neoridas Bdv. reported from this region. My last morning at Digne on 19th August was very fine and warm and I put it once more to good use in the usual clearing on the outskirts when the big Satyrids were at their height in this spot. I saw no less than nine species all flying together. In addition to those already mentioned from this locality, I saw Hipparchia dryas Scop., H. hermione L., H. fidia L. and H. briseis L., also Issoria lathonia L. and Thecla spini W.V. Burnets, too, were common in this area. They have been identified by Mr. W. Tremewan of the British Museum (Natural History) as mainly Zygaena fausta apocrypha Le Charles and Z. occitanica arida Dujardin. Calli- morpha hera L. was abundant on flowers, while Eilema caniola Hbn. was very numerous at rest on buildings. I had noted a total of 55 species of butterflies during my week at Digne. I left that afternoon by train over the very picturesque mountain route via Veynes to Grenoble and on to Paris and London the next day, thus ending a very pleasant and profitable three weeks in these two delightful regions of France. Three Oaks, Woking. 24.xi.63. Notes on the Microlepidoptera by H.C). Heeeins;, FRE. Heterographis oblitella Zell. On September 18th, 1963, my son took his wife and myself to Tollesbury on the Blackwater estuary. When we had walked along the sea wall for over a mile we noticed a large number of Crambids in the grass. The great majority of these proved to be late. worn specimens of Crambus tristellus Fabr., but amongst these I saw a different smaller insect, which on capture proved to be a slightly worn male of the light form of H. oblitella. On our return I flushed another of what appeared to be the same species, but unfortunately it flew .out over the mud to a clump of Aster tripolium, and as I was wearing light shoes, I could not follow it. I have not as yet heard of any other captures this year and Mr. A. J. Dewick, whose trap is only half-a-dozen miles away from Tollesbury as the crow flies, has seen none. It is curious how this moth always turns up within a few miles of the sea. So far as I can recollect, the only inland records are those of Captain Marsh in the Canterbury district, and that of Mr. Fairclough in mid- Surrey. NOTES ON THE MICROLEPIDOPTERA bir Crambus margaritellus Hiibn. With reference to Mr. Kennard’s note on this moth (antea: 260) I suspect it would be found to be more widely distributed in Devon if looked for. I spotted a single specimen in Tuke’s collection, taken at light, and my wife and I then worked the two or three boggy meadows on his estate until we found it; it was quite common in a wet meadow, which meadow also contained Tuke’s private colony of Euphydryas aurinia Rott., of which no one was allowed to take more than four. Margaritellus was easily disturbed in the sunlight, and some of the females were very tiny and whitish. Ali my Honiton specimens are smaller and duller than those I have from Cannock Chase, which are decidedly redder, and two specimens, not of my own taking, labelled “Perth” are still larger and redder. The reference to Devon in Beirne is due to me, not a mere repetition of Meyrick; as it says in the preface, I read the book in typescript and made additions, and Dr. Beirne also called on me and saw my collection before going to Canada. Anthophila pariana Clerck Early in October I saw two specimens of this pretty and variable little moth on the window here, attracted by the light. I had not seen it locally for some years, though as an apple feeder, it is more likely to appear in gardens and small orchards to-day than else- where. When I lived near Sittingbourne I used to find it in great numbers by scratching the thatch of a barn near the bottom of my garden. I was then living in a cottage surrounded by orchards, which explains the abun- dance of pariana, which used to retire to the thatch directly the nights turned cold. I doubt whether it couid be so easily obtained to-day, I could easily see fifty in half-an-hour then, as barns to-day are usually roofed with cor- rugated iron or asbestos. I am aiso afraid that modern intensive washing will have greatly reduced its numbers. The larva, which feeds on apple leaves. is not very easy to find, but L. T. Ford, W. G Sheldon and myself ajl bred it in small numbers. I wonder whether Laspeyresia prunivorana Rag., of which I took two specimens in 1922, just before leaving the house, is still there, or Tortrix diversana Hiibn. which was abundant in an old orchard near? I expect that modern “improvements” have put paid to both. CUCULLIA ABSINTHII L. Moves Nortu.—Another example of the rapid way this species is extending its range comes from Yorkshire. A couple of years ago larvae were taken at Leeds and shown at the Y.N.U. meeting. This autumn I took a number of larvae from the foodplant near Brough- bridge. The foodplant flourishes on the ground laid bare by the con- struction. of new roads, in this case the recently opened Broughbridge bypass on the Al road. The chamomile daisy growing on the same ground has proved a good pasture for the closely related Cucullia chamomillae Schiff. It will be interesting to see how long it will take C. absinthii to reach Tees-Side, where its foodplant is very abundant and towards which dis- used railway lines may well provide a route along which to spread.—C. I. RUTHERFORD, 24 Oakdale, Harrogate, Yorks. 8.xii.1963. 18 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD 15/1/1964 Dingle 1963 By Hi: CC, BHuecins; E.BES. As I have already mentioned (antea 219) I decided to join forces with Mr. E. S. A. Baynes at Dingle in 1963 to go further into the distribution of Platyptilia calodactyla Hiibn. of which my wife had taken the first authen- ticated Irish specimen in 1962. I also wished to try for some more of the coastal species, whose erratic coloration as regards melanism has occupied my mind for some time, so I proposed a month’s stay. Incidentally, I like the place for a holiday also, and my wife loved it. - When we arrived on June 26th, the general topic of conversation was a basking shark which had become entangled in a trawler’s nets and was lying on the shore by the pier. It was said to have done over £100 worth of damage to the nets and was 27 feet long and stated to weigh two tons. Whether this was the case or not I cannot say, but it was, at any rate, like Mr. Jingle’s mythical luggage, “Heavy, damned heavy”. Several attempts were made to sell it for fish meal, for which purpose the large skates, often weighing over 150 pounds are sold, but it proved too un- wieldy for the lorry that came to collect it. After five days, it began to “hum” a little, and to avoid causing a nuisance, the fishermen had to tow it out of the harbour to sea. I do not know whether its remains washed up anywhere else, it may possibly have arrived in a mutilated condition like the celebrated Oronsay monster to add to the sea serpent legend. The winter had been very hard at Dingle as elsewhere, and the har- bour had been frozen over for the first time in human memory. The fuchsias, excepting in very sheltered places, had been cut to within a few feet of the ground, but on the other hand Silene maritima, which of late years has been quite rare, and usually unapproachable, had very greatly increased in the whole Slea Head area. The local birds had altered their status in several cases. Shortly after our arrival, my old friend Sylvester Nolan introduced us to Mr. Frank King, the well-known Irish ornithologist, who has recently opened a prac- tice at Dingle. Mr. King accompanied me on the one day the weather was fit for a trip to Inishvickilaun, and I was able to check what I saw of the birds by his much greater knowledge. The first thing I noticed was that the stonechat, usually common, had entirely disappeared; whilst Mr. Baynes was with us we covered most of the peninsula, and did not see one. It is to be hoped that it still survives in a few sheltered places and will re-colonise, as the Kerry stonechat is said to be of the Hebridean subspecies. The chough on the contrary, was more numerous than ever. On the last day of my stay, my son took me in a car for a last run round, and near Sybil Head we saw a flock of over torty. To make certain, we stalked them behind some rocks and got with- in fifteen yards, and he filmed the last four or five as they rose. The puffins were also much commoner. In 1961 they were very common on Inishvickilaun; in 1962 there was not more than one tenth of their previous number, but in 1963 they were more numerous than ever. There appeared, so far as I could tell, to be more storm petrels there also. When I was rattling the rocks for Euphyia bilineata ssp. isolata Kane I heard far more protesting in their nesting holes than ever before. The noise is usually described as purring, but to my mind it is more like a cat with asthma, of which I knew a good example on Tresco. DINGLE 1963 19 One last thing I should mention before reaching the lepidoptera (get forrard Ego, get forrard!) and that is that certain northern birds remained behind. There was an immature glaucous gull in the harbour which Mr. King tells me is still there, and he pointed out a bridled guillemot on our Blasket trip. He also told me he had seen a dark fulmar, which is again. an arctic race. As mentioned, the weather was only once safe to make the trip to Inishvickilaun, but on that day it was good. As usual, I took two nets, and got a friend to use one. We saw in all, eight bilineata ssp. isolata, unfortunately all males, and succeeded in obtaining five. Of these, Mr. King caught one, and when he surrendered the spare net as he was digging out a storm petrel’s burrow to check its identity (incidentally, it contained a bird, an egg and a rabbit!) Mr. Bernard Goggin, a young local kotanist, took it up and succeeded in getting another. This moth is disap- pointing; when first caught it has a fine jetty sheen, but after a year this disappears as I have seen in my 1962 specimens, and I fear they will soon be brown-black like Kane’s Tearaght ones. I also took a number of larvae of Eupithecia venosata Fabr. ssp. plumbea Huggins which I originally described from Inishvickilaun speci- mens. I am pleased to say that the three pupae from 1962 larvae all pro- duced plumbea, which is evidently the only form on the island and a good subspecies. As I do not think that any have yet been shown, I might mention that plumbea is nearly black, much darker compared with ssp. fumosae Gregson than fumosae is compared with the type. Mr. Baynes and I, in 1963, at last, succeeded in getting some venosata larvae from the coast of the mainland. These have been isolated, and it will be interesting to see whether they too produce plumbea or the smoky form taken by Donovan on the Cork coast. There appears to be no con- sistency about these coastal insects. Hadena caesia Bork. and H. lepida ssp. capsophila Dup. are identical from the west Cork and Kerry cliffs and the Blaskets, whereas mainland bilineata vary enormously from cliff to cliff and isolata seems to be confined to Inishvickilaun and Tearaght, where it possibly survives; on either rock it is the sole form. My list of captures of any general interest is as follows :— Notodonta ziczac L. Amongst the numerous specimens that came to light were two very thinly scaled dilute specimens, new to me. Eilema complana L. A footman larva found just above sea level on the cliffs at Slea Head was carefully reared but proved to be only a typical specimen of this species. Cryphia muralis Forst. I worked this moth more than any other and got three more each of ab. nigra Huggins and the similar aberration in which the ground is greenish black. I also took a most interesting light buff insect, but unfortunately it knocked itself to pieces on the way home. I have now, in all, seen about 70 Dingle muralis (the result of about 30 days’ searching) and can confidently say that the typical form is not found there. j Agrotis trux Htibn. and Ammagrotis lucernea L. Both these come some distance inland; I took them at light in the hotel garden. Mamestra brassicae L. There were several specimens of a very small form, no larger than Euxoa tritici L. in the trap. As I was busy with setting, I left them, until one morning Mr. Alan Wheeler, who was look- ing at my catch, thought they were odd, so we took one each. After 20 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD 15/1/1964 that I only saw bad specimens; the one I kept I am sure is only brassicae although of a more buff tint than usual, but I have kept one of the poor ones to be dissected in due course. Hadena caesia Borkh. I have now bred this from Slea Head, the Blaskets, and Adrigole, Co. Cork, and they are all alike, the so-called black form. I have also bred a couple of this form amongst a long series bred from the Burren. ; Hadena conspersa Esp. For the first time I took several of this insect, mostly bad, but a perfect one was just like one from Kent. Petilampa minima Haw. Several in a trap set at Milltown, just out- side Dingle. Donovan has no records for the south of Ireland except Cappagh, Co. Waterford. Plusia bractea Fab. I saw over thirty on this trip; the ground colour varied from orange brown to blackish brown as in Diarsia brunnea Fab. and the spangle varied greatly in size. Zanclognatha tarsipennalis Treits. Amongst numerous specimens I saw several of a yellowish clay colour in tint like Paracolax derivalis Huibn. These were new to me. Perizoma blandiata Schiff. I netted one at Dunquin, so it is well distributed in Kerry. Eupithecia pulchellata Steph. All seen were ssp. hebridium Sheldon, evidently the only Kerry form. Eupithecia fraxinata Crewe. One in the trap, the same small size as the ash ones I occasionally take in my garden. Lomaspilis marginata L. I took another like the one last year, with the black replaced by a pale rust-red. Ellopia fasciaria L. Three in the trap. I could find no pine in the town, and Mr. King tells me the nearest is on the former Ventry estate, two miles as the crow flies, and most of the way over the water. Eudoria resinea Haw. Several in the trap, rather large, and black and white. Scoparia basistrigalis Knaggs. One only, the first I have seen at Dingle. Teichobia filicivora Meyrick in Devon By S. WAKELY On the 11th September 1963 Mr. T. R. Eagles kindly gave me a Tineid moth which had just emerged and a tin containing some fern leaves on which the larvae had fed. Among the debris at the bottom of the tin were three cocoons, one of which showed the extruded pupa-case of the moth which he had given me. Two other moths emerged on the 16th September from the remaining cocoons, and the species was recognised as Teichobia filicivora Meyr. Mr. Eagles said he found the larvae near Clovelly, North Devon, and that the name of the fern was Polystichum setiferum (Forsk.) Woynar (soft-shield fern), quite a local species of fern but common in Devon. As this was the first record of the occurrence of this moth in Devon I thought it should be recorded. TEICHOBIA FILICIVORA MEYRICK IN DEVON 21 T. filicivora was first described in 19387 by Mr. E. Meyrick as a species new to science under the name Mnesipatris filicivora from specimens taken near Dublin by Dr. Bryan Beirne. They were found flying round a bed of the male fern (Dryopteris filis-mas) in mid-May and were reported as being quite common. To quote Meyrick: “The larvae feed in June and July on sporagia and fronds of D. filis-mas, living under a mass of excrement held together by silk, which makes them easily discovered”. On examining lepidoptera collections in the National Museum, Dublin, more specimens were found which had remained unidentified until Meyrick’s determination. Some of the data labels on these went back to 1909 (Entom., 70: 194-6). In 1940, Mr. S. C. S. Brown discovered the species to be well established in his garden at Bournemouth, Hants. This was the first record for Britain, and they were seen in numbers flying around clumps of male fern (Entom. Record, 52: 105). In a recent letter to me Mr. Brown mentioned the fact that it has also been taken in Dorset, where Mr. Parkinson Curtis found the moth flying over ferns at Poole. In 1960 Mr. L. Price sent me a specimen for identification which he had taken at light in his garden at Stroud, Gloucestershire. He had another which had been taken in 1955 but which had not been previously identified—also taken in his garden. In the same year Dr. E. Scott reported finding larvae common on the male fern in gardens at Ashford, Kent (Ent. Rec., 73: 95). The Devon imagines emerged in September but this could be due to the fact that the tin in which the larvae had pupated had been kept indoors. I might mention that a few years ago Mr. Brown sent me a parcel containing soil collected round the ferns growing in his garden at Bourne- mouth. This was placed in a large flower pot and a nice series of the moth emerged a few weeks later during May. It will be gathered from the foregoing that T. filicivora is now known to occur in Hampshire, Dorset, Gloucestershire, Kent and Devon, as well as in Ireland. No doubt by examining the undersides of the leaves of the male fern in July it would be found to have an even wider distribution. The characteristic little round bunches of frass held together by silk are quite conspicuous and could not be missed. The moth is quite small with a wing expanse of 10 to 11 mm., and is dark fuscous-purple in colour with small whitish tornal spot. It is unknown in any other part of the world. 26 Finsen Road, Camberwell, S.E.5. LaTE EMERGENCE OF APATELE TRIDENS ScuiFF.—In June of.this year Mr. H. Symes kindly gave me a few pupae of the Dark Dagger. These pupae were part of a brood which was being cared for by Mr. Symes owing to the indisposition of the Rev. Carr. As a postscript to the observations made by Mr. Symes I should like to add that the last of the pupae he gave to me emerged as late as 18th October. The total emergence period, therefore, for this particular brood, extended over a period of 37 weeks.— M. J, Leecu, The Cottage, Hallgates, Cropston, Leicestershire. 28.xi.1963. 22 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD 15/1/1964 Cucullia absinthii L., etc., in a London Garden S. WAKELY For some years now I have grown a few plants of Artemisia absinthium in my garden at Camberwell, and an occasional specimen of Cucullia absinthi L. has turned up in the moth trap. My earliest records of this species date back to 1953, when I found a larva of absinthii in the garden and bred the moth in July. 1954. At this time odd absinthii were being reported from time to time at various districts in London. A few years later, larvae were found feeding on A. vuigaris at West Norwood, a mile or two from Camberwell. This year (1963) I had some extra large plants of absinthium flourishing in my small garden, and on 12th August I found half-a-dozen absinthii larvae feeding on the flowers. This was after dark when the larvae come up to feed. Almost every evening after that date I searched the plants and took all the larvae seen, as several friends had said they would like to, rear this local species. It was surprising to find as many as 10 or 12 one night—all that were visible with the aid of a torch—and yet the next night there would be about the same number taken. Towards the end of the month I was taking only 1 or 2 a night—some- times none at all. Some of the earlier larvae had spun up by this time, but by the beginning of September smaller larvae began to appear with the larger ones. They all fed up rapidly and the last date on which a larva was found was 28th September, by which time there were very few flowers left, only the dry seedheads. My total bag up to then was 120—an amazingly large number for such a small garden in London. Some of the larvae sent to friends lived only a few days and ap- parently did not take to A. vulgaris which was offered to them. I found myself that the larvae fed in a peculiar manner. They were kept in transparent plastic boxes—63 in. by 44in. by 2in. The foodplant was placed on Kleenex tissue paper, and as many as a dozen or more larvae were oiten in one box, which was thoroughly cleaned out each day and fresh tissue used. The larvae ignored the leaves, the flowers only being eaten, chiefly at night. Judging by the way the flowers were shredded to pieces nightly leaving a mass of powdered fragments, it appeared to me that only special portions of the flowers were eaten, probably the juicy base of the petals. Giving the larvae fresh food daily, they fed up ata terrific rate and even the smallest ones were {full-fed in about a fortnight. They spun up in a cocoon made of silk mixed with a quantity of the powdered material from their feeding habit. If placed in another con- tainer with earth or peat they spun a similar cocoon mixed with the material available. I think that fresh food given daily is the secret of being successful when trying to rear this species, and in my opinion freshly picked food given daily would help in rearing many other species reputed to be difficult. Of course, this is not always practicable, but it is a point to be kept in mind. I also find that tissue paper in the container is as important as having the right food. It probably takes the place of dry grass, etc., on which the larvae often rest in the wild when not feeding. Of course this tissue absorbs a certain amount of moisture and should be changed when re- quired—often daily. Juicy foodplants require more frequent tissue- changing than dryer ones. STIGMELLA AENEELLA (HEIN.)—-A SPECIES NEW TO BRITAIN 23, When searching the absinthium after dark, a number of other speceis of lepidoptera were seen, all actually feeding on this strong-smelling plant. Among those recognised were: Melanchra persicariae L. (which seemed to me to be particularly common on many plants this autumn), Scotogramma trifolii Hufn., Caradrina clavipalpis Scop., Euplexia lucipara L., Plusia gamma L., Eurrhypara hortulata L. and Cacoecimorpha pronubana Hb. There is a small bush of Dutch honeysuckle in the garden and in the previous year, larvae of Ypsolophus xylostellus L. were common in spun leaves. This year (1963) the spinnings looked different and contained the larvae of Epithectis mouffetella Schiff., and I was pleased to breed a small series of the moth from these in mid-June. Owing to the fact that I use my light trap only at week-ends and then only when the weather looks favourable, few species were taken at light. However, as usual, there were several surprise visitors. On 2nd August a finely marked light grey and nearly black tortrix appeared which puzzled me. Fortunately, the next night a typical Zeiraphera diniana Guen. turned up, and I realised that the previous one was a fine variety of the same species, not previously seen by me in the garden. Other species of note, considering the district, were Drepana binaria Hufn., Phalonia rubigana Treits., Blastobasis lignea Wals. and Bork- hausenia unitella Hubn. 26 Finsen Road, Camberwell, S.E.5. Stigmella aeneella (Hein.)—A Species New to Britain By Ss: €. SS. BRownN In September 1953 I found at Parley, Dorset, an empty Nepticulid mine on Sorbus. As the mine was unfamiliar to me I sent it to Prof. Hering of Berlin. He identified it as Stigmella aéneella ‘Hein. 1862) a species new to Britain. In the autumn of 1961 and again in 1962 I found similar mines, containing green larvae, commonly on apple in my garden in Bournemouth. I sent some of these mines to Mr. Carolsfeld-Krausé of Denmark, who determined them as belonging to aéneella. It is probable that this species has long been an inhabitant of this country, for Wood in 1893 gave the foodplant of oxycanthella (Stt.) as apple, pear and haw- thorn. Mr. Krausé informs me that on the continent aéneella is only found on Malus and is single-brooded, the larvae being found in Septem- ber and October. Ozxycanthella on the other hand is not found on Malus and is double-brooded. Recently I had the opportunity of examining the collection of Nepticulid mines made by Prof. Waters which is in the Hope Department, University Museum, Oxford. Under oxycanthella I found several mines on Malus from the Oxford district which would thus be referable to aéneella. The ova are laid singly on the underside of a leaf, frequently on the edge. In the commencement the mine follows the edge of the leaf or runs along a vein. At this stage the frass is black and threadlike and does not fill the gallery. The mine then abruptly widens and becomes serpentine. The frass is now dark brown, abundant, and nearly fills the gallery. Finally, a small blotch is formed. I am indebted to Prof. E. M. Hering and Mr. Carolsfeld-Krausé for their assistance in the determination. 24 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD 15/1/1964 Stigmella aéneella Hein. Mine. x2 and enlarged. MORE NEW FOREST M.V. RECORDS 25 REFERENCES Wood, John H. 1893. Notes on the earlier stages of the Nepticulae. Ent. Mo. Mag. XXIX 199 and sub. Hering, Prof. E. M. 1957. Blattminen von Europa. Band Il 662 34 3176 Band Ill Tafel 47 408C (Figure of mine) EARLY EMERGENCE OF POECILOCAMPA POPULI L.—It is, I think, worth recording that whilst working for Tiliacea citrago L. on 29th September near the village of King’s Cliffe, Northamptonshire, a single male specimen of P. populi fiew into m.v. light. Early November is, in the Midlands, the normal time of emergence of this insect.—M. J. LEEcu, The Cottage, Hall- gates, Cropston, Leicestershire. 28.xi.1963. More New Forest M.V. Records By L. W. SicGs When I reported (Ent. Rec., 75: 119-122) that during 1962 I took 30 species in my m.v. trap which I had not previously taken in Minstead, I was tempted to add that I could hardly expect to have any appreciable number of new records in future years. However, in 1963 I took 22 species not previously recorded. They were:— C. curtula L. H. reticulata Vill. A. prasina Fabr. (2) E. subnotata Hiibn. O. populeti Fabr. E. venosata Fabr. C. leucostigma Hiibn. E. assimilata Doubl. M. alpium Osbeck. E. succenturiata L. C. asteris Schiff. (2) D. ribeata Clerck S. costaestrigalis Steph. E. consonaria Hiibn. C. pendularia Clerck. (2) G. obscurata Schiff. M. albicillata L. S. brunnearia Vill. (3) P. flavofasciata Thunb. I. wauaria L. E. picata Hubn. P. strigillaria Hiibn. The total number of species recorded in 1963 was 357 as compared with 320 in 1962. In view of the poor weather, and particularly the lack of warm nights, this is remarkable. Moreover, 20 of the 30 new species recorded in 1962 turned up again, some in increased numbers. The total number of specimens taken fell considerably, as the follow- ing figures show :— 1962 | 1963 No. of Total AVETASE | hi INOn OF Total Average nights catch nights catch Mar. € 159 23 15 286 | 19 Apel (27 2779 103 26 3657 141 May 26 934 36 / 26 760 29 June 28 4177 149 28 5420 194 July 29 12342 457 25 6850 274 Aug. 28 8516 304 29 5188 179 Sept. 8 2475 309 22 3339 152 ‘Oct. 10 1059 106 23 1184 51 Nov. 13 537 4] 17 394 23 Total 176 32978 187 } 211 27078 128 26 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD 15/1/1964 Such a fall in specimens coupled with an increase in species seems odd, but I find that there was a considerable drop in the numbers of some “abundant” species, as the following examples of reduction in numbers from 1962 to 1963 will show :— 1962 1963 1962 1963 A. exclamationis L. 7244 2274 N. pronuba L. 4168 981 L. varia Vill. Bie. > Diet P. meticulosa L. 214 =48 D. rubi View. lal sraol: L. pallens L. 384 167 O, plecta L. 822 365 A. monoglypha Hufn. 1374 678 A. xanthographa Fabr. 357 215 A. secalis L. 1424 551 I have been pleased with the results of the past two “poor” seasons, and wonder what would happen if only we had a “good” one. I was most interested in the list of New Forest lepidoptera given by Mr. C. M. R. Pitman (Ent. Rec., 75: 187-199), especially as the only other list I have seen is that by “Mr. Baker revised by F. Bond, Esq., F.Z.S.” in the 5th edition of “The New Forest” by John R. Wise, 1895. To avoid the repetition involved in listing all the species I have recorded, I will indicate those taken by Mr. Pitman which have not yet appeared in my trap. Mr. Pitman’s list contains the following day-flying moths which I would not expect in the trap:—H. fuciformis, H. tityus, Z. trifolii, Z. lonicerae, Z. filipendulae, P. statices, A. myrtilli, P. tenebrata, E. mi, E. glyphica, R. hastata, P. macularia. I was surprised to see the following chalk insects recorded as I know of no chalk or limestone in the New Forest. Could Mr. Pitman have taken them en route from Salisbury? A. sublustris, E. rubidata, M. procellata, M. virgata, E. rivata, E. galiata, H. vitalbata, H. tersata. The others which I have not recorded are:—C. livornica, H. bifida, P. plumigera, T. or; “1: “erategi . lanestris; N. miundang, “6. senex) -- plantaginis, A. avellana, H. asella, S. apiformis, A. flaviventris, A. vespi- formis, A. culiciformis, A. sphegiformis, H. hecta, H. fusconebulosa, C. augur, A. agathina, A. ditrapezium, A. stigmatica, E. orbona, H. suasa, H. lepida, C. graminis, L. straminea, M. turca, D. oo, A. affinis, Z. retusa, Z. subtusa, X. exsoleta, E. adusta, I. croceago, T. citrago, C. sponsa, U. triplasia L., A. luctuosa, H. rostralis, H. barbalis, H. immaculata, C. annulata, S. imitaria, S. emutaria, S. seriata, X. quadrifasciata, P. affinata, L. suffumata, L. prunata, T. dubitata, R. cervinalis, L. halterata, O. fagata, M. murinata, H. flammeolaria, H. testaceata, E. nebulata, A. sparsata, E. haworthiata, E. goosensiata, E. satyrata, E. indigata, E. dodoneata, E. lariciata, L. adustata, A. prunaria, S. notata, A. pulveraria, E. quercinaria. On the other hand, I have taken the following which are not included in Mr. Pitman’s list and are in addition to the 16 he mentions on page 199 of his article. *N. cucullatella L., L. obsoleta Hiibn., *A. pygmina Haw., C. ambigua Fabr., A. epomidion Haw., A. unanimis Hibn., *P. minima Haw., C. leuco- stigma Hibn., *R. tenebrosa Hiibn., *C. promissa Esp., S. costraestrigalis Steph., S. sylvestraria Htibn., S. trigeminata Haw., P. albulata Schiff., E. picata Hiibn., E. exiguata Hiibn., H. tripunctaria H.-S., G. obscurata Schiff. Those species marked with an asterisk, though not in Mr. Pitman’s list, must, I think, have been seen by him in the Forest. In connection with his remarks on some of the 16 which he had not recorded, I would point out that I live 11 miles from the nearest point on OBITUARY 27 the coast and, according to South A. vestigialis, S. promutata, D. fascelina and C. chamomillae are not confined to the coast. I know that D. fascelina has been taken in recent years in other parts of the Forest and I have taken a larva on heather near Fritham. It is interesting to see that S. promutata, D. fascelina and C. chamomillae were included in the 1895 list. Sungate, Football Green, Minstead, Lyndhurst, Hants. Obituary NIGEL TYPHERLEIGH EASTON On Friday, 6th December 1963, Nigel Typherleigh Easton of Castle Hill, Reading, passed away peacefully, and there can be few in the world of Entomology who were not in some way aquainted with him and cannot mourn his passing. Born in Norwich on 2nd August 1902, he was educated at Oundle College, and went on to study at Faraday House in London, where he obtained his Diploma in electrical engineering. His love of Natural History was equalled only by his deep appreciation of music, and on leaving Faraday House he combined this interest with his qualifications and entered the relatively new field of the recording industry. But his active mind and consuming energy was of the kind that never allowed him to remain still. Ever anxious to seek new fields of interest, always more absorbed with to-morrow than to-day, he cheerfully denied himself the rewards his undoubted talents could have brought him in a settled career. By the end of the War he had worked for many of the recording companies, but the ten years prior to 1945, when he was with the B.B.C. at Daventry and later in North Wales, were to be the happiest as well as the most settled years of his life. After the War he turned to the teaching profession, taking as his subjects, English, Geography ,French, Latin, and Games. But after many changes of School he returned to Radio in 1955 and joined the firm of Herbert and Lascelles in Reading. His marriage in January of that year was not to prove a success, and five years later it was dissolved. But as far back as 1947, after he had moved to the damper air of Reading, the first long shadow of his last illness had reached out to him, and almost imperceptably each succeeding winter began to take its toll of him. By 1960 he was forced to find a more sedentary occupation, but his age and declining health were by now against him, and he was forced to accept only temporary positions. In 1962 he took up his last employ- ment, with the Inland Revenue at Whiteknights in Reading, a few yards from the home of his childhood, and began the final bitter struggle to keep working until the last day of his life. Throughout his long illness his cheerful optimism and love of living never deserted him. While seriously ill in Peppards hospital, Henley, in June 1963, he was planning his summer holiday, and achieved the impos- sible by driving to Portland four weeks later to fulfil his plans. His interest in Lepidoptera, first inspired by his Preparatory School Headmaster, was but the nucleus of a much wider interest that extended to nearly every corner of the field of Natural History. His magnificent private collection contains nearly every Macro known to occur in this country, as well as an interesting sample of insects brought home from his 28 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD 15/1/1964 holidays on the Continent. Yet he was not just a collector. Indeed, for many years he took very little, and a page or two of notes after a day out would probably have meant more to him than a dead iole. Nothing missed his eye, and nothing was too insignificant to merit a record in his diaries. Breeding, and in particular the study of genetics, formed his main interest, and many years were spent studying the genetic variations in P. dominula, and his experi- ments on the hybrid napi-brione are well known. His enthusiasm for his subject and his tireless attention to detail were infectious, and it is almost certainly a loss to Entomology that fate ordained he should leave no family.— A. R. Davey. Notes and Observations HADENA LEPIDA Esp. SUBSPECIES CAPSOPHILA Dup. (THE PODLOVER) ON THE East Coast.—I took a specimen of the above subspecies at mercury vapour light at Brancaster, Norfolk, on the 27th June 1959. According to “South” this moth is confined to the west of England and to Ireland.—PERcy CUuUE, Ashford, Kent. THE 1963 Srason.—After the exceptional cold and near ten weeks of snow cover of last winter, it was hoped that 1963 would be another memorable year like 1947, but this was not to be and until late October migrants were exceptionally scarce. So far as our native lepidoptera were concerned, it was in general an excellent season here in Chiddingfold, many species appearing in the trap in record numbers. Thus well over 100 Biston strataria Hufn. (oak beauty) were recorded in the garden trap in one night. Throughout the season large numbers of the commoner insects came to the trap, and many of the less common ones were seen in more than ordinary profusion. A few species were less common than usual, notably Amathes c-nigrum L. (setaceous Hebrew character), the second brood of which was far from common, and Noctua xanthographa Schf. (square-spot rustic), which was rather uncommon. For the first time Cucullia absinthii L. (wormwood) was seen in this district, though not by me. Clearly its remarkable colonisation of new areas is still continuing. Ptycholoma aeriferana H.-S. was more abundant than ever before, but Lozotaenioides formosana Frol. was unusually scarce. It was lovely to watch Apatura iris L. (purple emperor) flying in and around the garden and Limenitis camilla L. (white admiral) also visited us. Plusia gamma L. (silver-y) was never common, and the total of Nomophila noctuella Schiff. seen during the season was about a score. The first excitement in the way of migrants came after I had given up all hope of seeing any unusual ones. After returning home on the evening of 26th October from the South London Entomological and Natural History Society exhibition, 2 ¢ and 1 9 Rhodometra sacraria L. (vestal) were found in the trap; the female failed to lay. The season ended in a real blaze of glory. On the night of 6/7th November two Hippotion celerio L. (silver-striped hawk), two Nicterosea obstipata Fab. (gem) and one N. noctuella, as well as nearly a dozen P. CURRENT LITERATURE 29 gamma were in the trap. How glad I am that I did not pack up the trap in disgust early in October.—Rosin M. Mere, Mill House, Chidding- fold, Surrey. 8.xii.1963. ACHERONTIA ATROPOS L., LAPHYGMA EXIGUA HUBN., RHODOMETRA SACRARIA L. AND OTHER MIGRANTS IN SURREY, 1963.—My light trap at Ottershaw yielded a single very worn L. exigua on the night of 23rd/24th July and a good female A. atropos on 17th/18th September; and at Bramley I had a female R. sacraria, from which fertile eggs were obtained on 25th/26th October. For the commoner migrant it was a very poor year. Of Peri- droma porphyrea Schiff. and Hapalia martialis Guen. there were only singles, on 28th July and 10th September; of Nomophila noctuella Schiff. I had only three in late July and one on 23rd October; of Agrotis ipsilon Rott. there were 18, the first on 28th July and the last on 24th November, with four as companions to the R. sacraria on 25th October. Plusia gamma L. was recorded twice at the end of May, and fairly regularly from 10th June to 23rd November. But it was only abundant in late September, with 66 on 21st and 81 on 23rd, and the total for the year was much below average. The only migratory butterflies seen in Surrey were two or three Vanessa atalanta L. at Bramley in early October.—R. F. BRETHERTON, Folly Hill, Birtley Green, Bramley, Surrey. 8.xii.63. APATELE LEPORINA L. OVERWINTERING Two YeEaRS.—On one of my visits to Bedford Purlieus, Northamptonshire, last year, two female A. leporina arrived at the sheet. Both were in good condition and knowing that one of my friends was short of this species I decided to keep one for ova. Approximately 80 eggs were laid during the next two nights and there was no difficulty in getting the newly hatched larvae to take to birch as their pabulum. When the larvae had developed to their second or third instar a number of them were duly passed on to the friend in need. He did well with them; they nearly all pupated and he was looking forward to a bred series during this year. On making enquiries about the emergence of the pupae in June I was most surprised to learn that he had not had a single specimen out in his breeding cages. This state of affairs continued throughout the summer. The pupae, except for one, were perfectly healthy and are now going over for a second winter. What happened to the remainder of the brood will never be known as they were liberated in another part of the country. I have reared this moth many times in the past from larvae beaten in the late summer but apart from the above account have never known it to go over for a second winter.—M. J. LEEcH, The Cottage, Hallgates, Cropston, Leicester- shire. 28.xi.1963. Current Literature Catalogue des Lepidopteres de France et de Belgique, Vol. II, Fasc. VII, Microlepidoptera, Leon Lhomme. 20 francs. At long last, after many troubles, commencing with the fall which killed Leon Lhomme, the untimely death of M. le Marchand, who took over the work from Lhomme, and the death at a ripe age of Louis le Charles, who took over from Le Marchand, and countless printing 30 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD 15/1/1964 troubles, we have the completion of this catalogue after so many years of waiting. This is thanks to the collaboration of M. J. Bourgogne and M. Pierre Viette of the Entomological department of the French Natural History Museum. The style of the previous parts (which stopped in the middle of Bucculatrix) has been maintained, but certain slight alterations have been made in the systematic order, to bring it into line with recent work done. This makes the first stepping-stone since the Staudinger List of 1901 which had been the basis of European collections for so long. We take this opportunity of thanking the two gentlemen concerned, and congratulate them on their work.—S. N. A. J. Proceedings and Transactions of the South London Entomological and Natural History Society, 1962, 8vo., 27/6. The scientific portion of the President’s Address is entitled Report on the insects collected by the E. W. Classey and A. E. Gardner Expedition to Madeira in December 1957, which includes a very full account of the life history of Sympetrum nigrifemur (Selys) with many drawings and eight half-tone plates of the insect and its habitat. Interesting accounts of the many field meetings are followed by a paper by F. V. L. Jarvis entitled The Genetic Relationship between Aricia agestis (Schiff.) and its ssp. artaxerxes (F.). This has two half-tone plates of series of imagines to illustrate it. Part II of The Hemiptera-Heteroptera of Kent, by Dr. A. M. Massee, is followed by a paper entitled Notes on Rare Spiders and Courtship as a Clue to Relationships, by W. S. Bristowe, with six drawings by A. Smith. Part VII of G. M. Haggett’s Larvae of the British Lepidoptera not figured by Buckler has two coloured plates figuring larvae of Euplagia quadri- punctata Poda, Leucania vitellina Hubn., L. albipuncta Schiff., and L. unipuncta Haw. The Editor mentions some changes in the accepted nomenclature and species added to the British List. We regret that two misprints occur here (p. 199) for alnifoliella one should read ulmifoliella and for rossensis one should read vossensis. Book reviews complete the volume.—S. N. A. J. Beautiful Butterflies: illustrations by F. Prochazka, text by J. Moucha; translated by Alice Denesova. Spring Books Ltd., 4to., 12/6. Ten pages of introduction give a cursory picture of the place of Lepidoptera in the world, and of the butterflies in the Lepidoptera. There follow 57 plates, illustrating 80 species, each with descriptive text on the opposite page. These plates are a joy to behold; the artist is truly a master of colour and its use; his handling of the difficult sheen of Morpho cypris Westwood, for instance, has to be seen to be believed. The repro- duction is excellent, and although this may only be regarded as an entomological picture book, the figures are all hand done, not photographs as is the practice nowadays, and give one something really beautiful to browse over, both in the subject and its handling.—S. N. A. J. FOR THE ENTOMOLOGIST Apparatus, Books, Cabinets, and Set Specimens Price lists of the above are issued from time to time, so if you would ~ like: to receive regular issues please send’ me a bostcard : ~. gtating your anlerests L. 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WittiaMs, Q.C., LL.D., F.R.E.S.; Orthoptera: D. K. McE. Kevan, Ph.D., B.Sc, F.R.E.S.; Coleoptera: A. A. ALLEN, BSc; Diptera: a -PARMENTER, F.R.E.S.; E. C. M. d’AssIs-FONSECA, ee CONTENTS THE SILVICOLA BURGEFF GROUP OF THE GENUS ZYGAENA FABRICIUS (LEP., ZYGAENIDAE). W. GERALD TREMEWAN . FROM GAVARNIE TO DIGNE, AUGUST 1963. C. G. M. DE WORMS, M/A., fs SON PSone aint aie siataiiiidiiciiaati bins Ph.D., F.R.E.S. vee ae ae ne AT NOTES ON THE MICROLEPIDOPTERA. H. C. HucGins, FRES... ... 16 — DINGLE | 1963. Hy GO: HUGGINS,: FRE S) oe ee TEICHOBIA FILICIVORA MEYRICK IN DEVON. S. WAKELY... ..... 20 CUCULLIA ABSINTHII L., ETC., IN A LONDON GARDEN. S. WAKELY... ... 22 q | STIGMELLA AENEELLA (SEIN) —A SPECIES NEW TO BRITAIN. S.C.S. BROWN He bat ACT Bip tea aaa Se Gas fe LOR i lt a MORE NEW FOREST M.V. RECORDS. L. W. Stags... ee OBITUARY—NIGEL TYPHERLEIGH EASTON .. ... .. SeamreR Sie NOTES. 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Harper, R.N.(Retd.), F.R.E.S. ANNUAL ‘SUBSCRIPTION 35s, POST FREE. wien Pe Treasurer, ‘(CLIFFORD CRAUFURD, SS ee | THE SPIDERS AND ALLIED ORDERS OF THE BRITISH ISLES THEODORE H. SAVORY, M.A., F.Z.S. There are 550 British species of these exceptional creatures and among them there are countless |f differences. To help naturalists to name the species, | this book describes those which are most likely to be found and there is a full account of their structure, habits and life histories. The book explains methods of study, collection and preservation. Descriptions include every family of British Spiders, every species of Harvestman and False Scorpion, and the more familiar of the British |f — Mites and Sea-Spiders. There is an account of their |} © structure, habits and life histories, and the book ex- ‘ plains methods of study, collection and preservation. 63 figures in colour 130 illustrations from drawings and photographs and 88 diagrams in the text. 12s. 6d. net. THE SPIDER’S WEB THEODORE H. SAVORY, M.A., F.Z.S. How does a spider know the way to spin a web! |f | By instinct or by observation? Is the spinning [ff a clever, individually planned process, or a semi- |f automatic one? Such points as these are discussed |f — in full by the author, who has spent a great deal of |f — time observing spiders and their habits. ia The discussions are supported, in many cases, by: If. comparative tables of statistics which were oi bkse | as a result of the observations made. : 8 colour plates 19 half-tones and 35 line illustrations. 12s. 6d. net. ith = Hapkwilors FREDERICK WARNE & co. LTD. 1-4 Bedford Court, — London, ~ Cc. 2 31 Looking for Micro-Psychids By B. J. LEMPKE The two volumes of South’s ‘Moths of the British Isles” are without any doubt the best to be got at such a price. It is, however, strange that the original author did not include the Psychidae in his work in contrast with the opinion of his contemporaries on the Continent who all included them in the “Macrolepidoptera”, following the well-known Catalogue of Staudinger-Rebel. This is the more strange, because South did include some families which stand mucn lower in the system, viz. the Cossidae and the Hepialidae. The regrettable result of this is, that the great majority of the present English lepidopterists is not interested in Psychids. After the death of Tutt (who published an excellent monograph of the British species in vol. 2 of his British Moths in 1900), Chapman and Burrows, there is practically complete silence in the English entomological magazines on this group. There is only one exception: the article of L. T. Ford in the Proc. Trans. South London ent. nat. Hist. Soc. 1945-1946, p. 103-110, plate XI (1946). It is a very good summary of the knowledge of the Britisn species at that moment. For the present I should like to draw the attention of my English colleagues on two genera, which have had my special preference the last few years, viz. Bankesia and Solenobia, two genera of small but beautifu! and very interesting moths. I hope that the results obtained by a few enthusiastic collectors in the Netherlands will stimulate them also to pay more attention to these insects in the British Isles. As regards Bankesia staintoni Walsingham, the only species of the genus that occurs in both our countries (apart from the mysterious B. douglasi), the history of it in Holland is the following. The first specimen was caught in 1926, in a woody locality in the centre of the province of Gel- derland. In August 1930 the late Lycklama a Nijeholt, a surgeon at Nijmegen (also in Gelderland) found a great number of caterpillars on the trunks of beeches some kilometres from that town. He fed them for some weeks on grass which they ate very eagerly and then they spun up their cases for hibernation. He overwintered them in the open and in the spring of 1931 Lycklama bred a nice series of moths which have long been the only representatives of the species in Dutch collections. In 1960 a caterpillar was found in the north of Dutch Limburg from which the moth was bred. That was our whole knowledge of staintoni till 1963. In February of that year I discussed the question with my friend Mr. B. van Aartsen and asked him to look out for staintoni when he happened to come with his car near the locality of Lycklama. Already a few weeks later he showed me some cases which he had found on the underside of thick roots of old beeches standing along a sunken road. Beeches often have roots which project a little above the ground near the foot of the trunk. With the aid of an electric torch he discovered the cases in their dark hiding places. After comparison with cases in the collection of the Amsterdam Zoological Museum (where Lycklama’s material is preserved)’ it was clear that they belonged to staintoni. Thinking that they were old cases, I glued them on a small piece of cardboard and put them away in the drawer. A few weeks later I looked by chance in it and saw to my surprise a living female sitting on one of 32 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 76 15/11/64 the cases, the first I had ever seen in my life. Of course I informed Mr. van Aartsen. As he now knew where he had to look for the species, not on the trunks of trees, but in dark hidden places, he tried to find it not only in the neighbourhool of Nijmegen, but in every locality where he thought he might have success. Happily he is a collector with imagination. For few would have had the idea to look in the crevices of old palings or behind loose pieces of bark of fir trees. He even found them spun up on the roots of grass growing on the ridge of a sunken sandy path crossing a wood. Only in localities where the species abounds we found a few cases on the outside of the bark of a tree. In one locality Mr. van Aartsen saw a good number of males flying in the sunshine, near the foot of a beech. Very probably there were one or more virgin females in the vicinity. But notwithstanding his careful searching no trace of them or of the cases from which the males had resulted could be found. It is no doubt this hidden life which is the principal reason why so little is known about the species. Tutt writes (1.c.: 207) that the case is made of whitish silk and is thickly covered with coarse sand. This gives the impression that the cases have a pale colour. But all cases found behind bark or in crevices were dark. Only those of the path in the wood had a sandy colour. Tutt’s statement that the cases are rather soft in texture is quite correct. Now that I knew the cases well, I saw that a few I had collected in 1962 and which I thought belonged to a Solenobia species also were staintoni. But the greatest surprise was an old case in the Museum col- lected in Gelderland about 1850. There was not the slightest doubt about its identity: staintoni. All these cases were dark, covered with grains of sand and sometimes with small pieces of moss. Mr. van Aartsen also succeeded in breeding the species from the egg. He must still publish his account, so I only mention that the caterpillar is full fed in the autumn. It then crawls round searching for a suitable place to spin up the case. Now is the best time to look for them and to collect them! See the experience of Lycklama who found them in num- bers in the second half of August, whereas Mr. van Aartsen saw dozens of them in September and the beginning of October 1963. The caterpillar pupates in the autumn and the chrysalis overwinters. To sum up the Dutch results: before 1963 we only knew three localities for the species now we know 29! They are scattered over a considerable part of the country, but always in woody districts. As to the known distribution in England, Tutt mentioned only one locality: Southhampton Water in Hants. When Ford published his article 45 years later, it was still the only locality and I think it has remained so up till now. I need not give further comment. And now Solenobia! The cases of this genus are much easier to find. As soon as the temperature has risen enough in the spring the caterpillars crawl up the trunks of trees and fasten their cases on the bark at a height varying from low down to about two metres above the ground. They look like blackish grains of corn and can best be coliected by loosing them with the point of a pocket-knife and holding with the other hand a tube below them. Collect as many as possible, for only a small part, as a rule, produces moths. As the caterpillars do not live on the trees, they have no preference for any kind. But their cases are most easily found on beeches because of the smooth bark. We also found them, however, on fir LOOKING FOR MICRO-PSYCHIDS 33 trees and I saw them in numbers in the deep crevices of the bark of oak trees, but here it was hardly possible to collect them. April is the best month for this work. In early seasons they may appear already at the end of March and in late ones some cases are still to be found at the beginning of May, at least in the Netherlands. No nicer work on a fine spring day than searching the tree trunks in a quiet locality for Solenobia cases, especially when a new spot is discovered where one or more species occur! The genus has long been very unpopular because of the great difficulties in determining the different species. It is hardly possible to arrive at a definite result only by consulting the descriptions in the handbooks. The last few years, however, great progress has been made in our knowledge through the work of some Austrian and Swiss experts. In Austria it is especially Herr L. Sieder of Klagenfurt, who makes a profound study! of the numerous species occurring in the mountains of Central Europe and who could describe already many new ones. In Switzerland, Prof. Seiler made a special study of the parthenogenetic forms of some species, whereas Dr W. Sauter made the Swiss Solenobia species the subject of his thesis (published September 1956 in Revue Suisse de Zoologie 63: 451-550, plate I-V). I had the good fortune to come into contact both with Herr Sieder and with Dr. Sauter, and this has greatly stimulated the’ study of the Dutch species. In England two species are known, viz. Solenobia lichenella L. and S. inconspicuella Stainton. But Sauter showed already that there occur at least three species in the British Isles. Ford writes that sometimes a parthenogenetic form occurs of S. inconspicuella, the cases of which can then be found in large numbers. But there exists no such form of inconspicuella! This parthenogenetic form is nothing but the true Solenobia lichenella L., the cases of which are as small as those of inconspicuella. The question is, that the British Isles are inhabited by two parthenogenetic species just like the Netherlands, which can be easily separated by their cases. If you consult the beautiful plate which accom- panies Ford’s article (drawn by Mr. Jacobs) you see in fig. 14 a case with sharp ridges, and which is much larger than the insconspicuella case and even larger than the staintoni case of fig. 15. This case of fig. 14 is an excellent figure of the case of the second parthenogenetic species, viz. Solenobia triquetrella Htibner! Sauter also wrote, tnat he received material of this species from Ford, who writes, that it is locally found in the southern counties of England. In the Netherlands it is known from Friesland to Limburg and from Gelderland in the east to the dune area along the North Sea, without a distinct preference for a special biotope. It is the Solenobia of which we know the largest number of localities in Holland. Most of them are situated in woody districts, but the species also occurred in the immediate vicinity of Amsterdam (till 1963, then the locality was destroyed) along the railway from the capital to Haarlem The caterpillars no doubt lived on the plants growing on the verges of the railway, for moss or lichens failed completely there. In the spring they crawled upwards on the concrete palings which bordered the line. In these palings were holes through which iron-wire was drawn to separate the line from the public road. The caterpillars spun up their cases in these holes. It is, however, not a universal rule for this species to pupate in such a hidden place. I have also found the cases fully exposed on the trunks of 34 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 76 15/11/64 beeches. They are very often covered with small grains of sand, but can easily be recognised from those of staintoni because of their much stronger tissue. The colour varies from rather pale to blackish in the south cf Dutch Limburg where nearly everything is covered by a thin layer of dirt owing to the vicinity of our coal mines. As for the other Dutch species, Solenobia inconspicuella is at present only known from a few localities in the centre of the country. The parthenogenetic form of S. lichenella also occurs with us, but its distribution is not yet fully known. It seems at any rate to be more wide-spread than insconspicuella. But apart from the three species mentioned already, there occur at least two other forms in the Netherlands. The first is Solenobia fumosella Heinemann, which is considered by Sauter to be the bisexual form of lichenella. The cases are indistinguishable from each other and it is only the habit of the female which tells if she is a lichenelia or a fumosella. In the first case she starts at once to lay eggs, in the second she sits outstretched on the distal end of the case and awaits the male. It is, however, not possible to furnish absolute proof that lichenella and fumosella really are one and the same species, for it is impossible to cross a male fumosella with a parthenogenetic lichenella female. The male is a little larger than that of inconspicuella, and as a rule it has a distinct dark discal spot on the fore wings and the white spotting is different. It can also easily be distinguished by the shape of the scales of the fore wings. It is of course not impossible that fumosella also occurs in England. The second species is Solenobia pineti Zeller. As a rule this is not difficuit to recognise. The cases are as large as those of S. triquetrell!a, but only seldom covered with a few grains of sand and the ridges are less sharp. The male is in accordance with the proportion of the case as a rule much larger than that of fumosella and of inconspicuella and beautifully adorned with sharp little whitish specks on the fore wings. Sometimes, however, real dwarfs occur, but then they can be recognised by the shape of the scales and by a very smali spur on the tibia of the fore legs (so small, that it cannot be seen with a magnifying glass!). This Solenobia is our most common species of the genus in dry sandy districts. Contrary to the name it is not restricted to pine trees. I have collected dozens of cases from beeches and also found them on oaks, whereas we found on pine trees not only pineti, but also inconspicuella and fumosella. English collectors should keep a sharp look-out for this species when they visit a corresponding biotope in spring. In this article I have given a complete survey of the present knowledge of the two genera in the Netherlands. I hope, that it may induce some English collectors to devote special attention to these interesting moths notwithstanding the fact that South neglects them. Amsterdam—Z.2, Oude Ijselstraat 12 III. ACHERONTIA ATROPOS L. IN NORTHAMPTONSHIRE.—A female specimen of the death’s head moth was found alive, freshly emerged, at Kettering on 8th October 1963.—P. J. Gent, 3 Irthlingborough Road, Wellingborough, Northants. + i PLATE VOL. 76 N x N ‘ MLL “UMM ge Fig. 1, lectotype Zygaena algira Boisduval. THE IDENTITY OF ZYGAENA ALGIRA BOISDUVAL, 1834 35 The Identity of Zygaena algira Boisduval, 1834 (Lepidoptera: Zygaenidae) By W. G. TREMEWAN (Department of Entomology, British Museum (Natural History)) Duponchel (1835: 86) described as new a North African Zygaena species under the name of algira Duponchel and illustrated a specimen on pl. 7, fig. 6. As the figure does not agree with the description, Oberthur (1916: 226), who accepted figures in preference to descriptions, proposed the name bachagha for the species which Duponchel had described as algira. The name bachagha Oberthur can only be treated as a synonym of algira Duponchel (Tremewan, 1961: 257). This synonymy was originally cited by Rothschild (1917: 338) and was later accepted by Reiss (1930: 25). As Duponchel’s figure does not agree with his description it is possible that an aberrant specimen was illustrated. According to Dr. P. Viette (in lit.) the type of algira Duponchel is not in Duponchel’s collection and it is assumed that the specimen is either lost or destroyed. According to the Catalogue of the Library of the British Museum (Natural History) (1922: 380), Duponchel’s supplementary volume 2 was published in six parts. Pages 1-96, which contain the description of algira, and plates 1-6 were published in 1835. Pages 97-198 and plates 7-12 were published in 1836. The illustration on Plate 7, fig. 6, was therefore published in 1836. Herrich-Schaffer (1846: 45) illustrated the species on pl. 15, fig. 106, and in the text actually referred to Boisduval as the author of algira while Duponchel’s description and figure are not cited. Since then it has not been recognised that algira Duponchel was previously described under the same name by Boisduval (1834: 75). In his description, which is rather brief, Boisduval compares the species with hilaris Ochsenheimer, as follows: “Remarque. M. le docteur Marloy, chirurgien de la marine, a rapporté d’Alger une Zygéne (Z. Algira mihi) qui a quelques rapports avec cette espece et avec Fausta. Dans les cing individus que j’ai vus, les taches “n’avaient pas de bordure, et étaient liées A-peu-prés comme dans Fausta. Le collier, le corselet et l’abdomen étaient entiérement noirs, avec les pattes brunes. Je ne connais pas la Faustina de Portugal; mais d’aprés la description qu’en donne Ochsenheimer, elle différe trop de celle-ci pour supposer qu’elle en soit une variété.”’. This description is valid and undoubtedly refers to the same species that was described by Duponchel. According to the library catalogue of the British Museum (Natural History) (1903: 188), Boisduval’s Icones wer2 issued as two volumes in one. These two volumes appeared in 42 parts, each part having 2 plates with letterpress. Nos. 21-30, which contain the work on the Zygaenidae, were published in 1834. : The synonymy may be expressed as follows: algira Boisduval, 1834, =algira Duponchel, 1835, =bachagha Oberthtr, 1916. The Boisduval collection of Zygaena is now preserved in the British Museum (Natural History). It contains one male of algira, which I 36 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 76 15/11/64 designate as lectotype, with the following data: “Algira. Dup. Alger.”; “EX, MUSAEO Dris. BOISDUVAL”; “coll. Ch. Oberthur.”; “Rothschild Bequest B.M. 1939-1.”. Boisduval’s label refers algira to Duponchel but in spite of this I consider the specimen to be the type of algira Boisduval. It is probable that Duponchel’s specimens were obtained from the same collector. As Boisduval’s description is so brief, compared with that of Duponchel, it suggests that it was intended that the species was to have been described by, and attributed to, the latter author. However, as stated above, Boisduval’s description is valid and algira Boisduval has priority over algira Duponchel. The lectotype ¢ specimen, which is illustrated (Pl. I, fig. 1), is slightly aberrant compared with normal specimens of algira which generally have the forewing spots confluent. In the type, spots 1, 2 and 2a are confluent, the latter spot extending along the dorsum as far as the posterior edge of spot 4. Spot 1 extends along the costa and is confluent with spot 3. Spot 4 separate, spot 5 connected posteriorly to spot 6. The genitalia (Zygaenidae Slide No. 801) are illustrated, Pl. I, figs. 2, 3. I am indebted to Mr. Arthur Smith for making the original drawings for the illustrations in this paper. REFERENCES Boisduval, J. A., 1834, Icones historique des Lépidopteres nouveaux ou peu connus, 2: 1-192, pls. 48-84. British Museum (Natural History), 1903, Catalogue of the Books, Manuscripts, Maps and Drawings in the British Museum (Natural History), 1: 1-500. , 1922, ibidem, Supplement, 6: 1-511. Duponchel, P. A. J., 1835, in Godart & Duponchel, Histoire naturelle des Lépidoptéres ou Papillons de France, Supplement, 2: 86. Herrich-Schaffer, G. A. W., [1846], Systematische Bearbeitung der Schmetterlinge von Europa, 2: 45, pl. 15, fig. 106. Oberthiir, Ch., 1916, Etudes de Lépidoptérologie’ comparée, 12: 226. Reiss, H., 1930, in Seitz, Die Gross-schmetterlinge der Erde, Supplement, 2: 1-50, pls. 1-4. Rothschild, W., 1917, Novit. Zool., 24: 338. Tremewan, W. G., 1961, Bull. Brit. Mus. (nat. Hist.) Ent., 10 (7) : 239-313, pls. 50-64. Inverness-shire in 1963 By Commander G. W. Harper, R.N.(Retd.), F.R.E.S. I feel that I must start this article by expressing heartfelt agreement with the opening paragraph of Mr. H. Syme’s “Some Memories of 1963” (Ent. Rec., 75: 255). I can not remember such a disappointing season with so few real compensations, though, of course, so long as a few hardy insects struggle forth so there will always be some pleasant memories to recall. In my experience this year, in addition to appallingly bad weather for collecting both night and day, the season was marked by an unusual dearth of interesting insects, both species and varieties, while actual numbers seen remained fairly high, in spite of our quite unreason- able hopes of a fine warm summer, as in 1947, being frustrated. The coldest winter for a hundred years started in Badenoch on 15th November 1962, and the first thaw occurred on 1st March 1963, which coincided with the appearance of the first hardy larva of Phragmatobia fuliginosa L. warming up at full gallop on my garden path! The principal trouble with our winter in Newtonmore was that we did not have enough INVERNESS-SHIRE IN 1963 37 snow, so that the continuous frost went so deep that the village had no water for weeks! March remained mild, wet, and rather windy, the first emergence of the year being that of Phigalia pedaria Fab., a male drying its wings on a garden fence on the 6th. This was followed by the first Achlyia flavicornis L. and immigrant Plovers and Thrushes in the middle of the month; by the end of it this species was present in unusually large numbers, while the early Orthosias were beginning to appear about two to three weeks late. April became even stormier and wetter than March, but the usual species struggled out bravely and surprisingly not quite so late, as I found two Brachyonica nubeculosa Esp. drying their wings on Birch trees in the afternoon of the 2nd, while both sexes of Poecilopsis lapponaria Bdv. were on a local fence as early as the 9th, the female even having laid many of her eggs already! The sallows were at last beginning to swell, but were not well out until the last week of the month, which as so often in this area became fine and warm. A most remarkable feature this year was the complete absence of the common day-flying species at this season, not a single Aglais urticae L., Saturnia pavonia L., and Endromis versicolora L. being seen on the wing, and more surprisingly still also not a single Archiearis parthenias L. was noted. It rather looks as if a deduction here may be at least plausible; that those day-flying species which hibernate as adults or exposed pupae near the surface of the ground or tree suffered more from the prolonged severity of the winter than those that endured these conditions as ova or larvae. Certainly Argynnis aglaia L. and Aricia aegestis Schf. artaxerxes Fab. were the only Butterflies later to be even commoner than in most years. Weather at the beginning of May reverted to snowstorms and very cold westerly winds. The first Odontosia carmelita Esp. came to my m.v. trap on the 8th, while Anarta cordigera Thun., a pair in cop. on a fence in the morning of the 12th, was several days later than usual. The cold blustery weather with snow on all the hills continued until the 23rd, but on the 17th the only really remarkable insect of the year occurred, a fine fresh Acasis viretata Hb., in my m.v. trap. This is a new species for my Badenoch list, no. 370, and is I believe the furthest North record for this interesting species, to date, though I understand that another specimen was taken about the same time as far North as Sutherland; if so, this is a truly remarkable expansion of range. It is likely that the food-plant so far North is Rowan, Pyrus aucuparia. Butterflies were late again this year in appearing, the first I saw being several fresh Thecla rubi L. flying actively in a brief sunny evening of the 20th over Arcostaphylos uva-ursi on my local moorland. Warm sunny weather at last on the 23rd brought out a good number of Anthocaris cardamines L. and Argynnis euphrosyne L. but Pieris napi L. usually so common with us was quite rare in the spring brood and almost non-existent in the summer one. The month ended with a continuation of warm sunny days and cold nights; a very pleasant short visit by my son and myself to Skye from 27th-29th May was productive of a good number of larvae of Zygaena purpuralis Br. and Z. filipendulae L. but very few Z. lonicerae Sch. ssp. jocelynae Tremewan, which was disappointing. Back in Badenoch the end of the month saw the foliage of the birches and aspens almost fully out, and a rapid advance ‘in vegetation generally to a greater degree than the same date last year, but m.v. trap catches were equally small, only single figures! 38 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 76 15/11/64 In June the one warm sunny spell of the year, accompanied by a few thunderstorms but surprisingly small and uninteresting m.v. trap catches, continued until the third week. At this time we spent a few days with my son at Worcester, and I was able to revisit some old boyhood haunts in the Cotswolds, very pleasant but not very productive entomologically. The woods near Cranham produced a few nice Discoloxia blomeri Curt. and Abraxas sylvata Scop.; butterflies, however, were very scarce, and I saw no sign of Maculinea arion L., not surprisingly in view of the short time available and the poor weather. Several colonies of very variable Z. trifolii Esp. were in force but rather worn. Near Worcester, a memor- able pleasure was the sight of numbers of Leptidea sinapis L. in a quite small wood, together with Minoa murinata Scop., neither of which I had seen for many years. Also in this wood I found larvae of Orthosia gracilis Schf. spun-up in the terminal shoots of low sallows, an unusual pabulum in the wild in my experience, which is usually Fleabane, Meadow-Sweet, or Bog Myrtle. Some months earlier my son had explored Wyre Forest and found one or more empty old cocoons of Harpyia bicuspis Bork. We therefore planned a night operation to try for this elusive insect on the 21st June. We were lucky with the weather, a fine warm night for once, and this turned out to be the only really good collecting night of the year. Over 90 species of Macros came to my portable m.v. light and sheet, and a very few only to sugar. So exciting and pleasant a night was it that in retrospect the only species not to turn up was H. bicuspis! Among the more interesting species were melanic examples of Stauropus fagi L. and Semiothisa liturata Cl., many Tethea fluctuosa Hb. and a few T. duplaris L., many fresh Anaplectoides prasina Sch. and Polia tincta Hb., Bomolacha crassalis Fab., Boarmia roboraria Schf., Ectropis extersaria Hb., Angerona prunaria L., Apeira syringaria L., Mesoleuca albicillata L., and Euphyia rubidata Schf. We were very interested to note a number of Small-leaved Limes growing near our operating ground, but Drepana harpagula Esp. did not put in an appearance! In steadily worsening weather conditions my wife and I moved on to Tan-y-Bwlch in North Wales on the 24th for a week, where collecting was hardly possible by night or day due to incessant heavy rain. I think my total daylight catch consisted of one beautiful fresh Sterrha eburnata Wocke female sheltering from the rain on a rock, and a few worn Eupithecia plumbeolata Haw. flushed from Cow-wheat in the only locality I know for this species. My attempts to rear it from ova later failed ignominously on hatching! Only one night was fairly prolific; a few nice Amathes ashworthii Dbld. and Apatele menyanthidis ‘View. coming to m.v. light; but only common Noctuids to some sugared posts. My m.v. trap under these conditions did well, I suppose, by producing large numbers of common species, Stauropus fagi L. being almost the commonest. These handsome great insects always raise nostalgic memories of the thrill of finding my first S. fagi, a female, at rest on a Beech tree in Sussex in pre-m.v. days which provided me with a nice bred series. On the 3rd July we returned home to Inverness-shire and cool cloudy weather with ground frost on the morning of the 10th! In spite of these conditions the usual summer moths were present in normal numbers judging by m.v. trap catches; one very noticeable feature of this summer was the extraordinary lushness of all the vegetation, and the wild Dog- roses were in glorious abundance, as were low-growing plants such as Bird’s Foot Trefoil and Rock-rose, colonies of which have expanded INVERNESS-SHIRE IN 1963 39 considerably. Aricia aegestis Schf. ssp. artaxerxes Fab. was consequently about in large numbers in its colonies, and by the 20th Argynnis aglaia L. was a lovely sight, fully out in very large numbers and very fresh at this late date. The last few days of the month were warm and sunny, and on the last day a male Amathes alpicola Zett. came to my m.v. trap. yet again in the odd-numbered year; it really is remarkable that this species never seems to leave its high ground haunts to visit my m.v. trap except in these alternate years of believed relative scarcity. In August the weather soon reverted, on the 5th, to its usual wet, windy and cold state, and the month as a whole was only remarkable for absentee species of usual abundance; Triphaena pronuba L. only appeared for the first time on the 1st, and continued relatively scarce all autumn; Amathes xanthographa Schf. was really rare, only two specimens being seen. However, as the month progressed trap catches were over- compensated for the lack of these by the ever increasing abundance of Dysstroma citrata L. which reached a really stupendous peak in early September with over a hundred in the m.v. trap and quite as many in the Birch bushes nearby! I have never seen this common species so abundant, or so lacking in striking varieties. September was marked by continued dull weather, with a few sunny days but a complete absence of frost; the first snowfall on the high tops occurred on the 25th. A notable absence of immigrant Lepidoptera con- tinued, only a very few singleton Plusia gamma L. and one Agrotis ipsilon Hufn. were seen here. A pressing Naval occasion in the form of a re-union dinner in London towards the end of the month resulted in a most delightful week-end in Surrey with Mr. G. A. Cole as my host. The weather was fairly kind to us though chilly and windy, and he most kindly drove me over to the Dungeness area in Kent, where, with his expert aid I had the greatest thrill of the year in taking no less than three species new to me. Searching the patches of Yellow Toadflax revealed the splendid sight of plenty of larvae of Calophasia lunula Hufn. mostly of good size. By great good luck the only patch of this food-plant that I know of in Inverness-shire grows alongside the railway at Newtonmore station, probably seeded from a train years ago, so I was able successfully to bring them all to the pupal stage in October. Later the same day at Dungeness beating the dead seed heads of Yarrow in one spot produced several larvae of Eupithecia millefoliata Réssler. As dusk approached, Mr. Cole stopped by a fine series of ditches crossing water meadows along which grew plenty of clumps of Marsh Mallow plants. A cold Northerly wind was blowing, however, and dusking only produced a belated Nonagria sparganii Esp. and no Hydraecia hucherardi Fab.; but the ever helpful portable m.v. light came to the rescue and a few tolerably good specimens, males, appeared later. We had, of course, to set out on the long drive back to Surrey fairly early, and a last search of the plants failed also to reveal any newly emerged females. October in Inverness-shire was wet and very windy, but mild and still with no frosts. The usual autumn species were well represented, with Dasypolia templi Thun. and Agrochola macilenta Hb. even commoner than usual. The third week of the month was remarkable for unusually large flocks of southward migrating birds, truly thousands of Redwings and Fieldfares, accompanied by small flocks of Long-tailed Tits filled my Birch spinney, and, curiously, a large number of swallows, presumably young birds from Scandinavia were also present for a day or two. But 40 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 76 15/11/64 there was not a single Vanessa ata'anta L.! South again to London for the annual festivities and exhibition of the South London Ent. and Nat. Hist. Society at the end of the month, I experienced the one great immigrant thrill of the year by seeing alive, in Mr. J. L. Messenger’s m.v. trap a fine specimen of the lovely and rare Hippotion celerio L. I believe that there was quite a widespread wave of this splendid immigrant at this time. : In November the first ten days were mild and wet, so I continued my m.v. trap in the garden; this proved fortunate, for among the usual late autumn species were a good number of Xylena vetusta Hb. and my last capture of the year was a superb melanic example which Mr. A. L. Goodson kindly informs me he thinks is probably ab. dufayi D’Aldin. The season virtually came to an end in the second week with the appear- ance of the first Operophtera fagata Scharf., and frosty cold weather completed the month. So ended a year only remarkable for a lack of immigrants and of sunshine. Hope springs eternal in the entomological breast! Neadaich, Newtonmore, Inverness-shire. 15.i.1964. Western Ireland, 1963 By Rear-Admiral A. D. TORLESSE General Lipscombe’s account of his pursuit of Polyommatus icarus Rott. in Western Ireland this summer was of particular interest to me because it so happened that during the second half of July my wife and I followed his trail to Co. Mayo and the Burren. Like Mr. Wheeler, whose article in the December number appeared while I was engaged on this paper, we planned our first trip to the West of Ireland more with a view to seeing the country and spying out the land entomologically than the pursuit of particular species. However, I did hope that Calamia virens L. would put in an appearance in the Burren before our departure on Ist August, and that we might find the Co. Mayo form of P. icarus there or elsewhere, and we planned our itinerary accordingly; the first week in Donegal visiting Portnoo in the south and Port-na-blagh in the north, then five days at Newport, Co. Mayo, and lastly a week at that well-known haunt of the lepidopterist, Ballynalackan Castle in the Burren of Clare. In the event, neither hope was realised; we were too early for C. virens, and although we found the second brood of P. icarus flying everywhere we were much too late for the single-brooded form. However, our trip was interesting entomologically, the scenery was delightful, the bathing excellent everywhere, and the hotels and guesthouses we had chosen when we booked in February could not have made us more welcome and comfortable. I took with me an m.v. trap for use where a mains supply could be arranged, but to save space on this trip in our small Herald estate car I discarded my portable battery-driven m.v. equipment in favour of an ultra-violet outfit made to a specification kindly provided by Mr. Kennard, who described this lamp in last year’s “Record” (Vol. 74, No. 2). Con- siderable use was made of both outfits. I was able to run the trap at three out of our four hotels, although only in the Burren did I find a really ~~“ WESTERN IRELAND, 1963 41 rewarding site for it. The portable lamp I took out on every suitable night —not very many in all, as a number of nights were windy and wet or cold —as well as on some very unpromising ones. I did not find the 18 watt 11 /xr aautinment ac effective as an 80 watt m/v lamp. but I had some quite ANNOUNCING THE PUBLICATION OF S NOTES AND VIEWS ee ik PURPLE EMPEROR I Ree EESEOP, M.A. GE ELD EE RoE Ss: Rees SLOCKEEY OP Trark ot Grp (pb Sn manag nen iS an enormous catcn Of at leaSt zuU ATC CuyjU u., VUL WiuiuuL a oiuigle interesting abberation among the lot. Nudaria mundana L. abounded; I had also taken it in Donegal. The weather was distinctly unpromising, two of our five days at Newport being hopelessly wet, but we were lucky in having a fine sunny day for our one visit to the Mullet. Time only permitted of our visiting a small part of the sand dune area described by General Lipscombe as the habitat of the large P. icarus, but although the foodplant was growing quite freely here and there amongst the marram grass no “blues” were seen there. A few P. icarus were, however, flying in the hayfields in the area, still mostly uncut even at this late date; they were similar to the Donegal examples, but the males were slightly larger and certainly the finest seen on our trip. Hardly a female was to be found but the one or two caught did not approach the size described by the General, 40 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 76 15/11/64 there was not a single Vanessa atalanta L.! South again to London for the annual festivities and exhibition of the South London Ent. and Nat. Hist. Society at the end of the month, I experienced the one great immigrant thrill of the year by seeing alive. in Mr. J. L. Messenger’s m.v. t t t CONTENTS Some of the 33 papers contained in the work Apatura iris in Somerset. laying and certain other habits of Apatura eo. ( Paper No. 1. Maculinea arion and Paper No. 19. Some notes on the Egg- 7 iris. fab} Apatura iris in 1954. lan) Paper No. 10. Pupa of Apatura iris Apatura iris and other Species. Tr No. 11. Hib wnt j Butterflies. Paper No. 11. Hibernating Habit of Larva of Apatura iris. Paper No. 24. mo Wiltshire Nature Reserve. Paper No. 6. The Breeding Log of an Paper No. 20. Some Notes on the Eco- logical Consequences of Virus Disease in attacked by Larva of Cosmia trapezina. Paper No. 21. The Wing Proportions of Warden’s Reports on a Paper No. 12. Times of Flight of Apatura Paper No. 27. Notes on Imaginal Habit. eS Paper No. 28. Some Notes on Frequency Paper No. 14. Somerset in its Relation to and Extinction. some of the Problems of Entomology. Paper No. 33. Aspects of Variation in Apatura iris, with the Description of one Paper No. 15. Apatura iris ab. semi-iole. New Aberration. Comprising 207 pages plus 22 plates with 44 illustrations, of which 11 are in full colour. A complete up-to-date work on the PURPLE EMPEROR butterfly, there is no in the text at varying length. extreme aberrations all previously unfigured. This book should interest both the entomologist and field naturalist. The work has been produced entirely by subscription. together with order form to — R. E. STOCKLEY 6 KINGSWAY, BLACKWATER, CAMBERLEY, SURREY A list of subscribers wili be published in the work FEARS ash mee Cet Pom Ferd ae Co) errs sce enon) fC en ie CLO Pott) oie eed and although we found the second brood of P. icarus flying everywhere we were much too late for the single-brooded form. However, our trip was interesting entomologically, the scenery was delightful, the bathing excellent everywhere, and the hotels and guesthouses we had chosen when we booked in February could not have made us more welcome and comfortable. I took with me an m.v. trap for use where a mains supply could be arranged, but to save space on this trip in our small Herald estate car I discarded my portable battery-driven m.v. equipment in favour of an ultra-violet outfit made to a specification kindly provided by Mr. Kennard, who described this lamp in last year’s “Record” (Vol. 74, No. 2). Con- siderable use was made of both outfits. I was able to run the trap at three out of our four hotels, although only in the Burren did I find a really repetition of the basic facts contained in the standard works. In addition to the Purple Emperor, 42 other species of British Butterflies and eight Moths are mentioned The coloured plates are confined to the Purple Emperor in all its stages, including some Subscribers and persons interested in subscribing should now send their subscription Price to subscribers £1 10s. Published price £2 10s. Postage 3s. 6d. extra om WESTERN IRELAND, 1963 41 rewarding site for it. The portable lamp I took out on every suitable night —not very many in all, as a number of nights were windy and wet or cold —as well as on some very unpromising ones. I did not find the 18 watt u/v equipment as effective as an 80 watt m/v lamp, but I had some quite successful nights with it. We crossed from Holyhead on the night of 11th July, being landed at Dun Laoghaire in time to drive round the centre of Dublin before the traffic became thick, after which we wandered across central Ireland by way of Athlone, Carrick-on-Shannon, Sligo and Donegal, arriving at Portnoo in time for dinner. The Portnoo Hotel with its fine coastal view proved most comfortable, with easy access by car to many miles of wonderful coastal scenery, and with good collecting grounds within a mile or two. The Irish form of Maniola janira L. was plentiful and in fine condition; also flying were Eumenis semele L. and Coenonympha pamphilus L. with, sparingly, P. icarus. Pamphilus appeared typical, but throughout coastal Donegal examples of the other three butterflies similar to the forms previously observed in the Island of Mull were frequent, the semele very dark, many icarus with bright red lunules, and the janira very large and brilliant. But the whole of Donegal reminds one so irresistably of parts of the western Highlands of Scotland that it is no surprise to find similarity in its fauna. I worked the lamp on coastal moorland on two nights without very much success, but amongst some 24 species I was surprised to take Leucania straminea Treits. At Muckros, on the north coast of Donegal Bay, we accidentally came across Sir Robert and Lady Saundby who were spending a fortnight in this very remote spot and who had recorded much the same list of insects. Leaving Portnoo on 16th July we chose a coastal route for the journey north to Port-na-blagh, noticing on the way the same butterflies as at Portnoo with the addition of Aphantopus hyperanthus L. During the next four days I worked places in the Horn peninsula and moorland in the Glenveagh range by day and night, finding much the same insects as at Portnoo, with the addition, on moorland, of Entephria caesiata Schiff. On 20th July we drove via Letterkenny, Donegal, Sligo and Ballina to Newport, Co. Mayo, where we had booked at the Abbey Villa guesthouse, a mile out of the town on the Achil road close to the southern end of L. Furnace. Here I was able to run the trap behind the hotel, but with indifferent success; a surprise on the very warm night of our arrival was an enormous catch of at least 200 Arctia caja L., but without a single interesting abberation among the lot. Nudaria mundana L. abounded; I had also taken it in Donegal. The weather was distinctly unpromising, two of our five days at Newport being hopelessly wet, but we were lucky in having a fine sunny day for our one visit to the Mullet. Time only permitted of our visiting a small part of the sand dune area described by General Lipscombe as the habitat of the large P. icarus, but although the foodplant was growing quite freely here and there amongst the marram grass no “blues” were seen there. A few P. icarus were, however, flying in the hayfields in the area, still mostly uncut even at this late date; they were similar to the Donegal examples, but the males were slightly larger and certainly the finest seen on our trip. Hardly a female was to be found but the one or two caught did not approach the size described by the General, 42 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 76 15/11/64 On only one night during our stay was the weather fine enough to tempt me out with the u/v lamp. I first tried a moorland site near L. Furnace, moving later to a more wooded spot in the same area, but although conditions seemed good I recorded 25 species only compared with 40 species in the trap at the hotel on the first night, and there was nothing of particular interest among them. As we wanted to see something of Connemara, on leaving Newport we took a circuitous route to Galway by way of Lenane, Clifden and Oughterard, a diversion well worth while for the wild mountain scenery about Lenane alone; indeed, the scenery on the whole route was most attractive, culminating in the climb up Corkscrew Hill and our first view of the Burren. Mrs. O’Callaghan made us most welcome at Ballynalackan Castle, where we found we were sharing the hotel with a cheerful party of members of the Bristol University Speleological Society, engaged in exploring the limestone caves in the vicinity, a task which members of the society undertake every summer. On their departure a day or two later, their place was taken by Messrs. G. M. Haggett and A. J. Wightman, who like us were in pursuit of C. virens but who, though they were able to stay a little longer, were also unsuccessful. During our week in the Burren I worked the coastal strip between Doolin in the south and Black Point in the north, including the dunes at the mouth of the Caher river and places up the river valley, and various spots on the north coast between Black Point and Ballyvaughan. The same butterflies were to be found as in Donegal and Mayo, with the addition of a very few ‘whites’ and Argynnis aglaia L., which was numer- ous but mostly in tatters; I did not take a single specimen worth keeping. At considerable risk to life and limb, Prokhedes captiuncula Treits. was successfully pursued over the broken limestone slabs in the late afternoon. A very few Setina irrorella L. were found in a rough field on the coast at Doolin, and further north Aspitates gilvaria Schiff. was plentiful. At night I worked the u/v outfit in a number of spots on or near the coast, taking a considerable list of insects, including Apamea furva Schiff. in plenty and a few Ammogrotis lucernea L. My first pitch for the trap at the Castle was unproductive, but I soon found a better place at a farm near Oughtdarra, a few miles away and below the Castle, where the owner kindly undertook to switch on at dusk and cover the trap at dawn. Here several quite large catches were made, particularly on the very wet night of 30th July when the catch was enormous and I actually recorded 68 species, though the real number was undoubtedly considerably greater. Unfortunately, as I was not using an anaesthetic, the whole contents of the trap was spoiled, including a single example of Apatele euphorbiae s.sp. myricae Guen., but there was something to be saved from the many hundreds of moths outside the trap, in the grass and herbage and on the surrounding rocks. A last expedition was made to the Bally- vaughan area in company with Messrs. Haggett and Wightman on the night of 3lst July, none too warm and the ground very wet after a rainy day, in search of C. virens. On the following day we crossed Ireland to Wexford, en route for Rosslare and home. A list of the species noted is appended. Admittedly, we did not stay in any one place long eonugh to work it at all seriously, but our holiday was not unrewarding entomologically, and the weather was probably as good as one has any right to expect in the west of Ireland. Owing to the date no attempt was made to look for Erebia epiphron Knoch., but with WESTERN IRELAND, 1963 43 Mr. Haynes’ articles in the “Record” of 1955 and 1956 in mind, a lookout was kept for possible mountain localities. The number of peaks in north- western Ireland lofty enough to harbour this butterfly is certainly impres- sive, and from the records few of them seem to have been searched for epiphron. No doubt a reconnaissance would show many of these hills to be quite unsuitable, but it would be surprising if a number of them were not found to possess the type of ground favoured by the butterfly. However, to find epiphron, let alone prove that it is absent, the place, the date and the weather must all be right, and a systematic search of the west Irish highlands for the butterfly would be a task of some magnitude, requiring the concerted effort of several people over more than one season. It is a far cry to the west of Ireland, but the lovely scenery, quiet roads and empty beaches, and the kind welcome everywhere, makes the long journey well worthwhile. List of Lepidoptera taken in Western Ireland, July 12-31, 1963 Pieris brassicae L. rapae L. napi L. Argynnis aglaia L. Aglais urticae L. Eumenis semele L. Maniola janira L. S.sp. iernes Aphantopus hyperanthus L. Coenonympha pamphilus L. Polyommatus icarus Rott. Laothoe populi L. Deilephila elpenor L. Pheosia tremula Clerck. gnoma Fabr. Notodonta ziczac L. dromedarius L. Lophopteryx capucina L. Habrosyne derasa L. Malocosoma neustria L. Philudoria potatoria L. Spilosoma lubricipeda L. lutea Hufn. Phragmatobia fuliginosa L. Arctia caja L. Nudaria mundana L. Setina irrorella L. Eilema lurideola Zinck. complana L. Apatele psi L. euphorbiae Fabr S.sp. myricae Guen. rumicis L. Agrotis exclamationis L. Lycophotia varia Vill. Ammogrotis lucernea L. Graphiphora augur Esp. Amathes c-nigrum L. triangulum Hufn. sexstrigata Haw. xanthographa Fabr. Diarsia brunnea Fabr. festiva Schiff. Ochropleura plecta L. Axylia putris L. Triphaena comes Hutbn. pronuba L. Polia nebulosa Hufn. Melanchra persicariae L. Ceramica pisi L. Diataraxia oleracea L. Hadena thalassina Rott. Cerapteryx graminis L. Eumichtis adusta Esp. Procus fasciuncula Haw. literosa Haw. Prothedes captiuncula Treits. Apamea oblonga Haw. furva Hiubn. secalis L. lithoxylea Fabr. sublustris Esp. monoglypha Hufn. Phlogophera meticulosa L. Phalaena typica L. Hydraecia oculea L. Leucania pallens L. impura Hubn. straminea Treits. lithargyria Esp. conigera Fabr. 44 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 176 Caradrina blanda Schiff. taraxaci Hubn. Petilampa minima Haw. Rusina umbratica Goeze. Cucullia umbratica L. Rivula sericealis Scop. Plusia chrysitis L. bractea Fabr. festucae L. iota L. pulchrina Haw. gamma L. Abrostola triplasia L. tripartita Hufn. Zanclognatha tarsipennalis Treits. Herminia barbalis Clerck Hypena proboscidalis L. Hipparchus papilionaria L. Sterrha subsericeata Haw. aversata L. dimidiata Hufn. Anaitis plagiata L. Lygris populata L. pyraliata Schiff. Cidaria fulvata Forst. Dysstroma truncata Hufn. citrata L. Thera obeliscata Hubn. cognata Thunb. Xanthorhoe ferrugata Clerck montanata Borkh. Colostygia salicata Hubn. Pelurga comitata L. 15/11/64 Entephria ceasiata Schiff. Epirrhoe alternata Mull. Euphyia bilineata L. Lyncometra ocellata L. Perizoma alchemillata L. albulata Schiff. minorata Treits. blandiata Schiff. Hydriomena furcata Thunb. Eupethecia centaureata Schiff. absinthiata Schiff. icterata Vill. subumbrata Schiff. Gymnoscelis pumilata Hubn. Chloroclystis coronata Hubn. Abraxas grossulariata L. Lomaspilis marginata L. Aspitates gilvaria Fabr. Gnophos myrtillata Thunb. Cabera pusaria L. Campaea margaritata L. Ennomos quercinaria Hufn. Crocalis elinguaria L. Opisthograptis luteolata L. Ourapteryx sambucaria L. Biston betularia L. Cleora repandata L. Eurrhypera hortulata L. Rhodaria sanguinalis L. Mesographa forficalis L. Crambus hortuellus Hubn. selasellus Hubn. Hepialus humuli L. Diptera in Galloway and Central Wales By R. M. PAayNeE We spent the second half of August 1963 on the coast of Kircudbright- shire. The generally poor weather and apparent scarcity of Tipulidae led me to take an interest in some other families of flies. During the whole fortnight there was a remarkable abundance of the large black fly Bibio pomonae (F.). The males could be seen drifting heavily over the pastures at about eye level, their long back legs hanging down. Clusters of Angelica flowers on the hillsides were often infested with them, as many as half-a-dozen on each head, while down at sea level they sprawled on the ragwort just above the shoreline. When on the flowers they were very easy to pick up by hand, appearing reluctant to take to flight. Males were everywhere, much more abundant than females. Our car had to be left in the open at night, and every morning there were numbers of the conspicuous red and black legs of the Bibio scattered on the roof and bonnet, presumably dropped by birds (or bats) that had cap- tured the flies on the wing. DIPTERA IN GALLOWAY AND CENTRAL WALES 45 Amongst the Tipulidae, my first find was a pair of Tipula scripta Mg. in cop. on the lee side of a beech trunk in a wood near Annan (Dumfries- shire). A keen wind was blowing through the wood, and I have often noticed that in adverse weather—cold wind or driving rain—crane flies may be found in bark crevices on the more sheltered side of large trees. Dalheattie Forest, a large coniferous plantation, did not prove very productive of flies. T. scripta and Dicranomyia chorea (Mg.) were taken in the rides, and I found single specimens of Crunobia littoralis (Mg.) and the handsome yellow-winged Metalimnobia bifasciata (Schrank) in more open boggy areas. Ula sylvatica (Mg.), one of the small hairy-winged Tipulids, occurred over a ditch. Ling was a common plant in open parts of the forest, and here Syrphus cinctellus Zett. was the most abundant Syrphid. The striking blue-banded Syrphus glaucus (L.) was taken several times from Angelica flowers. Is this fly commoner in the north than in the home counties? A hover-fly new to me was Didea fasciata Maca. which has a peculiar glassy appearance to its wings, and is at once notice- ably flatter than most yellow-spotted Syrphi. I took a single male of this fly sunning itself on bracken in an open glade. The snipe-fly Rhagio lineola F. was often seen on spruce branches. A very handsome Syrphid that proved itself to be widespread in the district was the large wasp-like Sericomyia silentis Harris. This was common fiying low over the ling near the summit of Screel Hill, a local viewpoint rising to some 1100 feet, and I also found it in several boggy woods right down at sea level near Rockcliftfe. Flowery fields by the shore at Sandy Hills were a good hunting ground for flies, and three of the larger and less common Syrphids I caught here on ragwort were Eristalis aeneus Scop., Arctophila fulva Harris—a furry fly resembling a bumble-bee—and Cheilosia bergenstammi Becker. A boggy wood just above high-tide level produced the small Tipulids Rhipidia maculata (Mg.) and Gonomyia dentata de Meij. A belt of alder scrub at the margin of Loch Arthur was carefully examined for crane-flies on day, but produced only the common species Tipula fulvipennis Degeer., Dicranomyia modesta (Mg.), D. autumnalis (Staeg.), Limonia macrostigma Schummel and Austrolimnophila ochracea (Mg.), From alder scrub at Loch Milton I took Nephrotoma quadrifaria (Mg.), the dusky-winged Empid Rhamphomyia spinipes (Fall.) and the brilliant Stratiomyid Geosargus flavipes (Mg.). * * * * In mid-September I spent a week in Brecon and Radnor, two of the wildest and least “developed” counties in the country. As a matter of interest, it is said that in the whole of Radnorshire there is not a single factory chimney! Armed with the necessary official permits (for which, of course, no charge is made) we visited several nature reserves, and here in mainly fine weather I concentrated on my favourite group, the crane- flies. Craig Cerrig Gleisiad, in Brecon, is a splendid old red sandstone crag towering up to 2000 feet. At the foot of the rising ground below the cliffs I took Dicranomyia didyma Mg. amongst bracken by a stream (1200 ft.). A little higher up (1350 ft.) was an open area of boggy ground, and here I saw the common Tipula marmorata Mg. and T. pagana Mg. (no females of 46 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 76 15/11/64 the latter species) with T. alpium Bergroth, Limonia nubeculosa Mg., Ormosia hederae (Curtis) and Rypholophus haemorrhoidalis (Zett.). On ling and bilberry moorland at 1500 ft. Dicranomyia autumnalis and O. hederae occurred. Above this the ground rose very steeply to the top of the crags, and I followed up one of the mountain rills, finding T. marmo- rata, L. nubeculosa, Paradicranota subtilis Loew. (? a new county record), and Crunobia straminea (Mg.). The Crunobia, with its uniformly pale yellow coloration and rather flaccid movements, has very much the appearance of a teneral insect. Craig-y-Gilau N.R. (Brecon), a carboniferous limestone crag, produced nothing new, the only Tipulids seen being T. marmorata, T. pagana gd and C. straminea. In the extreme south of the county we visited the Cwm Clydach N.R., and in this steep, wooded gorge I took Rhypholophus varia (Mg.) and R. bifurcata (Goet.), as well as the common Erioptera lutea Mg. and T. marmorata. R. varia also turned up, with Limonia nubeculosa, in a boggy oakwood in Nant Irfon (950 ft.) and in pasture by the R. Irfon I took Dicranomyia autumnalis. In the moorland bog above the valley (1200 ft.) were Tricyphona claripennis Verrall and T. immaculata (Mg.). In Radnorshire we spent a warm afternoon on Rhosgoch Bog (800 ft.), where the yellow Tipula melanoceros Schummel was plentiful, with Phylidorea lineola (Mg.), P. ferruginea (Mg.) and Ptychoptera albimana (F.). Unfortunately, we picked a very wet day for the bleak, exposed moorland above Rhayader, where at 1500 feet the only crane-flies to be seen were T. melanoceros, although a single T. marmorata was noticed on some rocks by a waterfall at 1000 ft. A deep wooded ravine at Aberedw (550 ft.) produced Rhypholophus haemorrhoidalis, Ormosia hederae and the ubiquitous woodland fly Limonia nubeculosa. I had long wanted to see the famous Tregaron Bog in Cardigan, re- puted haunt of polecats and other scarce creatures. However, a brief visit on 20th September proved disappointing so far as insects were con- cerned. Amongst those I have so far identified, no particularly unusual species were taken, the only crane-flies being Tipula melanoceros and the very similar T. luteipennis Mg. (both abundant), Dicranomyia modesta, Erioptera trivialis Mg. and the huge Limoniid Pedicia rivosa (L.). (A single male P. rivosa also occurred in a muddy lane at Pencerrig, in Radnorshire.) In the Allt Rhyd-y-Groes N.R. (Carmarthen) I took the following species in the damper parts of the oak wood (500 ft.): Tipula fulvipennis, Limonia nubeculosa, Dicranomyia modesta, Phylidorea aperta Verrall, Pilaria nemoralis (Mg.), Rhypholophus varia and R. haemorrhoidalis. Higher up the valley of the Doethie Tipula rufina Mg. and Crunobia straminea occurred in boggy oak wood. 8 Hill Top, Loughton, Essex. The Silvicola Burgeff Group of the genus Zygaena Fabricius (Lep., Zygaenidae) By W. GERALD TREMEWAN (Continued from p. 10.) THE SILVICOLA BURGEFF GROUP OF THE GENUS ZYGAENA FABRICIUS 47 Z. romeo Duponchel ¢ genitalia. Horns of uncus short, broad and fiat, variable within the species. In the aedeagus, lamina dorsalis broad, triangular in shape, laterally edged with strong spines, with a larger and more strongly developed spine on each side at the base. Between these two large basal spines, a row of spines which vary in number and length but which are usually short and reduced and often vestigial. Central area of lamina dorsalis spiculate. Basal portion, anterior to the large spines, scobinate. Lamina ventralis rather broad, comprised of a field of short, strong spines. A large portion of the vesica spiculate with two groups of cornuti, one large and strongly developed, ending in 2-6 short, strong spines, the other group merely a field of short, minute spines. Vesical pad or “Blase” generally absent. Q genitalia. “Schildchen” broadly triangular but variable in shape. Lamella post-vaginalis undeveloped. Lamella antevaginalis strongly sclerotized, somewhat ovoid in shape and variable in width. Ductus bursae flattened, anterior two-thirds weakly sclerotized, angulated at entrance of ductus seminalis. Bursa copulatrix spherical, signum present -or absent. When present, signum composed of a field of spines varying in number from 3-35 spines. First pair of tibial spurs present or absent. Z. romeo romeo Duponchel Z. romeo Duponchel, 1835, in Godart & Duponchel, Histoire naturelle des Lépidopteres ou Papillons de France, Supplement, 2: 131, pl. 12, hg. 1; Z. celeus Herrich-Schaffer, 1844, Systematische Bearbeitung der Schmet- terlinge von Europa, 2, pl. 6, figs. 48, 49; 1846, ibidem, 2: 38. Type locality: Randazzo (at the foot of Etna), Sicily. Material examined: A series from Nicosia; Bosco; Mistretta, Sicily. 6 genitalia. Spines at the base of the lamina dorsalis reduced and almost vestigial, sometimes absent. Many of these spines may also be extended in length. Both groups of cornuti present. Q genitalia. A _ slight development of the lamella postvaginalis, lamella antevaginalis broad, ductus bursae weakly sclerotized, signum present, rather strong. Superficially, the nominate subspecies is rather distinct from the remainder of the subspecies of romeo in having enlarged forewing spots. Z. romeo caiberlai Burgeff (comb. nov.) Z. scabiosae calberlai Burgeff, 1926, Mitt. miinch. ent. Ges., 16: 23. Type locality: Sila; San Fili de Cosenza, S. Italy. Material examined: A series of over one hundred specimens of both sexes from San Fili, Calabria. S genitalia. Spines at the base of the lamina dorsalis variable in length. Both groups of cornuti strongly developed. © genitalia. Lamella postvaginalis weakly developed, lamella ante- vaginalis broad, ductus bursae weakly sclerotized, signum present. Z. romeo neapolitana Calberla Z. scabiosae neapolitana Calberla, 1895, Iris, 8: 209. Type locality: Campania, Prov. Avellino, Italy. 48 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 76 15/11/64 Material examined: Over fifty specimens of both sexes from S. Angelo and Mte. Castello, Italy. d genitalia. Spines at the base of the lamina dorsalis short and vestigial, cornuti of both groups reduced. © genitalia. Lamella postvaginalis undeveloped, lamella antevaginalis narrower than that in ssp. calberlai. Ductus bursae rather moderately sclerotized compared with that in ssp. calberlai. Signum absent (? constant). Z. romeo faitocola nom. nov. Z. scabiosae faitensis Holik, 1944, Iris, 57: 53 (preoccupied). Type locality: Mte. Faito, Sorrento, Italy. Material examined: A series of over seven hundred specimens of both sexes from Mte. Faito, Sorrento. ¢ genitalia. Spines at the base of the lamina dorsalis reduced, cornuti of both groups reduced. Q genitalia. Lamella postvaginalis weakly developed, lamella ante- vaginalis broad, ductus bursae weakly sclerotized, signum present, very weak. The name faitensis Holik, 1944, is preoccupied by faitensis Stauder, 1929, which is a subspecies of punctum Ochsenheimer. We propose the name faitocola nom. nov. to replace the name faitensis Holik, 1944. Z. romeo adumbrata Burgeff (comb. nov.) Z. scabiosae adumbrata Burgeff, 1926, Mitt. miinch. ent. Ges., 16: 22. Type locality: Mte. Sirente, 1500-2000 m., Abruzzi, Italy. Material examined: 1 ¢, Mte. Sirente (coll. H. Reiss). ¢ genitalia. Spines at base of lamina dorsalis vestigial, two lateral spines at base well developed, both groups of cornuti present. Z. romeo jalina Rostagno (comb. nov.) Z. transappenina jalina Rostagno, 1911, Boll. Soc. zool. ital., (2) 12: 106. Z. scabiosae minima Turati, 1915, Atti Soc. ital. Sci. nat., 53: 609 (syn. nov.). Type locality: Monti Aurunci, Italy. Material examined: A series of over two hundred and forty specimens of both sexes from Monte Petrella and Monti Aurunci, Val de Petrella, Caserta, Italy. ¢ genitalia. Basal spines of lamina dorsalis short but somewhat longer than those in the above mentioned subspecies, both groups of cornuti moderately strong. © genitalia. Lamella postvaginalis weakly developed, lamella ante- vaginalis broad but narrower than that in the above mentioned subspecies, ductus bursae weakly sclerotized, signum weak and reduced to a few spines. The name jalina Rostagno was recognised by Verity (1920: 36) who correctly referred it to the populations of romeo from Monti Aurunci. Burgeff (1926: 12) incorrectly placed the name jalina as synonym of neapolitana Calberla and, querying Rostagno as the correct author, re- ferred to Verity (loc. cit.). Holik (1944: 51) also recognised the name jalina but was unable to trace the reference to the original description. Verity (loc. cit.) considered the name minima Turati to represent small, aberrant specimens of ssp. jalina while Burgeff (1926: 13) considered minima as a subspecies from Monti Aurunci. Turati originally described THE SILVICOLA BURGEFF GROUP OF THE GENUS ZYGAENA FABRICIUS 49 minima as a subspecies from the Monti Aurunci and the name is now placed as a synonym of jalina Rostagno. Z. romeo romana Burgeff (comb. nov.) Z. scabiosae romana Burgeff, 1926, Mitt. miinch. ent. Ges., 16: 21. Type locality: Albani Mts. and Roman Campagna, Italy. We have been unable to examine material of this subspecies. Z. romeo orion Herrich-Schaffer (comb. nov.) Z. orion Herrich-Schaffer, 1843, Systematische Bearbeitung der Schmetter- linge von Europa, 2, pl. 1, fig. 3; 1846, ibidem, 2: 33. Type locality: Tuscany; Marche (Sibillini), Italy, Material examined: A series of both sexes from Monti Sibillini, Piceno. 6G genitalia. Spines at the base of the lamina dorsalis reduced in number, cornuti of both groups well developed. © genitalia. A slight development of the lamella postvaginalis, ductus bursae moderately sclerotized, signum present but reduced and rather weak. Z. romeo ssp. A series of specimens from Val Camaione, Lucca, Italy, 300 m., repre- sents a new and undescribed subspecies. In size the specimens are similar to ssp. orion H.-S. but are more thickly scaled, consequently the coloration is brighter. The ground colour is intense blue-black with a slight gloss, forewing streaks and hindwings dark scarlet tinged with crimson, spot 3 reduced and very small, lower streak constricted in the middle and sometimes broken, forming two spots (2 and 4), especially in the females. 6 genitalia. Spines at the base of lamina dorsalis lengthened. Both groups of cornuti well developed. @ genitalia. Lamella postvaginalis undeveloped, lamella antevaginalis narrow. Signum absent (? constant), ductus bursae moderately sclerotized, Z. romeo megorion Burgeff (comb. nov.) Z. scabiosae megorion Burgeff, 1926, Mitt. miinch. ent. Ges., 16: 21. Type locality: Pegli; Genoa; coastal regions of the Italian and French Riviera. Material examined: 1 ¢, Mte. Sperone, Genoa (coll. H. Reiss), a series of both sexes from Moulinet and La Turbie near Nice, Alpes-Maritimes, France. 3 genitalia. The number and length of the spines at the base of the lamina dorsalis rather variable. In some specimens, the spines are re- duced in number and length and are often vestigial. In others, the spines may be lengthened and form a transverse row across the base. These moderately long spines, however, do not attain the length of those in osterodensis. Both groups of cornuti well developed, Q genitalia. Lamella postvaginalis undeveloped, lamella antevaginalis narrow, ductus bursae weakly sclerotized, signum vestigial. This subspecies occurs as a mixture of races in the coastal regions from Genoa to Nice. Z. romeo ssp. - A distinct and undescribed subspecies of romeo occurs in the neigh- bourhood of St. Baume and Marseilles in the department of Var. The 50 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 76 15/11/64 specimens are smaller than those of ssp. megorion and the more trans- lucent wings have thinner scaling. The red coloration of the forewing spots and hindwings is a translucent carmine. In the forewings, spots 2 and 4 are narrowly connected by red scaling, this connection being often broken. Spots 3 and 5 are usually separate and are rarely connected by a fine line of red scaling. ¢ genitalia. Spines at the base of the lamina dorsalis variable in length, variation similar to that in ssp. megorion. Both groups of cornuti well represented. © genitalia. Lamella postvaginalis variable and developed in some specimens, lamella antevaginalis narrow but variable; moderately strong, lateral sclerotization in the ductus bursae, signum absent, The absence of the signum appears to be constant. This undescribed subspecies was recorded as “scabiosae”’ by Abeille (1909:9) who also noted that the broken forewing streaks are characteristic of this subspecies. According to Abeille (loc. cit.) the larva feeds on Lathyrus pratensis L. and exceptionally on Hippocrepis comosa L. Superficially, this subspecies is not unlike giesekingiana Reiss but may be readily separated on genital characters. Z. romeo loritzi Reiss Z. romeo loritzi Reiss, 1958, Bull. Soc. ent. Mulhouse, p. 56. Z. romeo loritzi Reiss, 1958, Z. wien. ent. Ges., 43: 182 (nomen nudum). Type locality: St. Barnabé, Col. de Vence, Alpes-Maritimes, France, 900-1000 m. Material examined: 18 ¢d,1 2, Vence, Alpes-Maritimes. 6 genitalia. Spines at the base of the lamina dorsalis variable in length and number but generally reduced. Cornuti well represented in both groups. 2 genitalia. Lamella postvaginalis undeveloped, lamella antevaginalis rather broad, ductus bursae weakly sclerotized, signum present, rather weak. Z. romeo ssp. An apparently new and undescribed subspecies of romeo occurs at St. Martin Vésubie, Alpes-Maritimes. Specimens from this locality nave bright, scarlet forewing streaks and hindwings, ground colour of forewings blue-black with a slight gloss. Hindwing border fairly broad, especially at the apex. The lower forewing streak (2 + 4) is not broken although in some specimens it is constricted in the middle, The central streak is broken, forming two spots (3 and 35). 6 genitalia. Spines at the base of the lamina dorsalis short and reduced in number. Both groups of cornuti strong, well represented. © genitalia. A slight development of the lamella postvaginalis, lamella antevaginalis fairly broad, ductus bursae moderately sclerotized, signum vestigial. Z. romeo parvorion Holik (comb. nov.) Z. scabiosae parvorion Holik, 1944, Iris, 57: 48. Type locality: Digne, Basses-Alpes, France. Material examined: 4 ¢d,1 Q, Digne, Basses-Alpes. THE SILVICOLA BURGEFF GROUP OF THE GENUS ZYGAENA FABRICIUS bil ¢ genitalia. Spines at the base of the lamina dorsalis variable in length and size, generally reduced; both groups of cornuti strong and well developed. © genitalia, Lamella postvaginalis undeveloped, lamella antevaginalis = narrow, ductus bursae moderately sclerotized. Signum absent (? constant). The true romeo occurs in the neighbourhood of Digne and it is interest- ing to note that osterodensis (ssp. schultei Dujardin) occurs at Les Dourbes near Digne. It is not known whether the two species fly together on the same ground. The variability of the lamina dorsalis suggests possible hybridization between the two species. Holik originally described parvorion as a race of ssp. subalpina Calberla. Z. romeo subalpina Calberla (comb. nov.) Z. scabiosae subalpina Calberla, 1895, Iris, 8: 205. Type locality. Piedmont, N. Italy. We have been unable to examine material of this subspecies. Z. romeo freyeri Lederer (comb. nov.) Z. freyeri Lederer, 1852, Verh. zool.-bot. Ver. Wien, 2: 70, 94 (nomen novum for triptolemus Hiibner sensu Freyer). Z. triptolemus MHiibner sensu Freyer, 1833, Neuere Beitrage zur Schmetterlingskunde, 1: 28, pl. 14, fig. 4. Z. scabiosae meridionalis Vorbrodt, 1913, in Vorbrodt & Miuller-Rutz, Die Schmetterlinge der Schweiz, 2: 253. Z. scabiosae ephemerina Burgeff, 1926, Mitt. miinch. ent. Ges., 16: 20 (syn. nov.). Type locality: southern Alpine Valleys of Switzerland (Grono, Misox) and south Tyrol excent the Etsch and Ejisack valleys. Material examined: A series of specimens from Tessin, Rovio; Bignasco, Switzerland; Val Randena, S. Tyrol. 3 genitalia. Spines at the base of the lamina dorsalis variable, rather longer than those in the central and southern Italian subspecies of romeo. The two lateral spines at the base are stronger and very much enlarged. Both groups of cornuti strong and well developed. © genitalia. Lamella postvaginalis well developed, lamella ante- vaginalis variable, ductus bursae moderately sclerotized, angulated anteriorly. Signum absent or, when present, weak. The tendency of the genitalia of ssp. freyeri to show transitory characters to osterodensis suggests that hybridization is taking place. The ssp. freyeri was first described and figured by Freyer who in- correctly attributed it to triptolemus Hiibner, the latter being a subspecies of achilleae Esper. In 1852, Lederer proposed the name freyeri for the subspecies which was later renamed meridionalis by Vorbrodt. The latter name is preoccupied by meridionalis Oberthir, 1911, which is a synonym of hippocrepidis provincialis Oberthur, 1907. Burgeff proposed the name ephemerina to replace meridionalis Vorbrodt but these names now fall in synonymy under freyeri Lederer. Z. romeo orionides Burgeff (comb. nov.) _Z. scabiosae orionides Burgeff, 1926, Mitt. miinch. ent. Ges., 16: 21. - Type locality: Trient and Adamello region, N. Italy. Material examined: 2 3d, Trient, N. Italy. 52 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 76 15/11/64 3 genitalia. Spines at the base of the lamina dorsalis variable in length and number, suggesting transitory characters to osterodensis. Both groups of cornuti present, well developed. Z. romeo ssp. A most remarkable and distinct subspecies of romeo occurs in the neighbourhood of Geneva, Switzerland. The British Museum collection contains a series of over eighty specimens of both sexes from Boix d’Onex and Bois de Bay. The forewing spots are confluent and form well defined streaks as in osterodensis. There is, however, a strong constric- tion in the middle streak (3 + 5) of the forewings. The lower streak has a slight constriction in the middle but is never completely broken. In the females, however, the middle streak may be more frequently broken to form two spots (3 and 5). The specimens have rounded forewings as in romeo and have a wingspan of 23-28 mm. in the males and 25-28 mm. in the females. The red coloration is a bright scarlet, ground colour of forewings blue-black with a slight gloss. Thorax and abdomen black, thinly haired and without gloss. 6 genitalia. Lamina dorsalis short and broad, spines at the base variable in length and number. Two males show the formation of additional short spines in the disc of the lamina dorsalis. Both groups of cornuti well developed. © genitalia. Lamella postvaginalis undeveloped, lamella antevaginalis broad, ductus bursae moderately sclerotized, signum absent (? constant). Z. romeo lozerica Holik (comb. nov.) Z. scabiosae lozerica Holik, 1944, Iris, 57: 49. Type locality: Florac, Lozére, France. Material examined: 24 ¢¢,5 9 9, Florac, Lozére. 6 genitalia. Spines at the base of the lamina dorsalis variable, both in length and number. In one male examined, the spines are of equal length and form a transverse row across the base and are characteristic of osterodensis. Both groups of cornuti strong and well developed. © genitalia. Slight development of the lamella postvaginalis, lamella antevaginalis broad, ductus bursae moderately sclerotized, signum present, very weak. In superficial characters the subspecies is obviously referable to romeo. The male genitalia show slight transitory characters to osterodensis but are referable to romeo. Z. romeo urania Marten (comb. nov.) Z. scabiosae urania Marten, 1957, Ent. Z., 67: 218. Type locality: Neighbourhood of Ripoll, Spanish East Pyrenees, 900- 1100 m. Material examined: 3 dd, Thués-les-Bains, Pyrénées-Orientales; 29°,Mt. Taga, Catalonia, 900 m. 3S genitalia. Spines at the base of the lamina dorsalis variable in length and number. Both groups of cornuti present, well developed. 2 genitalia. Slight development of lamella postvaginalis, lamella antevaginalis rather broad, ductus bursae moderately sclerotized, signum present and very weak in one female, absent in the other. The two specimens examined from Mt. Taga, Catalonia, are true romeo and agree with the original description of ssp. urania Marten. Marten THE SILVICOLA BURGEFF GROUP OF THE GENUS ZYGAENA FABRICIUS 53 himself considered urania to be a race of orion H.-S., ie., the species romeo. The three males from Thués-les-Bains are also true romeo. It is interesting to note that, in a large series of over two hundred specimens of osterodensis eupyrenaea Burgeff, there are no specimens from Thués- les-Bains. This suggests that the two species do not fly together on the same ground. As noted under osterodensis eupyrenaea, certain specimens of that subspecies have superficial characters which resemble those of romeo while the spines at the base of the lamina dorsalis of these specimens are variable in length. This suggests that hybridization is taking place. Z. osterodensis Reiss 3S genitalia. Horns of uncus short, broad and flat, variable within the species. In the aedeagus, the lamina dorsalis is triangular in shape, rather longer than that in romeo, laterally edged with strong spines, with a longer and more strongly developed spine on each side at the base. Between these two large, basal spines, a transverse row of long spines, varying in length, but usually two-thirds that of the lamina dorsalis. Central area of lamina dorsalis spiculate. Basal portion, anterior to the large spines, scobinate. Lamina ventralis rather narrower than that in romeo, comprised of a field of short, strong spines. Spines of central area of lamina ventralis thicker and more strongly developed. A portion of the vesica spiculate, this part developing into a single, large cornutus ending in a group of from 3-9 short, strong spines, arranged rather to one side. Vesical pad or “Blase” absent or vestigial. 2 genitalia. “Schildchen” broadly triangular in shape but variable. Lamella postvaginalis well developed but not sclerotized as in, e.g., the filipendulae-lonicerae group. Lamella antevaginalis strongly sclerotized, ovoid in shape and variable in width. Ductus bursae more strongly angulated at entrance to ductus seminalis compared with that in romeo, weak to moderate sclerotization in the anterior two-thirds, especially laterally. Bursa copulatrix spherical, signum present (in all specimens examined), varying from 20-27 spines. First pair of tibial spurs absent. Z. osterodensis asiatica Burgeff (comb. nov.) Z. scabiosae asiatica Burgeff, 1926, Mitt. mtinch. ent. Ges., 16: 19. Type locality: Sojmonowsk, northern part of the southern Ural Mountains. Material examined: 4 66,5 2 Q, Ural Mts. 6 genitalia. Spines at the base of the lamina dorsalis long and well developed, forming a transverse row across the base. Single group of cornuti strong and well developed. © genitalia. Lamella postvaginalis well developed, ductus bursae weakly sclerotized, signum present and well developed. Z. osterodensis filipjevi Holik (comb. nov.) Z. scabiosae filipjevi Holik, 1939, Rev. franc. Lépid., 9: 276, pl. 7, figs. 12-15. Type locality: 50 km. south-east of Uzjan, Bashkir. No material of this subspecies was available for examination. 54 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 76 15/11/64 Z. osterodensis saratovensis Holik & Sheljuzhko (comb. nov.) Z. scabiosae saratovensis Holik & Sheljuzhko, 1955, Mitt. miinch. ent. Ges., 44/45: 106. Z.. scabiosae transiens Spuler, 1906, Die Schmetterlinge Europas, 2: 155 (preoccupied). Type locality: Saratov, southern Russia. Material examined: 1 ¢, Churalinsk, 1 9, Sarepta. 3 genitalia. Spines at base of lamina dorsalis long and well developed, cornuti reduced in length. Q genitalia. Lamella postvaginalis developed, lamella antevaginalis broader than that in altaica (see below), ductus bursae weakly sclerotized, signum present, rather weak, number of spines reduced. Z. osterodensis sibirica Holik & Sheljuzhko (comb. nov.) Z. scabiosae sibirica Holik & Sheljuzhko, 1955, Mitt. miinch. ent. Ges., 44/45: 109. Type locality: Tobolsk, west Siberian steppe region. We have been unable to examine material of this subspecies. Z. osterodensis altaica Holik & Sheljuzhko (comb. nov.) Z. scabiosae altaica Holik & Sheljuzhko, 1955, Mitt. miinch. ent. Ges., 44/45: 111. Type locality: Altai, central Siberia. Material examined: 13 6 dg, 5 2°, Baikal region and Irkutsk. S genitalia. Spines at the base of the lamina dorsalis long and well developed, forming a transverse row, single group of cornuti present, well developed. © genitalia. Lamella postvaginalis well developed, lamella antevagin- alis broad, ductus bursae moderately sclerotized, signum present but number of spines reduced. Z. osterodensis kenteina Burgeff (comb. nov.) Z. scabiosae kenteina Burgeff, 1926, Mitt. miinch, ent. Ges., 16: 19. Type locality: northern Urga, Kentei Mts., Mongolia. Material examined: 2 6d, 2 9 9, Urga, Kentei. 6 genitalia. Spines at the base of the lamina dorsalis long and strongly deveicped, cornuti strony, well developed. © genitalia. Lamella postvaginalis developed. lamella antevaginalis narrow, ductus bursae weakly sclerotized, signum present, strongly deve- loped as in ssp. asiatica. Z. osterodensis caucasi Burgeff (comb. nov.) Z. scabiosae caucasi Burgefi, 1926, Mitt. miinch. ent. Ges., 16: 19 (nomen novum for caucasica Spuler). Z. scabiosae caucasica Spuler, 1906, Die Schmetterlinge Euronas, 2: 155 (preoccupied). Type locality: Achalzych, Georgia, Transcaucasia. Material examined: 1 <, labelled ‘“‘Causcasus”’. 6 genitalia. Lateral spines of the transverse row at the base of the lamina dorsalis enlarged, central spines of transverse series shorter, but still well developed. Single group of cornuti present. (To be continued.) — THE GENUS IDIOCERUS IN SUBURBAN NORTH-WEST KENT 55 The genus /diocerus (Hem.-Hom., Cicadellidae) in suburban North-west Kent By A. A. ALLEN, B.Sc., A.R.C.S. F. B. Jennings, writing over half a century ago (1909, Ent. mon. Mag., 45: 89), remarked on the paucity of records of insects of this suborder in general, and of this—in life—distinctly attractive genus in particular, which can hardly be said to share the obscurity of so many of its smaller relatives. To this day, however, it remains little known to the average field entomologist, and I therefore make no apology for offering some notes on the species of Idiocerus encountered during the past autumn within a few miles of my home. I will first illustrate the above point by a comparison. Taking for this purpose a local list for a productive and well-worked area, compiled over a number of years—The Natural History of the Oxford District, 1926: 295 —one finds only four species of Idiocerus listed for a circular area of seven miles’ radius from the centre of Oxford. This contrasts oddly with a total of eleven species of these leaf-hoppers that may mostly quite readily be collected in a single day near here in an area a fraction of the size— nearly three times as many! W. West, working in the same district around the turn of the century, recorded in 1909 (‘Woolwich Surveys’) ten species of the genus, and later added one more; all of which the present writer, assisted at times by Mr. D. Collins, has met with recently either at Blackheath or Shooters Hill—places frequently mentioned in West’s list. It is, perhaps, unlikely that any further species will now be found to inhabit the district, though one or two possibilities remain. At any rate it is interesting to note, in view of metropolitan ‘sprawl’ and increasing pollution, that every one of those taken over 50 years ago by West still occurs—most of them freely. As the salicaceous host-plants of these bugs usually each support more than one species (up to three here in the case of certain kinds of poplar) it will be convenient to list the species under their foodplants. Synonyms are added where a different name is now in use. Salix fragilis L—I. lituratus Fln., Blackheath, in plenty, with I. stigmaticalis Lew. (=adustus H.-S.) much less commonly on the same willows. The former species appears to be at its peak in July, the males almost over by August (at least it seemed so in 1963), but females—as usual in the genus—may persist till late in the year. I know of only one tree of the white willow (S. alba L.) in the neighbourhood, which is almost unworkable but might probably yield the same two species. Salix caprea L.—I. confusus Flor, Shooters Hill, one specimen; this apparent scarcity must be due to the lack of sallow in the area. the bushes being only very few and far between: in most localities this host supports lituratus besides confusus. Populus alba L.—I. distinguendus Kbm. (=cognatus Fieb.), abundant at Blackheath on a row of young white poplars planted only a few years ago; this tree also is scarce in the district, which probably accounts for the absence of I. albicans from the row just mentioned. The young stages plentiful in July, more or less pale green—of which colour little remains _ in the adults. Populus canescens Sm.—A single grey poplar in the woods at Shooters Hill, whose foliage is out of reach but which has given rise to a number of 56 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 76 15/11/64 seedling bushes growing mixed up with aspen, harbours thriving colonies of I. distinguendus and laminatus Kbm. on the bushes, together with albicans Kbm. very sparsely. The latter species perhaps breeds only on the parent tree, the few examples seen having strayed from it. Populus tremula L.—I. populi L., Shooters Hill, generally distributed and common, locally plentiful; the striking form of the female having the normal bright green replaced by deep rosy or orange-pink (as fugitive after death as the green) occurs very sparingly. I. tremulae Estl. is con- siderably more local on the same aspens, its headquarters in one small area (with an outlier or two) and another even more restricted colony quite separate from this. At least one specimen of I. laminatus has been swept from aspen here but it may have been a straggler from the grey poplar, though some little distance from it. At Darenth Wood, however, we found these three species together and in about equal numbers on 3 row of mature aspens, the laminatus showing a wider range of colour than at Shooters Hill; one remarkable female had the normally rosy- flushed parts clear green—a very deceptive form, strongly resembling a large 2 populi— while others showed a transitional phase in that only the abdomen was wholly or partly green instead of rosy. Populus italica Moench.—Another productive host-tree regularly sup- porting three species around Blackheath: I. fulgidus F., vitreus F. (=h- aibum Fieb.) and decimusquartus Schrank (=scurra Germ.). The first two are general on it, occurring nearly always in company (as West and Jennings found), the last a good deal less common, at least this season, but still far from rare. West recorded it as abundant at Blackheath. Yet, apart from several localities around London, mostly on the north Side (Jennings, l.c. swp.), British records of I. decimusquartus are very few—the most distant are isolated ones from West Sussex and Oxon. The same observers remark on the seemingly exclusive attachment of both ‘scurra’ and vitreus to the Lombardy Poplar, and this we can fully confirm. (Unfortunately, this tree, known to yield two other species of Idiocerus in Britain, is by its situation and mode of growth often almost unworkable! ) Populus (deltoidea Marsh. X nigra L.=) X canadensis Moench.—The common hybrid ‘black’ poplar of the suburbs appears for some reason to be less acceptable to these insects than P. italica, notwithstanding the very close affiinity of the two trees; the only species found by us on it here and elsewhere is I. fulgidus, tolerably freely. One female among numerous typical specimens from Cheshunt, Herts., was bright salmon- pink instead of green—the only such specimen seen corresponding to the similar form of populi already noticed. (Whether the third green species, confusus, ever produces a like form seems uncertain.) Mr. Collins has found what appears to be colour-dimorphism in the ‘larvae’ of fulgidus at Carshalton Beeches, Surrey, where green and black forms occurred together last year in equal numbers on a bush of the above foodplant; but whether this is a sexual difference has not yet been demonstrated. Besides these 11 species, there is a specimen standing over the name I. cupreus Kbm. (=aurulentus Kbm.) in the collection of British Homop- tera at the British Museum (Nat. Hist.) with a label ‘Blackheath, Kent/x.1909/W. West’—one of a series from various sources. With the exception, however, of the original specimen taken by James Edwards at Cossey, Norfolk, and recorded by him as I. aurulentus (his cupreus being probably an abnormal overwintered vitreus), they appear to have been CURRENT LITERATURE Siz incorrectly placed as that species and to be in fact referable to vitreus. I suspected this from a naked-eye comparison and am glad to find that it is also the view of Dr. W. J. Le Quesne. As a guide to anyone wishing to work the group, it may be mentioned that East Anglia is seemingly the richest part of the country in Idioceri, with two or three very rare species recorded many years ago for which further data, and any recent records, are badly needed; and that for many remoter parts virtually nothing at all is known of the fauna. It would be strange if some of our many northern and mountain species of Salix, for instance, did not harbour one or two species of Idiocerus not yet known from Britain. For all 18 species now reckoned as British, August to September is the peak period. One of the rarer, I. vittifrons Kbm., is exceptional in being attached to the field maple, Acer campestre L. Knowledge of foodplant is a most valuable aid to specific determina- tion. The slight or pronounced sexual differences in colour or marking shown by about half the species may be rather confusing at first, but as they are all gregarious and the sexes are easily known by the different formation of the apical sternites, this will not give much trouble; besides, closely similar species do not as a rule affect the same host-plants. Each species in the fresh state has a distinctive facies which soon becomes familiar (hard as it may be to describe). The curious ‘allochromatism’ among females of the populi group of species* seems to have a parallel in the pigmental changes undergone by females of certain Heteroptera (e.g. some Pentatomids and Mirids) in connection with hibernation, and beginning in the abdomen (cf. our ex- perience with I. laminatus). As only females of the present genus are known to hibernate—a small proportion normally surviving the winter— it may well be that the phenomenon under notice is basically similar, i.e. a by-product of physiological changes preparatory to overwintering; but the low percentage of any population to be so affected seems to offer difficulty, moreover the colour-change (assuming it is a change, and not a constant feature of certain individuals) can be complete before mid- August. Clearly, the question could only be settled by keeping whole broods under constant observation in captivity, and breeding if possible from allochromatic females. In conclusion I would thank my friend Mr. Collins for directly or in- directly drawing my attention to these interesting insects, and Dr. Le Quesne for his kindness in elucidating certain points and in freely giving us the benefit of his great knowledge of the ‘hoppers’. 31.x1i.63. *Reversed in laminatus, where the green form is the exception, the rosy one the rule. In addition, there is sexual colour-dimorphism in laminatus (with brownish male) and populi (with yellow male), but in confusus and fulgidus both sexes are normally green. The reference throughout is of course to the ground colour—the markings remain unchanged. Current Literature Diptera Visitors to the Stinkhorn, Phallus impudicus Pers., in Denmark. The Stinkhorn is a toadstool with a scent repulsive to human beings but attractive to many species of flies. Records of visitors to this fungus have been published by H. Luther in 1947 for Finland, for this country by myself in 1947 and 1951 and by K. G. V. Smith in 1955, 1956, and for Belgium by A. Collart in 1950. 58 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 76 15/11/64 B. Overgaard Nielsen in 1963, FLORA aG FLoRA, 69: 126-134, records Phaonia errans Mg. and Helomyza fuscicornis Zett. as new to the list of the Diptera of Denmark in an article on 1699 flies of 16 families captured at the fungus in two localities to the north of Copenhagen, Denmark, in September and October. The most numerous visitors were Polietes lardaria F., Phaonia variegata Mg., Calliphora vomitoria L. and Drosophila phalerata Mg. A comparison is made of the captures made in the four countries but it is evident that there is scope for further work to ascertain the full range of visitors and the reasons for the visits. Nielsen records breeding Drosophila busckii Coq. from the stinkhorn. L. PARMENTER. “The Biting Midges of Lyngby Aamose” in 1963, Natura Jutlandica, 10: 1-46. B. Overgaard Nielsen of the Zoological Institute, University of Aarhus, Denmark, presents his report of an investigation of the biting midges which were causing a great nuisance to the inhabitants of Lyngby Aamose. The town is in wooded fenland on the shores of Lake Lyngby, a few miles north west of Copenhagen. A description of the vegetation and the several methods of collecting is given before proceeding with the account of the midges. Some 20,000 Culicoides (Ceratopogonidae) adults were col- lected in 1960-62 with C. impunctatus Goet. providing over 90%. This is the species which was accidentally omitted from the British List in Kloet and Hincks, 1945, but is known as one of the most annoying species of the family in Scotland. The seasonal and daily activities of the species are discussed and also its dispersal, illustrated with tables and maps. The trapping of emerging midges and the micro-distribution of Culicoides larvae are described and a brief note on their pupation follows before the final summary. The paper concludes with a useful reference list of 27 items. L. PARMENTER. New Locality Records for British Ants, 1963 By C. A. CoLLINGWooD Ponera coarctata Latr. workers were found in soil among loose rock on Brean Down. Somerset, in April 1963; this is the first record for Somerset. Myrmecina graminicola Latr. has usually been taken in. lime- stone country, typically nesting under deep stones on well drained sites. It was a surprise, therefore, to find a strong colony nesting in the sphagnum bog on Stoke Heath Dorset. The nest had a small pile of fine litter fragments on top in which the Myrmecina were incubating their brood. Various Myrmica, Lasius niger L. and Formica transkaucasica Nas. were occupying similar situations nearby. A large and thriving colony of Leptothorax nylanderi Foerst. was dis- closed under flaking rock in a sheltered position on Stanner Rocks just within the county of Radnorshire in October 1963. This is the second record for Wales where previously it has only been found at Chepstow by the late H. M. Hallett. This is also the second time only that I have found this species in Britain other than in tree stumps or under bark. THE MEDITERRANEAN BROCADE IN ENGLAND 59 More typically the species was abundant on old oak trees in Chilston Park, Kent, in September. Conversely, a strong colony of L. tuberum Fab. which normally nests in rock crevices or in moss, was found under ash bark in Goblin Coombe, Somerset, a locality where this species is not uncommon among the limestone exposures. These experiences illustrate the difficulty of attempting to define too closely the apparent ecological requirements of a species Myrmica schencki Em. was found in two new localities, nesting in sand at Kenfig, Glamorganshire in June 1963, and in a grassy bank near Coombe Halt, Oxfordshire, in July. The Glamorgan discovery supple- ments the discovery of H. M. Hallett who first discovered this species in the British Isles nesting in a marl bank at the edge of a wood near Sully. To date, this ant is now recorded from 13 locations in England and Wales compared with twice that number in South Ireland. Lasius rabaudi Bond. was also found on Kenfig dunes nesting in sand banks. One colony was found in a large L. flavus Fab. like mound in the sand. The interior of the nest was constructed of blackened carton. The nest was probably of fair age and contained very large numbers of males and also a very few alate queens. Some of the males and workers were retained in cap- tivity for a few weeks and I was surprised to see the males which are robust in form with well developed mandibles, feed themselves from moistened sugar and also drag about insect corpses. Other new county records include L. fuliginosus Latr. seen eee among willow near Hilton, Hunts., in September. Myrmica rubra L. and M. sabuleti Mein. at Portknockie, Banffshire, and Formica sanguinea Latr. on a wooded bank at Bridge of Canny, near Banchory, in Kincardineshire, in July 1963. This last place was about a mile away from a similar site where I found it in 1958 near Kincardine O’Neil, just over the county border into Aberdeenshire. Dr. Guy Morison also sent me some F-. sanguinea from Marywell, in the same area. Prodenia litura Fabricius: The Mediterranean Brocade (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) in England in 1963 By J. M. CHALMERS-HUNT Newspaper entomology is not renowned for its reliability, and seldom contains information of import that cannot be located in the entomo- logical literature. It was therefore of interest to read in the Evening News of 13th December 1963, a well-informed article drawing attention to the appearance of this species in England in unprecedented numbers. This short article, entitled “Looking for the Prodenia Litura”, by L. B. Powell, is based on a Press notice issued by the Ministry of Agriculture, who have since confirmed that the moth occurred in this country as a pest on chrysanthemums in 1963. Mr. F. H. Jacob of the Plant Pathology Laboratory, Harpenden, writes that from July onwards, a few chrysanthemum growers in the southern half of England noticed unusual damage, and that caterpillars proved 60 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 76 15/11/64 difficult to kill with the common insecticides used in glasshouses. Cases were reported to the Ministry of Agriculture, whose staff identified the larvae as those of P. litura. Subsequently, infestations were found in a number of glasshouses on nurseries in Kent, Sussex, Hampshire, Norfolk, Essex, Somerset, Gloucestershire, Glamorgan and Worcestershire. The species is believed to have been accidentally introduced as ova or young larvae on chrysanthemums. ; P. litura has a wide range abroad in tropical and sub-tropical regions, and its larva is well-known as a potentially dangerous pest, notably on tomato and citrus fruits. Prior to 1963, however, it appears to have been very seldom noticed in this country, and the only instance of its occur- rence to my knowledge, is of a specimen bred from a larva stated to have been imported from the Canaries in bananas, and which was' feeding on the skin. The larva, and later the moth which was bred from it, were exhibited by Classey in 1949 (Proc. S. Lond. ent. nat. Hist. Soc., 1949-50: 10,. 25). The species is not in Barrett (Lep. Br. Isles), South (Moths Br. Isles (1907)), nor in Meyrick (Rev. Handbook Br. Lep. (1927)). South (Moths Br. Isles, New Edition, 1961) states that it “has occasionally been reared here from caterpillars found on imported tomatoes’, but gives no further particulars. Notes and Observations Some LaTE REcorDs For 1963.—As usual, my mercury vapour light trap has produced some exceptionally late records here, among which are the following: October 13th, Apamea monoglypha Hufn.; October 24th, Epione repandaria Hufn.; November 4th, Hypena proboscidalis L.; November 5th, Leucania pallens L.; November 14th, Plusia gamma L., and I also saw a fully-fed larva of Pieris brassicae L. crawling up the wall! of the museum at Haslemere on November 30th.—C. G. M. pE Worms, Three Oaks, Shore’s Road, Woking, Surrey. 22.xii.1963. EUPHIA LUCTUATA SCHIFF. AND RHODOMETRA SACRARIA L. In 1963.—I would like to mention two insects caught in 1963 which may be of interest. The first is a female Euphia luctuata Schiff. (white banded carpet) which I caught flying around some birch trees near Lewes on 5th May. The 1961 edition of “South” mentions June to August as the months of emergence of the moth. The second record is of a male Rhodometra sacraria L. (vestal). This was caught at light on 17th October at Cheltenham. The oblique stripes on the forewings are of a deep chocolate brown colour.— R. M. C. Vaux, M.B., B.Cu., 29 Leckhampton Road, Cheltenham, Gloucester- shire. 27.xii.1963. EUPITHECIA INSIGNIATA HUBN. aND HaADENA COMPTA SCHIFF. IN NORTH Bucks.—E. insigniata Hubn. appeared in my mercury vapour light trap on 16th and 27th May last year; there are several old apple trees near to where I station the trap and next year I hope to find larvae. A worn and slightly battered specimen of H. compta was taken in the trap on 22nd July. The only highlights of an otherwise undistinguished season.—J. ELLERTON, Captain, R.N., Granborough Lodge, Granborough, Bucks. OBITUARY 61 Obituary ALFRED E. BURRAS (1871-1963) Alfred Burras passed away at Newbridge Hospital, Salisbury, on 15th November 1963, at the great age of 92 years, and in spite of his advanced years, his death came as a great shock to a very large circle of his friends, for until he reached his nineties he was a man of very great energy with a tremendous zest for his entomological and ornithological pursuits. All who met him, even in his later years, must well remember his unbounded enthusiasm which he kept up virtually to the end. He might well be termed the doyen of field naturalists, since he had a very wide and all- round knowledge of natural history and was one who spent all his years in practical field work. Excepting those years interrupted by hostilities, he pursued his interests almost annually on the continent, and among his favourite hunt- ing grounds may be mentioned the, Pyrenees, Alpes Maritimes, and such famous resorts in the Basses Alpes as Digne, Uvernet, Maurin and Dieule- fit, while the Swiss Alps were an equally happy and profitable collecting ground for him. From all these trips abroad, which were often carried out twice a year so as to coincide with the spring and autumn emer- gences, he brought back much interesting material, especially among the high level lepidoptera. On many of these expeditions he was accompanied by his very close friend, the late William Fassnidge, and they collaborated to provide some very valuable data for entomologists at home and abroad. On all these occasions went with him his devoted wife, whose help in the field has been of inestimable value to his success in many spheres of natural history. But these collecting trips were not without adventure, and he used to tell how he was once taken for a smuggler on the Italian frontier, but was saved by his net, which acted as his emblem of office. Although he spent much time out of this country, it was the New Forest which was his real home, and since 1907 he worked, every corner of this famous region and had an unrivalled knowledge of its fauna, and it was here that he made his final home, near Redlynch, among its lepi- doptera and birds which he also studied so closely, for he possessed a very extensive collection of eggs as well as of British butterflies and moths. Of his earlier days, he was born of humble parents in Westmorland, where he first showed the flair for observation in the field. From 1894 he was assistant master at several grammar and high schools, both in Cum- berland and the south of England, until he finally settled, in 1907, at the Boys Secondary School at Portsmouth, where he taught mainly English and French, and he remained on the staff there until he retired shortly before the 1939 war. Here again, he was recognized as a naturalist of marked talent. He was also a keen sportsman, being a cricketer, and especially a bowler, of no mean repute, being also an equally enthusi- astic angler. In his early days he won an open swimming championship on Lake Windermere. In the scholastic field he was a B.A. of London University, and also held the Diplome Superieur of the University of Caen, being fluent in French and Spanish. In the natural history world he was a fellow of the Royal Entomological Society of more than forty years standing, as well as a member of the British Ornithologists’ Union, and he had been presi- 62 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 76 15/11/64 dent of the Society for British Entomology. He was also on the Convo- cation of the National Trust. The sympathy of all his friends goes out to his beloved and devoted wife who, at the age of 86 years, carries her head high and is still living on the edge of those wild expanses of the New Forest that her husband loved so much throughout his long and active life. CUMP Rv PP We. TCG: Nae H. E. HAMMOND, F.R.E.S. — An Appreciation Ted Hammond was unusual amongst entomological personalities in that he earned his reputation as a taxidermist rather than as a collector or field-worker, and the sphere in which he not only excelled but which he truly made his own was in the preservation of lepidopterous larvae by what is called “blowing”. This particular form of preservation had been carried on in only a desultory sort of way until Cockayne did it system- atically and then Hammond perfected the art, which is now recognised as making an important taxonomic contribution to collections both public and private. During the past twenty-five years Hammond devised new apparatus and ingenious techniques, all the while so polishing his expertise that he was able to operate on a tremendous scale and preserve great numbers of specimens for commercial distribution to schools and educational centres in addition to providing the large numbers of skins for private collections which was his major task and enjoyment. His industry was prodigious. He was never able to spend much time in the field so he became the centre of a highly organized band of widely scattered col- leagues who maintained with him a rich and entertaining correspondence by which larvae were posted and preserved and distributed; the tales born of this enterprise are a legion and all gained from the earthy and indomi- table joviality of Big Ted Hammond. His reputation extended beyond Britain but he was known intimately only to his own Birmingham colleagues and to a small inner circle of his correspondents. He wrote two major papers about his work, one for the Amateur Entomologists’ Society entitled “Preserving Caterpillars” (A.E.S. leafiet, no. 20, 1948) and one entitled “The Preservation of Lepidopterous larvae using the inflation and heat-drying technique” (Journ. Lep. Soc, 14, no. 1, 1960). He was a member of the South London Natural History and Entomological Society, and one of the pleasures of the Annual Exhi- bition was to meet him at Burlington House each October. For many years, and for most of us for as long as we had known him, Hammond was afflicted by acute deafness but during recent years his health was much troubled by additional illness culminating in an exacting aorta operation just over a year ago; that he was able to maintain his energies and interests was due in part to his robust constitution and un- yielding courage, but due equally to the devotion and care of his wife. Ted Hammond died on 15th December 1963, aged sixty-one. His work will live in the beautiful and exquisitely preserved specimens that will eventually occupy a permanent place in the national collections, and his memory will live with those of us who were fortunate to know him and to share in his work. To his widow we express our deepest sense of loss. G.M.H. LEPIDOPTERA OF KENT (15i) 11. Wateringbury, one, July 1906 (Goodwin coll.). Edenbridge, at light, 1930 (F. D. Greenwood). Aylesford, four, 1954 (G. A. N. Davis). 12. Chartham, one, c.1950 (P. B. Wacher). Wye, one, July 14, 1955; Willesborough, two, July 19, 1956 (W. L. Rudland). West Ashford, one, 1957 (M. Enfield). 13. Tunbridge Wells district*, scarce (R. H. Rattray, in Knipe (1916)). Goudhurst, noted almost annually (W. V. D. Bolt, personal communica- tion, 1961). 14. Sandhurst, at sugar and light (G. V. Bull). 15. Romney Marsh (Bull, Entomologist, 69: 266). Dungeness, larvae, 1947 (de Worms, Proc. S. Lond. ent. nat. Hist. Soc., 1947-48: 12); July 27, 1956 (R. F. Bretherton) June 13, 1962 (T. W. Harman); one, in m.v. trap, June 14, 1962 (R. E. Scott). 16. Folkestone (A. M. Morley). First Recorp, 1796: “Mr. Crow, of Feversham [Faversham] ... met with two or three specimens” (Donovan, Br. Ins., 5: 14). The first definitely Kentish record, however, dates from 1809: “Habitat in Cantio, at valde infrequens” (Haworth, Lep. Brit., 2: 235). Heliothis viriplaca Hufn. (dipsacea L.): Marbled Clover. Suspected immigrant and temporary resident. Shingle beach, chalky places, etc.; on Senecio viscosus, Silene nutans, Ononis repens. Note-—Many of the following records were made before H. maritima Grasl. (q.v.) obtained recognition as a British species, so that in the absence of specimens it is nearly always impossible to know to which species they refer. It is a significant fact, nevertheless, that of the total number of records for both species that it has been possible to check, with two exceptions only, all refer to H. viriplaca. 2. Sheppey, 1873, one at sugar (Hodgson, Ent. mon. Mag., 10: 180). 4. Sandwich,, one, June 13, 19047, one, June 3, 19057, both in J. Platt Barrett coll. (C.-H.). 6a. Near Dartford* (see First Record). “Found occasionally flying in the clover fields, by day, near Darenth-wood” (Stephens, Haust., 3: 110). 7. Westwell, a fresh 27, taken by P. Cue, August 17, 1955, in E. Scott’s garden (C.-H.). 8. Dover (Stephens, loc. cit.). Near Dover*, exhibited at Soc. Br. Entomologists, August 5, 1851 (Zoologist, 3240). Kent Coast* [Deal], ex- hibited by H. J. Harding, at Soc. Br. Entomologists, September 6, 1853, and September 6, 1854 (Zoologist, 4071, 4484). Deal district*.—1856, 1858 (Harding, Ent. week. Int., 1: 108, 4: 125); taken by E. G. Baldwin and F. O. Standish, July 1858 (Ent. week. Int., 4: 134, 146); 1859, 1860 (Harding, Ent. week. Int., 6: 124, 8: 155). Folkestone*.—The species is included in the 1859 edition of English’s Guide to Folkestone, edited by S. J. Mackie, and it is possible it appeared in the earlier editions, but none of these have been traced (C.-H.); 9, between July 24 and August 1, 1858 (H. Tompkins, Diary). Folkestone Warren, not common, July (Knaggs (1870)). 9. “In 1818 I saw three or four specimens in the beginning of August, sporting about the vicinity of Broadstairs” (Stephens, loc. cit.). 13. Tunbridge Wells district*, scarce (R. H. Rattray, in Knipe (1916)). 15. Dungeness.—‘In 1931, taking Silene nutans heads for young larvae of Dianthaecia, I found a few larvae of dipsacea (viriplaca) in June, which the following July produced a form of imagines that were redder in (152) ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 76 15/11/1964 ground colour than East Anglian examples. Pennington who was also working there got the same form by netting in July” (A. J. Wightman, in litt.; a series bred, from larvae taken by Sir Beckwith Whitehouse, in September 1934, when searching for larvae of H. peltigera (F. H. Lees, Ent. Rec., 48: 18; and in litt.); several bred June 11-21, 1935, from June 1934 larvae (A. J. Wightman in litt.); bred 1948, from larva taken with H. peltigera, September 1947 (H. C. Huggins); a larva on S. viscosus, in 1952, from which an imago emerged, May 31 1953+ (C. G. M. de Worms); four larvae on O. repens, July 11, 1959, from which two imagines were bred (B. F. Skinner). VaRIATION.—de Worms (Entomologist, 72: 132) states that the series bred by Whitehouse, from larvae found at Dungeness, “is very similar to the dark continental form of this insect’. Attention is directed to Wightman’s note above, of a number of Dunge- ness specimens that were taken and bred, which “were redder in ground colour than East Anglian examples’’. The Kentish viriplaca that I have seen all appear indistinguishable from specimens in my coll. from the Suffolk Breck district (C.-H.). First Recorp, 1801: “Dr. Latham found it in great abundance in a clover field near Dartford, Kent” (Donovan, Nat. Hist. Br. Ins., 10: 9, plt. 327, fig. 3) (the figure appears to be that of viriplaca). H. maritima Graslin: Fulvous Clover. Immigrant. Lucerne fields. 9. St. Nicholas-at-Wade.—°, taken by W. B. L. Manley, flying among Colias hyale L., in a lucerne field, August 20, 1947. W. H. Tams and I have examined the specimen, and we are agreed that it conforms to the nymotypical race. The example has an al. expanse of 36 mm., and agrees closely with the illustration of the nymotype in Culot (Noctuelles et Geometres d’Europe, 2: plt. 64, fig. 12), and Graslin’s specimen (in Oberthiir coll., Br. Mus., S. Kensington), from which the figure was executed (C.-H.). First Recorp, 1947: St. Nicholas-at-Wade, Isle of Thanet (W. B. L. Manley). It appears that this is also the first and only confirmed occur- rence of H. maritima maritima in Britain. H. septentrionalis Hoffmeyer!: Shoulder-striped Clover. Immigrant. Sandy places. 4. Sandwich—d, in J. Platt Barrett coll. labelled “Sandwich June 10 1904”, in Barrett’s handwriting. The specimen has the characteristic “shoulder stripe’ well marked, and appears to be indistinguishable from several examples of New Forest, Hants., septentrionalis in my coll., with which I have compared it (C.-H.). [(Cockayne (1941, Amat. Ent., 5 (38): 23) gives “on the shingle at Dungeness”; and this statement is exactly repeated in South (1962, Moths Br. Isles, edit. Edelsten and Fletcher, 1: 317). I very much doubt if this refers to septentrionalis however, and strongly suspect that the informa- tion was based on Whitehouse’s series of H. viriplaca (q.v.). According to Huggins (Ent. Rec., 69: 175, and in litt.), Whitehouse erroneously re- corded his specimens from Dungeness as septentrionalis, but that later, Cockayne discovered they were all viriplaca (C.-H.).)] LEPIDOPTERA OF KENT (153) First Recorp, 1904: Sandwich (J. P. Barrett). 1Treated here as distinct from H. maritima in accordance with Heslop’s classi- fication; most authors, however, recognise septentrionalis as of sub-specific status. H. peltigera Schiff.: Bordered Straw. Immigrant!, and perhaps temporary resident. Shingle beach, sandhills, gardens, waste places, etc.; on Senecio viscosus, Calystegia soldanella, “marigold’”’, Ononis repens. Recorded from 1, 3, 4, 6, 7-9, 11-16, but chiefly from the east coast. Most frequent in the shingle beach area of 15, where the choice of pabulum is S. viscosus, and where in fact it appears to occur on nothing else; the species is apparently not found on S. viscosus else- where in Kent. 19th Century Occurrence.—The earliest recorded occurrence is that of Stephens (Haust., 3: 109), who states that in 1827, it was found near Dover, and about London. Over thirty years then elapsed before it was again noticed in Kent, and the following is a chronological record of its sub- sequent appearance. 1858: Deal, four larvae (Harding, Ent. week. Int., 4: 164). 1869: Folkestone (Standish, Entomologist, 4: 323) (Knaggs (1870), Simpson’s Handbook to Folkestone (1871), and Ullyett (1880), may all refer). 1870: Near Margate, two (Cox, Entomologist, 5: 165). 1877: Deal, two, August (Tugwell, Naturalist, new series, 3: 41). 1883: Dover, two, July (Coverdale, Entomologist, 16: 221). 1888: Sydenham (div. 1), one (Sellon, Ent. Rec., 2: 164); Deal, one, August 29 (Fenn, Diary). 1889: Dover (Webb (1891)). N.d.: Folkestone (Briggs, Proc. S. Lond. ent. nat. Hist Soc., 1890-91: 130). 1894: Lee (div. 1), one, June 4 (Fenn, Proc. S. Lond. ent. nat. Hist. Soc., 1894: 46). 1904-(1924).—1904: Deal, one, June 17 (Pearce, Entomologist, 37: 287). 1906: Margate, ¢, August 9 (Colthrup, Ent. Rec., 18: 290). 1910: Plum- stead, one (H. C. Huggins). 1923: Sidcup, one, July 13 (A. R. Kidner, Diary). (1924): Blackheath, one (Edwards, Proc. S. Lond. ent. nat. Hist. Soc., 1924-25: 99) (Dannatt, Proc. S. Lond. ent. nat. Hist. Soc., 1925-26: 59, may refer). 1928-1937.—_Margate (Huggins, Entomologist, 62: 71). Deal, larvae on C. soldanella (Cockayne, Proc. S. Lond. ent. nat. Hist. Soc., 1928-29: 68; idem, Ent. Rec., 40: 166). Ramsgate, one, September 9 (J. W. C. Hunt). Dungeness and near Hythe, larvae swarming, August 29 (Kettlewell, Ent. Rec., 41: 26; Proc. S. Lond. ent. nat. Hist. Soc., 1928-29: 67). Lympne, one, by day, flying over lucerne, September 5 (W. Rait-Smith, teste A. M. Morley). Folkestone, one, flying over knapweed at dusk on the downs, September 18 (A. M. Morley). [1929-30: Dungeness, apparently absent (Wightman, Ent. Rec., 43: 143)]. 1930: Edenbridge (div. 11), one at light (F. D. Greenwood). 1931: Sandhurst (div. 14), two, June (Bull, Proc. S. Lond. ent. nat. Hist. Soc., 1931-32: 61; idem, Entomologist, 64: 187). Sidcup, one larva, July 12 (A. R. Kidner, Diary). Brook, a few specimens (Scott (1936)). Dungeness, larvae abundant, end July, September (Wightman, Ent. Rec., 43: 143); about 50 larvae by E. Scott, C. A. W. Duffield, and A. M. Morley, August 1, 7, 12, from which A.M.M. bred seven, October 5-19, 1931, and four, July 9-August 8, 1932 (A. M. Morley). 1932: Dunge- ness, small number of larvae, August 20 (Bull, Entomologist, 65: 238); one, at sugar, September 17 (A. M. Morley). 1933: Dungeness, over a dozen larvae, August 14 (de Worms, Entomologist, 67: 131). 1934: Dungeness, (154) ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 76 15/11/1964 one by B. Whitehouse, September 16 (A. M. Morley). 1935: Dungeness, larvae, July 30-August 7 (Bull, Entomologist, 68: 217). [1936: Dungeness, apparently absent (A. J. L. Bowes, Diary).] 1937: Near Lydd, larvae, September 15 (Dannreuther, Entomologist, 70: 254). 1938-1947.—1938: Sandwich, imago, June (A. J. L. Bowes). Herne Bay, two 36, in a lucerne field by day, August 28, 30 (C.-H.) (Dannreuther, Entomologist, 72: 15, refers). Dungeness, twenty-four larvae, July 29 (A. H. Lanfear MS.); July-October 1, larvae widespread, abundant, several imagines (Dannreuther, Entomologist, 72: 15, 120; de Worms, Entomologist, 72: 263); one imago, June 11, at night sitting on wire between posts; one imago, at sugar, September 18; twenty larvae, from which eight moths emerged August 23-30, 1938, and three, August 21-October 10, 1939 (A. M. Morley). Lydd, in one afternoon, about the middle of August, about 100 full-grown larvae shaken out of plants of S. viscosus that had been pulled up by other collectors (C.-H.). [1939: Dungeness, apparently absent (A. J. L. Bowes, Diary)]. 1940: Near Lydd, larvae plentiful, September 10 (Dannreuther, Entomologist, 74: 60). 1941: Sandhurst, one, June 25 (Bull, Diary; Entomologist, 74: 280). 1944: Folkestone Town, one, flying in garden, July 8 (A. M. Morley). 1945: Westwell (div. 7), one, June 7 (E. Scott). Pinden (div. 6), ¢, July (Hare, Entomologist, 79: 20). Eynsford (div. 6), August 8 (Blyth, Entomologist, 78: 175). Rolvenden (div. 14), ¢, August 27, in clover field; Littlestone to Dungeness, larvae (Bull, Entomologist, 78: 175). Deal, one, August 3 (C. M. Gummer, teste Riley, Entomologist, 78: 175). Ramsgate, two (ffennell, Entomologist, 79: 174). Bexley (div. 1), a larva on marigold, mid-July (L. T. Ford). Dungeness- Folkestone area, August, imagines numerous, eleven taken, including one in clover field, the rest over Echium at dusk, larvae plentiful (Richardson, Entomologist, 79: 19). Dungeness, two, August 5 (de Worms, Entomologist, 79: 76). 1946: Dartford, ¢, July 1 (B. K. West). Folkestone Warren, 3d, July 11 (C.-H.); three, flying over bugloss, July 13 (Morley, Proc. S. Lond. ent. nat. Hist. Soc., 1946-47: 36); two larvae on O. repens, August 15 (A. M. Morley). Westwell, three, July (Bull. Proc. S.. Lond. ent. nat. Hist. Soc., 1946-47: 168); larvae on marigold, September (Dannreuther, Entomologist, 80: 140). Dungeness, larvae widespread and plentiful, mid-August (Dannreuther, Entomologist, 80: 140). 1947: Deal, one, June 10 (C. M. Gummer, per Rothamsted). Westwell, larvae on marigold (Scott (1950)). Sandwich, one, June 20, by R. Demuth (A. M. Morley). Dungeness, twenty-four larvae, August 31 (H. King). 1948-1962.—1948: Pinden, one (G. Law). Whitstable, one, August 15 (P. F. Harris). Deal (E. & Y. (1949)). 1949: East Kent (Parfitt, Proc. S. Lond. ent. nat. Hist. Soc., 1949-50: 39). 1951: Waltham (div. 8), nineteen larvae on marigold (J. W. C. Hunt). Dungeness, larvae plentiful, early July (A. J. Wightman); ¢, at m.v.l., August 4 (C.-H., Entomologist, 84: 257). Folkestone Town, one, June, in m.v. trap, by A. G. Riddell (A. M. Morley). 1952: Dover, one in m.v.t., March 16 (G. H. Youden). Dym- church, imagines, July 8, 10 (Wakely, Ent. Rec., 65: 44). Folkestone, one, July 18 (D. Marsh, per Rothamsted). Dungeness, about 24 larvae, August 16 (de Worms, Entomologist, 86: 146). 1953: Plumstead, one, at m.v.l. (C. Hards). Dungeness, three larvae, September 19-20 (R. F. Bretherton). 1954: Brook, one, May 30 (French, Entomologist, 88: 128). 1955: Dunge- ness, ten small larvae, September 24-25 (R. F. Bretherton). 1956: Dungeness, few larvae, September 29 (R. F. Bretherton). 1957: Hythe, LEPIDOPTERA OF KENT (155) larvae numerous, August 11 (R. M. Mere, per Rothamsted). Goud- hurst (div. 13), three, at light (W. V. D. Bolt). 1958: Lydd, three larvae, on S. viscosus, August 2, from which two emerged September 2, 4, 1958 (C.-H.). Willesborough, May 25 (French, Entomologist, 92: 174). Maid- stone (div. 11), one at buddleia, August 30 (Philp, Bull. K. Fld. Cl., 1958: 20). 1959: Broadstairs, September 23 (French, Entomologist, 95: 175). 1962: Dungeness, one, in m.v. trap, July 29 (R. E. Scott); three larvae, September 23 (Bretherton, Proc. S. Lond. ent. nat. Hist. Soc., 1962: 22). VARIATION.—My captured specimens all appear to conform to typical peltigera Schiff., but the bred ones are all darker with the markings more intense (C.-H.). Richardson (Entomologist, 91: 212) records ab. omicronata, holotype ¢, Dungeness. Of the variation, A. M. Morley writes (in litt.): “I have one ab. pallida Cockerell, which is very pale indeed, Warren, 13.vii.1946. However, the most interesting variety is the dark form represented by the seven bred in October 1931. These are darker than the type, which itself varies considerably in depth of colour, and are suffused with brown. They are nearly as dark as the ones bred artificially by Kettlewell”’. (Note: A. M. Morley states that he always keeps his pupae in the garage so as to have the insects emerge at the normal date). Kettlewell experimented with hundreds of Dungeness larvae, breeding very pale to very dark imagines (cf. Proc. S. Lond. ent. nat. Hist. Soc., 1943-44: 69-79, plt. 1). “3poem Rroann 1929 - C4arhonea— leo —ot4— —— — 1Kettlewell (Proc. S. Lond. ent. nat. Hist. Soc., 1943-44: 78) states that ‘there is evidence that our Kentish ones are the progeny of immigrants from Southern Germany”. Unfortunately, however, he does not say what con- stitutes this evidence, and it would be interesting to know this. H. armigera Hubn.: Scarce Bordered Straw. Immigrant; also casual importation. Clover fields, waste places, etc. Recorded from 1-3, 6a, 8, 9, 13, 16; but mainly noted from the north-east coastal areas. Abundant in 1875. There is no record of the discovery of any of the early stages in nature, but there are indications that in exceptionally favourable years, the species may survive for at least a generation, such as during the period 1875-83, when the moth is recorded as having occurred annually in Kent. 1859-1865.—1859: Folkestone, one, October (R.C.K.); Ramsgate, one (Wormald, Ent. week. Int., 7: 52); West Wickham, one, at sugar (Barrett, Ent. week. Int., 7: 75). 1860: Herne Bay, two (Butler, Ent. week. Int., 8: 172). 1865: Folkestone, mid-July, over Echium (Knaggs, Ent. Ann., 1866: 155) (Knaggs (1870), may refer); two, September (Briggs, Ent. mon. Mag., 2: 164; idem, Ent. Ann., 1866: 155). 1868-1882.—Except in 1870 and 1872, when it was perhaps absent, the species is recorded as having occurred annually during this period. 1868: Margate, August (Boyd, Ent. mon. Mag., 5: 147); Sheerness, 4, September 22 (Walker, Ent. mon. Mag., 8: 185; Walker MS.). 1869: Sheerness, two (Walker, Ent. mon. Mag., 8: 185). 1871: Sheerness, one, at ivy, October (Walker, Ent. mon. Mag., 8: 185) (in J. J. Walker coll. are two armigera labelled “Isle of Sheppey’’, but without date (C.-H.)). 1873: Darenth Wood, _ at sugar, taken by Bird (Fenn, Diary, 30.ix.1874). 1874: Darenth Wood, ¢, taken by Packman, at ivy, September 29 (Fenn, Diary). 1875: Near Folkestone, one (Haggar, Entomologist, $: 300). 1875-82: Dover district.— (154) ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 76 15/11/1964 one by B. Whitehouse, September 16 (A. M. Morley). 1935: Dungeness, larvae, July 30-August 7 (Bull, Entomologist, 68: 217). [1936: Dungeness, apparently absent (A. J. L. Bowes, Diary).] 1937: Near Lydd, larvae, September 15 (Dannreuther, Entomologist, 70: 254). 1938-1947.—1938: Sandwich, imago, June (A. J. L. Bowes). Herne Bay, two ¢ 6, in a lucerne field by day, August 28, 30 (C.-H.) (Dannreuther, Entomologist, 72: 15, refers). Dungeness, twenty-four larvae, July 29 (A. H. Lanfear MS.); July-October 1, larvae widespread, abundant, several imagines (Dannreuther, Entomologist, 72: 15, 120; de Worms, Entomologist, 72: 263); one imago, June 11, at night sitting on wire between posts; one imago, at sugar, September 18; twenty larvae, from which eight moths emerged August 23-30, 1938, and three, August 21-October 10, 1939 (A. M. Morley). Lydd, in one afternoon, about the middle of August, about 100 full-grown larvae shaken out of plants of S. viscosus that had been pulled up by other collectors (C.-H.). [1939: Dungeness, apparently absent (A. J. L. Bowes, Diary)]. 1940: Near Lydd, larvae plentiful, September 10 (Dannreuther, Entomologist, 74: 60). 1941: Sandhurst, one, June 25 (Buil, Diary; Entomologist, 74: 280). 1944: Folkestone Town, one, flying in garden, July 8 (A. M. Morley). 1945: Westwell (div. 7), one, June 7 (E. Scott). Pinden (div. 6), ¢, July (Hare, Entomologist, 79: 20). Eynsford (div. 6), August 8 (Blyth, Entomologist, 78: 175). Rolvenden (div. 14), ¢, August 27, in clover fel Littlestone to Dungeness, larvae (Bull, ’ ery ~~to ane Anrouct 2 (CM. Gummer, teste Riley, eer rwew -- ~~ | 79: 76). "1946: Dartford, ¢, July 1 (B. K. West). Folkestone wa:rics, 3, July 11 (C.-H.); three, flying over bugloss, July 13 (Morley, Proc. S. Lond. ent. nat. Hist. Soc., 1946-47: 36); two larvae on O. repens, August 15 (A. M. Morley). Westwell, three, July (Bull. Proc. S.- Lond. ent. nat. Hist. Soc., 1946-47: 168); larvae on marigold, September (Dannreuther, Entomologist, 80: 140). Dungeness, larvae widespread and plentiful, mid-August (Dannreuther, Entomologist, 80: 140). 1947: Deal, one, June 10 (C. M. Gummer, per Rothamsted). Westwell, larvae on marigold (Scott (1950)). Sandwich, one, June 20, by R. Demuth (A. M. Morley). Dungeness, twenty-four larvae, August 31 (H. King). 1948-1962.—1948: Pinden, one (G. Law). Whitstable, one, August 15 (P. F. Harris). Deal (E. & Y. (1949)). 1949: East Kent (Parfitt, Proc. S. Lond. ent. nat. Hist. Soc., 1949-50: 39). 1951: Waltham (div. 8), nineteen larvae on marigold (J. W. C. Hunt). Dungeness, larvae plentiful, early July (A. J. Wightman); 3, at m.v.l., August 4 (C.-H., Entomologist, 84: 257). Folkestone Town, one, June, in m.v. trap, by A. G. Riddell (A. M. Morley). 1952: Dover, one in m.v.t., March 16 (G. H. Youden). Dym- church, imagines, July 8, 10 (Wakely, Ent. Rec., 65: 44). Folkestone, one, July 18 (D. Marsh, per Rothamsted). Dungeness, about 24 larvae, August 16 (de Worms, Entomologist, 86: 146). 1953: Plumstead, one, at m.v.l. (C. Hards). Dungeness, three larvae, September 19-20 (R. F. Bretherton). 1954: Brook, one, May 30 (French, Entomologist, 88: 128). 1955: Dunge- ness, ten small larvae, September 24-25 (R. F. Bretherton). 1956: Dungeness, few larvae, September 29 (R. F. Bretherton). 1957: Hythe, LEPIDOPTERA OF KENT (155) larvae numerous, August 11 (R. M. Mere, per Rothamsted). Goud- hurst (div. 13), three, at light (W. V. D. Bolt). 1958: Lydd, three larvae, on S. viscosus, August 2, from which two emerged September 2, 4, 1958 (C.-H.). Willesborough, May 25 (French, Entomologist, 92: 174). Maid- stone (div. 11), one at buddleia, August 30 (Philp, Bull. K. Fld. Cl., 1958: 20). 1959: Broadstairs, September 23 (French, Entomologist, 95: 175). 1962: Dungeness, one, in m.v. trap, July 29 (R. E. Scott); three larvae, September 23 (Bretherton, Proc. S. Lond. ent. nat. Hist. Soc., 1962: 22). VARIATION.—My captured specimens all appear to conform to typical peltigera Schiff., but the bred ones are all darker with the markings more intense (C.-H.). Richardson (Entomologist, 91: 212) records ab. omicronata, holotype ¢, Dungeness. Of the variation, A. M. Morley writes (in litt.): “I have one ab. pallida Cockerell, which is very pale indeed, Warren, 13.vii.1946. However, the most interesting variety is the dark form represented by the seven bred in October 1931. These are darker than the type, which itself varies considerably in depth of colour, and are suffused with brown. They are nearly as dark as the ones bred artificially by Kettlewell”’. (Note: A. M. Morley states that he always keeps his pupae in the garage so as to have the insects emerge at the normal date). Kettlewell experimented with hundreds of Dungeness larvae, breeding very pale to very dark imagines (cf. Proc. S. Lond. ent. nat. Hist. Soc., 1943-44: 69-79, plt. 1). First Recorp, 1830: Stephens, loc. cit. 1Kettlewell (Proc. S. Lond. ent. nat. Hist. Soc., 1943-44: 78) states that ‘‘there is Southern Germany’’. Unfortunately he does not say what constitutes this evidence. It would be interesting to know this. H. armigera Hubn.: Scarce Bordered Straw. Immigrant; also casual importation. Clover fields, waste places, etc. Recorded from 1-3, 6a, 8, 9, 13, 16; but mainly noted from the north-east coastal areas. Abundant in 1875. There is no record of the discovery of any of the early stages in nature, but there are indications that in exceptionally favourable years, the species may survive for at least a generation, such as during the period 1875-83, when the moth is recorded as having occurred annually in Kent. 1859-1865.— 1859: Folkestone, one, October (R.C.K.); Ramsgate, one (Wormald, Ent. week. Int., 7: 52); West Wickham, one, at sugar (Barrett, Ent. week. Int., 7: 75). 1860: Herne Bay, two (Butler, Ent. week. Int., 8: 172). 1865: Folkestone, mid-July, over Echium (Knaggs, Ent. Ann., 1866: 155) (Knaggs (1870), may refer); two, September (Briggs, Ent. mon. Mag., 2: 164; idem, Ent. Ann., 1866: 155). 1868-1882.—Except in 1870 and 1872, when it was perhaps absent, the species is recorded as having occurred annually during this period. 1868: Margate, August (Boyd, Ent. mon. Mag., 5: 147); Sheerness, 4, September 22 (Walker, Ent. mon. Mag., 8: 185; Walker MS.). 1869: Sheerness, two (Walker, Ent. mon. Mag., 8: 185). 1871: Sheerness, one, at ivy, October (Walker, Ent. mon. Mag., 8: 185) (in J. J. Walker coll. are two armigera labelled “Isle of Sheppey’’, but without date (C.-H.)). 1873: Darenth Wood, _ at sugar, taken by Bird (Fenn, Diary, 30.ix.1874). 1874: Darenth Wood, 3, taken by Packman, at ivy, September 29 (Fenn, Diary). 1875: Near Folkestone, one (Haggar, Entomologist, 8: 300). 1875-82: Dover district.— (156) ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 76 15/11/1964 “Swarmed in every cloverfield near Dover in 1875, and specimens occurred annually afterwards until 1882; these were no doubt due to immigration and the natural results of it” (Webb (1899)). 1876: Folkestone, one, September (R.C.K.). 1877: Deal, 2, August (Tugwell, Naturalist, new series, 3: 41; idem, Entomologist, 10: 255; idem, Ent. mon. Mag., 14: 112). 1878: Strood, one (Woodforde, Entomologist, 54: 162). 1879: Deal, one, July; Kingsdown, one, July (R.C.K.); Dover, common (S. Webb, in V.C.H. (1908)). N.d.: Between Kingsdown and Deal on a bank, one taken flying in the hottest sunshine, also one at night with light (Tugwell, Young Nat., 4: 105) (may refer to the 1877 2, and 1879 Kingsdown specimen). -1888-1900.—1888: Dover (Webb (1891)). 1890: Chatham, one, September 5 (Mathew, Entomologist, 23: 344). 1894: Folkestone, one, W. J. Austen (Brit. Mus., S. Kensington). 1894: Bidborough (div. 13), one, over Valerian, July 5 (Shepheard-Walwyn, Entomologist, 28: 233). 1897: Kingsdown, one, July (Brit. Museum, S. Kensington). 1899: Sheppey, one in lucerne field (Walker, Ent. mon. Mag., 35: 236). 1900: Margate district, one, at sugar, September (Barrett, Proc. S. Lond. ent. nat. Hist. Soc., 1900: 101). 1922-1963.—1922: Bexley (div. 1), one over Valerian, June 21 (MacTaggart, Entomologist, 55: 188). 1933: Folkestone Town, one, September 4 (Williams, Proc. S. London. ent. nat. Hist. Soc., 1933-34: 52). 1948: Herne Bay, 2, September 30 (Marsh, Entomologist, $2: 107). [1950: West Wickham, a larva, February 13, in tomato imported with others from Canary Is. (C.-H., Entomologist, 83: 95).] 1951: Dover, one, August 5, one, September 4, both at m.v.l. (Youden, Proc. S. Lond. ent. nat. Hist. Soc., 1951-52: 47; idem, Entomologist, 84: 261). [1957: St. Peters, Broadstairs, a larva, January 4, in tomato from Las Palmas, Canary Is. (W. D. Bowden).] 1959: Otford (div. 6), one, at m.v.l, September 30 (Manley, Proc. S. Lond. ent. nat. Hist. Soc., 1959: 41); St. Peters, Broadstairs, one taken by W. D. Bowden at m.v.1., September 23 (C.-H., Ent. Rec., 72: 97). [Ashford, larva in imported tomato, May 15 (P. Cue).] 1963: West Wick- ham, Q, at rest by a light on the wall of a house, October 24, 1963 (R. Birchenough). First REcoRD, 1859: Ramsgate (Wormald, Ent. week. Int., 7: 52). ANARTINAE Anarta myrtilli L.: Beautiful Yellow Underwing. Native. Heaths; on Calluna vulgaris. “Generally common on heaths” (V.C.H. (1908)); appears to be less plentiful now, and is perhaps decreas- ing. 1. Belvedere (see First Record). West Wickham Wood, 1857, flying in sunshine, full-fed larva feeding on C. vulgaris at same time (Tugwell, Ent. week. Int., 3: 11); (1891) (Wells, Ent. Rec., 3: 35). Farningham Wood, several larvae, July 5, 1939 (Kidner, Diary). Pauls Cray Common (Fenn, in Wool. Surv (1909)); fairly common, c. 1905 (S. F. P. Blyth). Chisle- hurst (Jones, in Wool. Surv. (1909)). Plumstead (Courtney, Entomologist, 1: 227). Bostall Common, one, August 25, 1862 (Fenn, Diary). Abbey Wood (Jones, in Wool Surv. (1909)). Bexley (Newman, in Wool. Surv. (1909)). Joydens Wood (J. F. Burton). Dartford Heath, larvae, 1950 (L. T. Ford); larvae fairly numerous, August 28, 1954 (C.-H.). Keston and Hayes Common, a larva, August 14, 1897; three larvae, October 8, 1919; four larvae, September 29, 1920; three larvae, September 16, 1921 (Kidner, LEPIDOPTERA OF KENT (157) Diary); imagines frequent, 1946-47 (J. F. Burton); six imagines, May 18, 1952; three imagines, August 21, 1955 (C.-H.). 3. [Faversham] “taken by Mr. Crow, of Faversham’ (Donovan, Nat. Hist. Brit. Insects, 7: 11). Canterbury, 1888 (Hampson, Ent. mon. Mag., 37: 118). Thornden Wood, May 26, 1933 (A. J. L. Bowes, Diary). Old- ridge Wood, c. 1946 (J. A. Parry). 6a. “I have taken it occasionally near Darenth”* (Stephens, Haust., 3: hit); 10. Ightham Common, one, August 20, 1899 (H. Elgar, in Maidstone Museum coll.); 1952 (L. W. Siggs). Seal Chart, 1905 (Adkin, Proc. S. Lond. ent. nat. Hist. Soc., 1905-06: 41); frequent, 1951, larvae on ling (A. M. Swain). Brasted Chart, July 6, 1901 (Adkin, Proc. S. Lond. ent. nat. Hist. Soc., 1901: 22); May 17, 1913, June 16, 1913, larva, September 22, 1913 (Gillett, Diary). Westerham, larvae (Attwood, Proc. S. Lond. ent. nat. Hist. Soc., 1937-38: 18). 11. Mid. Kent [Mereworth] (Reid, S.E. Nat., 1904: 52). Wateringbury, one, 1907, in Goodwin coll. (C.-H.). Mereworth, July 27, 1912 (Gillett, Diary); one, May 14, 1939 (A. R. Kidner, Diary). 12. Ashford, July 1898 (Heitland, Entomologist, 31: 222). Ham Street, larvae fairly common, 1936, August 17 onwards (de Worms, Entomologist, 70: 88) (I have no record of occurrence there since 1936 (C.-H.)). Hothfield Common, one, May 26, 1955 (P. Cue); several larvae swept from C. vulgaris, September 9, 1961 (C.-H.); common, July 4, 1963 (M. Singleton). 13. Tunbridge Wells district, common, 1868 (Cox, Entomologist, 4 (62), ii). Groombridge (Bull, Proc. S. Lond. ent. nat. Hist. Soc., 1931-32: 59). Southborough (Morgan, Lepidoptera of Tunbridge Wells District MS.). Tunbridge Wells (H. E. Hammond). 14. Tenterden (Stainton, Man., 1: 294). Cranbrook, one at rest, May 22, 1939 (G. V. Bull, Diary). VARIATION.—My Kentish series from Hayes and Hothfield has the ground of forewing dull dark fuscous purple, and appears to conform to typical myrtilli L. These Kentish specimens are quite different from those of a series from Scotland, taken by me, Sidlaw Hills, Angus, July 1942, in which the markings are more distinct, and the ground of forewing is bright reddish-purple (C.-H.). Hampson (Ent. mon. Mag., 37: 118) records a ©, bred by R. South, Canterbury, June 1888, with hindwings reduced 2 nat. size. First ReEcorpD, 1775: “Belvidere wood near Earith” (Harris, Aurelian’s Pocket Companion, 53). HADENINAE Mamesira brassicae L.: Cabbage Moth. Native. Gardens (especially market gardens), cultivated and waste places; on cabbage. Found in all divisions. “Generally abundant” (V.C.H. (1908)); but the records indicate that it has become generally less numerous since. A. R. Kidner (Diary) with reference to the Sidcup area (div. 1) from 1909-1939, has:—‘‘Usually plentiful and sometimes abundant in larval and perfect states, especially in autumn, up to 1928, after which it appeared to have become scarcer”. The moth seems to be in two generations, occurring on the wing from - about mid May to late July, and again in August and September; but the records often show little or no clear break between the broods. Occasion- (158) ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 76 15/11/1964 ally it has appeared much earlier, as in 1868, when one was taken in Sheppey on April 18 (Walker MS.). In 1911, A. R. Kidner noted it at Sidcup on October 16; possibly an instance of a partial third generation. I have found the larvae in fair numbers on cabbage at Broad Oak and West Wickham (C.-H.); and A. R. Kidner records finding a larva on this at Sidcup, July 30, 1939, from which the imago emerged July 8, 1940. VARIATION.—Tremayne (Trans. Cy. Lond. ent. nat. Hist. Soc., 1894-95: 10) exhibited one from Deal, “which had a pale yellowish-grey ground colour and very distinct dark transverse lines, the usual dark mottling being almost entirely absent”. First Recorp, 1861: Lee, June 17, 1861 (Fenn, Diary). An earlier record by Stephens (who resided at Eltham), but which does not specify Kent, dates from 1829: “One of the most abundant of the indigenous Noctuidae, frequenting every garden, and abounding in banks and weedy hedges” (Haust., 2: 194). M. persicariae L.: Dot. Native. Gardens, woods, waste places, etc.; on Delphinium, Convol- vulus, Hazel, Birch, Poplar, Clematis, Potato. Recorded from all divisions, except 15. “Generally common” (V.C.H. (1908)). A. A. Allen states that the moth is numerous at m.v.l. at Blackheath (div. 1), and considerably more plentiful than M. brassicae, particularly in 1959. This comparative numerical superiority is also shown by W. L. Rudland’s records for Wye and Willesborough, where the numbers for each locality were never less, but often at least double, those of each brood of M. brassicae. The larva is perhaps polyphagous on deciduous foliage. Bower (Ent. Rec., 16: 335) observed that in the Chislehurst district in 1904, the larvae were such a pest in gardens that ‘no plant, shrub or tree—except ever- greens—has escaped their ravages”; and D. F. Owen (in MS.) noted it as most abundant in the larval stage on a variety of plants, in gardens and overgrown bombed sites in the Lewisham area, in 1946-47. Jones (Ent. week. Int., 10: 188) recorded the larva in the Woolwich district on Convol- vulus; Kidner (Diary) found several larvae at Birch Wood, October 9, 1909, on Hazel, and in September 1910, several on Birch and Poplar at Darenth, and two on Clematis near Dartford. At Charlton, J. F. Burton found larvae on potato and Delphiniums. First Recorp, 1829: “Occurs throughout the metropolitan district” (Stephens, Haust., 2: 196). Polia hepatica Clerck (tincta Brahm): Silvery Arches. Native. Woods; on birch, sallow. Mainly Wealden; perhaps extinct in; 1. 1. Birch Wood, larvae on birch, April 1845 (Stevens, Zoologist, 1787); (Douglas, Zoologist, 3246). West Wickham, two, 1857 (Wood, Ent. week. Int., 2: 109); two (Barrett, Ent. week. Int., 4: 109); larvae, 1859 (Latchford, Ent. week. Int., 6: 123); six larvae on birch buds, April 1861 (Fenn, Ent. week. Int., 10: 196); at sugar, June 28, 1929 (Wakely, Proc. S. Lond. ent. nat. Hist. Soc., 1930-31: 75). Dartford Heath, three, 1848 (Hodgkinson, Zoologist, 2328). Shooters Hill Wood, one, June 22, 1862 (A. H. Jones, teste Fenn, Diary); Crown Woods, and Shooters Hill (West, Ent. Rec., 18: THE MACROLEPIDOPTERA OF THE WORLD A systematic work, in collaboration with the best specialists of all Countries, edited by Prof. Dr. A. SEITZ Every known butterfly of the whole world is life-like represented in 1i 14 colours and described scientifically. There is no similar work in existence English, German and French editions. Vol. 1-4: Fauna palaearctica. Vol. 516: Fauna exotica. 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CONTENTS | LOOKING FOR MICRO-PSYCHIDS. B. J. LEMPEKE .... : 31 THE IDENTITY OF ZYGAENA ALGIRA BOISDUVAL, 1834 (LEPIDOPTERA : ZYGAENIDAE) _... ae 35 INVERNESS- SHIRE IN 1963. conan nace G. Ww. pares RN. (Reta), peo te Bal Drs ye ree se sf See aeO WESTERN IRELAND, 1963. ea an ALAR eameeoe RS nae ee Mikasa ie 2 DIPTERA IN GALLOWAY AND CENTRAL WALES. R. M. Payne a Se ae THE SILVICOLA BURGEFF GROUP OF THE GENUS ZYGAENA FABRICIUS 4 (LEP., ZYGAENIDAE). W. GERALD TREMEWAN _... a 46 THE GENUS IDIOCERUS (HEM.-HOM., CICADELLIDAE) IN “SUBURBAN NORTH-WEST KENT. A. A. ALLEN, B.Sc., A.R.C.S._... aey 55 CURRENT LITERATURE ks : aoe NERES ee oan ehh NEW LOCALITY RECORDS FOR BRITISH ANTS, 1963. C. A. COLLINGWOOD 58 PRODENIA LITURA FABRICIUS: THE MEDITERRANEAN BROCADE (LEPIDOPTERA: NOCTUIDAE) IN -ENGLAND IN 1963. J. M. CHALMERS-HUNT ...__.. a ee MOSOEARS Yh ahs AP ye eee eA SRA Hy er = Iu NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS .. ooh OTIS PACH at TE Ae 2 aan ee a OBITUARY “3 61 SUPPLEMENT—THE BUTTERFLIES AND MOTHS IN KENT: A CRITICAL ACCOUNT. PART II. J. M. CHALMERS-HUNT ...-... | aan 57.) TO OUR CONTRIBUTORS All material for the TEXT of the magazine must be sent to the EDITOR at 54 Hayes Lane, Bromley, Kent. ADVERTISEMENTS, EXCHANGES and WANTS to F. W. BYERS, 59 i Gurney Court Road, St. Albans, Herts. Specimen copies supplied by F. W. Byers on payment of 2s. 6d. or Sterling equivalent, which will ; be refunded or Nee ge into account if Person in question. becomes ae subscriber. ees: BACK NUMBERS, VOLUMES, and SETS OF VOLUMES to ie a TREASURER, Denny, Galloway Road, Bishop’s Stortford, Herts. CHANGES OF ADDRESS to the TREASURER. REPRINTS: 12 copies, taken straight from the magazine are sent gratis y to contributors of articles; these may contain extraneous matter. 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Treasurer, ‘CLIFFORD ‘CRAUFURD, stom Seas nae pe bs eae. Herts. PRBRTEVRVELE BEDEDELEDEDS iN SWIED WM “4 PRICE 7/46 NET _ i icireicieumeoment PRACTICAL. ENTOMOLOGY by R. L. E. FORD, FRES., F.Z.S. To those who have discovered the pleasures of Entomology, this book will prove indispensable. Form- ing part of the well-known Wayside and Woodiand series, it is the only work of its kind. | The book opens with a section on the perfect insect, : describing in turn its catching, killing, relaxing, setting | and mounting. The next section is devoted to breeding in its various stages—egg, larva, caterpillar, chrysalis. There follow a number of sections on such important subjects as preserving larvae and the labelling and care ~ of collections. Although this book is primarily concerned with butterflies and moths, other insects are not neglected. Ants, wasps and humble-bees, for example, have sections to themselves. 36 line illustrations ; 12 pages of plates 3 valuable appendices 17s. 6d. net : from All Booksellers FREDERICK WARNE & co. LTD. 1-4 Bedford Court, Strand, London, w.c2- a 63 Some Considerations on some Present Day Con- ditions as they affect the Continued Existence of Certain Butterflies By Major-General C. G. Lipscoms and Captain R. A. JAcKson, R.N. 1. It is sometimes stated that little is known about the management of downland so that it may continue to support its natural population of insects and flora. On the contrary there is a large fund of knowledge built up by field naturalists over the years that throws considerable light on this subject. It is the purpose of this paper to discuss this and kindred subjects dealing with conservation where it affects those insects whose larvae feed on grasses and low plants mainly growing on hillsides and downland. Those which are most threatened by changing ecological conditions are :— Maculinea arion Linn., the large blue Lysandra coridon Poda, the chalkhill blue Lysandra bellargus Rott., the Adonis blue Melitaea aurinia Rott., the marsh fritillary After examining the causes of the threat to these insects an attempt will be made to consider what can be done for their conservation. 2. Historical background It has been said that towards the end of last century a man could hire a horse in Salisbury and ride out over downland the whole way to visit Stonehenge. If one did such a journey to-day one would be hard pressed to find a single patch of the original downs left undisturbed. Such is a fair measure of the changes that have taken place in Wiltshire and elsewhere in the life time of some of us. In those long ago days it can safely be assumed from old records that coridon, bellargus and aurinia were of general distribution in Wiltshire and although colonies of any one of them were periodically reduced or destroyed by occasional grazing, once the foodplant had recovered the area was at once recolonised from outside and quickly regained its former strength. It is this mobility that these insects have now lost, confined as they are to small isolated areas which, once destroyed, can now never be recolonised by natural means. The same principle of loss of mobility applies to a certain extent in the case of arion although of course its habitat is different. 3. The threat to the present isolated colonies This comes under four headings :— (a) Ploughing downland. (b) The virtual disappearance of the rabbit. (c) New building and development. (d) Intensive grazing by cattle, sheep and pigs. Each of these threats will be considered seperately and known examples ‘of localities lost to the various insects thereby will be quoted. 64 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 76 15/III/64 (a) Ploughing The call for more and better pasture, on what might be called margina. land, aided by the Government subsidy has led to quite steep hillsides being ploughed up and reseeded. A case in point was Homington Down near Salisbury, well known to many for its interesting colonies of Coridon and Bellargus. Initially the former was hardest hit as it was the feeding ground of the larvae at the western end of the down which came under the plough (bellargus suffered a different fate, see below). Another somewhat similar case has occurred at Camp Down on the northern outskirts of Salisbury where a thriving colony of coridon existed partly on unfenced downland and partly in an adjacent field. A few years ago the downland was ploughed up, grew a few crops of corn, and is now apparently abandoned to weeds and rough grass. At the same time the field is being heavily grazed by cattle and the chances of any coridon surviving this double onslaught seem remote. (b) The rabbit The increase of rabbits between the wars when so much land went out of cultivation, was almost phenomenal. Perhaps it reached its most damaging proportions in the stony fields of the North Devon and Cornish coasts. In this country of wide stone walls, it was almost impossible to control the increase and the loss to growing corn was very heavy. However, after the last war, relief was at hand, for in the early fifties that horrible disease myxamatosis appeared and in a year or two the rabbit was almost exterminated. This had a disastrous effect on both arion and coridon. Th larvae of arion spends the first weeks of its life on thyme growing on anthills, but with no rabbits to keep them down, the coarse grasses are smothering the thyme—this is very clear in Gloucestershire, where the butterfly is now very scarce, if indeed it still exists. In many of its old localities, visited by the authors last summer, it is quite gone. The anthills are still there but they are smothered in grass and there is no thyme on them. In Devon and Cornwall the same story is true but it is the young gorse which is smothering the thyme. In the case of coridon and bellargus the larvae feeds on the horseshoe vetch (Hippocrepis comosa) and it is this plant which is gradually choked out by the coarse grasses. It might be remarked here that on the other side of the picture the absence of rabbits has led to an amazing increase in the numbers of the larger fritil- laries whose larvae feed on dog violet. This has occurred on poor stony hillsides, where the rabbit used to crop the violets, whilst, luckily, there are not the coarse grasses to choke the plants. (c) New building and development More and more land is required for housing and in some cases plan- ning permission is given for downland dwellings. A case in point can be quoted again from Homington Down where ploughing killed poor coridon. bellargus lived further to the East and was spared the plough, but instead a house was built there, a large garden was made on its breeding ground and some pigs did the rest. . CONTINUED EXISTENCE OF CERTAIN BUTTERFLIES 65 (d) Intensive grazing (i) pigs There is no doubt that of all animals, pigs present the greatest menace to the butterfly population. Wherever they are turned out they create a complete upheaval and butterflies breeding there are doomed. An outstanding example of this is Standlynch Down about 5 miles S.E. of Salisbury just west of the Southhampton Road. This was a small down with a good and variable colony of coridon. Directly pigs were turned out the colony was doomed to extinction, and has been completely destroyed. (ii) sheep In this county sheep have grazed on the Plain from time immemorial, but conditions to-day bear no resemblance to the past. Farming is so intensive now and so much land is under the plough that the grazing available is greatly reduced. The result is that the downs are overgrazed by great numbers of sheep, who are not moved until the down is cropned bare, with the result that the Horseshoe Vetch and any larvae on it are practically destroyed for a season. The plants recover but the insects are wiped out. Two cases may be quoted. Between Codford and Chitterne there is a patch of down, too steep for the plough, where both coridon and belargus occurred in quantity and across the valley there was a colony of ‘skippers’ where the Essex skipper (A. lineola Ochs) far outnumbered its commoner relation the small skipper (A. sylvestris Poda). In the early fifties these downs were selected as a pasturage for a large flock of sheep in the early spring. The effect has been to blot out the colonies of all the insects named. An even more extreme case must be quoted. On another down with steep sides running up to a level top, which is under the plough, there existed a vast colony of coridon, containing many thousands of butterflies as well as great numbers of meadow browns (M. jurtina Linn). The down was very extensive being nearly a mile long, and so great was the con- course of insects that a visiting collector, with unrivalled experience of this country, gave it as his opinion that it was the largest colony he had ever seen. This was in 1961 but in the spring of 1962 at least 600 ewes with their lambs were enclosed on the down. The spring was extremely dry with cold winds. When the flock was moved, the whole down was eaten bare. There were no flowers on the down and no jurtina were to be seen. Of coridon perhaps forty or fifty were seen over the whole season. (iii) cattle Until recent years the emphasis has been on milk production, but the government is now urging a large increase in home produced beef. The dairy herd hardly affected our problem, as the great majority of the cattle were pastured in the meadows near their stalls. With young bullocks being reared in large numbers, the downland is in great request and is often subject to heavy grazing. This is assisted by piped water being available at the most distant points on any downland farm. From the roads it is easy to see which land has been denuded of its butterfly population for it presents a bare appearance with the grass covered ‘toomps’ standing out clearly on the hillsides. Where this is the case, there will be no flowers and the butterflies will have been destroyed. 66 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 76 15/II1/64 Cases in point which may be cited are Edington Down eaten bare, about 1952, Stoford Down about 1960 and a most interesting down near Upton Scudamore which produced good numbers of coridon and bellargus and in addition a colony of the marbled white (S. galathea Linn) containing an aberational form found previously only on the Polden Hills. The area was enclosed for grazing in the spring of ’63 with the result that the butter- flies were grazed out. Hod Hill, in Dorset, which possesses one of the fast dwindling colonies of aurinia is yet another example. The vallums which encircle the hill top are well clothed in scabious and are grazed heavily at various periods of the year by both cattle and sheep. There is, however, a very limited area of nillside which is fenced off and here aurinia can breed undisturbed as it did over the whole hill top up to world war II. Each year it attempts to expand its range on the vallums, but equally regularly stock destroy the larvae. If it wasn’t for this small reservoir aurinia would have ceased to exist years ago. 4. The present position From the foregoing paragraphs it is clear that the survival of many of our butterflies is in a very precarious position, and that some action is essential if they are to continue to exist. This review has been written from the Entomological! standpoint, but the botanists are equally concerned. The absence of rabbits is equally detrimental to many of the choicer wild flowers especially the rarer orchids, whilst heavy grazing means that there will be practically no flowers at all, although the perennial plants them- selves will be alive. 5. What is to be done? To deal with a situation like this is one of the reasons for which the Nature Conservancy has been set up and it has acquired many properties as nature reserves. These are under special supervision and control by officers of the Conservancy It is obvious however that the Conservancy can make but little impact on the whole countryside and its reserves are few and far between (in Wiltshire there is one, in Sussex two and in Kent five—two of small interest to naturalists). To further the work of the Conservancy and to make use of voluntary workers, County Trusts for Nature Conservation have been or are being set up in most counties of England and Wales. As a first action Nature Conservancy earmarked sites of Special Scientific interest (S.S.S.I.s) and the landowners concerned have been told of their existence. County Trusts are now equally concerned with the preserva- tion of these areas and recommend further areas for preservation to the Conservancy. However, unless they can buy or lease them outright, which is seldom possible, they have no control over their management, and if agricultural or forestry interests choose to destroy them there is no redress or compensation. In the authors’ opinion this is one of the weakest links in the conservation chain as it seems essential that S.S.S.Is should be given more effective protection. At the same time it is fully realised: that the farmer who has pigs, sheep or cattle, is running a business under- taking and it would be invidious for the Trust to approach an individual and ask him not to graze his land so heavily or even to fence off certain portions as reserves. Fortunately there have been a few bright spots in this gloomy picture at any rate in Wiltshire, where big farmers have CONTINUED EXISTENCE OF CERTAIN BUTTERFLIES 67 voluntarily undertaken to preserve areas of downland. In one case a farmer has fenced off several acres near Codford when it was explained to him that it contained rare orchids which were being destroyed by graz- ing cattle. In another near Salisbury a farmer has undertaken to preserve quite a large area of downland in its natural state. 6. The management of downland reserves This is a most difficult problem for little experience is available as a guide. The idea to be aimed at is to preserve the Ecology of the area under consideration if the insects and flowers are still flourishing, or to restore it to its original state where grazing and other causes have led to a threat to that which we wish to preserve. Naturally we cannot re- introduce our best friend the rabbit so we must have recourse to con- trolled light grazing and in certain cases burning. Where coarse grasses have established a hold and are choking the finer plants, fire will probably be essential. Burning must be carefully super- vised and carried out in strips so that the insects remaining on the un- treated portion will have good ground to transfer to when the portions burned have been rejuvenated. Where tor grass (Brachypodium pinnatum) is the trouble, careful watch will have to be kept to see that the burning does not lead to an actual expansion of the plant’s territory. This burning or swaling has proved most successful in the case of arion on the west coast and a reserve at St Catherine’s Tor near Hartland maintained the species in this way for many years. On the other hand before the last war, a private reserve was established at the Dizzard and all swaling was strictly forbidden. When inspected in 1947 it was found that the whole area was smothered in a thick growth of young gorse and the thyme was completely choked out. Of course the butterflies had vanished, killed by the kindness of their protectors. To return to our grass downs in Wiitshire where burning is either not judged to be necessary or is impracticable, grazing by a few cattle must be carried on. Only experiment and the experience gained can decide on the extent, but it is only common sense that in the first instance this should be very light, Under no conditions should grazing be commenced before 1st November and the beast should be withdrawn by the end of January vor middle of February at the latest. The number to be used must depend on the area to be controlled, but the figure of one beast to five acres is recommended as a start. As experience is gained after one or two years, the number of beasts and the period of their employment will have to be reviewed. 7. Responsibility for the future That the whole question of the preservation of the flora and fauna of our downland is of great importance not only to our County Trusts but to future generations cannot be gainsaid. Whereas in the past Wiltshire was renowned for its lovely flowery downs and was visited year by year by naturalists and nature lovers, the position to-day is that those downs worth a visit are few and far between. A large part of the responsibility for their preservation should be shouldered by the County Council authorities who alone in the county have been invested with the powers to establish nature reserves. So far 68 ENTOMOLOGIST 'S RECORD, VOL. 76 15/11/64 few have taken advantage of this and to quote Mr. E. M. Nicholson, the Director General of the Nature Conservancy, speaking of County Councils in general, ‘It is necessary that they wake up and exercise the powers they have got before it is too late’. (Times 5th Dec. 1963.) Lepidoptera in the Isle of Wight, 1963 By T. D. FEaRNEHOUGH, A.MET. Following a blizzard which swept over the Island on 29th December 1962, the new year opened with arctic conditions which prevailed through- out January. Even so, entomology couid not be completely forgotten, for during visits made to regions under the roof necessitated by frozen water pipes, masses of cobwebs were encountered thickly sprinkled with insect remains. Large numbers of Pieris brassicae L. had been caught in the webs and a little exploration showed these to have come from pupae cases attached to the roof spars. Only one living pupa was found. Remember- ing the old legends told of rare moths found in spiders’ webs, I neglected the pipes for a while to investigate, but no entomological treasure was forthcoming. At the end of the month I brought indoors a few pupae of Pieris rapae L. obtained from larvae found wandering around the outside of the house during the previous autumn. These gave butterflies a few weeks later, and as the maximum temperature they experienced could not have exceeded 70°F. it was not surprising they were of the spring form. One specimen, however, was a fine example of the male ab. praeterita, having two black spots on the forewing. The first day of February brought more snow and frost. A thaw began on the 6th but was short lived. The temperature went low again and frost, often severe, prevailed every night until 4th March. For several consecutive nights I then searched hedgerows for Thria rupicaparia Schiff. The moth was found in one spot only, on the 7th, but although there were good numbers, it was not to be seen again on following evenings. The 14th brought a mild evening which tempted me to try sugar in America woods. The only moths attracted were several each of Conistra vaccinii L., Eupsilia transversa Hufn. and Agrotis ipsilon Hufn. Evening searches in the same wood, using a lamp, produced a few Erannis marginaria Fab. and one each of E. leucophaearia Schiff. and Alsophila aescularia Schiff. About twenty larvae of Nudaria mundana L. were found under a piece of loose oak bark. On the 24th, a survey of the undercliff at St. Lawrence was unproductive of spring larvae with the exception of a single Arctia villica L. Larvae of Endothenia gentianaeana Hiibn. were common in teazle heads but very few larvae of Phalonia roseana Haw. could be detected. During the first week in April the mercury vapour trap in the garden attracted only four moths, one each of Biston strataria Hufn., Xylocampa areola Esp., Orthosia gothica L. and O. stabilis Schiff. On the 7th, which was warm and sunny, Nymphalis io L. and Aglais urticae L. were flying about the cliff path between Shanklin and Sandown. By the 17th sallow was fully out but was not very productive of moths. During several evenings the species seen were O. gothica L., O. stabilis, O. incerta Hufn., O. cruda Schiff., Cerastis rubricosa Schiff., and C. vaccinii. During this period mercury vapour light became more attractive, all the species noted LEPIDOPTERA IN THE ISLE OF WIGHT, 1963 69 above at sallow being present and in addition were O. gracilis Schiff., Anticlea derivata Schiff. and Earophila badiata Schiff. On 24th April Chimabacche fagella Fabr. was present in large numbers in the local woodland. Almost every bole had specimens, sometimes as many as half a dozen. Whilst looking over these, a female X. areola was found. The following day a visit was made to the undercliff at St. Lawrence where larvae of Melitaea cinxia L. were found in very small numbers. However, a few days later a large number of larvae were seen near Binnel Bay. Only two larvae of A. villica were found during the whole spring. On 30th April a visit to Brading Down was unproductive, for apart from numbers of Ancylis comptana Frol. flying over the turf, only a few fresh Pararge egeria L. were seen. During early May, mercury vapour light in the garden was not well attended, the noteworthy captures being a few Pheosia gnoma Fab., P. tremula Clerck, Cucullia chamomillae Schiff., Notodonta ziczac L. and Selenia bilunaria Esp. Along the coast near Sandown, larvae of Platyp- tilia gonodactyla Schiff. were common in the flower heads of coltsfoot, and Laspeyresia perlepidana was flying in good numbers. On the 15th the butterflies Syrichtus malvae L., Erynnis tages L., Aricia agestis Schiff., and Coenonympha pamphilus L. were flying on Brading Down. Laspey- resia ulicitana Haw. was swarming around the gorse bushes. In Borthwood Asthena albulata Hufn. was common among the hazels, each tap with a stick causing several to take wing. In the same locality Nemophora swammerdamella L. was equally common. Brading Down was again visited on the 26th, when Polyommatus icarus Rott. was found to be emerging in fair numbers. Along the roadsides near the Down, Anthocaris cardamines L. was flying in better numbers than in the previous season, but later the larvae suffered severely when the roadsides were sprayed with weedkiller, and much of the foodplant, hedge garlic, was destroyed. Near home, a very limited colony of Panemeria tenebrata Scop. was found, but the species was not seen elsewhere during the season. At the end of the month Cupido minimus Fuessl. was common on Brading Down and later in the same locality Lysandra bellargus L. was seen in very small numbers. On the 31st, beating hedges at the foot of St. Boniface Down was quite productive of moths, the following species being obtained: Epirrhoe alternata Muhl., E. galiata Schiff., Electrophaes corylata Thinb., Lyncometra ocellata L., Melanthis procellata Schiff., Colostygia pectina- taria Knock., Xanthorrhoe spadicearia Schiff., Opisthograptis luteolata L. and Bapta temerata Schiff. The same night proved to be the first good one for mercury vapour light, but although a large number of moths was attracted there were no rarities. Among those attracted were the first hawks of the season, one each of Laothoe populi L. and Smerinthus ocellata L. A feature of the season was the scarcity of hawk moths, a total of only twelve being attracted to the light trap during the whole year. This number was composed of seven L. populi, one S. ocellata, three Deilephila elpenor L. and one Sphinx ligustri L. The last mentioned was a female which subsequently laid a few eggs but these were infertile, confirming the scarcity of specimens in the district. Only two Macro- glossum stellatarum L. were seen at flowers. Beating broom in a local wood on 5th June showed larvae of Chesias legatella Schiff. to be plentiful. At dusk in the same locality Perizoma affinitata Steph. and P. flavofasciata Thunb. were flying together in 70 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 76 15/111 /64 numbers. On 9th June a visit was paid to the cliffs at Luccombe to look for Laspeyresia gemmiferana Triets. One specimen only, a female, was seen, but many Eucosma farfarae Fletch. were flying in the sunshine. The gemmiferana locality is rapidly deteriorating, for not only did large cliff falls occur after the severe winter, burying a large amount of vegetation, but recently, abnormally high tides have caused extensive erosion and further falls of cliff. The night of the 9th was not good for mercury vapour light, but a fresh specimen of Heliophobus albicolon Hitibn. was obtained. The Acronyctinae had a very poor season here, only single figures of Apatele megacephala Schiff. and A. rumicis L. appearing in the trap. Apart from Cryphia perla Schiff., which was more numerous, none of the other species were recorded at all. Sugar was attempted several times towards the end of the month but proved a dismal failure. One evening, when applying the sugar, I noticed a larva of Polyploca ridens Fab. on the upper surface of a bramble leaf, a suspicious position later confirmed when a parasite proved to be present. At this period, larvae of Cucullia verbasci L. were to be found wherever mullein was examined. During the month, L. bellargus was seen in several widely spaced localities on the downs, but always in very small numbers. On 15th June, I led the entomological section of the Isle of Wight Natural History and Archeo- logical Society on a visit to Brading Down. About 5 p.m. males of Macrothylacia rubi L. appeared on the wing, careering over the slopes of the down. We saw a swallow pursue and capture one of the moths. The only other moth of note was Eupithecia scabiosata Borkh. The arrival of July brought better mercury vapour results in the garden, the best species captured being Lithosia complana L., Miltochrista miata Forst., Euphyia unangulata Haw., Apamea furva Schiff., Sterrha trigeminata Haw., Hydrelia flammeolaria Hufn., Hadena bicolorata Hufn., Agrotis clavis Hufn., Habrosyne pyritoides Hufn., and Gastropacha quercifolia L. The July butterflies were generally disappointing. Of the fritillaries, Argynnis selene Schiff. was seen in fair quantity at Cranmore, where also a few A. paphia L. were recorded. A. aglaia L. was not seen at all, although the insect was searched for in several downland localities where it used to be plentiful. Limenitis camilla L. had a good year, being reported in numbers from Cranmore, Newtown, Havenstreet and White- field Wood. Most of the species of browns were below average with the exceptions of Melanargia galathea L. and Pararge aegeria L. the latter being widespread and continually in evidence through the season. A visit to Tennyson Down failed to produce any Alucita spilodactyla Curt. and a search on Brading Down for Pyrausta flavalis Schiff. was unavailing. During the first few days of August a lot of time was spent looking for pupae of Nonagria sparganii Esp. in likely localities. None were found, but pupae of N. typhae Thunb. were plentiful and from these several fine ab. fraterna Treits. were reared. Night searching using a torch in the same localities was interesting. A strong colony of Leucania straminea was found, and at the same spot Chilo phragmitellus Hiibn. was on the wing. Other species encountered were Apamea unanimis Hubn., A. ophiogramma Esp., and Lampra fimbriata Schr., the last named seeming out of place on marsh land. A worn specimen of Laspeyria flexula Schiff. was found at rest on a reed stem. Just before dusk one LEPIDOPTERA IN THE ISLE OF WIGHT, 1963 71 evening a number of Euschesis interjecta Hubn. were flying around a clump of alders and proved most difficult to catch, as movement was hampered by the marshy ground. During the second half of August attention was turned again to butter- flies on the downs. Lysandra coridon Scop. emerged in good strength and hundreds were examined for variation. This, however, proved to be slight, only a few arcuata forms being found. Pieris rapae L. became abundant on the downs and again some hundreds were examined. A fine female, having a black spot on each hindwing was obtained and also a well banded female specimen. The latter, being damaged, was caged, but no eggs were forthcoming. A nice capture was a fresh Aricia agestis Stgr. with golden lunules. Finally, an asymmetrically marked specimen of Maniola jurtina L. rewarded my efforts in searching for vars. September was a most unproductive month. Mercury vapour light attracted commoners in small numbers and sugaring on several nights gave no encouragement to persist with that particular sport. The native butterflies were waining on the downs and no migrants came to replace them. I turned to the pugs. After covering many miles of ground and spending many hours beating clematis, yarrow, ragwort, bramble, and other blossoms I acquired a good assortment of pug larvae. Alas, about 95% of them proved to contain parasites. During early October mercury vapour light in the garden attracted moths in but small numbers, including Aporophyla nigra Haw., Eumichtis lichenea Hubn., and Thera obeliscata Hiibn. On the 22nd, a young col- lector, Roger Oakley, drew my attention to the presence of large numbers of larvae of M. rubi L. at Carisbrooke. On the 25th a period of mild weather commenced and the attraction of mercury vapour light became much enhanced. The numbers of common species were accompanied by a few desirable ones including Epicema caeruleocephala L., Lithopane ornitopus Hufn., Brachionycha sphinx Hufn., Dasypolia templi Thunb. and Leucania l-album L. The better conditions tempted me to have a final go at sugaring in Borthwood. I got only one moth on the sugar, but it was a very nice Anchosceles helvola L. A disappointing feature of the month was the failure of ivy blossom to attract moths. On several nights I went to look over the masses of ivy blossom to be found along the landslip but the results were always negative. The autumn butterflies were not very numerous; Nymphalis io L. and Aglais urticae L. were in fair numbers, Vanessa atalanta L. was scarce, Pyrameis cardui L. was seen twice. However, it was pleasant to see half a dozen Polygonia c-album L. feeding on blackberries at Luccombe on 4th October. During November a few sorties were made to look for moths after dark with a torch. The scarcity of the late moths was not unexpected, for a feature of the spring had been the non-eaten condition of the leaves of woodland trees. A total of about two dozen Erannis aurantiaria Hiibn. were seen but only two E. defolaria Clerck. A specimen of E. marginaria Fabr. which had presumably got its seasons mixed up was also found. In summary the 1963 season has been generally disappointing, both climatically and entomologically. It was hoped that history would repeat itself and that the arctic winter would be compensated by a sub-tropical summer, but in fact we got a cool rather dull summer, unfavourable to insect life. Features of the season were the scarcity of many species of 72 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 76 15/TII/64 lepidoptera normally abundant, the lack of migrants, and the failure of sugar. Finally I should say, in these days of fugitive nomenclature, that the names of the macrolepidoptera were taken from “The Moths of the British Isles” by South, 1961, and those of the microlepidoptera from “A Guide to the smaller British Lepidoptera” by L. T. Ford, 1949. 26 Green Lane, Shanklin, Isle of Wight. Cranleigh Butterflies, 1963 By Major A. E. COLLIER The optimism of the entomologist dies hard, but it must be very tough to survive the steady, in some cases drastic, deterioration in numbers of most species of butterflies in this area of Surrey. Twenty years ago the Chiddingfold woods abounded with most of the Fritillaries, and even ten years ago the High Brown Fabriciana cydippe L. was not uncommon, while the Silver-washed Argymus paphia L. could be found in every suitable bit of woodland, with a surprisingly high percentage of Ab valesina Esp.; and Mesoacidalia charlotta Haw. was frequently seen on the nearest parts of the North Downs. The small fritillaries were unusually abundant and those collectors who were able to visit the area in the middle forties will not easily forget the sight of clusters of Small Pearl Bordered, Argynnis selene Schiff. on every patch of Birdsfoot Trefoil or Ragged Robin. The Pearl Bordered Clossiana euphrosyne L., although not quite so plentiful, was widespread, and both species produced a great number of spectacular aberrations. Even in 1952 there were fifteen localities within ten miles of Cranleigh which demanded attention during May and June on account of their sizeable colonies of euphrosyne and selene. Of these localities only two remain to-day where small numbers may be seen, although many of the old localities are largely unaltered. The White Admiral, Limenitis camilla L., was not uncommon, and its hibernacula could easily be found along the paths and rides of the Canfold and Somersbury woods; while the Purple Emperor, Apatura iris L., was so widespread that I found no difficulty in recording its eggs and larvae in nineteen well-separated spots, all within five miles of Cranleigh. The indigenous Vanessids could be seen in moderate numbers in every flower garden, and one did not have to search far to find the larvae of the Small Tortoiseshell, Aglais urticae L., and the Peacock, Nymphalis io L. The Pieridae and the Lycaenidae were reasonably plentiful, while the Satyridae and most of the Hesperiidae occurred in profusion and for- tunately, in most cases, continue to do so. To-day it is almost a contradiction in terms to speak of butterflies in the Cranleigh district, and that this is recognised will explain the fact that in the past nine years I have never met another entomologist working the many apparently attractive areas within a radius of six miles of the village. The 1963 season with its generally cool and sunless weather, broken only by a short hot spell in early June and another slightly longer one at the end of July, showed a further decline in the numbers of most species of butterflies. CRANLEIGH BUTTERFLIES, 1963 (i) The. Pieridae made their appearance from 26th April when Pieris napi L. and P. rapae L. were seen rather more often than for some years, and a week later P. brassicae L. appeared, but never became numerous or a nuisance in the garden. Euchloe cardamines L., first seen on 4th May, was subsequently recorded singly only three times, while two females were seen on the 25th, after which no more were noticed. Leptidea sinapis L. started in a promising fashion when a dozen males were encountered on 17th May in a wood where the population remains steady, but could expand very easily. Gonepteryx rhamni L. were ex- ceptionally scarce throughout the year, and there was no sign of Coleas croceus Fourcroy. Some of the Satyridae failed, particularly Coenonympha pamphilus L., which started the season well but dwindled later to such an extent that to see a second brood specimen in late summer Was a rare event. Judging by a number which I am rearing from eggs laid in May and June, the generally low temperatures and lack of sun has resulted in the larvae making very slow growth and failing to reach maturity before the winter. All my larvae have over-wintered, with occasional feeding observed, and in the wild this may lead to a sizeable emergence in the early summer. Pararge aegeria L. also had a disappointing year and, after a fairly promising start in mid April, failed to improve, and the second brood was nearly a complete failure. P. megera L. was even rarer than usual, and Eumenis semele L. was not seen at all in its usual habitat on the North Downs. Maniola tithonus L. first appeared on 19th July and were to be found in good numbers in August, but with noticeably less variation than in 1962. Aphantopus hyperantus L. was first recorded on 30th June, and in my three largest colonies numbers were well up to normal, lanceolata forms being not uncommon, though caeca forms were conspicuously absent. In two other colonies, where conditions appear to be very favourable, the population remains low in spite of the room for expansion. Maniola jurtina L. were on the wing from 11th June and had obviously not suffered, or been delayed, by the long hard winter. They flew in great numbers during their long overlapping emergence, and were almost a nuisance on the North Downs until nearly the end of September. The Nymphalidae continued their decline. Clossiana euphrosyne L., in evidence from 16th May, failed to improve on 1962, and A. selene were even more disappointing, a reversal of the usual course of events. Two specimens of M. charlotta were seen on the North Downs on 25th July, but I again failed to record cydippe. Paphia was recorded only three times, a solitary male on 7th July, three on the 20th and a single female on 5th August, and this in areas which might have been expressly designed for the species. Euphydryas aurinia Rott. appeared in very small numbers from 31st May, and in the autumn I saw no signs of larvae in either of two large, and once well populated, areas. Urticae io, Vanessa atalanta L. and V. cardui L. were rarely seen at any time of the season. Polygonia c-album L. was met with on three occasions, and then only singly or in pairs, until one rare sunny day on 19th October when no 74 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 76 15/111 /64 fewer than seven appeared together on a small plant of Michaelmas daisies. Apatura iris L., although now very rare in this neighbourhood owing to the destruction of most of the oak woods, still persists in some outlying patches of forest. Many hours of searching revealed three eggs, recently laid, on 15th August, and a male insect was seen flying in another wood earlier in the month. I do not expect to see camilla nowadays, and was surprised and delighted to meet with a couple on 29th July in what was recently an oak forest, but is now a devastated area, almost impassable in places, but with a few clear patches surrounded by birch trees, brambles and honeysuckle. The Lycaenidae made a mixed showing. Lycaenopsis argiolus L. was not recorded, nor was Strymon w-album Knock. A single specimen of Quercusia quercus L. was seen on 17th July but later visits to many once favoured localities produced no results, although the insect was reported to be plentiful in the Hook district. Callophrys rubi L. seems to have become rarer locally, as has Thecla betulae L. whose eggs a few years ago could be found in a great many situations round Cranleigh. Lycaena phlaeas L. again failed almost completely in the wooded areas, although a few were seen in late September on the downs. It was good to find that Lysandra coridon Poda and L. bellargus Rott. were holding their own in an environment where conditions are still favourable for a great increase in numbers if, or when, we get a succession of reasonably warm seasons. The Hesperiidae made a mixed showing, with great numbers of Ochlodes venata B. & G. and Thymelicus sylvestris L. in every suitable locality, whereas Syrichtus malvae L. and Erynnis tages L. were notice- ably less plentiful than usual. The past season was remarkably free from spring frosts, and I cannot recollect another year when it has been impossible to find a wild straw- berry flower with a blackened centre; on the other hand the cool and unsettled June, and the stormy and cold August and September, will have seriously interfered with mating and egg-laying by certain species, particularly selene and coridon. In the case of coridon, however, the ill effects will be minimised by the fact that owing to the cold autumn few, if any, eggs will have hatched prematurely. VANESSA 10 L. IN EaRLy FEBRUARY.—While on a visit on February 2nd to Mr. W. J. Kaye at his home at Longdown on the downs just south of Guildford, we were surprised to see a peacock butterfly. fluttering about in front of his house at about mid-day, with a temperature of about 56° F. That in the sun was just on 70° F. on his verandah where the butterfly eventually settled. I do not remember ever having seen a hibernated Vanessid as early in the year.—C. G. M. DE Worms, Three Oaks, Woking. 3.11.1964. The Silvicola Burgeff Group of the genus Zygaena Fabricius (Lep., Zygaenidae) By W. GERALD TREMEWAN (Concluded from p. 54.) ‘ THE SILVICOLA BURGEFF GROUP OF THE GENUS ZYGAENA FABRICUS 75 Z. osterodensis irpenjensis Holik & Reiss (comb. nov.) Z. scabiosae irpenjensis Holik & Reiss, 1932, in Holik, Iris, 46: 114, pl. 1. figs. 12-15. Type locality: Irpenj near Kijev, North Ukraine. Material examined: 1 3, paratype, Irpenj (coll. H. Reiss);}2 ¢¢,2 99, Podolia. do genitalia. Transverse spines at base of lamina dorsalis long and well developed, single group of cornuti well deveioped. QO genitalia, Lamella postvaginalis well developed, lamella ante- vaginalis broad, ductus bursae moderately sclerotized, signum present, well developed. The populations of Podolia are probably referable to ssp. irpenjensis Holik & Reiss. Z. osterodensis ssp. A short series of specimens from Gyergyo Szt. Miklos, Transsylvania, probably represent a new and undescribed subspecies. 6G genitalia. Cornuti well developed, transverse spines at base of lamina dorsalis well developed but a slight reduction in the length of the central spines. © genitalia. Lamella postvaginalis well developed, lamella ante- vaginalis narrow, sclerotization of ductus bursae weak or absent, signum present, well developed. In one female, however, the signum is reduced to three spines. Z. osterodensis budensis Holik (comb. nov.) Z. scabiosae budensis Holik, 1942, Ent. Z., 56: 197. Type locality: Budapest, Budakeszi, Hungary. Material examined: 1 g,1 9, Budapest. 6G genitalia. Spines at the base of lamina dorsalis long. well developed, single group of cornuti well developed. © genitalia. Lamella postvaginalis well developed, lamella ante- vaginalis narrow, ductus bursae weakly sclerotized, signum present, reduced and rather weak. Z. osterodensis matrana Burgeff (comb. nov.) Z. scabiosae matrana Burgeff, 1926, Mitt. miinch. ent. Ges., 16: 18. Type locality: Matra Mts., 500-800 m., northern Hungary. Material examined: a short series from Galyateto and Nagzkovacsie, Matra Mts. 6 genitalia. Spines at base of lamina dorsalis long and well developed, single group of cornuti well represented. © genitalia. Lamella postvaginalis developed, lamella antevaginalis narrow, ductus bursae moderately sclerotized, signum present, rather weak. Z. osterodensis ssp. A series of specimens (6 6d, 16 9 9) from Mezoeseg, Transsylvania, represent a new subspecies. According to the superficial characters these specimens might easily be placed as a subspecies of romeo. However, an examination of the genitalia shows that the specimens are conspecific ‘with osterodensis. In superficial characters, the specimens have short, 76 ENTOMOLOGIST S RECORD, VOL. 76 15/111 /64 rather rounded forewings as in romeo. In the majority of specimens, the middle streak is divided, forming two spots (3 and 5). Apparently this is a constant character of the Mezoeseg populations. 6 genitalia. Spines at the base of the lamina dorsalis long, well developed, single group of cornuti strong, well developed. © genitalia. Lamella postvaginalis strongly developed, lamella ante- vaginalis broad, variable, ductus bursae moderately sclerotized on one side only, signum present, rather weak, number of spines reduced. Z. osterodensis ssp. A series of specimens (3 gd, 1 @) from Rila Dagh, south-west Bulgaria, probably represents a new subspecies. The ground colour of the forewings is dull, bluish black, without gloss, forewing streaks and hind- wings scarlet, the middle streak of the forewings divided and forming two spots (3 and 5). Hindwing border fairly wide, thorax and abdomen rather hairy. According to the genitalia these specimens are conspecific with osterodensis. 6 genitalia. Transverse row of spines at base of lamina dorsalis long and well developed, single group of cornuti well developed. In one specimen, however, the central, basal spines of the lamina dorsalis are reduced in length while the vesica shows a slight formation of a second group of cornuti. © genitalia. Lamella postvaginalis developed but somewhat reduced, lamella antevaginalis fairly broad, ductus bursae moderately sclerotized, signum present but number of spines reduced. Z. osterodensis koricnensis Reiss (comb. nov.) Z. scabiosae koricnensis Reiss, 1922, Int. ent. Z., 16: 66. Type locality: Maklen-Pass, Koricna, Bosnia. Material examined: Holotype d, Koricna, Bosnia (coll. H. Reiss). 6 genitalia. Spines at base of lamina dorsalis long and fully developed, single group of cornuti developed. Z. osterodensis goriziana Koch (comb. nov.) Z. scabiosae goriziana Koch, 1937, in Holik, Mitt. miinch. ent. Ges., 27: 7. Type locality: Gorz, Istria. Mr. M. Koch, Dresden, very kindly supplied drawings of the genitalia of a male and female (paratypes) of goriziana in his collection. The sub- species goriziana is referable to osterodensis (= scabiosae auct.). 3 genitalia. Spines at base of lamina dorsalis long and well developed, forming a transverse row, single group of cornuti present. © genitalia. Lamella postvaginalis developed, moderate, lateral sclerotization in the ductus bursae, signum present, moderately strong. Z. osterodensis ssp. A female from Mte. Simeone, Interneppo, Friaul, north Italy, 400-600 m. (coll. H. Reiss) is referable to osterodensis. © genitalia. Lamella postvaginalis large and fully developed, lamella antevaginalis rather broad, ductus bursae sclerotized, signum present but very weak and vestigial. ‘ THE SILVICOLA BURGEFF GROUP OF THE GENUS ZYGAENA FABRICUS 77 Z. osterodensis praecarpathica Holik (comb. nov.) Z. scabiosae praecarpathica Holik, 1942, Ent. Z., 56: 198. Type locality: Smrkovica, Djumbir region, Little Carpathians. We have been unable to examine material of this subspecies. Z. osterodensis austrocarpathica Holik (comb. nov.) Z. scabiosae austrocapathica Holik, 1942, Ent. Z., 56: 198. Type locality: Kosow; Kobaki, northern slopes of the east Carpathians. We have been unable to examine material of this subspecies, Z. osterodensis polonia Przegendza (comb. nov.) Z. scabiosae polonia Przegendza, 1933, Ent. Z., 47: 27, figs. 4-6. Type locality: Szerszeniowce near Lemberg, Poland. Material examined: 2 ¢¢,1 9, Genow, Lemberg, Poland. 3 genitalia. Transverse spines at base of lamina dorsalis well deve- loped, especially laterally, central spines somewhat reduced in length, single group of cornuti well developed. © genitalia. Lamella postvaginalis well developed, lamella antevagin- alis rather broad, ductus bursae moderately sclerotized, signum present but reduced and rather weak. Z. osterodensis warszawiensis Holik (comb. nov.) Z. scabiosae warszawiensis Holik, 1939, Ann. Mus. zool. Polon., 12: 26, pl. 1, figs. 31-33. Type locality: Pyry near Warsaw, Poland. We have been unable to examine material of this subspecies. Z. osterodensis ladina Holik (comb. nov.) Z. scabiosae ladina Holik, 1944, Iris, 57: 44. Type locality: Groden, Dolomites, Italy. We have been unable to examine material from this locality. Z. osterodensis curvata Burgeff (comb. nov.) Z. scabiosae curvata Burgeff, 1926, Mitt. miinch. ent. Ges., 16: 17. Type locality: Bruck a. d. Mur, Thorl, Styria, Austria. Material examined: A series from Judenburg, Styria. 6 genitalia. Spines at the base of the lamina dorsalis long and well developed, single group of cornuti well developed. © genitalia. Lamella postvaginalis well developed, lamella ante- vaginalis broad, ductus bursae weakly sclerotized, signum present, rather weak. Z. osterodensis tenuicurva Burgeff (comb. nov.) Z. scabiosae tenuicurva Burgeff, 1926, Mitt. miinch. ent. Ges., 16: 18. Type locality: Neuhuttten, Karlstein near Prague, Bohemia, Material examined: A series from Prague. 6 genitalia. Strong, well developed spines at the base of the lamina dorsalis, single group of cornuti present, strong and well developed. 2 genitalia. Lamella postvaginalis developed, lamella antevaginalis broad, ductus bursae weakly sclerotized, signum present, strong and well developed. 78 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 76 15/II1/64 Z. osterodensis kessieri Reiss (comb. nov.) Z. romeo kessleri Reiss, 1950, Jober. naturf. Ges. Graubiinden, $2: 102, fig. 4. Type locality: Albulatal, Bergiin, Switzerland, 1300-1400 m. Material examined: 1 d, paratype, Bergun (ccll. H. Reiss); 5 ¢4, 2 29, St. Moritz; Ragatz; the Engadine. ¢ genitalia, Spines at base of lamina dorsalis long and well developed (somewhat reduced in Bergun specimen), singie group of cornuti well represented. 2 genitalia. Lamella postvaginalis well developed, lamella antevagin- alis fairly broad, ductus bursae moderately sclerotized, signum present, fairly strong. Z. osterodensis validior Burgeff (comb. nov.) Z. scabiosae validior Burgeff, 1926, Mitt. miinch. ent. Ges., 16: 17. Type locality: Martigny, Wallis, Switzerland. Material examined: 1 92, Martigny (coll. H. Reiss). Q genitalia. Lamella postvaginalis broad, well developed, ductus bursae sclerotized, signum present, well developed. Z. osterodensis vosegiensis Le Charles (comb. nov.) Z. scabiosae vosegiensis Le Charles, 1960, Bull. Soc. ent, Fr., 65: 103 (nomen novum for vogesiaca Le Charles). Z. scabiosae vogesiaca Le Charles, 1957, Rev. franc. Lépid., 16: 20, pl. 6, fig. 6 (preoccupied by vogesiaca Przegendza, 1932, ssp. of trifolii Esper). Type locality: Nonnenbruch pres Cernay; Mulhouse; Haut-Rhin, France. Material examined: Lectotype 3, Nonnenbruch; 3 ¢ ¢, Nonnenbruch; 1 ¢, Uffholtz near Cernay; Haut-Rhin (Paris Museum coll.). do genitalia. Spines at base of lamina dorsalis variable but long and well developed, Single group of cornuti present. The lectotype was selected by Le Charles (1960: 103). Z. osterodensis expansa Le Charles (comb. nov.) Z. scabiosae expansa Le Charles, 1957, Rev. franc. Lépid., 16: 20, pl. 6, figs. 9-11. Type locality: Lac de Montrion, Haute-Savoie, France, 1200 m. Material examined: Lectotype ¢, Lac de Montrion; 2 ¢¢,1 2, same locality (Paris Museum coll.). 3 genitalia. Spines at base of lamina dorsalis well developed, single group of cornuti present. Q genitalia. Lamella postvaginalis developed, ductus bursae moder- ately sclerotized, signum present, spines rather weak. The lectotype was selected by Le Charles (1960: 103). Z. osterodensis droiti Le Charles (comb. nov.) Z. scabiosae droiti Le Charles, 1960, Bull. Soc. ent. Fr., 65: 103 (with reference to Le Charles, 1957, Rev. franc. Lépid., 16: 20). Typ2 locality: Céuze, Hautes-Alpes, France. Material examined: Holotype dg, allotype 9, Céuze; 3 ¢¢, same locality (Paris Museum coll.). ‘ THE SILVICOLA BURGEFF GROUP OF THE GENUS ZYGAENA FABRICUS 79 ¢ genitalia. Spines at base of lamina dorsalis long and well developed, single group of cornuti present. © genitalia. Lamella postvaginalis developed, ductus bursae weakly sclerotized, signum present, weak. Z. osterodensis schultei Dujardin (comb. nov.) Z. minos schultei Dujardin, 1956, Bull. mens. Soc. linn. Lyon, 25: 256. Type locality: Les Dourbes near Digne, Basses-Alpes, France, 1500 m. Material examined: 38 ¢¢,4 2 9, Les Dourbes, Digne. 6 genitalia. Transverse row of spines at base of lamina dorsalis well developed, single group of cornuti well developed. Q genitalia. Lamella postvaginalis well developed, lamella ante- vaginalis broad, well developed, ductus bursae moderately sclerotized, signum present, rather weak and reduced to a few minute spines. Z. osterodensis valida Burgeff (comb. nov.) Z. scabiosae valida Burgeff, 1926, Mitt. miinch. ent. Ges., 16: 17. Type locality: Schwabische Alb, Wurttemberg (Klingenstein, Blau- beuren, Neuffen, etc.), Germany. Material examined: 1 d, Blautal bei Ulm (coll. H. Reiss); 4 99, Hohen-Neuffen, Wurttemberg. 6 genitalia. Spines at base of lamina dorsalis strong and well developed, single group of cornuti present. QO genitalia. Lamella postvaginalis well developed, lamella ante- vaginalis fairly broad, ductus bursae moderately sclerotized, signum pre- sent, rather weak. Z. osterodensis lineata Reiss (comb. nov.) Z. romeo lineata Reiss, 1933, in Seitz, Die Gross-schmetterlinge der Erde, Supplement, 2: 253, pl. 16k. Type locality: Dollnstein, Frankischer Jura; Neighbourhood of Stutt- gart and Leonberg (Wurttemberg), Germany. Material examined: 1 ¢,1 9, Stuttgart (coll. H. Reiss). 6 genitalia. Spines at base of lamina dorsalis long, forming a trans- verse row, single group of cornuti present. © genitalia. Lamella postvaginalis well developed, lamella ante- vaginalis broad, ductus bursae sclerotized on one side, anteriorly, signum present, well developed. Z. osterodensis hassica Burgeff (comb. nov.) Z. scabiosae hassica Burgeff, 1926, Mitt. miinch. ent. Ges., 16: 17. Type locality: Ingelheim, Heidesheim, Rheintal, Hessen, Germany. Material examined: 1 ¢, Unter-Ingelheim (coll. H. Reiss), 4 6d, 1 9, Frankfurt on the Main. 6 genitalia. Spines at the base of the lamina dorsalis well developed, single group of cornuti present. © genitalia. Lamella postvaginalis well developed, lamella ante- vaginalis broad, ductus bursae moderately sclerotized, signum present, strong and well developed. Z. osterodensis osterodensis Reiss Z. scabiosae osterodensis Reiss, 1921, Int. ent. Z., 15: 118. Type locality: Griinortspitze, Osterode, East Prussia, 80 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 76 15/TII/64 Material examined: 1 ¢,1 9, paratypes, Griinortspitze (coll. H. Reiss). 3 genitalia. Spines at the base of the lamina dorsalis well developed, single group of cornuti present. © genitalia. Lamella postvaginalis very broad and well developed, lamella antevaginalis broad, ductus bursae moderately sclerotized, signum present, well developed. Z. osterodensis masoviensis Reiss (comb. nov.) Z. romeo masoviensis Reiss, 1941, Z. wien. EntVer., 26: 58. Type locality: Riidzanny, Masuren, East Prussia. Material examined: 1 ¢, paratype, Masuren (coll. H. Reiss). 3 genitalia. Spines at the base of the lamina dorsalis long and well developed, a single group of cornuti. Z. osterodensis haegeri Reiss (comb. nov.) Z. romeo haegervi Reiss, 1941, Z. wien. EntVer., 26: 58. Type locality: Bublitz (Stadwald), east Pommerania. Material examined: 1 J, paratype, Bublitz (coll. H. Reiss). 6 genitalia. Spines at base of lamina dorsalis well developed, single group of cornuti present. Z. osterodensis trimacula Le Charles (comb. nov.) Z. scabiosae trimacula Le Charles, 1957, Rev. france. Lépid., 16: 15, pl. 6, fig. 8. Type locality: Forét de Sainte-Maure, Indre, France. Material examined: Lectotype ¢, Forét de Sainte-Maure; 1 g, 3 99, same locality (Paris Museum coll.). 6 genitalia. Spines at the base of the lamina dorsalis long and well developed, a single group of cornuti. © genitalia. Lamella postvaginalis moderately developed, ductus bursae weakly sclerotized, signum present, moderately strong. The lectotype was selected by Le Charles (1960: 103). Z. osterodensis eupyrenaea Burgeff (comb. nov.) Z. scabiosae eupyrenaea Burgeff, 1926, Mitt. miinch. ent. Ges., 16: 20. Type locality: Vernet-les-Bains; Mt. Canigou, 800-1200 m., Pyrénées- Orientales, France. Material examined: Over two hundred specimens of both sexes from Vernet-les-Bains; Haut-Cady; Mariailles; Casteil a4 la Forét de Rondai; Pyrénées-Orientales (B, M. coll.); 1 ¢, Mt. Louis (C. W. Mackworth-Praed coll.). 6 genitalia. Spines at the base of the lamina dorsalis long and fully developed but in many specimens a slight reduction in length of those in the centre. Single group of cornuti present, number of spines varying from 3-8. 2 genitalia. Lamella postvaginalis large and well develoved, lamella antevaginalis rather broad, ductus bursae moderately sclerotized, signum present, variable but generally strong and well developed. A small percentage of the males have short forewings with a rounded apex and, in superficial characters, resemble romeo. The middle streak of the forewings is broken and forms two spots (8 and 5) and in more extreme examples all the streaks are divided and form five spots (1, 2. 3, 4,5). The genitalia of these specimens, which have superficial characters ‘ THE SILVICOLA BURGEFF GROUP OF THE GENUS ZYGAENA FABRICUS 81 resembling those of romeo, are rather variable. The spines at the base of the lamina dorsalis are often reduced in length. It is possible that hybridization is taking place between osterodensis eupyrenaea and romeo urania Marten although it is not known whether the two species fly together on the same ground. Z. osterodensis leridana Marten (comb. nov.) Z. scabiosae leridana Marten, 1957, Ent. Z., 67: 218. Type locality: Espot, Prov, Lerida, central Pyrenees, 1000-1100 m. Material examined: A series of over one hundred and eighty specimens of poth sexes from Cauterets, Hautes-Pyrénées. $ genitalia. Spines at base of lamina dorsalis long and well developed, single group of cornuti fairly well developed. 2 genitalia. Lamella postvaginalis well developed, lamella ante- vaginalis broad, ductus bursae moderately sclerotized, signum present, generally strong and well developed. In superficial characters this subspecies is fairly constant and the forewing streaks are not divided into spots as in some examples of ssp. eupyrenaea. Only in extremely aberrant examples of leridana are the streaks rather constricted in the middle but then, are not completely broken. The genitalia do not exhibit any diverse variation as in some specimens of eupyrenaea. The ssp. leridana was described from a series of specimens from Espot, Prov. Lerida, on the south (Spanish) side of the central Pyrenees. Specimens from Cauterets (Hautes-Pyrénées) agree with the original description of leridana and are placed under that subspecies. Z. osterodensis cantabrica Marten (comb. nov.) Z. scabiosae cantabrica Marten, 1957, Ent. Z., 67: 217. Type locality: Gorges of the Cantabrian Mts., between the Sierra de Covadonga and the Massif of the Picos de Europa, North Spain, 500-700 m. We have been unable to examine material of this subspecies but, according to the original description, it should be referred to osterodensis. Marten described cantabrica as a race of scabiosae auct. (= osterodensis). The specimens were found flying together with nevadensis Rambur. The populations of nevadensis from the Picos de Europa have been described by Agenjo as ssp. picos. Z. osterodensis cantabrica was previously recorded by Reiss (1931: 113) and Koch (1948: 322). Z. osterodensis ssp. Two specimens (¢, ¢) from Bronchales, Teruel, Aragon, probably represent a new subspecies. The middle streak of the forewing is con- stricted, especially in the male. Ground colour of forewings bluish black, without gloss, forewing streaks and hindwings bright scarlet, hindwing border rather wide at the apex. Thorax and abdomen rather hairy, black, without gloss. 3 genitalia, Spines at base of lamina dorsalis long and fully developed, single group of cornuti present. © genitalia. Lamella postvaginalis poorly developed, ductus bursae sclerotized on one side, signum present, weak. 82 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 76 15/111 /64 REFERENCES Abeille, E. 1909. Etudes sur les Zygénes des Environs de Marseille et de la Région de la Saint-Baume. Mem. Soc. linn. Provence, 1: 1-24. Alberti, B. 1958. Uber den stammesgeschichtlichen Aufbau der Gattung Zygaena F. und ihrer Vorstufen (Insecta, Lepidoptera). Mitt. zool. Mus. Berl., 34: 243-396, pls. 1-32. . 1959. Ibidem. Mitt. zool. Mus. Berl., 35: 201-242, pls. 33-64. Bernardi, G. & Viette, P. 1960. Note sur la Nomenclature de trois Espéces du Genre Zygaena Fabricius. Bull. mens. Soc. linn. 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Las Zygaena espanolas del Instituto de Entomologia de Madrid. Eos, Madr., 24: 319-333. Kirby, W. F. 1892. A Synonymic Catalogue of Lepidoptera Heterocera (Moths), Vol. 1. Le Charles, L. 1953. Contribution a l’7Etude des Zygénes gallica-mana-erebus. Rev. franc. Lépid., 14: 13-16, figs. 1-6, pl. 2, figs. 1-4, pl. 3, figs. 1, 2. ——. 1960. Nouvelle sous-espéces de Zygenes francaises [Lep. Zygaenidae]. Bull. Soc. ent. Fr., 65: 102-103. Reiss, H. 1931. Die Formen der Zygaena scabiosae Schev. in Spanien und Portugal. Int. ent. Z., 25: 109-114, figs. ———. 1933. In Seitz, Die Gross-Schmetterlinge der Erde, Supplement, 2: 249-278, pl. 16. ——. 1953. Uber drei Zygaenen die als regressive Endemiten hezeichnet werden k6nnen, deren Entstehung vermutlich in der Pliozanzeit erfolgte. Z. wien. ent. Ges., 88: 131-141, pls. 8-10. Reiss, H. & Tremewan, W. G. 1962. Réponse a l’article “Qu’est-ce que la Zygaena dalmatina Bsd.?’’. Bull. Soc. ent. Mulhouse, p. 39-43, figs. 1-3. Schaffer, J. C. 1766. Icones Insectorum circa Ratisbonam indigenorum, 1, pl. 16, figs. 4, 5. Scheven, P. von. 1777. Beitrage zur Naturgeschichte der Insecten. Der Natur- forscher, Halle, 10: 88-101. Tremewan, W. G. 1961a. Notes on Zygaena Species, with descriptions of New Subspecies from Spain (Lepidoptera, Zygaenidae). Ent. Rec., 73: 1-8. . 1961b. A Catalogue of the Types and other Specimens in the British Museum (Natural History) of the Genus Zygaena Fabricius, Lepidoptera : Zygaenidae. Bull. Brit. Mus. (nat. Hist.) Ent., 10 (7) : 239-313, pis. 50-64. —_——. 1963. Notes on Zygaena Species from South-west France and Spain with Descriptions of three new Subspecies (Lepidoptera: Zygaenidae). Ent. Rec., 75: 1-10, pl. 1, figs. 1-21. Verity, R. 1920. Contributo alle ricerche sulla variazione e la distribuzione dei Lepidotteri in Italia: Zygaenides, Grypocera e Rhopalocera del Massiccio delle Mainarde (Prov. di Caserta). Boll. Lab. Zool. Portici, 14: 33-62. . 1953. Les noms des Zygénes gallica-mana-erebus, d’aprés les regles de la nomenclature zoologique. Rev. franc. Lépid., 14: 50-51. ghee ; SALAD DAYS 83 Salad Days By A. D. IRVIN In nearly every edition of the Entomologist’s Record we read an article entitled ‘Collecting Notes for 1963” or “This Year in the New Forest”. Many of these I find extremely interesting, but some tend to be so much a list of latin names that, I regret, with my lack of classic learning (Ent. Rec., 74: 253) I tend to give up the struggle. Such articles must surely give the writers great pleasure as they look back through their notes and diaries, and recall the pleasures of the chase and excite- ment of new and rare captures. Thinking along these lines has prompted me to write some collecting notes with a difference and to look back at the diaries which I started at the tender age of fourteen, my second year at Bradfield College in Berkshire. My entomological career began at the age of twelve when my father presented me, as a reward for passing my Common Entrance Exam., with a second-hand cabinet full of butterflies and moths, and the three essential Wayside and Woodland Volumes by Richard South. The second step on going to Bradfield was meeting two other new boys, Michael Braid and Nigel Webb, both in the same house as myself and both enthusiastic entomologists; this remarkable coincidence (during the whole of our five years there only two other boys showed any interest in entomology) really laid the foundation to what looks like being a lifelong hobby. As I look back, it is interesting to note the gradual change that occurs throughout the years from youthful enthusiasm to the gradual introduction of the latin names and a more scientific approach to the subject. Also I can look back at the great day among my entries when Braid and Webb became Mike and Nigel; at last seniority was affording me the privilege of calling my friends by their christian names. The very first entry I made was 1/1/54, and here I read that I had fifty-three pupae in my possession including six lime hawks (this compares somewhat sadly with this year’s pupa digging, nine pupae and only one M. tiliae). Also on that day I notice “ruby tiger hatched’, this record is followed on 31/1/54 by “small white chrysalis hatched’, surely some- what premature hatchings. As well as similar extraordinary entries there are some which reveal the rather naive approach we had to the subject in those days, particularly with regard to killing agents; 1/2/54 “Killed my small white with Windolene”, 7/2/54 “Webb tried to kill Best minor’s elephant hawk with D.D.T., it turned black”. Presumably having found these agents unsuccessful I read on 12/2/54, “Resorted to extremities in killing my ruby tiger”. As with all eager young entomologists we did at times let our imagina- tion run away with us; 26/1/54, “Braid and Webb convinced me that my powdered quaker var. rufescens was only a common quaker’; 23/1/54, “Went to Great House Woods to look for young bee hawk larvae, found none”; 29/9/54, “Went to Streatley in search of brown hairstreaks”’. Although our imagination did at times run riot, our enthusiasm appears to have been endless, there are numerous entries such as 15/5/54, “Went to Bucklebury but found nothing”; all these entries were recorded in _ great detail, even to the extent of 4/4/54, “Removed from setting board one lime hawk”, I notice in the beginning of April 1954 that on seven 84 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 76 15/111 /64 sugaring expeditions in ten days I caught six moths, and still our ardour could not be damped. We must have cycled thousands of miles and run and walked hundreds, we would think nothing of an hour’s cycle ride to a haunt where we might only be able to spend half an hour before we had to return for tea, and often as not we would come away empty handed. This cycling certainly kept us fit and we were doing things then, which most of us would shudder at now; 8/5/54, “Went to Bucklebury and saw several emperors, Braid caught two”; 7/6/54, “Went to Bucklebury but caught nothing, Braid caught five fox moths”. (Michael Braid later went on to captain the school athletics team and equalled the hundred yards record.) There must be few entomologists who had the opportunities that we had at school: there were four half days each week and we were allowed to go wherever we liked on our bicycles (except into Reading); and on top of that we were set in the middle of some of the finest collecting countryside in the British Isles, within easy reach of us were woods, marshes, downs, heathland and fields—apart from cliffs and mountains we had everything. Despite this and despite our enthusiasm there were no real rarities that we recorded; rather local captures included H. lucina, S. w-album, E. aurinia, C. minimus and L. bellargus. Probably our best capture was a variety of H. fusconebulosae taken at rest on a tree trunk, and once Michael Braid saw N. antiopa at rest in the College’s open-air Greek theatre, but alas no net. There were probably two reasons for our apparent failings, the first was plain ignorance, we just didn’t know when to look, where to look or what to look for. The second reason was lack of equipment, our nets were the spring-steel type (twelve inches in diameter), we possessed no beating trays or m.v. traps, and of course no transport other than bicycles. We manufactured several moth traps ourselves, these were usually made out of old oil drums or biscuit tins, with an inverted enamel lampshade as the cone, and an ordinary 75 w. bulb as the light source; these were used more or less non-stop throughout the summer term and gave us a very good cross section of the moth population of that area. Various unsuspecting masters were persuaded to run these traps in their gardens, one even lived four miles away, and he would duly bring the trap in each morning with the moths scrabbling inside trying to escape, and of course when we opened it in the house-room they invariably did escape much to everyone’s annoyance. In spite of our limited knowledge and facilities we of course had our good luck (Michael Braid especially). 2/6/57, “Mike and Nigel went to Beggars Bridge Green, Mike caught five marsh fritillaries and two narrow bordered bee hawks, Nigel caught nothing”. Then there was the occasion when I saw three male A. iris flying round the top of an oak tree (surely a rare sight nowadays). I was up that tree an hour and a half before I captured one, during which time two elderly ladies had their picnic lunch under the tree completely oblivious of my presence. Nigel Webb, envious of my capture and obviously intent on subtler methods, disappeared for some time and then returned with several fresh cow pats neatly wrapped in newspaper and these were distributed in likely-looking spots, but all to no avail; and I remained during the whole five years the only one of our trio who possessed this rarity. As well as our luck in the field we were very fortunate in meeting two very distinguished entomologists while at school. The thrill it gave us was SALAD DAYS 85 tremendous, but I feel that it must also have given them immense pleasure showing these wide-eyed schoolboys their superb collections, and we, hanging on their words would avidly lap up any information or tips we could. The first of these men was the late F. A. Oldaker who, in addition to having Nigel and myself to supper and showing us his collection, very kindly invited us on the Haslemere N.H.S. annual ramble which he was leading (unfortunately his last) on 30/7/55. It was on this expedition that we saw our first specimen of A. iris while having our lunch in a small clearing. This magnificent insect came sailing down over the trees, pos- sibly attracted by our white sandwich papers, Nigel in his enthusiasm leapt up, scattering his sandwiches, missed the butterfly by a good six feet and sadly watched it sail back over the treetops. Our second great meet- ing was on 30/11/55, my diary reads, “Went to see Air Marshal Sir Robert Saundby with Mike and Nigel, who showed us a specimen of Plusia acuta he had taken in his m.v. trap. This is only the third time it has been recorded in England; of the others one was taken in about 1870, the specimen of which has since disappeared, the other was taken on the same night as his at Woking. Incidentally we were the first outsiders to whom he had shown this rarity”. A great day for us. As the years progress the entries in my diaries seem to become less, and those in my last year at school are all in Latin and confined to records of more unusual captures; we were beginning at last to become more particular in ‘what we chased and more scientific in our approach. The entries lost any comic touch which youthful ignorance often betrayed, and were now more clear and concise as we began to learn the whats, whens and wheres of entomology. Some of the early entries I made now seem extremely amusing although at the time were written in all serious- ness: 12/3/54, “Fox caught a satellite for me in my net’, quite a feat in this modern age! 11/3/54, “Caught a peacock in the changing room”; 16/10/54, “Caught a brick in the house-room”; these must surely have been N. io and A. circellaris respectively. I think pride of place must go to an entry on 12/8/55 and here I repeat in full: “Went swimming at Wellington College Baths, saw six old ladies sheltering in the place where the water goes out, two of these I managed to catch in my hands and kill by pinching. The others escaped”’. These were indeed our Salad Days but inevitably they had to come to an end, Michael Braid went to Sandhurst, but on manceuvres would always conceal his net or try and post himself near likely-looking sallow bushes; Nigel Webb did a year’s teaching at a preparatory school before going to Cambridge, he managed to borrow an m.v. trap from one of the masters and recorded some good captures in 1958, including P. fuliginosa; I went to Cambridge on a six year veterinary course, but there was always an empty tin in my pocket ready for any unsuspecting moths which might creep into lectures or practicals. I feel it would be wrong to end on such a nostalgic note, when the most satisfying and enjoyable day’s entomology any of us ever knew was to come six months after leaving school. We had arranged to meet on 29/6/58 and try for the black hairstreak; after a week of rain and dull weather we almost decided to cancel our expedition, but the Saturday dawned one of the best days of the summer. I left home at 8.30 and collected Michael Braid half an hour later outside the main gate of Sandhurst, we had an hour or so to kill before meeting Nigel so a quick 86 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 76 15/II1/64 trip to Chobham Common and I added two new species to my collection. Having picked up Nigel, off to Oxford; before we had got out of the car two S. pruni had been seen on privet blossom. All of us were lucky, and in addition I beat one fully-grown T. betulae larvae and obtained one A. prunaria (another new species). Leaving late in the afternoon we had a rapid drive over to Aldworth Downs and here collected several C. minimus at rest among the long grass, and finally before returning home just to clock up our hundred miles, we dropped in at Bradfield just to make sure it hadn’t changed. The perfect ending to this day was provided by some explosive beer tins, having been shaken up in the car, these emptied most of their contents on the ceiling, but we managed to salvage sufficient to. drink to S. pruni and the future. 15 Jenkinson Road, Towcester, Northants. Current Notes ENTOMOLOGICAL RECORDS FROM WILTSHIRE In this wide but sparsely populated county, entomologists are very few and far between. In fact a reviewer of our recently published volume, The Macrolepidoptera of Wiltshire, by de Worms, remarked that the county lists often showed the distribution of collectors as well as that of the insects. This is particularly true of Wiltshire. This society is very anxious to extend the scope of the annual report which is compiled mainly from local sources. To this end it is requested that visiting collectors would be good enough to let me have a few notes of their observations. In this way we may get a better knowledge of the distribution of the various species in the county. For instance, there are indications that E. ochroleuca is extending its range, and that P. chryson has also occurred. Reports would be welcomed at any time up to the end of January each year and a copy of our report will be sent to all contributors as soon as possible after publication. Should rare or local insects seem to be endangered by human activities, early information on the subject would be very welcome. This would then be referred for any action that might be desirable to the newly- formed Wiltshire Trust for Nature Conservation.—B. W. WEDDELL (Re- corder for Lepidoptera for the Wiltshire Archaeological and Natural History Society), 11 The Halve, Trowbridge, Wilts. Notes and Observations APATELE LEPORINA L. OVERWINTERING Two YeEaRS.—When I read Mr. M. J. Leech’s note on this subject in the January Record (p. 29), I felt sure that I had had pupae of leporina (miller) that had gone over for a second year. On examining my series of this moth, I found one that had been bred in 1923 from a larva taken in 1921 near Winchester, and an- other bred in 1931 from a New Forest larva taken in 1929, but these were merely isolated instances, quite different from the brood mentioned by Mr. Leech.—H. Symes, 52 Lowther Road, Bournemouth. 25.1.1964. NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS 87 A Very Earty ButtrerRFLy.—On 2nd February, a warm, sunny morning, when we were out in the garden at 10.50 a.m., my wife called my attention to a butterfly that was fluttering around. It was Polygonia c-album L. (comma) and it alighted on the lawn almost at our feet. After about ten minutes there, it took to the air again and settled on my wife’s dress. It was very tame and quite content to stay there for a while. Eventually it came to rest on a patch of damp, warm earth in a very sheltered position, spead its wings to the sun and remained motion- less until I went indoors after observing it for over half an hour in all. It was a female in perfect condition and I think it must have been one of those that I saw on my Michaelmas daisies last October. There were a few wallflowers and purple primroses in bloom within a few yards and I hoped that these would provide food for its needs.—H. SyMEs, 52 Lowther Road, Bournemouth. | 3.ii.1964. EMERGENCE OF MONOPIS RUSTICELLA HUsBN. IN EaRLy JANUARY.—From the fact that the late L. T. Ford (1949, Guide Small. Brit. Lep.: 180) gives 5-6 and 8-9 as the months for the appearance of this common Tineid in the imago state, I conclude that a midwinter emergence is distinctly unusual. It was therefore surprising to find an example fairly freshly disclosed—it had not been there a short time previously—on one of the first few days of January, in a perspex box in which I had put some dipterous pupae collected from an old blackbird’s nest in the garden, along with some of the nest debris in which, no doubt, the Monopis pupae* had been concealed. The box had stood ever since in an unheated room, so, although of course the temperature would be a little higher than outdoors, there was no question of forcing. It is true, however, that after a cold Christmas period the last week of December had been rather mild, and this sudden marked change may have sufficed to precipitate the moth’s emergence. As a matter of interest, it seems to follow that with pupae hatching usually in spring or summer but occasionally the previous winter, imaginal development within the pupa must either take place at an unsuspectedly early stage in its life, or be capable of re- markably rapid onset and completion in response to an abnormal (and necessarily unpredictable!) mild spell.—A. A. ALLEN, 63 Blackheath Park, S.E.3. 2.11.64. *One more was later found in the box; and, just before dispatching this note, a second WM. rustlicella has made its appearance. GYNANDROMORPHISM IN BRITISH LYCAENIDAE.—I was much interested in Mr. Bretherton’s article on the intersex forms of P. argus from north-west Surrey. The species is well known for this kind of aberration, and over the years, I have taken almost every form of gynandromorph, from those slightly marked with blue (male) scaling, to extreme blue nearly all over all four wings, some three wings male and one female, others with three wings female and one male, and last July and August I took five halved gynandromorphs from one small ground, but not in the Woking area. In each case, even in those specimens with only one or two wings affected, the male wings are always smaller than the female wings, and 88 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 76 15/III/64 the sexual organs appear to be female. Over the forty years I have been collecting Lycaenidae vars., I have heard of only two hermaphrodites in this species where the insect is truly halved in wings and including antennae and sexual organs. In L. coridon, gynandromorphism is more varied (see Bright and Leeds’s Monograph on coridon) and includes ab. roystonensis and the mosaic forms with one wing male, another female, and the others mixed. Yet there are many more halved gynandromorphs in coridon (I know of at least fourteen) with sexual organs different on both sides, and even more in P. icarus than in any other of the Lycaenidae. L. bellargus, again, I know of only two halved true hermaphrodites, and although I possess two gynandromorphs, one with right side male, left side forewing female and half hindwing male, other half female. The other taken by myself in the presence of the late L. W. Newman in 1929, and seen alive by him, had left forewing completely female, the other three wings all male. The left antenna was shorter and apparently female. To sum up, although gynandromorphism is obviously fairly common in P. argus, except for the halved and three winged ones of the same colour, the truly halved hermaphrodite, which includes the distinctly different sexual organs, is extremely rare.—A. E. Starrorp, “Corydonis”, Colborne Way, Worcester Park, Surrey. 7.1.1964. EUPHYDRYAS AURINIA LARVAE IN SECOND WINTER.—The following be- haviour of larvae of Euphydryas aurinia Rott.,, the marsh fritillary, was so unusual that I thought it worth recording. Aurinia having now gone from the county of Northamptonshire, and knowing that the original stock was still being bred by Major Alan Collier of Cranleigh, I requested some larvae in 1962 and in August of that year I received a very fine web of larvae. They were put on a growing plant of Scabiosa succisa, Devil’s bit scabious, that had all available sunshine until about 2 p.m. each day: they went into hibernation between two leaves spun together, the size of a walnut, on the ground. They remained under deep snow throughout the winter and were first seen sunning themselves on 8th March 1963, and. fed well on Symphoricarpus, snowberry, to suppliment the scabious. . With the exception of two batches of ova, the whole brood of imagines were released in suitable surroundings. Both batches of ova were from observed pairings; one was sent to Douglas Fearnehough in the Isle of Wight, and the othen I retained. Both batches succumbed to the fungal growth referred to by Dr. E. Lees (Ent. Rec., 75: 264). On cleaning out the wood-framed, glass-fronted, muslin-covered cage, 16” x 16” x24” high, I found up}in one corner a strong silken web about an inch in diameter inside which were some fifteen small, active larvae, the same size as when I saw them sunning on 8th March 1963. One fed up and was a male pupa by the second week of August, but was taken by a bird. I have three small larvae still, and on 2nd January 1964 (these have not eaten during the summer) and remain in a curled leaf in a small plastic container—J. H. Payne, 10 Ranelagh Road, Wellingborough, Northants. 3.i1.1964. CURRENT LITERATURE 89 Current Literature Butterflies in Britain. By George E. Hyde. 48 pp. Jarrold Tableau Series, 5/-. This book is a small collection of coloured and biack and white photo- graphs of British butterflies and their early stages together with short notes on the insects illustrated, preceded by a page of general introduction to the lives and status of British butterflies. The book should appeal mainly to young people interested in the subject and could well encourage some of them to take up entomology as a hobby and possibly an eventual calling. It should also appeal to those who like to have well executed picture books. I could wish, however, that the author had ascribed the Satyrids to the satyrs, or rustic sprites rather than to Saturn, who is the property of the emperor moths.—S. N. A. J. The Amazing World of Insects. Arend T. Bandsma and Robin T. Brandt. x+46+134 plates, 42/-. With the perfection of cameras and of colour photography, many books have been put on the market recently, giving collections of excellent insect photographs with comments either by the photographer if he be an entomologist, or by an entomologist employed for the purpose. This volume, however, has an additional interest in that the insects treated come mainly from the southern hemisphere, and accordingly, they arouse the interest of northern entomologists. The subjects are well spread over the Arthropoda and the main groups of this phylum are explained on the first page of the introduction, the remainder of which goes into Evolutionary Development, Wings, Adaptability, Sense Organs, and Limits of Size, bringing out interesting facts which should help those merely interested in nature to take a closer interest in one or more of the insect orders. The following 45 pages are taken up with short comments on the subjects of each plate, with the plate number in the outside margin against each description, which makes reference very easy. The photographs are excellent without exception and cannot fail to be of interest to any intelligent reader, and it is to be regretted that the relation of cost and circulation debar more serious works from making more use of such photographs for illustration purposes, but possibly in due time this difficulty may be overcome. In the meantime, the volume under consideration is a worthy accession to the picture book shelf for — moments of pleasurable browsing.—S. N. A. J. . The Distribution and Abundance of Tsetse. J. P. Glasgow. 241 pp., 2 plates. Pergamon Press, Oxford. 1963. Price 60/-. The tsetse flies were first described as of a single genus Glossina by Wiedemann in 1830. By 1861 they were known to be responsible for the absence of cattle in certain parts of Africa. They have attracted the attention of many entomologists with support from governments and universities. This has resulted in the publication of several hundred papers covering a variety of aspects of study in field, laboratory and museum. 90 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 76 15/111 /64 C. F. M. Swynnerton’s The Tsetse Flies of East Africa, 1936, volume 84 of the Transactions of the Royal Entomological Society, comprised some 600 pages with plates and figures galore. Although primarily a report of the work in East Africa for the years 1931-4, it included a mass of data on the genus and was in effect a study of the ecology of Glossina. In 1955, P. A. Buxton’s The Natural History of Tsetse Flies was published. Its 800 pages, abundance of plates, figures and tables covered every aspect and gave 27 pages of references up to 1953. It is a work essential to all working on tsetse flies and needs to be read by all dipterists. Whilst it was in the press, there appeared The Distribution and Abundance of Animals by H. G. Andrewartha and L. C. Birch. This had an immediate consideration by ecologists. The present work under review serves two functions. It is concerned with the ecology of the genus Glossina, dealing with the advances since Buxton’s work and considers Andrewartha and Birch’s work, testing their theory with the facts of a single genus. This has been done mainly under the headings of weather (including heat, humidity and light), food, inter- relations with other animals and the habitat. The biology of the genus is first dealt with in a chapter labelled ‘““Background information”. Numerical increase and dispersal are next considered before the main chapters in which the research work on the factors affecting the ecology of the genus are discussed. Then follow chapters on the variation in the flies, their numbers and distribution. The general theory of the numbers of tsetse flies in natural populations is considered with the views of Andrewartha and Birch and is followed by an admirable summary which takes into account the earlier reviews of their work by O. W. Richards, L. C. Cole, A. Milne, ete. The list of references is comprehensive, encompasses the spate of publications since 1953 and includes many items not mentioned in Buxton’s work prior to that year. The numerous figures and tables include many useful original summaries. The author maintains an open mind throughout the book and time and time again points out where more studies need to be undertaken. The index, where tested is accurate and adequate and the proof reading well done, but it was a surprise to see the name Wigglesworth twice misquoted as Wrigglesworth. The sole coloured plate misses the detail and accuracy such as is shown in the coloured figure of Glossina austeni in B. Weitz, “Feeding habits of tsetse flies’. 1964. Endeavour, 23: 39. The book is one that should be studied by all ecologists as well as by entomologists. It must attract attention from many, to whom the destruc- tion of game animals in the attempt to control the numbers of tsetse flies and their spread of trypanosomes, has been of interest. With a quarter of Africa denied to cattle by the genus that transmits Nagana, this book may form a further step in the effort to increase food production in the continent.—L. PARMENTER. LEPIDOPTERA OF KENT (159) 230). Bromley district (Tutt, Proc. S. Lond. ent. nat. Hist. Soc., 1888: 35; Barker, Entomologist, 21: 95). Lewisham, 1885 (Marriott, Young Nat., 7: 79). Joydens Wood, four, July 3, 1888 (Fenn, Diary). Pauls Cray Common, about twenty larvae on birch, April-May 1896 (Fenn, Diary) (Chislehurst (Wool. Surv. (1909)), may refer); several (W. A. Cope). Farnborough (H. Alderson, in Wool. Surv. (1909)). 6. Clay Lane Wood (H. C. Huggins); larva in dead wood of birch stump under moss, February 22, 1919, imago reared (F. T. Grant). Otford, two at light, 1955 (W. B. L. Manley). 6a. Darenth Wood, found on tree trunks a few years since (Curtis, Br. Ent., 248); two or three times by beating out the branches of lofty oaks (Stephens, Haust., 3: 30); abundant, 1855 (Stainton, Ent. Ann., 1856: 47); two, June 16, 1862 (Fenn, Diary); 1870 (Standish, Entomologist, 5: 147); July 10, 1881 (Finzi, Entomologist, 14: 185). 7. Wigmore Wood; Fir Grove; very uncommon (Chaney (1884-87)). 8. Folkestone* (Ullyett (1880)). Wye Downs (Scott (1936)). Wye, one, at m.v.L, June 24, 1955 (W. L. Rudland). Brook*, one (C. A. W. Duffield). 10. Goodly Stock, larvae numerous on birch, April 16, 1947 (R. C. Edwards). 11. Wateringbury (E. Goodwin MS.); (V.C.H. (1908)). Hoads Wood, one, c. 1953 (P. Cue). 12. Ham Street.—A few at light, June 17-18, 1934; June 26, 1936 (A. J. L. Bowes, Diary); larvae on sallow shoots in spring (Scott (1936)); Long Rope, two at sugar, June 17, 1939, several at light, June 14, 1947; about a dozen at sugar and light in Long Rope and Burnt Oak, June 4-10, 1948; several at m.v.l., in Faggs Wood, July 7, 1962 (C.-H.); one, June 23, 1938 (A. H. Lanfear); June 18, 1950 (R. C. Edwards); larvae, May 6, 1960 (R. G. Chatelain). 13. Tunbridge Wells, 1892 (Beeching, Ent. Rec., 3: 158); two, 1957 (L. R. Tesch, fide C. A. Stace). Southborough (M. M. Phipps, in Knipe (1916)). 14. Tenterden (Stainton, Man., 1: 272). VaARIATION.—At meeting of South London ent. nat. Hist. Soc., on January 26, 1888, J. W. Tutt exhibited an ab. on behalf of H. Alderson, taken in the Bromley district (Barker, Young Nat., 9: 56). This presum- ably became the holotype of ab. suffusa Tutt: cf. Tutt, Br. Noct., 3: 70 (C.-H.). First Recorp, 1829: Darenth Wood (Curtis, Br. Ent., 248). P. nitens Haw. (advena Schiff.): Pale Shining Brown. Native. Woods, chalky places (apparently prefering inland situations); foodplant unknown. This species has shown a marked increase and spread into new areas since about 1950, and was particularly numerous in 1956. 1. Shooters Hill, one, June 25, 1863 (A. H. Jones, in Wool. Surv. (1909)) (Eltham (Trans. Cy. Lond. ent. nat. Hist. Soc., 1899: 76) may refer). Lee, three, June 19, one, June 21, one, June 26, 1865 (Fenn, Diary) (Hither Green (Wool. Surv. (1909)) may refer). Bexley (L. W. Newman, in Wool. Surv. (1909)). Farnborough (H. Alderson, in Wool. Surv. (1909)). Orpington, 1948 (L. W. Siggs). West Wickham, one, June 18, 1952 (R. Birchenough); do, in m.v. trap, June 1963 (C.-H.). 2. Sheppey, one, June 16, 1868 (J. J. Walker MS.). Dartford, J, at ‘valerian, June 24, 1946 (B. K. West). (160) ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 76 15/III/64 3. Blean, one, July 5, 1902, in J. Platt Barrett coll. (C.-H.). 4. Littlebourne, one at m.v.l., July 15, 1958 (G. H. Youden). 5. Westerham, 1959 (R. C. Edwards). 6. Greenhithe* (Farn MS.). Pinden, one, 1947, three, 1949; all at light (E. J. Hare, in litt.); fairly common since (E. J. Hare, personal communica- tion, iv.1956). Otford, at m.v.l., common, 1955, very common, 1956 (W. B. L. Manley). Eynsford, two, June 2, 1959; June 10, 1960 (R. G. Chatelain). Meopham (J. Ellerton). 6a. Darenth Wood (Douglas, Zoologist, 3218); June 1862; one at sugar, June 22, 1864 (Fenn, Lep. Data MS.). Between Gravesend and Shorne, not uncommon at flowers, i.e. half a dozen any good evening, 1902-10 (H. C. Huggins). Cobham, June 10, 1912, at white campion at dusk, not uncommon (F. T. Grant). 7. Wigmore Wood; Fir Grove; Darland Hill, at sugar and at rest on trunks; “I have also taken it in my garden at New Brompton, where it seemed very partial to the flowers of the great orange lily” (Chaney (1884-87)). Near Bredgar, two or three an evening, 1920-23 (H. C. Huggins). Westwell, June 27, 1935, at valerian (A. J. L. Bowes, Diary); one at sugar, July 5, 1946 (Bull, Proc. S. Lond. ent. nat. Hist. Soc., 1946-47: 168); a few annually since the war (E. Scott, personal communication, autumn 1954). 8. Folkestone* (Ullyett (1880)). Reinden Wood, a series exhibited on August 6, 1891 (Clark, Trans.. Cy. Lond. ent. nat. Hist. Soc., 1891: 20). Folkestone*, June 27, 1892 (teste Fenn, Diary). Wye (Scott (1936)). Brook (C. A. W. Duffield). Near Barham, one, July 17, 1927 (E. & Y. (1949)). 11. Yalding (V.C.H. (1908)). Wateringbury, E. Goodwin took about three (W. A. Cope) (V.C.H. (1908)). Aylesford, one, June 1951, five, July 1953, two, 1955, two or three per night, June 1956; all at m.v.l. (G. A. N. Davis). Goldwell Pit, near Great Chart, one at white campion, June 27, 1955 (P. Cue). Sevenoaks Weald, one, at m.v.l., June 30, 1960 (E. A. Sadler). 12. Ashford*, one in H. D. Stockwell coll., labelled ‘Ashford, 1896, Chittenden” (C.-H.). Ham Street, June 29, 1934, at light (A. J. L. Bowes, Diary); June 30, 1935 (R. C. Edwards); July 1956 (W. L. Rudland). Char- tham, three, 1949-52 (P. B. Wacher). Wye, six, June 22-July 10, 1953, eight, June 22-July 18, 1954, ten, July 2-15, 1955, fifteen, June 19-July 14, 1956 (W. L. Rudland). 14. Knock Wood, Tenterden, two at sugar, June (1853) (Beale, Zoologist, 4130). First REcoRD, 1851: Darenth Wood (Douglas, Zoologist, 3218). P. nebulosa Hufn.: Grey Arches. Native. Woods, copses; on birch, sallow, dock, hawthorn. Fairly frequent, and recorded from all divisions except 2, 15; scarce or casual in 4,9. “Generally common” (V.C.H. (1908)). The larva has been found on birch and sallow at West Wickham (Huckett, Ent. week. Int., 10: 117); on dock, hawthorn and birch, at Bromley, and the imagines reared (D. R. M. Long); and on dock and birch at Petts Wood (R. G. Chatelain). 4. Deal, July 6, 1891 (Fenn, Ent. Rec., 2: 203). 9. Ramsgate, one at light, 1916; one, June 13, 1919 (J. W. C. Hunt). VaRIATION.—Tutt (Br. Noct., 3: 68) records ab. pallida Tutt, from Chattenden. ) LEPIDOPTERA OF KENT (161) First Recorp, 1829: Near Darenth and Birch Woods (Stephens, Haust., 3: 29). P. sagittigera Hufn. (leucophaea View.): ssp. britannica Turner: Feathered Ear. Native. Chalk downs; foodplant unknown. Fairly frequent locally along the south-western border of 8; apparently very scarce elsewhere on the chalk. Probably casual in 11, 12, 15, 16. 6. Gravesend, one taken by R. W. Bowyer, May 24 (1871) (Button, Entomologist, 5: 393). Halling, one, on beech trunk, 1910 (Ovenden, Ent. Rec., 22: 191). Shoreham district, taken by L. W. Newman (H. C. Huggins); two taken by W. A. Cope on the rifle-range, June 1912 (C.-H. coll.). 7. Boxley, one, 1904, in E. Goodwin coll. (C.-H.); one, 1910, taken by W. A. Cope (C.-H. coll.). Hollingbourne, not uncommon, 1919-22 (H. C. Huggins). Near Ashford*, one on a birch trunk, June 7, 1876 (Jeffery, Ent. mon. Mag., 13: 64). Westwell (V.C.H. (1908)); singletons, May 26, 1933, May 23, 1952, June 21, 1954 (E. Scott). Soakham Downs, one, May 29, 1930, one on a beech trunk, May 29, 1938 (E. Scott). Broad Street, two at light, May 28, 1955 (E. Philp). 8. Brook.—Two, 1872, and many others’ subsequently (Parry, Entomologist, 6: 142, 430, 7: 16, 26: 296); 9, knocked from grass by day, Punch Bowl, June 9, 1934 (A. J. L. Bowes, Diary); Devil’s Kneading Trough, May 31, 1936, July 3, 1951 (H. King); one, at m.v.l, May 21, 1953 (W. L. Rudland); two, at light, May 27, 1960 (R. F. Bretherton); one, May 31, 1963, a cold night (R. G. Chatelain). Wye Crown.—1935; twenty taken, May 29, 1936; 1939 (A. J. L. Bowes, Diary); of regular occurrence from about May 20, mostly at light, sometimes a few at sugar; I have periodically visited the locality since 1937, and have seldom failed to see the moth (C.-H.); locally common along the Wye Downs (Scott (1950)). Crundale, two, 1926 (H. C. Huggins). Chilham, June 9, 1934, two 9 knocked from hawthorn by day (A. J. L. Bowes, Diary). Folkestone*, one taken by H. Ullyett, 1870 (Knaggs, Ent. Ann., 1871: 74). Warren; River Minnis (Webb (1891)). Near Alkham; Ewell Minnis (FE. & Y. (1949)). 11. Tonbridge, two taken in the town at gas lamps (1870) (EFedle, Entomologist, 5: 200). Tunbridge Wells district*, noted by R. H. Rattray and M. M. Phipps (E. D. Morgan, in litt.). Holt Wood, Aylesford, five at m.v. trap, 1953 (G..A. N. Davis); none seen since (C.-H.). 12. Wye, one, June 9, one, June 21, one, June 30, 1956, all in mv. trap (W. L. Rudland). 15. Dungeness, one, June 3, 1934, by Mrs. Cole (A. M. Morley). 16. [Folkestone, one worn specimen on a fence near the Junction Station, early June 1861 (Knaggs, Qtly. J. Folkestone nat. Hist. Soc., 4: 74; idem, Ent. Ann., 1871: 74); may have been this species.] Folkestone Town, one in m.v. trap, May 27, 1952 (A. M. Morley). . VARIATION.—Kentish examples conform to ssp. britannica Turner, which is recognisably distinct owing to the whiter element, particularly in the hind marginal area, and the more strongly emphasised markings; whereas those examples from abroad have the ground much tinged with pale umbreous or smoky brown (cf. Turner, Supplement to Tutt’s Br. Noct., 1: 284). ‘i + In R.C.K. is a very large representative series from Kent. Three of (162) ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 76 15/111 /64 these resemble the continental form, and are labelled: “D. Chittenden, Wye, vi.03” (1); “East Kent, F. Davis’ (2). Heath (Trans. Cy. Lond. ent. nat. Hist. Soc., 1912-13: 30) records one from Wye, 1912, “with ground colour much whiter, and markings black’’. First (CONFIRMED) REcoRD, 1870: Tonbridge (Eedle, Entomologist, 5: 200). Diataraxia oleracea L.: Bright-line Brown-eye. Native. Marshes, gardens, cultivated and waste places; on “Orache’”, “Sea Beet’, Thalictrum flavum, Artemisia absinthium, “Restharrow”, Hypericum, Chenopodium, “Persicaria’”, hazel, elm, Clematis vitalba, lupin, Epilobium hirsutum, Convolvulus arvensis. Plentiful and found in all divisions, particularly on river-banks and at the edges of saltings and marshes in 2. Occasionally, there appears to be a partial second generation. Thus, in 1953, at Wye, W. L. Rudland noted fifty oleracea in his trap from May 3- August 3; then a gap, followed by a total of seven from August 14, with last appearance on October 3. The larva is perhaps polyphagous on deciduous foliage. H. C. Huggins (in litt.) states that at Seasalter (div. 2), he found them “abundant on anything, especially Sea Beet and Orache”, adding incidentally that they were badly infested with Tachinids. Knaggs (1870) records it on Rest- harrow, at Folkestone; A. R. Kidner (Diary) found the larva on hazel, Sidcup, October 9, 1909; and B. K. West has found it on elder, lupin, and C. vitalba at Dartford. A. M. Swain found larvae on Hypericum at Petts Wood; Ovenden (Ent. Rec., 21: 33) on Chenopodium in the Strood district; and West (Ent. Rec., 18: 230) records it on Persicaria. It has also been found on C. arvense at Crofton, and on E. hirsutum at Bromley, by D. R. M. Long; and on A. absinthium on Dartford Marshes, and T. flavum at Snodland, by me (C.-H.). VARIATION.—Tutt (Br. Noct., 3: 89) records ab. rufa Tutt, from West- combe Park and Deal. In R.C.K., are ab. rufa Tutt, one, Sheppey, bred 1899, one, ““North Kent, W. Crocker, 1908”; ab. obsoleta Lambillion, three, Sheerness, one, Green- hithe; also an ab. with “large tooth-marks in submarginal line’, one, “Brockley, bred 1890”. First REcoRp, 1858: Deal (Harding, Ent. week. Int., 4: 197). Ceramica pisi L.: Broom Moth. Native. Commons, heaths, saltmarshes, waste places, etc.; on bracken, broom, birch, Aster tripolium, Rumex acetosella, elm, sloe, Diplotaxis tenuifolia, Lotus corniculatus, Galium mollugo, Chenopodium album, Yarrow, “kKnapweed’, “plantain”, “dock”. Frequent and recorded from all divisions, except 9. ‘Generally common in larval state” (V.C.H. 1908)). The imago appears from about the third week in May and often con- tinues well into July. Newman (Ent. Rec., 23: 276) records one that came to sugar (at Bexley) in perfect condition, on September 15, 1911, probably a second brood specimen. The larva may be polyphagous on deciduous foliage. On R. acetosella, Bostall Woods (A. A. Allen); L. corniculatus, Bromley, September 4, 1949 (D. Lanktree); D. tenuifolia, Charlton, September 24, 1958 (J. F. Burton); ‘ FOR THE ENTOMOLOGIST Apparatus, Books, Cabinets, and Set Specimens Price lists of the above are issued from time to time, so if you would like to receive regular issues please send me a postcard stating your interests L. CHRISTIE 137 Gleneldon Road, Streatham, London, S.W.16, England (Postal business only) Official agent for publications of the Amateur Entomologist’s Society M.V. GENERATORS AND BULBS. Ex W.D. Air-borne, Hand-portable Petrol Generators. Weight 37 lbs. SRM ROME INE. ESI DY oa oe le ec nln mimainee Bee Mooney £25 Os. Od. Ditto. COMPLETE with Choke/Transformer and TWO 80w. Bulbs (1 spare). RS CMEL LO) LRULIAY crn Esteli SONA © ere Los, 2 see th PR I og £32 10s. Od. SPARE 80w. M.V. BULBS for above. NEW Ex U.S.A.F. (Retail price, 48s.) 30s. each or 4 for £5 Os. Od. (Can also be run extra-bright with 125 watt choke from mains.) A few 125 watt are available at same price. P. J. M. 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JACOBS, 54 HAYES LANE, BROMLEY, KENT. LT I I EE LE ES EAT TA Tig be ils Clem ieee ils ee eth SRR el pe eR we r ’ ” F 4 . A, fe eee pane 5 4 Ce ee eee ee er ae George EL. Hyde Butterflies in Britain 48 lavishly illustrated pages _ Handy size, 73x Sin., in board covers 15 brilliant colour plates and 29 half-tone illustrations from photographs by the author. Informative text by one of the best known experts in this field. Real value for money at only 5/- from all stationers and booksellers, or direct from the publishers at 6/-, post free -_JARROLD & SONS LTD _ London Street, Norwich : THE ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD AND JOURNAL OF VARIATION (Founded by J. W. TUTT on 15th April 1890) The following gentlemen act as Honorary Consultants to the magazine: Lepidoptera: Dr. H. B. Witti1amMs, Q.C., LL.D., F.R.E.S.; Orthoptera: D. K. McE. Kevan, Ph.D., B.Sc, F.R.E.S.; Coleoptera: A. A. ALLEN, B.Sc.; Diptera: L. PARMENTER, F.R.E.S.; E. C. M. d’Assts-Fonseca, F.R.E.S. CONTENTS seat SOME CONSIDERATIONS ON SOME PRESENT DAY CONDITIONS AS THEY AFFECT THE CONTINUED EXISTENCE OF CERTAIN BUTTERFLIES. Major-General C. G. LipscoMB and Captain R A. JACKSON, R.N. ... 63 ~ LEPIDOPTERA IN THE ISLE OF WIGHT, 1963. T. D. FEARNEHOUGH, A.MET. 68 CRANLEIGH BUTTERFLIES, 1963. Major A. E. COLLIER ... a3 big a 72 THE SILVICOLA BURGEFF GROUP OF THE GENUS ZYGAENA FABRICIUS (LEP., ZYGAENIDAE). W. GERALD TREMEWAN ... ae, me ent oh 74 SALAD DAYS. A. D. IRVIN ... ne a oN a ly sis Bi uae se CURBED NOTES. 65050 Dh Re ee ee ee se NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS ... aye tes tae me » + ae ats 86 GUERENT -TATERATURE. 2005.0 /048 0. a. hg ke 0 hoes RO ee ee SUPPLEMENT—THE BUTTERFLIES AND MOTHS IN KENT: A CRITICAL ACCOUNT. PART II. J. M. CHALMERS-HUNT ... me ae > (459)t% TO OUR CONTRIBUTORS All material for the TEXT of the magazine must be sent to the EDITOR at 54 Hayes Lane, Bromley, Kent. ADVERTISEMENTS, EXCHANGES and WANTS to F. W. BYERS, 59 Gurney Court Road, St. Albans, Herts. 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SREGCVRUREE _pPICE 2A NET | ae ? he 2 THE FRESHWATER LIFE OF THE BRITISH ISLES JOHN CLEGG In preparing the second edition of this work, full advantage ~ < has been taken of the opportunity to make corrections, | particularly to the nomenclature, and to add a little new | matter to bring the book up to date. : This guide to the plants and invertebrate animals of | ponds, lakes, streams and rivers, is intended for those | generally interested in the subject, as well as for the serious student. It is one of the very few books to be published |{- in recent years which deals with every aspect of freshwater | life in a systematic manner. Among other subjects are described the physical and ~ : chemical conditions in water, the interrelations of | organisms and the impact of freshwater biology on man- kind. In regard to species, plant and invertebrate life have received the main attention of the author, but there | is an additional chapter on the vertebrates to complete the | ecological picture. The book also includes a useful chapter | on the collection and examination of specimens. ae The illustrations are a special foage of the book, and | ~ include representations of most of the groups of organisms described. 16 plates in full colour 51 half-tone plates 95 text drawings 21s. net From all Booksellers FREDERICK WARNE & co. LTD. . 1- -4 Bedford Court, Strand, Rondon w.cd, 91 Holiday at Greatstone, Kent—July 1963 By J. M. CHALMERS-HUuUNT and S. WAKELY This holiday together was planned early in the year, and the time chosen was from 13th to 27th July. So many interesting species of lepidoptera were taken that it was decided to write an account of the holiday. For convenience we decided to make separate items of the various places visited, arranged in alphabetical order, and it was also felt that in this form it would be of most interest to readers interested in each particular place mentioned. The nomenclature used is that adopted by I. R. P. Heslop in his “Revised Indexed Check-list of the British Lepidoptera, 1962”, and printed in various numbers of the “Entomologist’s Gazette’. Appledore.—Several visits were made to Appledore searching for the larvae of Depressaria ultimella Staint. The foodplant is the Fine-leaved Water Dropwort (Oenanthe aquatica (L.)) Poiret (phellandrium Lamarck), a very local plant which grows in abundance in some of the roadside ditches in this area. On our first visit only a few small larvae were found, but on the 25th we made a Special effort and found about three dozen larvae, some of which were full-grown. The larvae were found not only in the main stem (which often grows three inches or more in diameter), but also in the smaller branches. The plants were pulled out of the ditch and came up with heavy clots of mud, the plant itself being five or six feet tall. It took a long time to open up every stem of a single plant, so we were able to examine a few, plants only in the time at our disposal. The larvae of D. ultimella are pale green or yellow in colour and feed only on the internal pith of the stems. Six-inch sections of the stem were also taken for foodplant and the larvae fed up rapidly on this on our return home. They: were kept in large glass jars or plastic containers with plenty of tissue paper to absorb excess moisture. Several thicknesses of linen material were tied tightly over the top of each container as the larvae are apt to eat their way through a single thickness when full fed. If the foodplant is kept in an airtight receptacle it quickly goes mouldy and rotten. The larvae spun up readily among the tissue paper. While searching the plant, many larvae and pupae of Depressaria apiella Hb. (nervosa Haw.) were found in the stems. This is an exceedingly common species which has a number of other foodplants and feeds in external spinnings among the flowers or leaves and frequently enters the stem to pupate. Larvae and pupae of the beetle Prasocuris phellandriit (L.) were to be found in every stem in large numbers. One lepidopterous larva which was actually feeding on the pith inside the stem was subsequently reared and proved to be Clepsis costana F.—a common species usually found in spun leaves of various plants. Another small larva found feeding inside the stem was kept for some weeks and grew into a large fat noctuid larva, which is probably Agrotis segetum Schiff. It fed up latterly upon dock, groundsel, etc., but had not emerged at the time of writing. Brooke, near Wye, was visited on the 19th, when Colonel Duffield took us round his fields. Many species were noted, the most interesting being: Phalonia cnicana Westw., Epinotia immundana F.R. (a late larva found in rolled alder leaf), Coleophora fuscedinella Z. and Caloptilia elongella L. (larvae of both on alder), and Opostega crepusculella Zell. (one imago taken by Col. Duffield). 92 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 76 15/1V /64 Camber, Sussex.—We found this one of the most rewarding places to visit and as it was so near, several visits were made, usually to the same spot—the salterns to the west of Camber Golf Course by Rye Harbour. Hereabouts, Artemisia maritima grew in large clumps and at dusk one evening a few Eucosma maritima Westw. were taken flying round its foodplant. A few more were taken later by sweeping the Artemisia. The 22nd was one of the best nights at this locality. Pediasia (Crambus) aridellus Thunb. (salinellus Tutt) was quite plentiful, many being freshly emerged and drying their wings on the grass. A surprise was the cap- ture of a single P. contaminellus Hb.—the dark form known as ab. sticheli Constant. This was thought to have strayed from the adjoining golf course. Single specimens of Hysterosia inopiana Haw. and Depressaria badiella Hb. were also taken. Two local moths taken here were Bactra furfurana Haw. and Aristotelia lucidella Steph. The larvae of both these species feed in the stems of the Common Spike-rush (Elocharis palustris), and we found several ditches where this plant grew in abundance. By sweeping this rush, many moths were obtained, especially A. lucidella. The foodplant of B. furfurana is given by several authors of well-Known standard books on lepidoptera as Elocharis lacustris. There is no plant with this name, although there is a Scirpus lacustris. Elocharis palustris was formerly called Scirpus lacustris, but Scirpus lacustris has never been known as Elocharis lacustris as far as we can find out. Ditchling, Sussex, was visited on the 21st. Parking the car near the pond on the Common, we had not gone far before a small, dark tortrix was netted and determined as Dichrorampha pseudoalpestrana Danil. This species was first recorded for Britain in 1893, when specimens were taken in Epping Forest among its foodplant, Sneezewort (Achillea ptarmica). We noted there was plenty of Sneezewort growing nearby and spent an hour or more walking slowly among the plants and occasion- ally netting one of the moths. In this way we took four each—eight in all. They were not in perfect condition and had evidently been out some days, but it was quite an exciting find. Other very local species taken here were: Phalonidia manniana F.R. (one near the pond), Ancylis inor- natana H.-S. (among its foodplant, Salix repens), Coleophora vibicella Hb. (larval cases were found and a few imagines taken, but most of the cases were empty or produced hordes of minute parasites, although a few moths emerged a day or two later), and Leucoptera wailesella Stt. (a minute moth common among Genista tinctoria) and on which its larvae —and those of Coleophora vibicella—feed. If Ditchling had been nearer Greatstone, we should certainly have visited it again. Dungeness was practically “on our doorstep’—only a few minutes’ run by car along the coast road. The best capture here was undoubtedly three specimens of Thalera frimbialis Scop. at dusk on the 18th. Although larvae have been actually taken on Achillea millefolium here, they probably feed locally on other plants as no Yarrow was seen in the immediate vicinity of where the moths were taken although it occurred not far away. On the Continent its foodplants are numerous and even include birch, blackthorn and whitethorn, as well as several; low plants, so it is probably the hibernating problem that makes it so difficult to rear. Eilema pygmaeola Doubl. ssp. pallifrons Zell. was quite common at rest on grass stems after dark on most of our visits. When returning from, Camber about midnight on one occasion we saw a bright light on the shingle near the road at Dungeness. Being curious, we investigated ‘ HOLIDAY AT GREATSTONE, KENT—JULY 1963 93 and found Mr. C. G. Bruce (of Lee) having a wonderful time with his M.V. light, surrounded by an unbelievable number of moths. They were milling round in a mass in the immediate vicinity of the light, and the sheet was covered by others resting. He kindly let us help ourselves to the micros as he was only selecting the pick of the macros. The two commonest species present were Eilema pygmaeola and Synaphe punctalis F. (angustalis Schiff.), which were in hundreds, together with odd speci- mens of Eurhodope marmarea Haw. and crowds of common species. He said he had hoped to get a few E. pygmaeola, but, he added, pointing to the mass present-—“This is ridiculous’. Evidently, conditions were perfect, as this kind of night is not of frequent occurrence. Other species of special interest to us taken on our visits to Dungeness included: Dolicharthria punctalis Schiff.. Thiodia citrana Hb. (quite common at rest on Yarrow), Aristotelia palustrella Dougl., Agonopterix flavella Hb. (common at flowers of rushes), Ethmia terminella Fletch. (a number taken at rest on Echium vulgare after dark), and Oegoconia quadripuncta Haw. (flying in abundance at one spot where a pair in cop. were at rest on a twig of dwarf broom). Folkestone Warren.—We paid several visits to the Warren. Larvae were found in spinnings on Daucus carota and proved to be Depressaria rotundella Dougl. A single specimen of the extremely local and little- known Cnephasia genitalana Pierce was netted on one occasion. A few Cochylidia rupicola Curt. were taken in clumps of Eupatorium cannabium, and a single Aplasta ononaria Fuessl. was seen but left. We were disap- pointed at not finding two local species which we had hoped to come across; notably Lobesia euphorbiana Freyer (larvae of which had been taken in numbers here by the late L. T. Ford), and Agonopterizx pallorella Zell., of which a single larva had been taken here by one of us in 1962, and successfully reared. Greatstone.—As our bungalow was here, it is natural that this place produced the greatest number of moths recorded on our holiday. We ran a light trap every night and on many nights the captures were in em- barrassing numbers. One of our first finds was the larvae of Calophasia lunula Hufn., which occurred on plants of Linaria vulgaris. It is an attractive looking larva which is conspicuous enough when spotted. It comes up and feeds on the newest growths at the top of the shoots. Half- a-dozen from a good-sized bed of the plant is a usual find, but a visit again the following day will often produce the same number, so presum- ably the larvae rest lower down when not feeding. It is still a local species here, but seems to be holding its own, in spite of the previous cold winter when the Dungeness district was snowbound for months on end. At the eastern end of Greatstone there are some high sand dunes covered with Sea Buckthorn. On the 21st we visited these dunes after dark and also used a Coleman’s lamp on a sheet. It was a remarkably good night and several species were taken which had not been seen at the bungalow, including the rare Melissoblaptes zelleri Joan. (one). A number of Witlesia pallida Steph. came to light, which puzzled us as it is usually taken in marshy places, particularly in the fens—a very different habitat to dry sand-dunes. Other species of interest taken here included Melanargia galathea L. (one at rest—also seen flying at Lydd on 26th—a new record for this area), Nola albula Schiff., Semiothisa alternaria Hb., _ Anerastia lotella Hb. (common), and Argyritis pictella Zell. (a small tineid) swarming on the ground round the lamps. The commonest species in the 94 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 76 15/1V/64 trap was undoubtedly Apamea monoglypha Hufn. A complete list of the species seen would be too long, but the following which were taken in the trap are worthy of mention: Dasychira fascelina L. (several males), Spilosoma urticae Esp. (one, very worn), Euschesis interjecta Hubn., Pyrrhia umbra Hufn., Heliophobus albicolon Hubn., Leucania litoralis Curt., Nonagria dissoluta Treits.. Apamea oblonga Haw., Lygephila pastinum Treits., Laspeyria flexia Schiff., Plemyria rubiginata Schiff. (bicolorata Hufn.), Hydrelia flammeolaria (luteata Schiff.), Eupithecia millefoliata Rossl., Eupithecia tenuiata Hiibn., Eupithecia haworthiata Double., Cynaeda dentalis Schiff., Nyctegretis achatinella Hiubn., Hetero- graphis oblitella Zell. (one), Phalonia margaritana Haw. (dipoltella Hiibn.), Ancylis achatana Schiff., Yponomeuta evonymella L., and Monopis imella Hiibn. Lydd.—On the 14th we spent some time in the fields by Lydd Town Station. Mesotype virgata Hufn. was as common as usual among its foodplant, Galium verum, and a single Ethmia bipunctella F. was taken at rest on a fence post. Larval mines of Aspilapteryx (Gracillaria) tringipennella Zell. were exceedingly abundant here, as Sey as three being found on a single leaf of Plantago lanceolata. St. Margarets-at-Cliffe-——This picturesque spot, with the French’ coast- line visible on clear days, was visited twice and provided some very good records. Larvae of Amelia (Tortrix) paleana Hb. in their characteristic large spinnings were found on various plants including Plantago lanceolata, Centaurea scabiosa, Carduus arvensis, Larvae of Agonopterix subpropinquella Staint. were found in spun leaves of Centaurea nigra and those of A. rotundella Dougl. on Daucus carota. Very local species cap- tured included: Childonia piercei Obraztsov (subbaumanniana Wilk.), Stenodes alternana Steph., Eana osseana Scop., Grapholita caecana Schlag. (a single specimen taken among Onobrychis viclifolia (Sainfoin)), Eucosma fulvana Steph. (on plants of Centaurea scabiosa) and Thiotricha subo- cellea Steph. A number of plants of Solidago virgaurea were seen grow- ing here. a plant not usually associated with chalk, and the blue flowers of the local Phyteuma tenerum (Round-headed Rampion) were also noticed. On the way to St. Margarets on the 17th we stopped at a wood near Dover, and collected a number of rolled leaves of Centaurea nigra. It was a great surprise to find later that the moths which emerged were Agonopterix carduella Hiibn., a local moth more common in the north and so far as we are aware has not been taken in Kent for many years. Westwell—On the 24th we were invited by Dr. Scott to have an evening’s collecting in his garden and the adjoining woods. Several other entomologists were present and we were delighted with the oppor- tunity to take some of the very local species occurring in his garden. At dusk, with hand lamps, we collected on the high wooded ground near the house and took Schrankia taenialis Hiibn., Orthotaelia sparganella Thunb. (a very unexpected find on such high ground), and Tinea semi- julvella Haw. Returning to the garden we found two M.V. lights fixed up—one at each side of the house—and were allowed to help ourselves to the numerous micros attracted to the sheets. These included Pandemis cinnamomeana Treits. (18), Phycholomoides aeriferana H.-S. (6) (a rare species first recorded for Britain by Dr. Scott in 1952), Spilonota lariciana Hein. (30), and a single Brachmia gerronella Z. We greatly enjoyed this trip and the hospitality accorded by Dr. and Mrs. Scott. LCOKING BACK OVER 1963 95 Looking Back Over 1963 By T. W. HaRMAN The hard winter caused a very late start to the season and it was 4th March before m.v. light was used and resulting in only half a dozen Theria rupricapraria Schiff. This period was enlivened by the emergence of Trichopteryx polycommata Schiff. from larvae taken on privet at Folkestone Warren last year. Seven specimens from nine larvae success- fully came through. My wife saw a Brimstone butterfly on 6th March and this one must have revived very quickly after its refrigeration. The first field trip was with Mr. T. J. G. Homer on 14th March to an oak wood near Twyford, Berks. After a warm day the temperature stayed at 53°F. with cloud culminating with heavy rain at 9.30 p.m. when we had to pack up. By this time we had seen an extraordinary number of insects for this time of the year. There were several forms of Apocheima hispidaria Schiff. in dozens, Achlya flavicornis L. in plenty and some lovely forms of Erannis leucophaearia Schiff. Except for numbers of species it was like collecting in June. On calling at a local hostelry after getting back on to the metalled road, we found all these species settled around the light over the entrance porch. By mid-March Gypsitea leucographa Schiff. from local ova began hatching and a nice series resulted, mostly well marked. The rest of March was uneventful and it was 1st April before we made another field trip, to another oakwood in the area mentioned earlier. Among seventeen species, only Trichopteryx carpinata Borkh. was of any interest. On 2nd April the first of several Lophopteryx cucullina Schiff. from local ova hatched, these did not seem particularly difficult to rear. After several poor days we made a trip to Crowthorne, Berks. The temperature dropped to 46°F. with a slight wind, but we did manage to get one specimen of Dasycampa rubiginea Schiff. and Nycteola revayana Scop. On the return home that night we stopped at some local sallows and shook out five specimens of G. leucographa Schiff. and one Lithophane semi- brunnea Haw. At light here was one Hypena rostralis L. The following night saw us in Hampshire, again after D. rubiginea Schiff. Three speci- mens came to light by 9.30 p.m. and also one Panolis flammea Schiff., but we were washed out by rain at10 p.m. Mr. S. Coxey came down from the ‘Far North’ on 12th April for a few days. His main quarry was G. leucographa Schiff., but the first night produced low temperature and no moths. The night of 138th April was rather unusual and worth describing. After heavy showers all day and up to 8.30 p.m., the sky suddenly cleared and the stars shone brightly. The temperature dropped to 42°F. and all looked hopeless, but after such a long journey for the moth, we decided to try sallows. From a lone male sallow bush close to a beechwood we shook seventeen leucographa, surely a world record!? Mr. Coxey’s other quarry was D. rubiginea Schiff. and we went to Fleet, Hants., for it on 14th April, without luck except for one Orthosia miniosa Schiff. We went back the following night with great hopes as the temperature was 55°F. Within twenty minutes it began to rain and we had to retreat to Mr. Coxey’s car at intervals. Still we managed three rubiginea and Mr. Coxey patiently fed a male until June for eggs! Mr. Homer had a female which obliged us with five eggs, from these I reared one moth and he got two. The 16th April found us on the banks of the river Kennet searching for the larvae of Panaxia dominula L. We found quite a number, but they 96 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 76 15/IV/64 seemed local, very easy to bring about their extinction, I should think, if collectors fail to use restraint. One of the most pleasant evenings of the year was on 17th April when Mr. Homer and I accompanied Sir Robert and Lady Saundby and Mr. B. R. Baker on a leucographa hunt. A visit was made to the ‘Coxey’ sallow, but the entrance to the site was blocked by a car containing a courting couple. Our noisy arrival followed by the extraction of numerous white sheets from the car boots disturbed the amorous pair who decided to leave hastily, much to our delight. Sir Robert’s prize comment was, “They can do that anywhere but this is a local insect”. At the conclusion of operations the sorting of sheets for their rightful owners proved rather difficult and a voice from the fray remarked, “Whose is this marked ‘British Railways’?”. Our evening’s endeavours produced nine leucographa. Another larvae hunt was made on 20th April, this time Mr. B. R. Baker took Mr. Homer and myself to Burghfield Common for the larvae of Polia hepatica Clerck. on birch saplings. We searched for an hour with little success, but after finding a larva on a clean, thin stem which arose where a tree had been cut, I decided to stick to these and forget saplings whose catkins proved distracting. This made things easy as these single growths were much more backward with still quite small buds. The larvae showed up for yards in the light of an ordinary cycle lamp. We all got a nice number which subsequently hatched well. Yet another trip to the oak- woods near Twyford was made on 22nd April, this time with Polyploca ridens F. in view. We did get five even though the temperature dropped to 37°F. and two policemen were also attracted but did not settle! The next day at Medmenham produced another H. rostralis L. and the only female Lycia hirtaria Clerk I have ever seen at light. One Abraxas sylvata Scop. from local larvae hatched on 24th April, few came through all told. 25th April produced the first Odontosia carmelita Esp. for the year here so on 28th April Mr. Homer and I tried light under some birches in a large beechwood clearing not far from here. We got seven specimens by 10.0 p.m. when they appeared to stop flying. At home that night was another O. carmelita Esp., T. polycommata Schiff., Clostera curtula L. and Cucullia verbasci L. May began with a dreadful night. On 3rd May Messrs. Fairclough and Parfitt came up hoping to obtain Eupithecia insigniata Htibn., but it was such a cold night that we held a conference rather than collect. The next night saw Messrs. Baker, Homer and myself at Padworth, Berks, after Cleora cinctaria Schiff. I managed to get one worn male but little else was taken apart from one O. carmelita. The same evening saw the first Stauropus fagi L. of the year at Medmenham. The 7th May resulted in one Orthosia advena Schiff. and a very nice male melanic Menophra abruptaria Thunb. My brother and I made a long trip to Devon for Xylomyges conspicillaris L. on 10th May. It was nearly midday on 11th May before we began the ritual of searching railway posts and it took three hours to find two moths. A quick glance at a tree in a nearby copse resulted in one conspicillaris but this must have been luck as no other trees held moths of any species. That evening we returned with the generator. It was so cold that only three moths turned up by 11.30 p.m., one of which was conspicillaris! This made a grand total of four for the trip. It was 16th May before I could record another night as excellent. Among nine new species for the year was E. insigniata Hiibn. The banks of the Kennet were again visited on 19th May, this time a search being LOOKING BACK OVER 1963 97 made for the larvae of Plusia chryson Esp. Only two were found the whole afternoon, but a later visit to another locality with Mr. B. R. Baker produced more which duly hatched well. The first Cucullia lychnitis Ramb. from larvae obtained near Henley-on-Thames emerged on 24th May. About half a dozen came out and the rest chose to lie over another winter. A female E. insigniata Hubn. taken on 30th May laid eggs and 23 larvae later pupated having fed up easily on hawthorn. Mr. R. Fairclough beat a large amount of hawthorn for larvae of this species without success, so perhaps it does not feed on this bush in the wild state. The 5th June found me at Dungeness, but it was a rather colourless trip except for a journey to Orlestone Woods with Mr. R. E. Scott on 5th June. Thundery conditions prevailed and all was perfect. By 11.0 p.m. we had three specimens of Moma alpium Osbeck, and all came within 15 mins. of each other. Sugar yielded Tethea or Schiff. fairly commonly. We were back again the following night under less favourable conditions, the only thing of interest seen being Anagoga pulveraria L. Back at Medmenham on 9th June saw one of the best days I have known so far, with the temperature at 68°F. at 10.0 p.m. and 93 species taking advantage of the conditions. A sun temperature during the day in the upper 80’s F. produced 16 new species for the year. On 10th June Mr. Homer and I visited Pamber Forest where we took Apoda avellana L., Hadena contigua Schiff., and Apatele alni L. as a new species. At Woolhampton, Berks, on 13th June I managed to obtain two specimens of Leucania obsoleta Hubn. and one Leucania straminea Treits., the latter being quite common here later in the month. Another new species to me, Polia nitens Haw., appeared on 28th June. There was then little to report until 20th July when Messrs. Baker, Homer and myself went to Pamber Forest. Among 101 species were Parastichtis suspecta Hiibn., Nola strigula Schiff., Bupalus piniaria L. and Schrankia costaestrigalis Steph. as new ones to me. This turned out to be a very late night and it was 5.0 a.m. before we got home. Awaiting me was another new species, Xanthorhoe biriviata Borkh. with another the following night, both males. A couple of even better nights followed with my record of species for one night at Medmenham broken with 118 species on 22nd July. After reading and hearing so much about Southwold, we booked up for 27th July to 10th August and hoped the fortnight would give us a few nights without wind. Mr. Homer was there for the first of the two weeks and we ran three m.v. lights over this period and I ran two from our bungalow in Ferry Road for the second week. The second week was in fact the best of the two. Among the highlights of the holiday was a visit to Walberswick Marshes with the generator. Although rather breezy, some shelter was found on a path between tall reeds and here Nonagria neurica Hubn. proved fairly common. On 3rd August I joined Mr. and Mrs. F. H. Lyon and Mr. H. E. Chipperfield at Walberswick and we had a couple of wonderful hours on the edge of the marsh with hundreds of insects coming in, the best of which were Arenostola brevilinea Fenn, Arenostola fluxa Hutibn., Coenobia rufa Haw., Sterrha .emarginata L., P. suspecta Hubn. and N. neurica Hutibn. There were two A. brevilinea Fenn in the trap at Southwold that night. A hunt for pupae of N. neurica Hubn. proved pretty hard work but of course I was a little late in the season. It took an hour to find two pupae and both hatched before leaving Suffolk. Other moths of interest were Apamea oblonga Haw., fairly frequent over the fortnight, Hadena compta Schiff., one only, Arenostola 98 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 76 15/1V/64 elymi Treits., common at light, Zanclognatha cribrumalis Hiibn., a few worn specimens and Cucullia asteris Schiff., fairly common at light and very common as larvae in one area near Southwold. Sugar at Southwold was useless and marram grass was almost as unproductive. I found there were two natural baits that were extremely attractive to a fair number of species. One was honeydew on a small patch of phragmites, which was well attended every night by moths. An even better attractant, but to rather less species, were the heads of a small rush, not more than nine inches high, which grew commonly at Southwold. In places it was covered with moths on good nights, namely Leucania impura Hubn., but also Euxoa tritici L., Euxoa cursoria Hufn. and the occasional A. oblonga Haw. The rushes are on the opposite side of the road from the beach and are more sheltered than the marram grass, which may account partly for the differ- ences in numbers of insects at the two plants. Altogether it was a wonderful holiday for anyone interested in lepidoptera, especially those with a family. The beach is ideal for children and not overcrowded. I must admit I did not try the water as my feet rebelled too strongly for more tender parts to be immersed! After getting home again we were soon at Woolhampton where we saw Zenobia retusa L. and a single Oria musculosa Hubn. on 12th August. On this and the following night all three ‘Cosmias’ showed up at Medmenham. The rest of August was rather dull and it was 3rd September before another field trip was made, to Burghfield Common for larvae of Bomolocha fontis Thunb. About a dozen fell to the trays and on heather nearby, the larvae of Anarta myrtilli L. were quite common. The autumnal moths really began in force on 9th September with Anchoscelis litura L. and Tiliacea aurago Schiff., the latter being very common here this year. The 2lst September saw a successful hunt for Tiliacea citrago L., five specimens were obtained before 11.0 p.m., with one Cosmia affinis L. putting in a late appearance. This day saw another emergence, that of our second son, a typical specimen of F, generation from abnormal parents!! Two nights later was the only occasion I can remember seeing three species of ‘Snouts’ together. They included Hypena proboscidalis L., Schrankia taenialis Hiibn. and H. rostralis L. Pamber Forest was again visited on 7th October and we noted Anchoscelis helvola L., Asphalia diluta Schiff., Griposia aprilina L. and Episema caeruleocephala L. On the way home we spotted a moth high on a lampost, and after a scramble and the help of a net we had another E. caeruleocephala L. We then zig-zagged our way from lampost to lampost into Reading! The next trip of interest was with Mr. Homer to Swanage from 18th- 21st October. We stayed at a guest house where we received royal treatment and ran four m.v. lights on the cliffs between Swanage and Durleston. It was a wonderful four-day visit and we got everything we went for plus some bonus species. Among those of interest were Dasypolia templi Thunb., about sixty seen with thirty at one trap on the last night, Lithophane leautieri Boisd., eleven specimens, Lithophane ornitopus Hufn., one fresh specimen, Nycterosea obstipata, three males and two females, all fresh specimens, Rhodometra sacraria L., one fresh male on 19th October, Palpita unionalis Hiibn., two fresh males on 21st October. One R. sacraria L. came to light at Medmenham on 23rd October, so there must have been quite a number migrating around that time. The first L. semibrunnea Haw. appeared on 25th October and Ptilophora SCIENTIFIC NAMES 99 plumigera Schiff. on 5th November, a day earlier than last year. Before closing the year’s notes, mention had better be made of Trisateles emortualis Schiff. It was seen again this year and so is definitely resident. We have, however, learned little of its status or breeding habits. This is due mainly to the fact that we avoided overcollecting in the area in case it is extremely local and liable to extinction. So far all specimens, nine in all, have been taken within one hundred yards of each other and one task for 1964 is to try and find the insect in other localities. In conclusion may I defend the shocking summer by saying that the moths of 1963 kept me extremely busy and what we looked for we nearly always found. It was particularly satisfying to hunt larvae and find them and no matter what the weather is like, larvae still appear to feed and be found. The migrant hawks continue to pass me by but here is looking forward to 1964 and another fortnight at Southwold. 3 Lodge Farm Cottages, Medmenham, Marlow, Bucks. Scientific Names By Hans REISSER I have read with great interest the discussions about Latin or English names for the Lepidoptera. As a “continental” reader, may I be per- mitted to say that Latin names are indispensible. What shall I, as a foreigner, understand of the species treated when there is only a name like, for instance, Lulworth skipper? When I am interested, I am com- pelled to fall back on South, from which I see that it is Thymelicus actaeon. What should an English collector do on reading in a German paper names like “Hausmutter” or “Erdpfahl” only without the correct name Noctuu pronuba? Certainly, a pure collector, not interested in any literature, is not upset by the using of popular English names only, and without the authors’ names. But every lepidopterist who writes and intends to be understood by other (which include foreign) colleagues should be obliged to use scientific, i.e. Latin, names and also cite the author’s name. In synonyma it is important to know the author’s name for consulting the literature to see exactly which species is treated. Nobody should be forced to omit English names, but everybody should be so helpful to his colleagues as to use at least once in every species he treats, the Latin name and that of the author together with the English name. In many cases using South, I am angry that the vernacular name is set first, and it is rather difficult to discover the scientific name together with the complication that the Latin names used in England are different from those used in publications in other countries. It is to be hoped that one day names shall be the same in all countries based on exact priorities or the exceptions agreed by the commission of nomenclature. Excuse me for having spoken with frankness; I have no wish to offend my English colleagues, and of course, anyone may use the popular names, which are often very signficant in the different languages, but in order to enable easy understanding, we should always employ the Latin names, too. Wien I, Rathausstrasse 11, Austria. 100 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 76 15/IV/64 More about Latin Mr. Burton’s letter in the issue of October last was indeed welcome and so was the information vouchsafed in Mr. Jacobs’ opening paragraph on ‘Scientific names’. But do some of Mr. Jacobs’ statments stand up to analysis? I should like to know how he reconciles ‘names which are known and accepted throughout the world’ with the numerous alterations made in recent years. One need go no further than to compare the scientific names given by South in 1906 in his ‘Butterflies of the British Isles’ with those by Frohawk in 1934. Since when were these scientific names known throughout the world? Judging by an article by Commander Harper in the December issue, chaos is still the order of the day; however, let us get down to elementary facts. The Entomologists Record is printed in English for those people who are capable of reading and understanding English, and no one else, as it is utterly unintelligible to Chinese, Muscovites or Patagonians. To these latter and similar nationalities it might as well be printed in Sanscrit. The Record is intended primarily for readers in the British Isles, and I am prepared to gamble that ‘not so scientific’ readers outnumber the soi- distant scientific ones; I fully appreciate however that there are a large number of pukka scientists. There is no ‘vernacular name only’ class as far as I am aware; it is the ‘Latin name only’ class that is responsible for the paternity of this correspondence and the numerous offspring of supporters of Irvin and myself, neither of whom incidentally suggested popular names for the vast army of ‘Micros’. It is not without significance that the supplements on the ‘Lepidoptera of Kent’, which have been such a feature of the Record for many months, give the English as well as the Latin names of the respective insects. This defection from scientific standards will doubtless be frowned on by the cognoscenti, who ‘scorning the base degrees by which they did ascend’ gaze down from their Olympian heights at the rabble below. The diversity of opinions at present is as wide as the gap that separated the Rich Man from Lazarus; can we narrow it? L. G. F. WADDINGTON. 9 Greenleafe Avenue, Doncaster. Was Linnaeus a Bighead ? By S. N. A. JACOBS Some reply to Mr. Waddington’s note is required, and in the hope that it may close this correspondence, I put the following on record. The whole correspondence was brought into being by Mr. Irvin asking why vernacular names were printed before instead of after the scientific names: a very reasonable question, and one to be commended to the publishers of popular and semi-popular natural history books. The Record has Argentinian (if not Patagonian), Chinese and Muscovite readers, whom it is most pleased to welcome, and I can see no reason for making it unintelligible to these friends by talking of drinkers and lackeys WAS LINNAEUS A BIGHEAD? 101 and Mother Shiptons, fanciful as these names may seem to some of us. We have a long list of interested subscribers in other foreign lands, too, some of whom have written to me on this subject. I very strongly refute any suggestion of snobbery in the use of world- wide names in preference to those only known to a small community. It is true that the world-wide names are apt to change in the light of new discoveries, but they change in accordance with rules (albeit somewhat complicated rules) accepted throughout the world, and these changes are notified throughout the world by the medium of the entomological periodi- cals and other publications. Commander Harper’s perhaps not unjustified strictures were against the complicated nature of these rules, an entirely different matter. I am convinced that objection to scientific names is, I regret to say it, a mixture of mental laziness and a “with it’ objection to the classical languages on unreasoning principle. I am also shocked by the separation of Macro- and Micro-Lepidoptera. If vernacular names are necessary for the one they are necessary for the other, but I do not agree that they are necessary to either. What is the imaginary difference? I would suggest the slightly higher degree of care needed for handling the smaller subjects, and although there is something imaginary about this, it again comes down to some sort of laziness. By all means specialise in certain families but the “Micros” are not a separate order. For the matter of size, I have many “micros” exceeding two inches in expanse, and some even exceeding three inches, and if it were a matter of classification, the Cossidae, Zeuzeridae and Hepialidae, among which are some of the world’s largest moths (oh, sorry, goats, leopards and swifts) are all “micros” while Psychidae (bag- worms) are considered by some to be “macros.” There is nothing against using an intelligible vernacular name to a layman; in fact, it would be snobbish to mention the scientific name alone, but when talking to a gardener, a warehouseman, a miller, or some other person who, though not an entomologist, is constantly in touch with insects, the scientific name should be added so that he may be able to follow up the matter in the literature should he so wish. One of the most pleasing features of the naturalist world is the entire absence of snobbery from amongst its fellows, who are to be found in almost all social strata. The only passport required is a genuine interest in the subject, and a genuine interest would take the stile of international nomenclature in its stride. Throughout the centuries of our history, latin has been the basis of the lingua franca, and this became “dog latin” as it became necessary to use its natural flexibility in the manufacture of new words. On what better bank of names could Linnaeus have drawn than on the inexhaust- ible resources of Latin and Greek to form euphonious appellations which could be regarded as standard throughout the world. Did this make him a “bighead”? Do not forget that he was a Swede, not a native of this is island—and just think what it would have been like had he named his insects in Swedish only! Then, again, let us think of some of our best field naturalists, the artisan naturalists of the past century, who spent their week-ends “sleeping rough” on the moors, collecting and studying the insects which gave them so much healthy interest. During my few months in the early summer of 1914 as an engineer apprentice at the Erith (Kent) works of Vickers Ltd., I derived much pleasure from an old labourer, Known to all as “Toby” 102 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 76 15/IV/64 (I never knew his real name) from whom I learned a great deal of my early butterfly and moth lore, and I cannot recollect him using vernacular names on any occasion, although I very much doubt whether his schooling had lasted many years in the village school. In my 1914-18 army days, I met a few kindred spirits, who always discussed insects by their scientific names (with the possible exception of Pedicularis pubis). Even “Chums” and “The Boys’ Own Paper” gave us scientific names to lead us to the upper levels, and in those days the challenge of a little more effort caused practically all to follow this sensible lead. There is no scorn for the “base degrees from which they did ascend”, only for those who took the “primrose path” of vernacular names. The main object of the study by the greater number of non-professional entomologists is to have an interesting hobby which brings them in contact with the outdoor world and which gives them a mental stimulus. The scientific side is also important, and the amateurs contribute to this as well as the professionals, by providing material and data on which the professionals can work, but what good would this be if only Britishers could understand their writings. Mr. Parkinson-Curtis, who has figured in this correspondence, refers to the vernacular name for Melanotus vulgaris, the common cockchafer, in his letters to me, which in Dorset is known, irrespective of sex, as a buck buzzard. Hearing this appellation, a foreigner might well ask whether it was a mammal or a bird, but he could hardly suspect that it was indeed an insect. A Continental Holiday, 1963 By Dr. NEVILLE L. BIRKETT I left England complete with family and caravan on 8th August 1963 for my annual holidays. After a dismal summer in England the main objective was to seek sunshine and with this in view Venice was our goal. Many friends had eulogised the charms of this ancient city but we had been frequently warned also of the excessive heat and pungency of Venice in August. These prognostications were fortunately not ful- filled during the time we spent near Venice. We had a pleasant trip motoring across France via Reims, then across the Jura to cross into Switzerland at Vallorbe. Then a wonderful stretch of motoring, with superb views, past Lake Leman to reach Martigny in the Rhone valley at tea-time on the 11th. Here we found an excellent site for the caravan and stayed about five nights. The superb weather of the 11th was too good to last so that by the evening there started a series of thunderstorms and torrential rains which were to last for over twenty-four hours. In consequence the “Glorious Twelfth” was most inglorious and was spent in idleness watching the rain descend and the only entomology was another look through Wheeler’s excellent little book on the Butterflies of Switzer- land dreaming day dreams of what treasures would be in store if the weather would clear. ) On 13th August, perhaps in answer to the prayers of the many holiday-makers, the day broke gloriously sunny and we set out early from Martigny ascending the Col de la Forclaz—which is the road leading to Chamonix. Most of the Swiss side of the Col is a magnificent new A CONTINENTAL HOLIDAY, 1963 103 road but there is a steep and rough middle section which, however, will soon be altered by the new construction actively in progress. The top of the Forclaz provides magnificent scenery and having taken this in and taken some photographs we then ascended by the Télésiége de l’Arpille to the top of that mountain—about 6,400 ft. Apart from the even more magnificent views, especially looking up the whole length of the upper Rhone Valley, there is an extensive summit plateau which provided interesting and good collecting. I noted the following species in the course of a morning collecting here :— Erebia tyndarus carmenta Frhst. Very common and in excellent condition all over the summit of Arpille. Erebia melampus tigranes Frhst. Common. The males getting worn but many of the females in good condition. Erebia montanus de P. Common but passé. Erebia euryale f. isarica Heyne. Fairly common and the female under- sides were very fine. Erebia ligea L. A few specimens were noted flying among the pine trees on the summit plateau but the species was much more common when I walked down from the summit to Forclaz through the pine woods later. Erebia epiphron Knock. I took only a single female of this species in this area. Colias palaeno L. Two fine males taken and others seen. Species of this genus are not the easiest to net! Lasiommata maera L. A few seen and taken. This was more commonly seen during the descent through the woods than on the summit. Melitaea diamina hebe Borkh. (dictynna Esp.). Frequent. Fabriciana niobe L. Many seen but few taken due to their rapid flight. Boloria pales Schiff. Frequent—very few females seen. Vacciniina optilite Knock. Two quite fresh males taken but I saw no signs of the females. Other more common species seen were:—Pieris rapae L., Papilio machaon L., Vanessa cardui L., Aglais urticae L. and a few common “skippers”. In the early afternoon I walked down through the aromatic pinewoods and had a picnic lunch before setting out along the Val du Trient towards the Trient glacier. As so commonly happens in alpine regions the clouds began to gather and butterfly activity diminished in consequence. In fact by the time we got within a mile of the glacier there was so much cloud that we did not continue the excursion on to the glacier itself. However a number of interesting species was taken on this walk but in smaller numbers than would have been the case had the sun continued with its morning brilliance. Fabriciana niobe niobe L. and f. eris Meig. were taken in small numbers. Mesoacidalia charlotta Haw. (aglaia L.). Common. (And perhaps I should, in utilising this name, apologise to various writers who dislike the change from the more familiar ‘aglaia’!). Argynnis amathusia Esp. Two good ones taken and numerous other worn examples seen. Heodes virgaureae f. zermattensis Fallou. Fairly common and in good condition. Lasiommata maera L. Frequent. 104 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 76 15/1V/64 Erebia ligea L., E. montanus de P., and E. euryale Esp. were all quite common. Erebia manto mantoides Esp. Quite common and well marked. Erebia melampus tigranes Frhst. A single fine female taken. I also took a few each of Mellicta athalia celadussa Frhst. and Melitaea diamina hebe Borkh. 14th August was another sunny morning and we set off in good time for the summit of the Grand St. Bernard Pass, 8,100 ft. En route I passed many likely-looking collecting grounds which lack of time pre- vented my exploring. Considerable time was also lost on the journey by traffic congestion caused by vast construction works in operation near the summit. The summit was rather disappointing being very bleak and windy, the wind being very cold at this rather high altitude. Few butter- flies were in evidence and I took only a single fresh male Boloria pales Schiff. seeing a few others as well as having a distant view of an Erebia! While I was failing to find butterflies my family visited the museum at the Hospice on the summit. My wife drew my attention to a collection of insects exhibited in the museum which I duly inspected. The collection was the relics of one formed by the well-Known Ch. Favre who did so much to elucidate the lepidopterous fauna of the Valais. The lepidoptera were in a poor state and the coleoptera little better. The whole lot were in store boxes covered with dusty cellophane and exhibited in a rather dark set of glass-fronted cupboards. As usual the afternoon was very cloudy and no further collecting could be attempted. On 15th August we struck camp and moved up the valley to Brig finding a well-run site at the foot of the Simplon Pass. That afternoon, in spite of the inevitable cloud, I went to the top of the Simplon Pass (6,600 ft.) there finding the inevitable crowd of tourists but little signs of butterflies. In fact I found only a single Erebia tyndarus Esp. How- ever by way of compensation sitting about on the low vegetation was a great mass of Zygaena exulans Hoch. and I was able to take a short series of these in a few minutes. Returning towards Brig the sun began to shine again and I made a short halt just below Berisal. Here I took Erebia montanus de P., E. alberganus Esp. and Heodes virgaureae montana M-D. The latter was a fine female abundantly distinct from the f. zermattensis Fallou which Wheeler indicates to be the form found on the northern side of the Simplon. In glorious sunshine we set off on the 16th for Zermatt deciding before- hand that we should not let any water pass our lips even though having the protection of suitable inoculation. We motored to Stalden and then took train up the fantastic Nikolaital to Zermatt. While waiting for the train at Stalden I saw the only Euvanessa antiopa L. of the whole trip but by the time my net was operational le “Morio”’, as our French confréres term it, had disappeared. Having taken many photographs ascending the Nikolaital and also in Zermatt itself I turned my attention to the butter- flies which were plentiful in the fields beyond the town. Here in two hours I filled my boxes, a large cyanide bottle as well and developed a wonderful thirst! The following species were seen and/or taken :— Parnassius apollo L. Only two females taken but many others seen. These females are heavily dusted with dark grey and no doubt have a varietal name. Unfortunately this species is beset with a plethora A CONTINENTAL HOLIDAY, 1963 105 of named forms and I do not pretend to understand its many geographical races, etc. Heodes virgaureae f. zermattensis Fallou. Both sexes abundant and I took a good series. Hyponephele lycaon Rott. This also was common. The males were for the most part worn to shreds but the females were fine and varied. Aporia crataegi L. One only taken. I may well have seen others and not recognised them on the wing. The area I was working was rather difficult ground for running after fast flyers. Argynnis niobe niobe L. Frequent but rather difficult to contact. Mesoacidalia charlotta Haw. (aglaia L.). Common. Lysandra coridon Poda. Abundant. There appeared to be two over- lapping broods as far as concerns the males. Many were quite fresh with well-marked spotting on the undersides. Others equally numerous, were decidedly passé and had generally weaker under- side spotting. It is possible there may be two species here which I have failed to recognise. The few females I took were fresh and with strong spotting. Palaeochrysophanus hippothoé L. Two males only taken. The specimens were fresh and I did not see any other specimens. Agrodiaetus damon Schiff. I took a single worn male only. Aricia glandon de P. I took a single male only of this species. Lycaenides idas var. aegidion Meissner. I took a fine male of this form. There seems to be some confusion in the nomenclature of this form. Wheeler describes aegidion for argyrognomen Bergst. (which is now idas L.) while Verity in Le Farfalle Diurne D’Italia, Vol. 2, gives aegidion as a variety of argus L. (aegon Schiff.). My putative aegidion from Zermatt definitely has got a spine on the tip of the anterior tibia. Thus it is definitely a form of idas. Lysandra escheri Hubn. Frequent. Aricia agestis Schiff. and Hesperia comma L. were both frequent at Zermatt. Polyommatus eros Ochs. A single male only taken. Pyrgus carlinae Ramb. A few. Pyrgus ‘alveus’ s.l. A number taken. I have examined the genitaliea of these and seem to have (1) accreta Verty., (2) alveus Hubn., and (3) sifanicus Gr.-Gr. However I have little experience of this group and confirmation of these tentative diagnoses will have to be sought. So ended my day at Zermatt—a wonderfully exhilarating place with many butterflies to be obtained amidst most magnificent scenery. 17th August dawned very cloudy and rain soon followed. We set forth from Brig to cross the Simplon Pass into ‘sunny’ Italy. Hopes of collecting at the summit were literally drowned in the great downpour which continued throughout our journey as far as Bergamo. We there found a rather primitive site for the caravan just outside the town and thought little of the weather we had come so far to enjoy! After an entertaining meal at a somewhat plebeian restaurant in Bergamo we were glad to get to bed and forget the weather. Fortunately the morning of the 18th was bright and sunny and a few Graphium podalirius flying about the camp site cheered up at least the entomologist of the party. As the weather in the hills looked unsettled from our vantage point in ‘the Plain of Lombardy we decided to proceed to Venice. After a satis- 106 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 76 15/IV/64 factory run on the fine autostrada, stopping once to buy a box of peaches at just over one penny each, we reached the Venice area in the early afternoon. We went north a little from Venice and pitched our caravan some fifty yards from the Adriatic on the fine and superbly appointed German site at Cavallino. Here we stayed for eight nights and had superb weather for most of the time. During the time we spent in this area I did a considerable amount of collecting in the rough fields near the caravan site and on some rough ground a few miles away. The site, incidentally, was among many poplar trees and at night the lights attracted multitudes of Leucoma salicis L. which were also seen frequently by day sitting about on the buildings and poplar trunks. This in spite of twice- weekly spraying of the trees with some anti-pest substance, possibly D.D.T. The following species were seen or taken near Cavallino between 19th and 25th August :— Graphium podalirius L. Many seen and a few taken. The species was common flying about the sun-bathers on the beach. Specimens are fine and large with relatively pale ground colour. Pontia daplidice L. Many seen and a few taken. Most of the specimens were more or less worn and very few were worth taking. Vanessa cardui L. A few seen. A large and well-coloured form. Colias croceus Foure. Generally common. Two females agree with the description of the f. suffusa Tutt with considerable suffusion of dark scaling at the base of the forewings. Var. helice Hubn. was also present and frequent. Pieris rapae L. Common. Coenonympha pamphilus L. This species was plentiful and interesting. The form taken appears to be referable to f. ferrea Verty. It is large with well-marked marginal suffusion. One or two specimens have the double apical spots on the forewing—ab. bipupillata Cosmovici. The under surface of the hindwings in one specimen shows com- plete absence of the whitish central suffusion normally present. The submarginal discal series of dots is indicated by small brightly metallic dots as described for ab. marginata Ruhl. I only took a small series not at the time realising the great interest and variety exhibited in this area. Syntarucus pyrithous L. (telicanus Hubn.). I took a single specimen only of this interesting blue. I have read somewhere that it is a difficult species to see when on the wing so perhaps my failure to take more is accounted for by this fact. Plebeius icarus Rott. Common in the rough fields and not showing any particularly interesting features. Lysandra bellargus Rott. Abundant. All the specimens fine and large with magnificently marked undersides referable to ab. magnolutea Verty. Everes argiades Pallas. Common. In general the specimens seem rather small, especially compared with a short series I have taken last year in the Landes area of France. Perhaps the Landes specimens are true argiades and those from Cavallino are polysperchon Bergstr. Plebeius argus L. (aegon Schiff.). Common about the fields and not show- ing any strong racial characteristics. (To be Continued) ‘ FORMICA SANGUINEA LATREILLE IN SOUTHERN ENGLAND 107 Formica sanguinea Latreille (Hym. Formicidae) in Southern England By K. E. J. BARRETT Introduction The habits of this robust and interesting ant have been reviewed in detail by Donisthorpe (1927). During the summer months raids are made by sanguinea workers on nests of the Formica fusca group, from which Km. N. xe Econo X 4x" 5 x" ey x x Xx he Bs | ee xs She x ets eae ® Pest-1950 record Re x XX re} @ x* 800g og & ow: é a ie © Pre-|950 recora supported xX, : S eo by specimens x XXX x 100 c < Rais © Pre-|950 record xx ae: X Z he “ax xX oe Rx x XX x 600 3x x a x —< s x x x x x x ers x ‘ * x x 500 3 “< os oe XQ “y Vg 4 x x 4.00 Xe x x a . MM x co x x KKXXX xR x - xm 1 S00 x ° “x x (2) x* x* a RRR e x x 200 Rh x 8 va XxX Ono» ood O ©, “R00 x pagan eas a oes xx x x 100 : es @age ah 2x xX xX Rx es x x XxX xx™ 190 200 300 DO: SOQ) wi, 600): 2 f0O Kin. Es Figure 1. Distribution of Formica sanguinea Latr. in Britain. ‘(Based upon the Ordnance Survey map with the sanction of the Controller of H.M. Stationery Office. Crown copyright reserved.) 108 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 76 15/1V/64 worker cocoons are carried back to the raiders’ nest and which hatch out there to become auxiliary workers or “slaves”. In Southern England and the Midlands Formica fusca L. is enslaved; in Scotland the more abundant Formica lemani Bond., a species not recognised by Donisthorpe, is taken. In Continental Europe, other species of the Formica fusca group, in- cluding F. cunicularia Latr. and F. rufibarbis Fab. are also enslaved. These species, however, are much less abundant in this country and no recent authentic record of their occurrence here as sanguinea slaves has been reported. Workers of the Formica rufa group ofi species have also been found in sanguinea nests in Continental Europe. Such occurrences have been described in Scotland (Donisthorpe, 1927; Weatherill, 1939) and these probably refer to the northern species, F. lugubris Zett. Surprisingly no such observations appear to have been recorded yet from the Midlands and Southern Engiand where F. rufa L. often abounds in the same vicinity as F. sanguinea. Descriptions of “slave-raids’ were assembled by Donisthorpe (1927), but few observations have been published in recent years. On a hot day in July 1963, in the early afternoon at Lichett Plain, N. Hants., several raids were in progress. One in particular was observed for over an hour. At first, a few sanguinea workers were seen in and about the entrances of a fusca nest situated in sandy soil surrounding the roots of an upturned tree. After about fifteen minutes, a sudden evacuation of the fusca workers carrying cocoons occurred and these were seldom molested by the sanguinea workers, who then systematically began to carry worker cocoons from inside the nest back to their own nest situated about forty yards away. One supposed mode of sanguinea colony foundation is by the capture and rearing of fusca pupae by the sanguinea female after the marriage flight. A number of incipient colonies have been described in support of this theory (Donisthorpe, 1927). Such colonies containing uniformly small and active sanguinea workers with an unusually large proportion of fusca workers have been seen by the author, at Yateley Common, N. Hants, 1961, and at Lavington Common, W. Sussex, 1968. General Distribution Formica sanguinea Latr. occurs widely throughout Europe. In Brita:n it has a discontinuous distribution resembling that of Formica exsecta Nyl. (Yarrow, 1954). F. sanguinea is known in Britain from the Scottish High- lands, the Wyre Forest, the Forest of Dean and the sandy heaths of Southern England. It does not occur in Ireland. No structural difference has been detected between specimens from the different areas in Britain in which it occurs. This species, in all its castes, is readily distinguishable from the other members of its genus by the frontal emargination of the clypeus. The known British records have been assembled in Table I and Table 2. For species with a localised occurrence it is convenient to replace the vice-county system with a distribution plan based on the 10 kilometre squares of the Ordnance Survey which has previously been used for the British Flora (Perring and Walters, 1962). In Table 1, records for Southern England have been assembled, together with the geological formations on which they occur. Where the position of a record can be accurately assigned, the 1 kilometre square (within the 10 kilometre square) is given in parenthesis. In Table 2, records for the rest of Britain are listed but ‘ FORMICA SANGUINEA LATREILLE IN SOUTHERN ENGLAND 109 are not further discussed. The overall British distribution is illustrated in Figure 1. The author (K.E.J.B.) would like to acknowledge the assistance of the following who have given details of their own recent unpublished records or helped in other ways:—Mr. S. C. S. Brown (S.C.S.B), Dr. V. H. Chambers, Mr. D. Chapman, Mr. C. A. Collingwood (C.A.C.), Mr. J. C. Felton (J.C.F.), Dr. G. Morison (G.M.), Mr. A. J. Pontin (A.J.P.), Mr. M. Spercht GOMS.), and Dr. I. H- H. Yarrow (1.H.H.Y.). 1) \ 0) A os m. E. | 600 ed © Post -1950 record x Other record 500 Figure 2. Distribution of Formica sanguinea Latr. in southern England. -(Based upon the Ordnance Survey map with the sanction of the controller of H.M. Stationery Office. Crown copyright reserved.) 110 10 Km. Square SZ SZ SZ SU SU SU SU SU SU SU SU SU SU SU 09 19 29 00 10 20 21 30 66 72 73 75 76 82 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 76 15/1V/64 Geology Bagshot Bagshot Bagshot Bagshot Bagshot Bagshot Bagshot Bagshot Bagshot Lower Greensand Upper Greensand Lower Greensand Bagshot Bagshot Lower Greensand TABLE 1 Distribution of Formica sanguinea Latr. in Southern England. Localities Parley Heath (Donisthorpe, 1927); Parley Common (99), Dorset, C.A.C., 1962. East Parley Common (09), C.A.C., 1962; West Heath (19), S.C.S.B., 1955 Hurn Heath (Brown 1958); Pussex Common (28), S.C.S.B., 1955; Avon Common (28), K.E.J.B., 1963; Week Common (29), S.C.S.B., 1955; Bransgore (98), S. Hants., ILH.H.Y., 1955. Broadley Inclosure (59), S. Hants., A.J.P., 1959. Ferndown (90), Dorset, S.C.S.B., 1955. St. Leonards (03), Barnsfield Heath (10), C.A.C., 1962; Matcham’s (21), Week Wood (30), S.C.S.B., 1955; Ashley (34), S. Hants., K.E.J.B., 1963. “New Forest’, 1858, 1908 (Donisthorpe, 1927); Burley (13), I.H.H.Y., 1955; Oakley Inclosure (25), S.C.S.B., 1962; Mark Ash (47), S.C.S.B., 1954; Bolder Wood (4%), S.C.S.B., 1953, A.J.P., 1959; Rhinefield (53), Vinney Ridge Inclosure (65), A.J.P., 1959; Holidays Hill (67), K.E.J.B., 1957; Emery Down (88), M.S., 1962; Lyndhurst, S. Hants., 1908 (Donisthorpe, Brit. Mus. Nat. Hist. Collection). Milkam Inclosure (00), S. Hants., K.E.J.B., 1963; Redlynch (28), C.A.C. 1961; Hampt- worth Heath (47), S. Wilts. (Collingwood 1962); Manor Wood (70), S. Hants. (Brang- ham, 1937). Brockenhurst, I.H.H.Y., 1955; Beaulieu Road (46), S. Hants., (Brangham, 1937). Tadley Common (02), A.J.P., 1950; Pamber Heath (11), Padworth (14), I.H.H.Y., 1955; Mortimer (Donisthorpe, 1927), (34, 45), A.J.P., 1959; Burghfield, 1906 (Donisthorpe, 1927); Burghfield Common (56), Berks. KES. Be 19o8. 1953, LB eY 1955: West Heath Common (82), W. Sussex, K.E.J.B., 1963. Selbourne (43), N. Hants., ca. 1880 (Donis- thorpe; 1927). Blackmoor (83), N. Hants., K.E.J.B., 1963. Eversley Common (89), N. Hants., K.E.J.B., 1963. Eversley (80), N. Hants., K.E.J.B., 1963. Iping Common (51), W. Sussex, K.E.J.B., 1963. SU SU SU SU SU SU SU SU SU TQ TQ TQ TQ TQ TQ 83 84 85 86 91 93 94 95 96 04 05 06 14 16 20 ‘ FORMICA SANGUINEA LATREILLE IN SOUTHERN ENGLAND Gk Lower Greensand Bagshot Lower Greensand Bagshot Bagshot Lower Greensand Lower Greensand Lower Greensand Bagshot Bagshot Lower Greensand Bagshot Bagshot Lower Greensand Bagshot Oldhaven Hindhead (85), (Donisthorpe, 1927); Kettle- bury Hill (89), Surrey, K.E.J.B., 1963. Farnham (29), Surrey, C.A.C., 1962. Frensham Common (51), Tilford Common (72), Surrey, K.E.J.B., 1963. Fleet (03), (Donisthorpe, 1927); Lichett Plain (06), Minley Wood (16), K.E.J.B., 1963; Yateley Common (29), K.E.J.B., 1961; Cove (55), 1643, Hawley (58), 1858, Blackwater (59), 1871 (Donisthorpe, 1927), N. Hants.; Mytchett (85) (Annotation in Brit. Mus. Nat. Hist. Copy of Donisthorpe, 1927); Frimley (98), Surrey, K.E.J.B., 1962. “Windsor Forest” (Donisthorpe, 1933); Fin- champstead Ridges (03), IH.H.Y., 1955; Wellington College (33), 1895, 1916, (Donis- thorpe, 1927); Crowthorne (43), 1895, (Donisthorpe, 1927), (Steel 1946); Ninemile Ride (56), Easthampstead Wood (56), Caesar’s Camp (66), Penny Hill (95), Berks., K.E.J.B., 1962. Ambersham Common (19), Lavington Com- mon (48), W. Sussex, K.E.J.B., 1963. Thursley (09), Surrey, K.E.J.B., 1963. Rodborough Hill (21), Surrey, K.E.J.B., 1963. Frith Hill (08), Surrey, K.E.J.B., 1962. White Hill (10), K.E.J.B., 1962; Chobham, 1880, (Donisthorpe, 1927); Chobham Com- mon (54, 65, 66), Longcross Halt (86), Surrey (Barrett, 1963). Blackheath (Donisthorpe, 1927), (35), K.E.J.B., 1962; Farley Heath (54), K.E.J.B., 1962; Ewhurst (81), (Donisthorpe, 1927); Peaslake (84), Surrey, 1938 (K. M. Guichara, Brit. Mus. Nat. Hist. Collection). Woking, 1896, 1923, (Donisthorpe, 1927; Leicester City Museum Collection, Colling- wood, 1957); Wisley Common (79), K.E.J.B.., 1963; Ockham Common (88), Surrey, Kon. 1962. Horsell Common (00), K.EJ.B., 1962; Byfleet (60), (Donisthorpe, 1927); Weybridge Heath (73), Surrey, 1855, 1915, (Donisthorpe, 1927; Leicester City Museum Collection, Collingwood, 1957), C.A.C., 1953. Holmbury Hill (03), J.C.F., 1953; Leith Hill (33), Surrey, (Donisthorpe, 1927). Oxshott Heath (31), Esher Common (32), Surrey, A.J.P., 1963. Hove (85), E. Sussex, 1905, Donisthorpe, 1927). 112 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 76 15/IV/64 TQ 28 Bagshot Hampstead Heath (56), Middlesex, ca. 1880, now extinct (Donisthorpe, 1946). TQ 36 Oldhaven Croydon (34), 1865 (Donisthorpe, 1927); Shirley (55), Surrey, 1877, 1882 (Donis- thorpe, 1927; undated specimens in Brit. Mus. Nat. Hist. Collection). TQ 43 Hastings Ashurstwood (26), E. Sussex, 1913 (Leicester City Museum Collection, Collingwood 1957). TQ 45 LowerGreensand Westerham (43), Brasted (74), W. Kent, (Donisthorpe, 1927). TQ 78 Bagshot Thundersley (97), S. Essex, (Donisthorpe, 1927). TQ 81 Hastings Guestling Wood (53), E. Sussex, (Donis- thorpe, 1927). SP 92 LowerGreensand Heath and Reach (Donisthorpe, 1927); Baker’s Wood (18), Bedfordshire, 1945, (Chambers, 1949), K.E.J.B., 1963. TABLE 2 Distribution of Formica sanguinea Latr. in the rest of Britain 10 Km. Localities Square ST 76 Monkton Combe,* N. Somerset (Annotation in Brit. Mus. Nat. Hist. Copy of Donisthorpe, 1927). SO 50 Trelleck, Monmouth (Hallett, 1931; Specimens in Nat. Mus. Wales, Cardiff, Hailett, 1939). SO vol Speechhouse—Coleford Road, Forest of Dean, W. Gloucester, (Collingwood, 1950). SO 69 Much Wenlock*, Shropshire (Donisthorpe, 1927). SO 177 Bewdley, Worcestershire, 1909, (Donisthorpe, 1927); Wyre Forest, Worcestershire-Shropshire (Donisthorpe, 1927, Collinz- wood, 1955). SD 47 Grange-over-Sands,* Westmorland (Donisthorpe, 1927). Not seen in recent survey (Collingwood and Satchell, 1956). NN 65 #£=Rannoch, Mid-Perth, 1913 (Donisthorpe, 1927). Specimens in Leicester City Museum (Collingwood, 1957). NO 59 ~~ —Kincardine O’Neil (Collingwood, 1961); Marywell, S. Aberdeen, (G.M., 1963). NO 69 __'sCOBrridge of Canny, Kincardine (C.A.C., 1963). NE 12 Glen Affric, Westerness (Weatherhill, 1939). NH 53 ~~=Loch Ness, Easterness (Collingwood, 1961). NH 80 Loch an Eilein, Easterness (C.A.C., 1961). NH 90 #£Loch Morlich, Easterness (C.A.C., 1961). NH 91 “Aviemore and Nethy Bridge’, 1907 (Donisthorpe, 1927); Coylumbridge, Loch Garten, Abernethy Forest, Easterness (C.A.C., 1961). NH 92 + Carrbridge, Easterness (Collingwood, 1961). *These records are unsupported by specimens and must be regarded as doubtful until confirmed. Distribution in Southern England In Southern England this ant occurs exclusively, but abundantly, on FORMICA SANGUINEA LATREILLE IN SOUTHERN ENGLAND 113 heaths and woodland borders based on sands and gravels. It is now largely confined to the sandy deposits of East Berkshire, Surrey, North Hants., West Sussex and the New Forest. Although still abundant in many areas, many sites have now been, and are being, extinguished by the extensive building operations of the last decade. The detailed distribution is illus- trated in Figure 2. The species has been recorded from the following geological formations. 1. Oldhaven, Blackheath, Woolwich, Reading and Thanet Beds. (Eocene). Although apparently abundant on the heaths of Croydon and Shirley in Surrey in the nineteenth century, the area is now largely built over and is probably extinct there. (It could not be found this past season in the Addington Hills area nor on Headley Heath in Surrey on this formation.) Similarly, an early record from Hove, E. Sussex, is unlikely to be substantiated now. These gravel beds (Figure 2) extend widely from Dorset to Sussex and to the north and south of the Thames Valley, but no recent records are known from these areas. 2. Lower Greensand. (Cretaceous). This ant occurs widely on the western lower greensand areas of Surrey, Hampshire and West Sussex, particularly on heather-covered hillsides facing south (Figure 2). The very old record for Selbourne, North Hants., which is situated on the upper greensand-chalk border, if authentic, is unlikely to refer to a nest-site, but could possibly refer to the presence of an air-borne winged sexual from sites on the near-by lower greensand a few miles to the east on which it is now known to occur (Blackmoor). It is not known to occur with certainty to the east of the Leith Hill area of Surrey, nor to the east of the Petworth area of West Sussex. The records for Westerham and Brasted, West Kent, quoted by Donisthorpe (1927) are unsupported by specimens and could not be confirmed this year in that area. Although it would not be surprising for the species to be found on the sands from Reigate to Folkestone or from Petworth to Eastbourne, suitable heathlands are not as abundant as in the eastern areas and have not so far been found. A further belt of lower greensand spreads from Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire, northwards to Hunstanton, Norfolk. Its presence in the Leighton Buzzard area was confirmed in 1945 by Dr. V. H. Chambers (1949). A few colonies were still present this year at the site described in a very small area of heather on an otherwise bracken-covered hill- side. It is not now known elsewhere in this area or further north. 3. Barton, Bracklesham and Bagshot Beds. (Eocene). The species occurs widely on heaths and woodland borders on this formation (Figure 2). It abounds around Bagshot and around Mortimer, although extensive building in these areas has reduced the number of sites on which it now occurs. It has not been recorded from the smaller areas of sand to the west, near Newbury. Smaller outcrops of sand occur in the London Clay towards the east. The species apparently formerly occurred at Hampstead Heath (Donisthorpe, 1946) and has been recorded from Thundersley in Essex (Donisthorpe, 1927), but no supporting specimens are known. The latter site is now largely built over and A. J. Pontin (private communication, 1963) has not found it in the South Benfleet-Thundersley-Hockley area. The species has been found throughout the New Forest and is particu- 114 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 76 15/1V/64 larly abundant in the Parley Heath area on the South Hants-Dorset border. S. C. S. Brown (private communication, 1963) has pointed out that Dale and Curtis, who collected extensively in the Parley Heath area in the early nineteenth century, did not record it and believes that the westward extension from the New Forest has occurred over the last one hundred years. This view is supported by the absence of records from sandy heaths further west into Dorset towards Dorchester, where much collecting has gone on. The species has not been found on the Bagshot sands to the east of the New Forest, nor does it occur on the Isle of Wight. 4. Hastings Beds. (Cretaceous). This ant was recorded by Donisthorpe (1927) from Guestling Wood, E. Sussex, on this formation. It could not be confirmed when this site was visited during 1963. The habitat, mixed woodland (mainly oak) on a heavy soil, would seem unlikely. Formica rufa L., however, occurred abundantly there. Specimens of sanguinea from Ashurstwood, E. Sussex, are included in a collection of British Ants (1908-1914) pre- sented by Donisthorpe to the Leicester City Museum (Collingwood, 1957) and this locality, which was omitted from Donisthorpe’s distribu- tion list (1927) may have been confused with Guestling Wood. The heather-covered areas of the Ashdown Forest are much more likely but recent confirmation of its presence here has not so far been obtained. REFERENCES Barrett, K. E. J., 1963. Ants from the Chobham Common Area of Surrey. Ent. Rec., 75 = 29-30. Brangham, A. N., 1937. Formicidae of the New Forest. J. Soc. Brit. Ent., 1: 175-176. Brown, S. C. S., 1958. Five species of Ants inhabiting the same nest. Ent. mon. Mag., 95: 5 Chambers, V. H., 1949. The Hymenoptera Aculeata of Bedfordshire. Trans. Soc. Brit. Ent., 9: 197-252. Collingwood, C. A., 1950. Formica sanguinea in the Forest of Dean. Ent. Rec., 62: 91. —, 1955. Ants in the South Midlands. Ent. Gaz., G: 143-149. —, 1957. A Collection of Ants in the Leicester City Museum. EF£nt. Rec., 69: 1-8. ——, 1961. Ants in the Scottish Highlands. Scot. Nat., 70: 12-21. 1962. New Records for British Ants, 1961-1962. Ent. Rec., 74: 234-236. Collingwood, Cc. A. and Satchell, J. E., 1956. The Ants of the South Lake District. J. Soc. Brit. Ent., 5: 159-164. Donisthorpe, H. St. J. K., 1927. British Ants, 2nd Edn., London. , 1933. Additional Records of Ants and Myrmecophiles in Britain. £nt. Rec., 45: 132-136. , 1946. Slavery in Ants. Discovery, 154-155. Hallett, H. M., 19314. Myrmecophilous Notes from Monmouthshire. Ent. Rec., 43 : 125-126. , 1939. Guide to the Collection of British Aculeate Hymenoptera, Cardiff. Perring, F. H. and Walters, S. M. (Ed.), 1962. Atlas of the British Flora, London. Weatherill, L. H., 1939. Ants in the North of Scotland. Ent. Rec., 51: 5-6 Yarrow, I. H. H., 1954. Formica exsecta Nylander in the British Isles. Ent. mon. Mag., 90: 183-185. 429 Smith’s Lane, Windsor, Berks. 20th October 1963. ‘ THE DUSKY SALLOW IN WILTSHIRE 115 Eremobia ochroleuca (Schiff.), the Dusky Sallow, in Wiltshire—a Further Report By Captain R. A. JACKSON, C.B.E. As a result of reports in the late summer of 1962, it appeared possible that this insect was on the increase in the county. To gain information on this subject, I appealed to collectors who had come across it in Wiltshire to let me know of their experiences (Ent. Rec., 75: 122-3), and I received a good many replies. May I take this opportunity for thanking your readers although I hope they all received an acknow- ledgment at the time. Of these reports, only one referred to 1962, when 18 ochroleuca were recorded as coming to mercury vapour light near Salisbury on 18th August. This taken in conjunction with Commander Harper’s report of “many” on 30th August on the Devizes road, west of Tilshead, confirms that the insect was far commoner in 1962 than hitherto. ‘Che other replies, of equal value, dealt with cases of either one or two specimens observed prior to that year, which support the conclusions reached abcve. In 1963 the weather on the Plain was most unpropitious, and I saw no ochroleuca on knapweed at all. O. musculosa was late in appearing, and I found it freshly emerged about two miles west of Tilshead on 14th August. Mr. Weddell was with me that night and one very fresh ochroleuca came to his lamp. He told me that he had taken one a few days earlier to the east of Tilshead, and that two other collectors had taken three a day or two later. As last year, I should be very grateful for any further records. How- ever, in view of the ccld clear nights we had, and the chilly winds, these captures seem to indicate that this insect is definitely on the increase in the county. Middle Farm, Codford St. Mary, Warminster, Wilts. Idaea lineata Scop. (the Black Veined Moth) By CLIFFORD CRAUFURD My friend Mr. Curtis of ‘Loxwood’, Sussex, when writing to me on 9th February informed me that some members of the South London Ent. & N.H.S. were not convinced that the above insect occurred in West Sussex. They contended that there were no records from Sussex. This is probably my fault as I did not put upon record my finding of the insect. On 9th June, 1935, I was staying in Plaistow and on the Sunday evening went for a walk over a farm with a friend. Passing through some fields near the old Coach Road, I saw a white moth flying ahead and caught it by putting my cap over it, having no net. I recognised it at once from the plate in South. I also saw several more. Next evening I again visited the same fields and found the moth was flying in good numbers. On 10th June, 1938, I visited the locality in the evening and there were large numbers flying. I should say that I saw at least a hundred. Mr. Curtis generally accompanied me when I was visiting the farm in question in the years 1935 to 1938 and can testify that we regarded lineata ‘as a common, though local moth as far as we were concerned. 116 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 76 | 15/1V/64 The specimens in my cabinet—fifteen in all—are dated 9th and 10th June, 1935, and 10th June, 1938. I did not visit Plaistow in 1939, 1940 or 1941. The fields where the insects flew were at those times yellow with Genista tinctoria in bloom. I do not remember seeing the insect flying where the Genista did not cccur. Allan’s Larval Food Plants gives Genista, with a note of interrogation as the Foodplant. I had probably told him of my experience with lineata. ; I advised the late Dr. Cockayne in 1935 regarding lineata in Sussex and told him I considered Genista to be the Foodplant. He told me to prove it by taking a torch at night and lying down beside the Foodplant to observe the larvae feeding. Mr. Curtis advises me that the insect is not to be found in its old haunts. The fields were burnt and “‘scruffed up” in 1942 and I believe the Genista has gone. I. lineata (dealbata) has been recorded by Barrett and various other authors as taken in Herts. (1), Gloucester (1), Somerset, Dorset, Sussex (1) and of course at its headquarters in Kent where it was getting rarer in 1901. I should be pleased if readers who have taken lineata in Kent would advise me whether Genista tinctoria grew where the moth was found.— 17.11.1964. Notes and Observations PLATYTES ALPINELLUS HUBN. aT BLACKHEATH.—On the night of 2nd-3rd August last I boxed an unfamiliar Crambid from a wall of my m.v. ‘trap’ (a small upper room) just before turning off the light about dawn. I believe the moth was a genuinely late arrival, rather than that it had entered early in the night and secreted itself for some time—this not being the usual habit of Crambids attracted to the light. Next day I found to my great astonishment that it was without doubt Platytes alpinellus Hubn., a very local species of coastal sandhills, recorded no nearer here than parts of the East Kent coast and the Isle of Wight, etc., and never at any distance inland. On informing Mr. S. Wakely some time later, I learnt that single specimens had turned up at light at several places in the south- east that year (of which probably we shall be hearing more in due course). Thus, a small immigration from the Continent appears to have taken place —a phenomenon not, I think, previously recorded for the species in question— and suffices to explain the occurrence of a specimen at Black- heath, which it is probably safe to claim as the first for the London area. It will be interesting to see whether similar inland captures of alpinellus are made this year, which would suggest that some of the moths had succeeded in breeding outside their usual haunts, but this seems quite unlikely.—A. A. ALLEN, 63 Blackheath Park, S.E.3. 2.111.1964. EUCHELIA JACOBAEAE L. In AuGuST.—On the occasion just mentioned, two examples of the cinnabar moth surprised me by coming to the light. I have seen no record of this familiar insect for the month of August, or even late July; although there probably have been cases of second-brood specimens, the works I have by me make no mention of them. Moreover, last year was hardly one likely to produce abnormal second broods of normally univoltine species—in this part of the country at any rate. I wonder whether others, who run light-traps more regularly, had August NCTES AND OBSERVATIONS 117 specimens of jacobaeae. It seems scarcely possible that the two Black- heath moths were retarded individuals of the ordinary May and June brood (which, as it happens, I did not notice last season). In any case the species is quite irregular in this district, though I see one or two flying— always a welcome sight—in or about the garden in most years; possibly they are vagrants from further afield where it is more frequent, as I never see the larvae here though the Oxford ragwort is common enough.—A. A. ALLEN, 63 Blackheath Park, S.E.3. 2.111.1964. A Note oN Two SPECIES OF HyPpONOMEUTA LATR. AT BLACKHEATH — Hyponomeuta evonymellus L. was not uncommon at my m.v. lamp for a short time in early August, 1963; one undersized specimen had occurred about the same time in 1959. Four appeared on 22nd July, and on 2nd August several more, some very fine. It increased somewhat during the next few nights, but seemed to have disappeared after the 6th or 7th. I understand that this species is quite common towards the west and in Wales (and perhaps in the north) but that near London it occurs by odd specimens only—corresponding, presumably, to the rarity there if its recognized foodplant, Prunus padus (the bird cherry). The occurrence of the insect here in considerable numbers, however, suggests that it may have lately adapted itself to the common cherry trees of our gardens (P. avium, P. serratula). Possibly the question will be settled by the finding of larval colonies of evonymellus thereon in future years. I have seen no reference in the literature to the striking variability in ground-colour of the forewings which the ubiquitous H. padellus L. (sensu lato) exhibits here; perhaps this too is recent, and an instance ot industrial melanism. I have a long series showing a steady gradation from the typical clear whitish-grey to a smoky brown. Intermediate stages, which are common, have the wing-tips and a patch about middle of costa faintly to very distinctly darkened, the two patches enlarging and coalesc- ing until they cover the wing; one does not, apparently, find forms that are the result of a progressive darkening of the wing as a whole. Specimens thus in varying degrees darkened were already common in 1959, the first year that I ran the lamp; but I have not seen one such specimen among those met with at large or the few I have bred, either here or elsewhere. I believe that Mr. Wakely finds similar variation in padellus at Camber- well, S.E. Which of the biological races composing the species is or are involved in this variation I am unable to say, but it is likely that most of the specimens belong to malinellus Zell. There appears to be no com- parable tendency, so far at any rate, in the local populations of H. evonymellus and cognatellus Hubn. Nomenclature has not been at its happiest with this genus, the two species which are the subject of this note being most misleadingly named. I may add that the generic name, whether spelt with or (barbarously) without its initial aspirate, is unquestionably masculine; and therefore we ought to write padellus, etc., as of old, and not padella etc. as is often now done. (Another case is Nematois, a specifically masculine* formation (Greek, = ‘threadlike’; the feminine would be Nematoessa), so the rules require N. fasciellus, ete., not -a. Further, it should be written with a medial a (cf. nematode, Nematocera)—unless priority insists on the mis- spelling with 0, now common).—A. A. ALLEN, 63 Blackheath Park, S.E.3. 2.i11.64. *Like Myelois, Colotois, etc. 118 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 76 15/1V/64 PHYTOMYZA SCOLOPENDRII Ros. Desv. [DiIpt., AGROMYZIDAE]—EARLY MINE In DorSET.—The months when mines occupied by the larvae of Phytomyza scolopendrii in the Hart’s Tongue fern, Phyllitis scolopendrium (L.) Newm. in Europe have been stated by Hendel and Hering in their standard works as May, June and September, October. Mr. G. C. D. Griffiths found the larvae in mines on this fern and on Polypodium vulgare L. at Thursley, Surrey, on 21st August 1955. At a recent meeting of the Entomology Section of the London Natural History Society, Mr. J. F. Shillito mentioned finding the mine in Dorset in February. He kindly sent me a pressed specimen taken on 10th February this year at Nether Compton, near Sher- borne. The mine contained a larva. This may be the earliest date on which the larva has been found and suggests that in suitable habitats the insect may have more than the two broods previously known. The mine is linear and generally found wandering near to the mid- rib on the upper side. The last portion of the mine usually runs parallel and close to the mid-rib itself. The frass is laid at the edge of the mine in a continuous line and not in dots. The fly pupates in the earth. The fly has been found in Lancashire and Cornwall and no doubt occurs in many counties. It is known to mine also in ferns of the genera Asplenium, Ceterach and Polypodium. Some of these are attacked by other diptera and lepidoptera leaf-miners, but only P. scolopendrii has been found in Phyllitis scolopendrium. Could readers please look at this fern in gardens and report, and so extend our knowledge of at least one small fly?.— L. PARMENTER, 94 Fairlands Avenue, Thornton Heath, Surrey. PRODENIA LITURA F'aBR.—Referring to Mr. Chalmers-Hunt’s note on this species (antea, 59), I would point out that the larva of this species is almost the most catholic feeder I know and could, if it established itself in English glass-houses, become a most serious pest. The following is my list of food-plants, from which it will be seen that there is little it might not eat:—Lantana, Antirrhinum, Zinnia, spinach, lettuce, castor, Caladium, cotton, bersin, lucerne, maize, ground-nut, beet, sweet potato, Colocasia, potato, leaf beet, mallow, jews mallow, French bean, Hibiscus esculentus, sesame, red pepper, tomato, vine, orange, plum, mulberry, chrysanthemum, wheat, rice, soya bean, fenugreek, egg plant, water melon, cucurbit, cabbage, onion, mandarin, guava, fig, poplar, banana, rose, mint, viola, agathi, tobacco, jute, indigo, elephant yam, peas, grass, Eugenia malacensis, Carissa carandas, Moringa pterygosperma, Ficus religiosa, celery, cauliflower, shaddock, apple, pear, radish, Clitorea ternata, Cestrum nocturnum, Thuya orientalis, Anona squamosa, papaya, mango, Glycosmis pentaphylla, teak, dahlia, Argemone mexicana, saint- paulia. P. litura is the cotton leaf worm of Egypt, although it does little apparent damage to cotton in Uganda, where it is common—D. G SEVASTOPULO, F.R.E.S., Mombassa. 22.111.1964. ERIOGASTER LANESTRIS L., SECOND YEAR.—These notes are a sequel to my previous article, Ent. Rec., 75: 171). Some time in April 1863, I put the cage containing about 70 cocoons on a lower shelf in my garden shed, screened from the sun, to avoid the possibility of the pupae being dried up in the heat of the summer, a precaution scarcely necessary last year. Here they stayed until 1st February, when, in spring-like weather, I inspected the cocoons and found that there were 65 good ones. Besides NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS 119 these, there were also four or five that consisted only of the inner white lining, and one normal cocoon with a crack down one side. All these, when opened, were found to contain the dried remains otvavkarva. I brought the cage indoors and put it in a sunny window. The first moth emerged on 3rd February. Several very sunny days followed, and although there were sharp night frosts, by 7th February eight more moths had emerged. There followed a long period of dull weather, lasting until 24th February, and broken only by a sunny day on the 13th, when five moths duly emerged. Another came out on the 24th, after which there ensued another long sunless spell until 7th March. On the 9th, the third sunny day running, a very small male came out. Altogether sixteen moths emerged, of which three did not develop their wings perfectly. There were also four cocoons from which the caps had been cut out, but the moths had been unable to extricate themselves. There remain 41 cocoons, the contents of which are anyone’s guess.—H. SyMEs, 52 Lowther Road, Bournemouth, Hants. 21.111.1964. AN OCCURENCE OF PONTIA DAPLIDICE L. IN WILTSHIRE IN 1945.—I regret that I omitted a reference to this occurrence in my paper on the Macro- lepidoptera of Wiltshire (Ent. Rec., 75: 199) and the present note may be considered as a postscript to that paper. The late Major Stuart Maples, of East Grimstead, Wilts., told me that in 1945 he had taken a specimen of the Bath white in a clover field near his home and was going to look there again. Major Maples was no longer a systematic collector (in fact he had sold his collection), but on his death on 11th September 1949, there passed into my possession some of his| later casually taken insects (approximately 1944 onwards). Besides a few set specimens of various species in a store box, there was a pocket collecting tin into which were pinned, just as they had been taken, two specimens of the Bath White (gd and ©°) and also some Clouded Yellows and other in- sects. I relaxed and set all these but naturally have kept them separated from my own collection, with the result that they were overlooked until recent events brought them to mind. Those who remember Major Maples as a successful and discriminating collector of Coenonympha. tullia Mull, Apatura iris L., Lysandra coridon Poda and other species, of all of which he had the most beautifully set specimens, will be sorry to hear of the death also of his widow, Judith Maples, at East Grimstead on 28th November last.—I. R. P. Hestop, “Bel- field”, Burnham-on-Sea, Somerset. 22.iii.1964. NYMPHALIS ANTIOPA L. IN SURREY.—In Ent. mon. Mag. for June/July 1963 (vol. 99) Mr. P. A. Hitch of Juniper Hall Field Centre, Dorking, Surrey, records a specimen of Nymphalis antiopa L. (Camberwell Beauty) which flew in and out of the door of his house on 3rd October 1963. A specimen of this butterfly, possibly the same one, had been seen in the garden two days previously and, says Mr. Hitch, “it may well have been looking for a suitable place for hibernation”. This note is printed on the wrapper of the magazine, and as wrappers are not always included when the monthly parts are bound up inte a volume, those of our readers who collect records of the Camberwell Beauty in England may like to have this reference. 120 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 76 15/1V/64 Current Literature Ecological Genetics. By E. B. Ford. 1964. Methuen & Co. Ltd., Lon- don. 83”x5i”. Pp. xv and 335, 16 plates, 11 text figures, 7 maps and 17 tables. Price 42/-. Although this book is primarily intended for research workers and students nevertheless there is much in it to attract the intelligent amateur entomologist. In the first place the author is well known as a writer on entomology and he frequently refers to other distinguished entomologists. Secondly, a glance at the contents list shows that many chapters deal with such familiar insects as Melitaea aurinia, Maniola jurtina, Panaxia dominula, Cleora repandata and Triphaena comes. A word of warning must follow. There is assumed a knowledge of ordinary genetics and ecology and of the technical terms. In the first chapter we are told what is meant by ecological genetics. Briefly it is a combination of laboratory work and field studies. The chapter goes on to describe the material chosen and the methods used. Chapter two deals with fluctuations in numbers due to climate, food, predators and vegetation. The author is concerned to show that marked numerical increase can greatly accelerate the speed of evolution. It may come as a surprise to some to learn that though the number of spots on the wing of a butterfly is perhaps of itself of no biological significance yet the polygenes which control the spots may be of importance for survival. This is fully explained in chapter four, where the spot frequencies of M. jurtina in the Isles of Scilly and elsewhere are carefully considered and are found to illuminate various aspects of ecological genetics. In chapter five there is an exciting account of the discovery of an instance of the apparently rare phenomenon of sympatric evolution in animals. The precise location of the boundary line between the two forms of M. jurtina was found. It is truly said that no natural population of animals has been so fully quantified as P. dominula at Cothill in Berkshire and a chapter is devoted to a study of this colony. Many species of Lepidoptera are reviewed in chapter eight. The remarks about T. comes and the reference to the specimens collected by the late Dr. E. A. Cockayne will interest entomologists. The subject of mimicry has often been treated but it is refreshing to read a modern account. A whole chapter is given over to describing the evolution of mimicry in Papilio dardanus and it is shown that recent experiments have made clear the mechanism involved. Kettlewell’s long-continued work on Industrial Melanism is fully analysed and receives well deserved praise. In the concluding chapter the following points are stressed:—(1) the universality of the principles illustrated; (2) the unsuspected rapidity of the operation of genetic forces in evolution; (3) the comparative un- importance of mutation and of random drift; (4) the probable increase in the part played by genetics in medicine. The book seems to be almost free from printers’ errors. One only was noticed: on p. 19 Achillea becomes Achilles. The section describing the plates is most useful. Even if the ordinary amateur entomologists does not quite understand it all he will be the better for reading this excellent book.—T. R. EAGLEs. LEPIDOPTERA OF KENT (163) bracken, Tunbridge Wells (Knipe (1916)); on railway banks at Sidcup, on knapweed, yarrow, plantain, sallow, dock (A. R. Kidner, Diary); on C. album and A. tripolium, Stoke Saltings, September 20, 1962, and on G. verum, sloe, and bracken at Downe (C.-H.); common on bracken, birch, broom, Dartford Heath, also on A. tripolium, Dartford Marshes (B. K. West). VARIATION.—Ab. splendens Steph., four, Broad Oak, 1946-52 (C.-H.). Hawkins (Proc. S. Lond. ent. nat. Hist. Soc., 1932-33: 74) exhibited a specimen ‘labelled “Dartford, June 1905” and apparently very near var. pailens Stdgr.’; and another from Folkestone, stated to be referable to ab. pallens Tutt, was exhibited by Morley (Proc. S. Lond. ent. nat. Hist. Soc., 1933-34: 50). In R.C.K., is ab. splendida Robson, one, “N. Kent, W. Crocker, 1909”; ab. pallida Tutt, 9°, “Herne, coll. Battley”. First REcorRD, 1720: The larva “found on the female Fearn, in a Wood by Charlton in Kent” (Albin, Nat. Hist. English Insects, facing pl. 32).. Hada nana Hufn. (dentina Esp.): Shears. Native. Downs, rough uncultivated fields, shingle beach; foodplant unknown. Recorded from all divisions, but with a marked preference for maritime shingle and open uncultivated areas on chalk soils. Plenti- ful in 8, 15. The moth appears about the third week in May, and con- tinues until late June or into July, with what appears to be a partial second generation in August. 1. West Wickham (Allchin, Ent. week. Int., 7: 204); several, 1951 (E. J. Trundell); July 11, 1963 (R. Birchenough). Westcombe Park; St. Paul’s Cray; Lewisham; Eltham; Blackheath; Greenwich; Lee; Erith (Wool. Surv. (1909)). Chislehurst, 1906 (1), 1908 (1), 1909 (2) (S. F. P. Blyth). Hayes; Bexley (Carr, Entomologist, 27: 170, 32: 40). Bickley (Rait-Smith, Ent. Rec., 27: 170). Sidcup, mostly on trees, 1912 (1), 1913 (1), 1924 (several), 1926 (1), 1933 (1) (A. R. Kidner). Petts Wood, 1946, 1948 (A. M. Swain). Dartford Heath (B. K. West). Bromley, 1960 (2), 1962 (1), 1963 (9) (D. R. M. Long). 2. Sheppey, two, June 30, 1937 (A. H. Lanfear). 3. Whitstable (P. F. Harris). Broad Oak, two, May 30, 1952 (C.-H.). 4. Sandwich, June 6, 1934 (A. J. L. Bowes); two, June 16, 1950 (C.-H.). 5. Chevening, 1912, 1913, 1916, 1917 (Gillett, Diary). Biggin Hill, one, May 20, 1953 (C.-H.). 6. Gravesend (H. C. Huggins). Pinden (E. J. Hare). 6a. Chattenden Roughs, one, June 28, 1869 (Walker MS.); June 14, 1913) Gs tr.. Grant). 7. Wigmore Woods; Fir Grove (Chaney (1884-87)). Faversham; Sittingbourne (H. C. Huggins). Boxley, 1953 (A. H. Harbottle). 9. Margate, on fences, 1915 (2), 1924 (1), 1931 (1) (H. G. Gomm, Diary). 10. Brasted (R. M. Prideaux). Sevenoaks (Gillett, Entomologist, 53: 23). 11. Aylesford (G. A. N. Davis). Mereworth (Morgan, Lep. Tunbridge Wells, MS.). 12. Orlestone Woods, August 5, 1945 (1), June 1948 (1), June 1951 (several) (C.-H.). Ashford Town (P. Cue). Willesborough, 1954 (1), 1955 (1), 1956 (2); Wye, 1953 (1), 1954 (1), 1955 (1) (W. L. Rudland). 13. Tunbridge Wells, one (Beeching, Ent. Rec., 2: 230). Ramslye and - High Rocks, Tunbridge Wells (Morgan, Lep. Tunbridge Wells MS.). (164) ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 76 15/1V/64 14. Sandhurst (G. V. Bull). 16. Folkestone Town (A. M. Morley). VARIATION.—As far as I can judge, the majority of Kentish examples I have seen approximate to nymotypical nana Hufn.; one, Bickley, 1914 (Ent. Rec., 27: 170) may be ab. latenai Pierr., and I have several from various localities that approach this; and others that are transitional to ab. leucostigma Haw.; ab. ochrea Tutt is recorded (Proc. S. Lond. ent. nat. Hist. Soc., 1938-39: 34) for the county but is evidently uncommon, and I have two apparently referable to this from Wye (div. 8) (C.-H.). First Recorp, 1809: ‘Habitat in Cantio at rarissime, tempore oblito. Exemplaria duo solum vidi” (Haworth, Lepidoptera Britannica, 2: 198). Scotogramma trifolii Hufn. (chenopodii Schiff.): Nutmeg. Native. Marsh-sides, gardens, bombed-sites, derelict land (mainly in towns), waste places; on Chenopodium alba. Found in all divisions. “Generally common; sometimes abundant” (V.C.H. (1908)). The moth is probably most frequent in 2. Mathew (Entomologist, 23: 34) records that at Marine Town, Sheerness, the larvae were in swarms; and at Strood, Ovenden (Ent. Rec., 16: 294, 21: 33) found them in abundance, on Chenopodium. It has also been seen in great plenty else- where, on bombed-sites. Thus in 12, J. A. Parry observed that the species had much increased about 1946 in the City of Canterbury, where bombed- sites had been colonised by Chenopodium, and upon which he found the larvae plentifully; likewise in 1, at Lewisham and its neighbourhood, D. F. Owen noticed it in abundance on waste ground. On a small piece of waste ground by the roadside in the heart of Bromley, I noted several larvae on Chenopodium alba, October 13, 1963 (C.-H.). First REcorD, 1829: Stephens, Haust., 2: 196. The first positive Kentish occurrence, however, dates from 1858: Folkestone, July 24-August 1, 1858 (Tompkins, Diary). Hadena w-latinum Hufn. (genistae Borkh.): Light Brocade. Native. Woods, commons, etc.; on broom. 1. Noted from many localities in this division. Recent records are :— Dartford Heath, three larvae on broom, 1948 (B. K. West). West Wickham, 1952 (E. Trundell). Abbey Wood, 1952 (A. J. Showler). Bexley, several, May 30-June 13, 1952 (A. Heselden). Petts Wood, one, 1950 (EK. Evans). Orpington, 1948-53 (L. W. Siggs); one, 1958 (R. G. Chatelain). Lee, not common (C. G. Bruce). Bromley, 1959 (1), 1960-61 (none), 1962 (2) (D. R. M. Long). 2. Kingsferry Marshes, two, June 25, 1937 (A. H. Lanfear). 3. Whitstable (P. F. Harris). Herne Bay, 1946 (D. G. Marsh). Broad Oak, several at light, 1946, 1952 (C.-H.). Eddington, frequent, 1948, “very plentiful”, at light, June 2, 1950 (D. G. Marsh, Diary). 4. Sandwich, two, June 3, 1937 (A. H. Lanfear); (E. & Y. (1949)). Ickham, rather scarce, 1954-59 (D. G. Marsh). 5. Chevening, several, May 20-31, 1914, 1917 (Gillett, Diary). Halstead (R. E. Frampton, teste S. Wakely). Westerham (R. C. Edwards). Biggin Hill, one, 1953 (C.-H.). 6. Shoreham (Carr, Entomologist, 33: 47). Otford (Adkin, Proc. S. Lond. ent. nat. Hist. Soc., 1902: 50). Gravesend (H. C. Huggins). Pinden, one (E. J. Hare). FOR THE ENTOMOLOGIST Apparatus, Books, Cabinets, and Set Specimens Price lists of the above are issued from time to time, so if you _ would like to receive regular issues please send me a postcard stating your interests L. CHRISTIE 137 Gleneldon Road, Streatham, London, S.W.16, England (Postal business only) Official. agent for publications of the Amateur Entomologist’s Society M.V. GENERATORS AND BULBS. Ex W.D. Air-borne, Hand-portable Petrol Generators. Weight 37 lbs. SCE RTA OO. IVE Wie) ESEIUIO® Ss peerethepes! iala aie ew a oe Sha es £25 Os. Od. Ditto. CoMPLETE with Choke/Transformer and TWO 80w. Bulbs (1 spare). PASAT ALEY EVUATH: Lets Sole Shc re eee, CAL aR Pet Cen RE: £32 10s. Od. SPARE 80w. M.V. BULBS for above. NEW Ex U.S.A.F. (Retail price, 48s.) 30s. each or 4 for £5 Os. 0d. (Can also be run extra-bright with 125 watt choke from mains.) A few 125 watt are available at same price. P. J. M. ROBINSON The Homestead, Sandy Down, Lymington, Hants. NoTE: As I shall be overseas for a long period, please write c/o E. W. Classey. 353 Hanworth Road, Hampton, Middlesex. J. J. HILL & SON LTD. ENTOMOLOGICAL CABINET MANUFACTURERS Epecialists in Interchangeable Unit Systems, Store Boxes, Insect Cases, : Setting Boards, Micro-slide Cabinets, etc. Reconditioned Second-Hand Insect Cabinets available from time to time. YEWFIELD ROAD, N.W.10 _ Phone Wil 0309 HOTEL ACCOMMODATION Mrs. H. TULLY > Craizellachie Guest House, Aviemore, Inverness-shire An Entomologist’s Mecca, highly recommended by collectors, 124 acres of woodland in which to use light traps. Adequate power points. Transport arranged to the famous Burma Road, etc. Write for Brochure. Telephone Aviemore 236. Bumble, Stingless, and Hive Bees—Selected reprints from Bee World covering a wide field, also books on Anatomy and Dissection, History of Beekeeping and Pollination, full complimentary list from Bee Research Association Publications, 11 Poplar Grove, Maidstone, Kent. THE MACROLEPIDOPTERA OF THE WORLD A systematic work, in collaboration with the best specialists of all Countries, edited by Prof. Dr. A. SEITZ Every known butterfly of the whole world is life-like represented in i( 14 colours and described scientifically. There is no similar work in existence English, German and French editions. Vol. 1-4: Fauna palaearctica. Vol. 516: Fauna exotica. Every volume may be had separately. A. KERNEN, publishers, Stuttgart, Schloss-Str. 80 EXCHANGES AND WANTS Wanted.—Part 2 of the ‘‘Record’’ for 1930. Can anyone oblige?—B. O. C. Gardiner, 18 Chesterton Hall Crescent, Cambridge. Information wanted, from anyone who has reared the Speckled Wood (P. aegeria) and can supply any of the following information. (1) Number of broods per year. (2) Proportion of autumn brood hibernating as larvae. (3) Comments on the reason for (2). Any information on the Scottish colonies would be welcome.—A. J. Showler, 98 Lynsted Close, Bexleyheath, Kent. IMPORTANT To our subscribers We have for disposal either part numbers or complete volumes of old issues dating from 1890/1 up to and including volume 73. If any of. our subscribers would care to state their requirements to Mr. F. W Byers, 59 Gurney Court Road, St. Albans, he will then quote the special prices which can be offered for any particular issue. ’ Subscription prices will be paid for clean, unbound copies of the following years: Vol. 36 — 1924 Vol. 51 — 1939 Vol. 55 — 1943 46h = 28s 52 — 1940 57 — 1945 42 — 1930 53 — 1941 62 — 1950 50 — 1938 54 — 1942 63 — 1951 Please contact: Mr. S. N. A. JACOBS, 54 HAYES LANE, BROMLEY, KENT. es SS f Announcing the puBlcAtion o* eee ee ee Rf CA a oe Ad ain {eRe ATT eg i Fan eh oe tele Notes and Views of the Purple Emperor by . I. R. P. Heslop, G. E. Hyde, R. E. Stockley Size of book: 10” x 73” VS pee Oe EL ts TE ee Ww nem: . Dp eS “iS here ee SF a a NS ol le f a 4: Comprising 207 pages plus 22 plates with 44 illustra- tions, of which eleven are in colour. / A complete up-to-date work on the PURPLE EMPEROR butterfly, there is no repetition of the basic facts - contained in the standard works. In addition to the Purple Emperor, 42 other species of British Butterflies and eight Moths are mentioned in the text at varying length. - The A iatos are confined to the Purple ines in all its stages, including some extreme aberations all | previously unfigured. | MN Oe PS ey oat The Took is now in course of preparation and will be published in October. This book should interest both the sveclogiot and field naturalist. The work has been produced entirely — by subscription. The authors are now mailing all = subscribers and it is unnecessary for them to write for further information. | a “THE SUBSCRIPTION LIST IS OPEN UNTIL JULY . a to Subscribers, £1 10/—; Published price, £2 a es eee aie extra ; ; S Persons interested in subscribing should write to: 2 Rigen OR, E. STOCKLEY 7 | 7 < Kingsway, Blackwater, nr. Gamberley, Surrey ad THE ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD AND JOURNAL OF VARIATION (Founded by J. W. TUTT on 15th April 1890) The following gentlemen act as Honorary Consultants to the magazine: Lepidoptera: Dr. H. B. Witu1aMs, Q.C., LL.D., F.R.E.S.; Orthoptera: D. K. McE. Kevan, Ph.D., B.Sc., F.R.E.S.; Coleoptera: A. A. ALLEN, B.Sc.; Diptera: L. PaRMENTER, F.R.E.S.; E. C. M. d’Assis-Fonseca, F.R.E.S. CONTENTS Soa, oe HOLIDAY AT GREATSTONE, KENT—JULY 1963. J. M. CHALMERS-HUNT and ~ S. WAKELEY ite ; f E Es Steere rine. Cae OE LOOKING BACK OVER 1963. T. W. HARMAN ... ye ne 33 ae Ys 95 SCIENTIFIC NAMES. HANS REISSER ... uae si ai a3 #3 es a 99 MORE ABOUT LATIN. L. G. F. WADDINGTON ... se ods ifs Sh Sera ga NL, WAS LINNAEUS A BIGHEAD? S.N. A. JACOBS ... oe: pee by, es a) oO A CONTINENTAL HOLIDAY, 1963. Dr. NEVILLE L. BIRKETT . Ad ate FE AOD FORMICA SANGUINEA LATREILLE (HYM. erased Ths IN SOUTHERN ENGLAND. K. E. J. BARRETT ... file moe t : 107 EREMOBIA OCHROLEUCA (SCHIFF.), THE DUSKY SALLOW, IN WILTSHIRE—A FURTHER REPORT. Captain R. A. JACKSON, C.B. Be ie SAO IDAEA LINEATA SCOP. (THE BLACK VEINED MOTH). CLIFFORD CRAUFURD 115 NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS (00-0, 0 cs ca ae ee ete CURRENT LITERATURE ia .28 tae a cae Sts ve Ae cea esipudee SUPPLEMENT—THE BUTTERFLIES AND MOTHS IN KENT: A CRITICAL ACCOUNT. PART II. J. M. CHALMERS-HUNT _... MS ae be SHY GES} TO OUR CONTRIBUTORS All material for the TEXT of the magazine must be sent to the EDITOR at 54 Hayes Lane, Bromley, Kent. ADVERTISEMENTS, EXCHANGES and WANTS to F. W. BYERS, 59 Gurney Court Road, St. Albans, Herts. 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BuncLE AND Co. ee as 76 No.5 MAY 1964 EAE MEMENENENLD HENEAGAEDS THE ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD AND JOURNAL OF VARIATION : ae Edited by S. N. A. JACOBS, F.R.£.s. r with the assistance of A. A. ALLEN, B.SC., A.R.C.S. C. A. COLLINGWOOD, B.SC., F.R.E.S. NEVILLE BIRKETT, M.A., M.B. H. C. HUGGINS, F.R.E.S. wt L. PARMENTER, F.R.E.S. _ J. M. CHaLMERS-HUNT, F.R.E.S. H. SYMEs, M.A. Major A. E. COLLIER, M.C., F.R.E.S. S. WAKELY Commander G. W. Harper, R.N.(Retd.), F.R.E.s. BBEDEDEOE iemmsiciitiderae ae B ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION 35s. POST FREE. ae eC} 22. “Hon. Treasurer, CLIFFORD CRAUFURD, “Denny, ca Road, Peon Stortford, Herts. DRBEUE GE BEDELE RULBEBE PRICE 7/6 NE : + CENTIPEDES OF THE BRITISH ISLES By E. H. EASON © This is the first British work to provide a comprehensive guide to the study of Centipedes in this country. All the species to be found in the British Isles, including those doubtfully recorded, are fully described and illustrated. A great deal of the information given by the author is the result of his own observations and | research and will stimulate the reader’s interest in this much | neglected group. As well as details of structure and life-history, the book > i: contains an account of the natural history of the group as a whole, with an explanation of the principles governing distribution — 3 and classification. There is also a comprehensive glossary of — 4 ‘technical terms and a full bibliography. 509 line drawings 4 pages of half-tones 4 colour frontispiece £3 3s. Od. net From All Booksellers ) FREDERICK WARNE & CO. LTD. 1-4 Bedford Court, Strand, London, W.c2. {| VOL. 76 PLATE II Fig. 1 (upper). Erebia ligea (Linnaeus): Gillespie specimen. Fig. 2 (lower). Tray from Gillespie collection as received containing this specimen (in row at left). 121 Comments on the supposed occurrence in Scotland of Erebia ligea (Linnaeus) (Lepidoptera, Satyridae) By E. C. PELHAM-CLINTON, The Royal Scottish Museum, Edinburgh In January 1963, an old and almost entirely unlabelled collection of Lepidoptera was brought into the Royal Scottish Museum by Mr. A. C. Gillespie of Colinton, Edinburgh. In the section devoted to British butter- flles was a female Erebia ligea. Although investigations inspired by this discovery made it seem un- likely that this was a genuine Scottish specimen, some of the possibilities revealed by a study of the literature concerning the species are worth putting on record. ALLEGED DISCOVERY BY SIR PATRICK WALKER The history of the discovery in Scotland of Erebia ligea (Linnaeus) and of E. aethiops (Esper) has been confused ever since the original announcements by Sowerby (1804-5). In December 1804 Sowerby de- scribed and figured Erebia ligea as “Papilio Blandina” (the species we know as aethiops); it was stated to have been caught in the Isle of Arran and to be in the cabinet of Alexander McLeay, secretary of the Linnean Society. In January 1805, Erebia aethiops was described and figured as “Papilio Ligea”: a note on the species reads “This is another new British Insect, procured by A. MacLeay, Esq. Sec. L.S., from the same place as the one figured in tab. 3. [an error for tab. 2.] of this Work”. Donovan (1807) corrected the error of indentification and stated (p. 87) that “Papilio Ligea was discovered by Major Walker [i.e. Sir Patrick] in the isle of Arran at the same time as P. Blandina”. Thereafter, the majority of British authors told the same story. Ford (1945), for instance, was interested in the possibilities of Erebia ligea occurring in Britain, and wrote (p. 148) “when Sir Patrick Walker captured the first British speci- mens of the Scotch Argus, Erebia aethiops, in 1804, it is said that he took in addition to that well-known British butterfly a second species flying Wut 136 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 76 15/V/64 des friiher von Chr. Aurivillius und H. Wagner, jetzt von E. Strand herausgegebenen Lepidopterorum Catalogus. Mitt. mtinch. ent. Ges., 16: 1-86. , 1926b, in Strand, Lepid. Cat., 33: 1-91. Dziurzynski, C., 1908, Die palaearktischen Arten der Gattung Zygaena F. Berl. ent. Z., 53: 1-60, pls. 1-2, figs. 1-22. Griffin, F. J., 1936, The contents of the parts and the dates of appearance of Seitz’ Grossschmetterlinge der Erde (the Macrolepidoptera of the World), Lieferungen 1 to 130 Palaearctic and 1 to 575 Exotic. Vols. 1 to 16, 1907-1935. Trans. ent. Soc. Lond., 85: 243-279. ae Holik, O. & Sheljuzhko, L., 1956, Uber die Zygaenen-Fauna Osteuropas, Kleinasiens, Irans, Zentralasiens und Sibiriens. Witt. mtinch. ent. Ges., 46 : 93-239. Reiss, H., 1930, in Seitz, Die Gross-Schmetterlinge der Erde, Supplement, 2: 1-50, pl. 1-4. ——., 1933, ibidem, Supplement, 2: 249-278, pl. 16. ——., 1936, Neue Bausteine zur Zygaenenfauna der Pyrenaenhalbinsel. Ent. Rdsch., 54: 28-30, 57-60, 71-76, 88-92, pl. 2, figs. Tremewan, W. G., 1961, Notes on Zygaena Species, with descriptions of New Sub- species from Spain (Lepidoptera, Zygaenidae). Ent. Rec., 73: 1-8. Orthoptera Notes from S.W. Britain, 1963 By J. F. Burton, F.R.E.S., F.Z.S. (B.B.C. Natural History Unit) I have decided in this paper to give the recently standardized and now generally accepted English names of the British Orthoptera (q.v., Kevan, 1952, 1961) together with the scientific ones, on each occasion a species 15 mentioned for the first time. Thereafter, the scientific name only will be used. I feel justified in following this course, as these English names are to be used in Dr. D. R. Ragge’s forthcoming book on the British Orthoptera in the “Wayside and Woodland” series. Tettigonia viridissima L. (Great Green Bush-cricket) On 14th September, Michael Kendall and I found this species very common in several places in north Somerset. It was to be heard stridula- ting in great numbers in the roadside hedgerows and fields all along the road over the Mendip Hills from Cheddar via Shipham to Churchill. It was also met with in profusion on the Somerset Levels at Ashcott, Buscott and Shapwick. A male from Ashcott which I released in my garden at Pill on 15th September immediately ate a blade of grass and then climbed a bramble bush and consumed a ripe blackberry, tearing the skin with its mandibles and imbibing the juice. Pholidoptera griseoaptera (De Geer) (Dark Bush-cricket) The south-west of England is a real stronghold of this species and I again found it in abundance in many parts of north Somerset, including Pill, Portishead, Ashton Park (near Bristol), Failand, Cheddar, Churchill, Shipham, Ashcott, Buscott and Shapwick. In Gloucestershire, it is abun- dant at Shirehampton and along the cliff-tops of the Avon Gorge at Clifton and Durdham Downs. In spite of the long and severe winter, I found the first very small nymph, at Pill, on 12th May, compared with 13th May in 1962. I heard the first adults stridulating on 5th August and the last on 5th November. Conocephalus dorsalis (Latr.) (Short-winged Conehead). On 14th September, Michael Kendall and I found this beautiful, active ORTHOPTERA NOTES FROM S.W. BRITAIN, 1963 IY; little bush-cricket in great abundance in the Somerset Levels at Meare, Ashcott and Shapwick Heaths. At Meare we found it in association with Stethophyma grossum (L.) in a habitat comprising a mixture of wet fen and quite dry peat bog with great reed grass (Glyceria maxima (Hart- man) Holmberg, red rattle (Pedicularis palustris L.) and purple loose- strife (Lythrum salicaria L.) dominant in the wetter parts. In another part of Meare Heath it occurred in a very wet boggy field and here we caught a fine female of the macropterous form burri Ebner, which I later presented to the British Museum (Natural History). The habitat at Shap- wick Heath consisted of rather dry bog with sphagnum moss (Sphagnum spp.), cross-leaved heath (Erica tetralix L.) and bog myrtle (Myrica gale L.) dominant. We reached this locality around 6.00 p.m. B.S.T., and discovered both S. grossum and C. dorsalis congregating in the evening sunshine on the foliage of the big clumps of bog myrtle. Mr. J. Cowley (1949 and in. litt.,) has also encountered dorsalis in this neighbourhood, namely at Street Heath (1945-48), Shapwick Heath (1952), Catcott Heath (1947 and 1950), Westhay Moor, Meare (1954), Walton Moor (1955) and Edington Moor (1947), as well as at Berrow (1949) and Clevedon (1952). Leptophyes punctatissima (Bosc.,) (Speckled Bush-cricket). On 7th July, I found an immature male on Canterbury Bells in my garden at Pill, N.W. Somerset, and several adult males and a female on Wild Hop (Humulus lupulus L.) and Traveller’s Joy (Clematis vitalba L.? growing on the cliff-tops of the Avon Gorge at Clifton Down, Gloucester- shire. Acheta domesticus (L.) (House Cricket). I heard this species stridulating at the Ashton Court Country Club, near Failand, Somerset, while attending a dance there one evening in late July. Tetrix subulata (L.) (Slender Ground-hopper). I collected a male from a grassy drove at Meare Heath, Somerset, on 14th September. This species has also been reported by Cowley (1949 and in litt.) from several neighbouring localities in the Somerset Levels. Stethophyma grossum (L.) (Large Marsh Grasshopper). This fine insect, the largest British Acridid, has been reported from the Somerset Levels by Walton (1944), who found a nymph near Shapwick, and by Cowley (1949), who discovered it in numbers at Catcott Heath in August 1947 and at Street Heath in September 1947. Subsequently he encountered it (personal communication) at Shapwick Heath in August, 1950 and July, 1952, and at Westhay Moor, near Meare, in August, 1954 and 1957. He also saw it again on Catcott and Street Heaths in the years 1948-1950. On 14th September, a beautifully hot and sunny day, Michael Kendall and I decided to look for it ourselves and decided from a scrutiny of the 1” O.S. map that Meare Heath was a likely looking locality. We arrived by car soon after 1 p.m. and on getting out of the car, I immediately heard S. grossum stridulating from the boggy ground on both sides of the road. As already mentioned under the notes on C. dorsalis, the habitat consisted of a mixture of wet fen and quite dry peat bog. It was very plentiful here and I collected five males and four females in a very short time. Two pairs of these I sent to Dr. Ragge of the British Museum (Natural History) for the National Collection. I saw two females of the beautiful rose- 138 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 76 15/V/64 coloured form, one of which I managed to catch and included among the specimens I sent to Dr. Ragge. Further south along the road over Meare Heath, we found both grossum and Conocephalus dorsalis very common in a boggy piece of pasture, which we learned from the owner was eventually to be sold and ploughed up. At Ashcott Heath, we came upon an adult male grossum in the marshy border of a meadow, but failed to find the species in apparently suitable areas just south-west of Buscott. We reached the western part of Shapwick Heath around 6 p.m. and, as already mentioned under C. dorsalis, we found it commonly on rather dry bog. This habitat was in the process of being invaded by alder carr and, presumably, will eventually become drier still and therefore unfavourable to grossum, unless something is done by the Nature Conservancy, whose reserve it is, to reduce the alder growth. However, it was reassuring to discover that this magnificent insect is still well established and ap- parently in no immediate danger in this part of Somerset. Omocestus viridulus (L.) (Common Green Grasshopper). This species was plentiful in rough limestone turf at Failand Golf Course together with Chorthippus parallelus (Zett.) on 12th September. On the 14th I noted it stridulating at Meare and Ashcott Heaths. On 6th August, my secretary, Miss Sheila McCarthy, gave me some live grasshoppers which she collected amongst bilberry (Vaccininum myrtillus L.) at 2,000 ft., on Twyn Tal-y-cefn, Breconshire, while camping at Capel- y-ffin the previous weekend (83rd-5th August). These proved to be two adults (male and female) of this species and three immature females of Ch. parallelus. The viridulus were the same rich green colour as those I collected on the adjacent mountains in August, 1948 (Burton, 1959). Chorthippus brunneus (Thunb.) (Common Field Grasshopper). In Gloucestershire in 1963 I noted brunneus commonly on the limestone turf of Clifton Down, near Bristol, and in North Somerset at Pill, Ashton Park, Failand, and in the drier parts of Meare Heath. I encountered the first adults on 5th August. Ch. parallelus (Zett.), (Meadow Grasshopper). This year parallelus was abundant in many parts of north Somerset including Pill, Portishead, Ashton Park, Failand, Abbot’s Leigh, Cheddar, Wedmore, Meare, Shapwick and Ashcott. I did not find the first adults until 5th August at Pill, whereas I first noticed them in mid-June in 1961, and at the end of the first week of July in 1962 (Burton, 1963). The last ones of the year I saw at Pill on 19th October. I have already referred under Omocestus viridulus to the specimens of parallelus brought me from Twyn Tal-y-cefn mountain, Breconshire, by my secretary in August. REFERENCES Burton, J. F. 1959. Notes on Orthoptera for 1958 from Breconshire, Kent and Oxfordshire. Ent. Rec., 71: 76-77. Burton, J. F. 1963. Orthoptera Notes, 1961-62 with some casual observations on Lepidoptera. Ent. Rec., 75: 142-47. Cowley, J. 1949. Orthoptera from Somerset. J. Soc. Brit. Ent., 3: 46-47. Kevan, D. K. McE. 1952. A summary of the Recorded Distributon of British Orthopteroids. Trans. Soc. Brit. Ent., 11: 165-80. ANT RECORDS AND OBSERVATIONS 139 . 1963. A Revised Summary of the Known Distribution of British Orthopteroids. Trans. Soc. Brit. Ent.. 14: 187-205. Walton, G. A. 1944. Mecostethus grossus (L.) and Chorthippus bicolor (Charp.) (Orthop.) in Somerset. J. Soc. Brit. Ent., 2: 185. Ant Records and Observations By K. E. J. BARRETT Details of some records which have been incorporated in a forthcoming chart of the vice-county distribution of British ants assembled in collabora- tion with Mr. C. A. Collingwood are described here together with other general notes and observations. The following species have been recorded over the past few years :— Strongylognathus testaceus Sch. Studland, Dorset, 1952 (with Tetramorium caespitum Latr.). Tetramorium caespitum Latr. Headon Warren, Isle of Wight, 1962; Matley, Ridley Plain and Clay Hill, New Forest, S. Hants, 1962-3; The Warren, Bordon, N. Hants, 1963; Kettlebury Hill, near Thursley, Rodborough Hill, near Milford, Frensham Common and Horsell Com- mon, Surrey, 1962-3; neither the author nor A. J. Pontin (private communication, 1963) have been able to confirm the Tubney record, 1912, for Berkshire (Donisthorpe, 1927). Myrmecina graminicola Latr. Goblin Combe, Congresbury, N. Somerset, 1961 (with C. A. Collingwood). Leptothorax acevorum Fab. Records (1961-3) from the Isle of Wight, S. Hants, N. Hants, N. Somerset, W. Sussex, E. Sussex, Surrey, Berks., Bucks, Oxon, Bedford, and for Carnarvon (1955), Cheshire (1955), Flint (1956), Derby (1955) and S. Lancs. (1954). Leptothorax nylanderi Forst. Great Hazes, near Twyford, Berks., 1962. Leptothorax interruptus Sch. Rhinefield, New Forest, S. Hants, 1957 (a number of Myrmica sulcinodis Nyl. and Tetramorium caespitum Latr. colonies also occurred in the area). Myrmica sabuleti Mein. Records (1961-3) for the Isle of Wight, N. Somer- set, S. Hants, N. Hants, Berks. (one nest under the bark of a fir- stump in a wood near Hatford, an unusual nest-site for this species; an ergatandromorph was found on a railway embankment near Ruscombe), Oxon, Surrey, Bucks., W. Sussex, E. Sussex and for Carnarvon (1955), Merioneth (1956), Montgomery (1956), Flint (1956), Cheshire (1955) and Derby (1955). Myrmica lobicornis Nyl. Heckfield Heath, N. Hants, 1962; Burghfield, Berks., 1951 (pterergates of Myrmica scabrinodis Ny]. were also found here); Frimley, Surrey, 1962; Welshpool, Montgomery (1956); Hebden Bridge, S.W. Yorks. (1956). Myrmica schencki Em. The nests seen at Shipton on Cherwell, Oxon, in 1962 (Barrett, 1963a) were still there in 1963; root-aphids were pre- sent in one nest. Cc. A. Collingwood (private communication, 1963) also found it at Coombe Halt, Oxon, in 1963. There are now four reported sites in the small area (Ordnance Survey 10 Kilometre Square, SP41) to the north of Oxford on the Cornbrash formation which also extends widely from Dorset to Yorkshire and which may indicate other areas in which this rather local species might occur. The records for Barnack, Northants., and for Wilsford, S. Lincoln (Collingwood, 140 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 76 15/V/64 1958) appear to be on or near this formation. Lasius fuliginosus Latr. Horsell Common and Frimley, Surrey, 1962; Tubney and Bagley Wood, near Oxford, Berks., 1951-1962; Charndon, Bucks., 1963 (nest under the masonry of a railway bridge away from trees). Lasius rabaudi Bond. A single male was found at Easthampstead Wood, near Bracknell, Berks., 1962. Lasius umbratus Nyl. Rhinefield, New Forest, S. Hants, 1957; Frensham Common and Rodborough Hill, Surrey, 1962; Tubney and Windsor, Berks., 1963. Lasius mixtus Nyl. Goblin Combe, N. Somerset, 1961; Windsor Great Park, Surrey (dedlated female, October) 1962; Southport, S. Lancs., 1954. Lasius brunneus Latr. Watereaton Copse, Oxon, 1955; Windsor Great Park, Berks., 1962; Langley Park, Bucks., 1962—all confirmations of previously recorded localities. Lasius alienus Foérst. Studland, Dorset, 1952; Headon Warren and Arreton Down, Isle of Wight, 1962; Matley, New Forest, S. Hants, 1957; Goblin Combe, N. Somerset, 1961; Wisley Common, Horsell Common and Oxshott Heath, 1962, Kettlebury Hill, and Rodborough Hill, Surrey, 1963; Sullington Warren, W. Sussex, 1963. Tapinoma erraticum Latr. Studland, Dorset, 1952; Rhinefield, New Forest, S. Hants, 1957. Formica sanguinea Latr. Detailed records including localities in W. Sussex, 1963, a new vice-county record have been described else- where (Barrett, 1964). Formica exsecta Nyl. This species was recorded from Parkhurst Forest, Isle of Wight, 1907-1913 (Yarrow, 1954) and was subsequently described as common there (Jeffery, 1931). S. Wakely (J. Lobb, private communication, 1963) states that Jeffery’s site is now occupied by a factory. The species could not be found by the author during several visits to the Forest in 1962. Formica rufa L. This species has been found or confirmed in the follow- ing localities in recent years: Goblin Combe, N. Somerset, 1961. Parkhurst Forest and Firestone Copse, Isle of Wight, 1962. Norley Inclosure, Broomy Inclosure, Milkham Inclosure, Slufter’s Inclosure and Buskett’s Wood, New Forest, and near Ampfield, S. Hants, 1963. Fleet and Bramshill, N. Hants, 1963. Langley and Cold Harbour Wood, Rake, W. Sussex, 1963. Five Hundred Acre Wood, Crow- borough; Abbot’s Wood, Hailsham (nests on old oak stumps in dense undergrowth on clay); Tilsmore Wood, Cross in Hand; Jews Wood, Tunbridge Wells; Creep Wood, Battle; Guestling Wood, Hastings (known here as the “soldier-ant’) and Bixley Wood, Beckley (pseudo- gynes were present in one nest), E. Sussex, 1963. Frith Hill; Frimley (alate females were :still present in one nest in August, 1962); Ockham Common; Oxshott Heath; Blackheath and Winterfold Heath, Guildford, 1962; Tilford, Surrey, 1963. Caesar’s Camp and East- hampstead Wood; Great Hazes, Berks., 1962. Formerly abundant at Tubney, Berks. (1951-1955) but by 1962 the woodland had become much overgrown and had disappeared from the locality. A few colonies remain at Triangle Plantation, Tubney (A. J. Pontin, private communication, 1962). Burnham Beeches, Bucks., 1961-1963 (three examples of nests 6-8 ft. up in dead trees, a habit previously described ‘ ANT RECORDS AND OBSERVATIONS 141 by Richards (1958) at Oxshott, Surrey, have been seen here). First found at Shabbington Wood, Bucks., by A. J. Pontin (private com- munication, 1962) a few colonies were also present nearby at York’s Wood, 1962. The author is grateful to the following who have supplied specimens for identification from Holne Bridge, Ashburton, S. Devon (F. W. Pexton, 1963); Birchden Wood, Groombridge (P. G. Osborn, 1963) and High Woods, Bexhill (J. P. Hodgkinson, 1963), E. Sussex; Joyden’s Wood, Bexley Heath (W. D. Roberts, 1963), Oldbury and Bedgebury Park Woods (Miss S. Cloke, 1961), W. Kent; Hockley, S. Essex (R. Lambourne, 1963); Burleigh, Ascot, Berks. (A. J. Backhouse, 1962). Many of the localities listed by Nelmes (1938) and by Yarrow (1955) still require confirmation. The author would welcome details of any new records or recent confirmations (year and map reference, if possible) of this species. Formica nigricans Em. Guernsey, Channel Islands, 1961 (Miss S. Cloke). Formica cunicularia Latr. Studland, Dorset, 1952; Beaulieu Road and Ogden’s Purlieu, New Forest, S. Hants, 1963. Formica rufibarbis Fab. A further nest of this rare species was found in a turf mound in June 1963, some 200 yards away from the nest at Ship Hill, Chobham Common, found in 1962 (Barrett, 1963). The latter nest was still flourishing and had reared sexuals. The follow- ing are the nest sites which are now known at Chobham Common —Staple Hill (1), Ship Hill (2), Longcross Halt (1). The nest at Longcross was found by A. J. Pontin (1960) and was still present in 1963. A single nest is also known at Oxshott Common (Pontin, 1960) and has also been seen again in 1963 (A. J. Pontin, private communication). No recent confirmations have been obtained from other recorded sites in Surrey—Reigate, 1905, Ripley, 1908, and Weybridge, 1937 (Yarrow, 1954). The following introduced species have been found in heated buildings :— Monomorium pharaonis L. Reptile House, Belle Vue Zoo, Manchester, 1953; Tetramorium simillimum Smith and Paratrechina longicornis Latr. Kew Gardens, Surrey, 1953. The author is grateful to Mr. C. A. Colling- wood for the identification of one of these species. REFERENCES Barrett, K. E. J., 1963. Ants from the Chobham Common Area of Surrey. Ent. Rec., 75: 29-30. , 1968a. Myrmica schencki Em. in Surrey and Oxfordshire. Lntomologist, 96: 82. , 1964. Formica sanguinea Latr. in Southern England. Ent. Rec., 76: ; Collingwood, C. A., 1958. The Ants of the Genus Myrmica in Britain. Proc. R. ent. Soc. LOnd..(A), 33. 65-15. Donisthorpe, H. St. J. K., 1927. British Ants, 2nd Edn., London. Jeffery, H. G., 1931. Proc. Isle of Wight Nat. Hist. Arch. Soc., 2: 125. Nelmes, E., 1938. A survey of the Distribution of the Wood Ant (Formica rufa) in England, Wales and Scotland. J. anim. Ecol., 7: 74-104. Pontin, A. J., 1960. Formica rufibarbis in Surrey. Ent. mon. Mag., 96: 161. Richards, O. W., 1958. Formica rufa nesting in a tree. Ent. mon. Mag., 94: XV. Yarrow, I. H. H., 1954. The British Ants allied to Formica fusca L. Trans. Soc. Brit. Ent., 11: 229-244. , 1955. The British Ants allied to Formica rufa L. Trans. Soc. Brit. Ent., 12: 1-48. 129 Smith’s Lane, Windsor, Berks. 10th November 1963. 142 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 76 15/V/64 Notes and Observations THE SPREAD OF HADENA COMPTA (FaBR.) AND CUCULLIA ABSINTHII (LINN.)—- In view of recent correspondence on the spread of these two species I thought it might be of interest to record a further extension of their range. On a visit to Monkswood, Hunts., on the 16th June 1963, I found a specimen of Hadena compta sitting on the warden’s cottage. Upon report- ing this event to The Nature Conservancy I was informed by Mr. J. A. Thompson the Nene Warden Naturalist that it was a new record for the county, although a second specimen was observed there on the 26th July. On the 11th July 1963, I saw a light coloured moth hovering over Bladder Campion in my garden at Stowmarket. Upon capturing it I discovered that it was a perfect specimen of Cucullia absinthii. Although this species has long been known to cecur on the Suffolk coast, this is the first time I have heard of it from the interior of the county, but it has been recorded from Cambridgeshire by the Rev. Guy A. Ford.—H. E. CHIPPERFIELD, 27 Chilton Avenue, Stowmarket, Suffolk. 13.iii.64. A PROLONGED MIGRATION OF BUTTERFLIES IN Mataya—From the 15th May until the 20th June 1959, there was a considerable migration of butterflies flying towards the south-west and into the prevailing wind, in the vicinity of Tanah Rata (alt. 4,500 feet), Pahang, Malaya. At least eight species were involved in this flight. They were Euploea mulciber Cram. (Danaidae), Cirrochroa emalea Guér-Méné., C. satellita Butl. (Nymphalidae) and Eurema hecabe L. (Pieridae) with smaller num- bers of C. orissa C. & R. Felder, Terinos terpander Hewitson, Paduca fasciata C. & R. Felder (Nymphalidae) and Jamides bochus Stoll (Lycaenidae). The migratory movement was most in evidence on sunny days between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. and the direction of flight seemed constant day after day throughout the period. If an attempt were made to catch a specimen, it would take abrupt evasive action, and unless captured, would quickly resume its original course. On one occasion during this period butterflies were observed crossing the summit of Gunong Jasar (alt. 5565 feet). On this day a strong wind was blowing from the west, but despite a sudden and violent check in flight upon reaching the top, they immediately recovered, flew. low over the summit and descended directly into the wind, always keeping low and sheltered. An interesting feature was that while this migration was in progress, Vanesst cardui L., so well Known as a migrant elsewhere, was common in some gardens where it visited Coreopsis and other flowers, and was con- tent to remain there.—B. K. West, 121 Summerhouse Drive, Bexley, Kent. MYIOLIA CAESIO HARRIS IN SURREY.—This Trypetid fly is apparently quite a rarity, and I should therefore like to record the capture of a specimen near Eashing Bridge, Surrey, on 31st August 1963. At first glance I though it was Philophylla heraclei L. (the Celery Fly), but an examination of the specimen at home showed that the wing markings were quite distinct. Mr. R. Uffen kindly offered to examine it and give an opinion as to its identity, and I was pleased later when he told me it was Myiolia caesio, a species I had read about and which I hoped to take. Talking to Mr. L. Parmenter about the species, he kindly offered to send NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS 143 me a list of localities where it had been taken. He himself had taken single specimens at Limpsfield Common and Oxshott in Surrey, St. Erth in Cornwall, Panshanger in Hertfordshire, and Failand in Somerset, from 1937 to 1955. It has also been recorded from Glamorganshire, Suffolk, Norfolk, Gloucestershire (6 records), Somerset (7 records including the one already mentioned), and Nottinghamshire (2 records). Myiolia caesio is on the wing from June to August and most if not all the records are of single specimens. The foodplant of the larva is unknown. The earliest record in the list sent me by Mr Parmenter was at King’s Lynn, Norfolk, 1902-10, by E. A. Atmore. I should like to record my thanks to Messrs. Parmenter and Uffen for supplying me with the material to write these notes.—S. WAKELY, 26 Finsen Road, Camberwell, London, 5:55. BRITISH FLIES VI. EMPIDIDAE—AMENDMENTS.—Mr. J. E. Collin’s ‘‘Short Table of the British Genera” in this volume runs in couplet 47 (46) on page 19 to genus “18. Trichina”. On page 279, Trichina genus is numbered ‘‘19” on Mr. Collin’s acceptance of Tuomikoski’s genus Trichinomyia, with our flavipes as generic type, page 277 and the genus numbered “18”. Thus couplet 47 (46) should be amended to show that it covers the two genera 18. Trichinomyia and 19. Trichina. Mr. Collin has kindly informed me of four small errors he has also noticed in the book and copies should be amended as follows:— p. 388. Fig. 135a for ‘side view’ read ‘rear view’. p. 448. Couplet 41 (42) insert ‘not’ between ‘slender’ and ‘laterally’. p. 752. Under ‘synonomy’, in last line of first paragraph for ‘nec Zett’. read ‘nec Fln.’. p. 766 In the paragraph ‘Abdomen’, the last line should be deleted. Nec hairs should have been shown on the ‘pygidium’ in fig. 317b. L. PARMENTER. THE FLIGHT PERIOD OF HyYDROMYA DORSALIS Fab. (Dipt., Sciomyzidae).— The biology and immature stages of this snail-killing fly was described in a recent paper, 1963, in Proc. R. ent. Soc. Lond. (A). 38, by L. V. Knutson and C. O. Berg. They give an interesting range of flight periods, a short one 16th June to 4th September for central Finland and Lapland, 1st March to 6th November for central Europe and 10th April to 15th October for the more southern area of Tunisia and Algeria. For Great Britain the period is given as from 25th February to 23rd November. At Bookham Common, Surrey, a male was taken on 12th January 1947, when I was sweeping my net over dead bracken in the open area of Eastern Plain. The following year I captured a female in an area of Juncus of a pond close to this plain on 8th February. It is possible that the species overwinters as an adult in this country for a female was caught on 10th November 1946, during one of the reguiar monthly visits, two months before the January capture in 1947. No capture was made on the monthly visit in December 1946 as it coincided with a period of rain preventing collecting by sweeping and the visit was abandoned. The more equable climate of this country may account for the longer flight periods but it must also be borne in mind that records of occurrence also depend on the coincidence of the presence of insect and observer.—L. PARMENTER. WILLOW WARBLER, PHYLLOSCOPUS TROCHILUS L. fly-catching.—The leaf- less branches of a sallow, Salix atrocinerea Brot. permitted an excellent 144 ENTOMOLOGIST'S RECORD, VOL. 76 15/V/64 close view of a willow warbler that had attracted my attention with its beak snapping. It was watched for several minutes on Hayes Common, Kent, as it made darting flights amongst the twigs capturing two species of diptera—-Dasyphora cyanella Mg. and Egle muscaria F. These flies with a few Egle parva R.D., 3 or 4 Bombus terrestris L. queens, several honey bees Apis mellifera L. and two Peacock butterflies Nymphalis io L. were visiting the male catkins of the sallow to-day 17th April—L. PARMENTER. THE BRITISH RANGE OF TRICHIUS FASCIATUS L.: A CORRECTION AND A WARNING.—From one or two statements in the pages of the Record over the past few years, it seems there are some misconceptions current about the distribution in our Islands of this handsome chafer. To begin with the least serious, Mr. Byerley (1961: 262) appears to regard it as very local and seldom noticed in the Scottish Highlands, remarking “This beetle may be more widespread than we think. Is it the recorders that are rare?” ‘The answer is largely supplied by Commander Harper when he writes of it (1962:57) “. .. always quite common in various parts of the Highlands of Scotland’—a fact of which coleopterists have long been aware. Fowler, the standard authority, wrote as long ago as 1890 (Col. Brit. Isl., 4: 61) ‘Scotland, local, Highlands, Tay, Dee and Moray districts”. Still, I think there is something in Mr. Byerley’s suggestion, inasmuch as it is likely that many collectors have not troubled to give definite localities or even to report it at all; at least it is true that records from outside the favourite collecting areas of Aviemore, Rannoch, etc., are relatively few, and, like Mr. Byerley’s, welcome. Mr. Burton (1961: 222), in taking his cue from Linssen’s book, has been unfortuate—having stumbled into one of the pitfalls with which that highly unequal and unreliable work is, alas, so liberally strewn. He is probably far from being the only one to have been thus led astray. I avail myself of this opportunity, therefore, to issue a warning against accepting as ‘gospel’ any statement made in it—but above all, any relating to distribution, incidence, etc.—without an independent check (cf. my re- view, 1960, Ent. Rec., 72: 39-40). In the present case the author has perpetrated an extraordinary mish-mash, having for some unaccountable reason jumbled up the distribution of Trichius with that of a wholly un- related species. That this is so emerges clearly from what he writes. Consider the following statements (Beetles of the British Isles, 2: 126) :— “| occurs especially on Thymus serpyllum (Wild Thyme) . . . Its distri- bution is North Wales and very local... It is mostly found on Snowdon. Entomologists should consider it as being a ‘protected’ species’. No coleopterist—asked to guess what species was the subject of this quotation— would think for a moment of T. fasciatus, to which not a single item of it will properly apply; but there is one beetle, and one only, that he would instantly recognize as filling the bill, namely Chrysomela (or Chrysolina) cerealis L.! The true distribution of Trichius is squeezed, as it were, into a mere afterthought of a concessive clause: “though it has been recorded from the south of Wales and Scotland’! Further comment would, I trust, be superfluous. The Editorial note following Mr. Burton’s has fared somewhat better, but even here there is a statement calling for emendation, viz., that “this species has its main stands in the extreme south-west of England and in the Inverness-shire mountains...” (my italics). Here the writer may have NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS 145 been misled by Joy who in his Handbook (1932: 255) gives ‘Devon’, be- sides Scotland and S. Wales. However, the sole basis for this datum appears to be an old and perhaps questionable record for Exeter by Leach, going back probably something like a century and a half—scarcely a firm foundation, it will be admitted, for a belief that the insect is a settled inhabitant of S. W. England at the present time. In fact there is but one English county for which a few undoubted records (all recent) exist, and that is Herefordshire. Otherwise, apart from Scotland, it seems purely a Welsh species; and the records, though few, suggest that it probably occurs from Monmouth (where I have taken it) and Swansea, to Merioneth. In Wales, its headquarters are, however, decidedly in the south and mid-east. It will very likely be found to occur in Shropshire. This is one of a few species with a characteristic distribution which may be called Caledonian- Cambrian, and is paralleled remarkably closely in its range by the Pyrochroid Schizotus pectinicornis L., in Britain found only in the Scot- tish Highlands, east and perhaps central Wales, and Herefordshire (the Black Mountains). Such species appear to be absent not only from the south-west—unlike many ‘northerners’-—but also from N. England, S. Scotland, and Ireland. Most of the more recent records of T. fasciatus are assembled by M. W. Shaw (1961, Ent. mon. Mag., 97: 209).—A. A. ALLEN, 63 Blackheath Park, S.E.3. 2.ii.64. } A POosTSCRIPT ON Emus HIRTUS L.—I thank Mr. Huggins for his additional Essex record of this rare beetle (Southend district—Ent. Rec., 74: 279) and Mr. Brown for his interesting article on its early history in Britain (ibid., 75: 87-8). Since I wrote on the subject, a few further data have come to hand which it will be as well to add to those already given. The easternmost locality in Kent I mentioned previously, from which it had been recorded, was Faversham. At that time I had forgotten— what was later recalled through casual conversation with Mr. Chalmers- Hunt—that a specimen had been taken some years ago in the Canterbury district by Mr. John Parry. I have no further details of this find, but it is notable, being the most easterly to date that I have heard of in the county. Mr. R. L. E. Ford has been remarkably lucky in coming across chance specimens of Emus, and I am obliged to him for telling me of his captures, which, I understand, were picked up at large, rather than in the proper habitat. The most interesting was at Pevensey Bay, Sussex, several years back, as it provides a new county record. The others were at Faversham Creek (I believe the third or fourth from that neighbourhood in fairly recent times), and at Funton, near Cliffe, a few years ago. This locality is on the south bank of the Thames almost opposite Benfleet and Canvey Island, and the curious thing is not that the insect occasionally strays across the river but that it does not seem to establish itself anywhere on the north side, though conditions appear quite suitable. In view of these and other odd captures sometimes vaguely heard of, there is hope that E. hirtus may be holding its own in North Kent; but it now has fresh hazards to contend with in the form of chemicals which, I am told, are applied to pastures in spring to improve the new growth, and might be expected to affect adversely the early stages of the beetle and its prey —hboth living in the soil. So much for ‘progress’! 146 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 76 15/V/64 It is just possible that there may have been, or even still be, a perma- nent colony in the vicinity of Guildford in Surrey, whence J. F. Stephens had specimens (vide Brown, l.c.: 88). At any rate, it is interesting to note that there was an example from the same district in the collection of the late R. W. Lloyd, now at Manchester; the exact locality is Merrow, but I do not know the date or captor, or whether others occurred there. Per- haps—and one would think more probably—it is mere coincidence. On the other hand it is possible, as I pointed out earlier, for Emus to remain very highly localized even during periods of relative abundance, so that, if present in only small numbers, it could presumably pass almost un- noticed in a locality for many years.—A. A. ALLEN, 63 Blackheath Park, S.E..3. 231.64: Current Literature Index Literaturae entomologicae. Series II, by Dr. Walter Derksen and Dr. Ursula Scheiding: Berlin. 1963. This series follows Series I by Dr. Walther Horn and Dr. Sigmund Schenkling, which covered entomological literature up to 1863, and deals with world literature on entomology from 1864 until 1900. The present series will contain some 90,000 references classified under the authors’ names, which are classified alphabetically, where possible including a short biographical note cn the author and references to obituary notices. The titles are as published without any attempt at translation, so present no difficulties; the short introduction and the bio- graphical notes are in the German language. It is obvious that a very considerable amount of care has gone into the compilation. The first volume covers A to E, and one would expect the work to be completed in five or six such volumes. The index will be of the greatest assistance to research workers and should find a place in the libraries of ali entomological establishments throughout the world. The volumes are bound in grey buckram covered boards. S. N. A. JACOBS. Dissection of the Locust. By Joan G. Thomas. 9” xX 17”, 72 pp., 55 diagrams. H. F. & G. Witherby Ltd., London. Price 8/6. Intended for sixth forms in schools and undergraduate students, this work deals adequately with the dissection of the locust. Short chapters deal with the life history, breeding, preservation of specimens and the external features. The internal structure is covered in more detail each system or organ being described before the instructions for dissection. Practical instructions are in italics so that they can easily be picked out during the work. The Appendix gives hints on the preparation of permanent mounts, a number of observations which can be made on living specimens and books recommended for further reading. A. E. GARDNER. The Natural History of Flies. Harold Oldroyd. 93”x63”. Pp. xiv, 324, 32 half-tone plates (of 55 photos.), 40 line ee Weidenfeld & Nicolson. London, 1964. Price £2 10/-. CURRENT NOTES 147 The author, for many years Editor of the Royal Entomological Society, a systematist of the Entomology Department of the British Museum (Natural History), has a world wide reputation already based on his systematic studies and varied publications. He has taken full advantage of his access to literature and collections in the production of a work dealing with the diptera of the whole world. But the book is no mere compilation for the author contributes items based on field work in several countries as well as from his museum studies. Avoiding duplication of other standard works he has refrained from a systematic account and biological matters except as they illustrate his chosen theme—‘“an impressionist account of flies in evolution”. With species already more than 80,000 to choose from, his task of selection was great. The intro- ductory part is comprised of chapters on “the pattern of flies” and their life history. Then follows Part 2 broken into chapters devoted to the hundred or so families of flies in groups under titles such as water-midges, horse flies, compost- and dung-flies. The great variety of habits of larva and adult found in these families are described and compared, illustrating the several lines of evolution of habit and adapted structure taken by flies, and their future trend. In Part 3 the impact of flies on man and the swarming of flies, are discussed in detail with a chapter in conclusion on “the past, present and future of flies” that contains doubts on the result of insecticides on animals other than diptera, including man. A page or so on “Further Reading about Flies” leads to the bibliography of 331 items and the final comprehensive index of 24 pages. The book is very readable and with few exceptions reference to further reading is adequately made. Readers may not find their own choice of interesting accounts of habits selected, may wish for more expansion on their own favourite families or topics, but in all it is a very satisfactory, instructive and entertaining product. The line drawings are mostly by Arthur Smith and of his usual excellence and those of Boris Jobling and the author are of the highest quality. The plates suffer in comparison, for the detail is often none too clear and at times the photograph is over magnified. Those taken by the author himself are good. The absence of specific names in some instances is regretted as is the siting of a page devoted to figures of wingless flies, an empid Apterodromia evansi and an ephydrid Anomalopteryx maritima, and the page is headed “Mosquitoes”! Further, the appearance of “eg” and “ie” without the customary full stops, is surprising. The volume is the first of a new series edited by R. Carrington entitled “The World Naturalist”. It will be widely read and should greatly increase the interest in flies, the insects that have such fascinating habits especially as so many diptera play an important part in human lives. The coloured photograph of the Trypetid Dacus oleae on the jacket must attract atten- tion and cause the purchaser to retain this cover. It would have made an excellent frontispiece. 1 ved 2 Current Notes A New ABERRATION OF PrRocRIS StaTIcEs L. (the Forester).—In Opuscula Entomologica, xxviii: 3 (Lund, 1963) at page 225 J. Landin gives (with illustration) an account of a hitherto unrecorded aberration of this moth, taken in S.E. Scania in 1963. 148 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 76 15/V/64 “In the summer of 1963’, he writes, “I succeeded in catching two speci- mens (¢ and @Q) of a Procris species so peculiarly coloured that I failed to identify them at once. The problem was not solved until the examination of the male genitalia could be performed. Then it was verified that the specimens must belong to P. statices. “The main colour appearance is ....reddish. As a matter of fact it looks mostly like a Zygaena, apart from the hind wings which are entirely greyish. The body is black and red, the underside of the thorax in the female with a greenish tint. The forewings are entirely reddish (J), or red with basal green spots (©). The grey hindwings are darker than in the ordinary statices; on the whole the aberration is much duller, lacking the pright metallic shine in typical specimens of the species. “The collecting was made in Loderup in S.E. Scania on 27th July in an arid meadowland. P. statices used to be common at this locality, but I have never seen the aberration there before. I got the two specimens in one and the same net-sweep”. Landin goes on to remark that although the scientific names of infrasubspecific categories are excluded from the nomenclatorial provi- sions governing the species-group names (Art. 45 of the International Code, 1961) it might be justifiable to give this extremely aberrant form a name. “This is particularly important because the two specimens, representing the two sexes, indicate the possible existence of an aberrant population in the area”. For this reddish aberration he suggests the name Procris statices L. ab. rufescens (ab. nov.). Both specimens are now in the Entomological Museum at the Zoological Institute of Lund. It would be interesting to know if any Zygaenids occur in the same place. CHAZARA (SATYRUS) BRISEIS L. IN SWEDEN.—In Opuscula Entomologica xxviii: 3 (Lund, 1963) at page 223, H. Andrén records the capture of a specimen of this butterfly at Loderup in S.E. Scania on 13th July 1963. This appears to be the first record of this Satyrid butterfly north of the Baltic. Loderup is about 2 or 3 miles from the coast, opposite the island of Bornholm. C. Briseis is not included in Hoffmeyer and Knudsen’s De Danske Storsommerfugle, 1938, so it seems unlikely this specimen came trom Denmark. The shortest sea route from Pomerania to Lé6derup would be about 75 miles; if vid Bornholm, about 60 miles. We can find no mention of C. briseis in the Baltic coastlands and indeed one usually assoc- lates this insect with stony and rocky places at some elevation. WILD LirE TaPE RECORDING COMPETITION.—The B.B.C. and the Council for Nature are sponsoring a competition for recordings of natural sounds of British wild life. There will be five classes: 1, Individual Bird Species; 2, Individual Mammal Species; 3, Individual Insect Species; 4, Individual Amphibian Species; 5, Atmosphere (environ- mental recordings). There will be prizes of 25 guineas for the best entry in each class and 10 guineas for the runner-up. Entries must be received by the B.B.C. Natural History Unit by 1st September, 1964. Full information about the conditions for the competition can be obtained from the B.B.C. Natural History Unit, Whiteladies Road, Bristol] 8, or from the Council for Nature. LEPIDOPTERA OF KENT (165) 6a. Darenth Wood (see First Record). Cobham, June 10, 1912; Chatten- den, June 1, 1925 (F. T. Grant). 7. Wigmore Wood; Fir Grove; very uncommon (Chaney (1884-87)). Westwell (Scott (1950)). Boxley (A. H. Harbottle). 8. Folkestone*, scarce (Knaggs (1870)). Farthingsole Farm, Elham, nine, at sugar, June 7-8, 1924; Fryarne Park Wood, eight, at sugar, June 6, 1924 (W. E. Busbridge, Diary). Whinless Down; River (E. & Y. (1949)). Wye Crown, at sugar, June 1-2, 1935, June 1, 1936 (A. J. L. Bowes); 1948 (C.-H.). Canterbury; Crundale (J. A. Parry). Stowting; Brook (C. A. W. Duffield). 9. Margate (Barrett, Entomologist, 38: 214). Ramsgate, numerous, June 22, 1910 (J. W. C. Hunt). Birchington, one, c. 1930 (C.-H.). 11. Yalding; Wateringbury (V.C.H. (1908)). Tonbridge (Rattray, Entomologist, 45: 80). Benenden (G. V. Bull). Hoads Wood (Scott (1950)). Aylesford, c. 1953 (G. A. N. Davis). 12. Ham Street, at light, June 17, 1934 (A. J. L. Bowes). Chartham (P. B. Wacher). Ashford Town (P. Cue). Wye, May 26-July 3, 1953 (53), May 20-June 28, 1954 (13), May 27-July 9, 1955 (15), May 15-June 23, 1956 (22); Willesborough, May 11-July 7, 1954 (19), June 8-July 12, 1955 (13), May 25-June 19, 1956 (13) (W. L. Rudland). Willesborough, one, 1959 (M. Singleton). West Ashford, one, 1960 (M. Enfield). Orlestone Woods, 1950, 1956; Brook, 1960 (R. F. Bretherton). 13. Tunbridge Wells (Beeching, Ent. Rec., 2: 229, 3: 158). Bedgebury (G. V. Bull). Goudhurst, common (W. V. D. Bolt, in litt., 1961). 14. Hawkhurst, common (B. G. Chatfield). Iden Green, common (H. Boxall). 15. Dungeness, June 2, 1935 (A. J. L. Bowes); one, 1938 (C.-H.); a few, June 6-7, 1950, a few, May 31, 1954 (E. C. Pelham-Clinton); 1956 (R. F. Bretherton); May 30-July 8, 1962 (325), all in m.v. trap, with maximum (72) on June 12 (R. E. Scott). Lydd-on-Sea (Wakely, Ent. Rec., 71: 273). 16. Folkestone, Town (Morley, Ent. Rec., 64: 170). FIRST RECORD, 1829: “A few at Darent-wood, in different years... not very common; but found throughout the metropolitan district” (Stephens, Haust:, 2> 183). H. suasa Schiff. (dissimilis Knoch): Dog’s Tooth. Resident; suspected immigrant. Salt-marshes, waste places, etc.; [on Chenopodium. ] Until comparatively recently, the distribution of this species in Kent was that of a local maritime insect, more or less restricted to the salt- marshes of division 2. Since 1944, however, there have been records of its oecurrence in many new and unusual localities scattered throughout the county. Most remarkable was the appearance of the moth in unprece- dented numbers in East Kent in 1947; and the records, particularly those for 1945 and 1947, indicate at least one large immigration, apparently from some locality where there is a good deal of melanism. i. Birch Wood, 9, taken beginning of July 1818 (Stephens, Haust., 2: 193). Lee, occasionally at light (C. Fenn, in Wool. Surv. (1909)). St. Mary Cray, one, 1955 (R. G. Chatelain). Lee, one, June 26, 1955 (C. G. Bruce). Abbey Wood, one, 1957 (A. J. Showler). [West Wickham (de Worms, Lond. Nat., 1954: 85), is unconfirmed (E. Trundel]).] 2. Gravesend, July 11, 1865 (Fenn, Diary). Near Shorne Mead Fort, June 19, 1912, by H. Huggins, senior (F. T. Grant). Cliffe, one, July 4, 1874 (166) ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 76 15/V/64 (Fenn, Diary) (Chaney (1884-87)). Greenhithe Marshes, taken by A. B. Farn, 1887 (Fenn, Diary). Greenwich (V.C.H. (1908)). Strood, larvae abundant, 1904 (Ovenden, Ent. Rec.. 16: 294). Rochester, ova on leafless stems of previous years Chenopodium, 1906 (Ovenden, Ent. Rec., 19: 230). Isle of Grain, 1908 (Ovenden, Ent. Rec., 21: 32). Dartford, one, at ragwort, August 11, 1946; three, at honeydew, July 1950 (B. K. West). Isle of Sheppey, June 23, July 1, 1938, July 27, 1946 (R. C. Edwards); one, near Elmley, June 25, 1955 (C.-H.). Kingsferry Marshes, one, June 25, 1937 (A. H. Lanfear). Faversham (H. C. Huggins); about 30 on Nagden Marshes, June 25, 1952, flying and at rest on vegetation, including several pairs in cop., and two 2° with batches of ova on dead stems (C.-H.). Cliffe Marshes, August 21, 1960 (R. G. Chatelain). 3. Broad Oak, one, at sugar, August 4, 1945; four, at sugar, including two ab. confluens Evers., August 2, 1948 (C.-H.). Whitstable, August 10, 1948 (P. F. Harris). Eddington, Herne Bay, three, 1948, including a ¢ at light, May 7; one, 1949 (D. G. Marsh). Blean Wood, July 29, 1949 (G. H. Youden). 4. Deal (Tutt, Br. Noct., 3: 88). Ebbsfleet, 1937 (A. G. Peyton, teste A. J. L. Bowes). Sandwich, five at sugar, August 1, 1948 (C.-H.); three, 1949, one, 1950 (D. G. Marsh); one at sugar, June 28, 1954 (W. D. Bowden); one, 1954 (B. K. West). Worth, 1961 (T. W. Harman). Ickham, not common, 1954-59 (D. G. Marsh). 5. Downe, one, at m.v.l., June 9, 1956 (C.-H.). 6. Pinden, common since 1946 (E. J. Hare, in litt., xii.1949); annually since 1946 (E. J. Hare, personal communication, iv.1956). 6a. Darenth (Carrington, Entomologist, 12: 212). Chattenden, a dark specimen at sugar, June 21 (1896) (Tutt, Ent. Rec., 8: 186). 7. Wigmore Wood, one at sugar (Chaney (1884-87)). Westwell, one, August 14, 1949 (E. Scott). Whitehill, one, July 1958 (P. Cue). 8. Folkestone*, June 1892 (Russell James, Entomologist, 26: 50). Wye, one at sugar, July 7, 1946 (H. King); one, September 2, 1947 (G. V. Bull). Brook, common, September 1947 (C. A. W. Duffield). Shepherdswell, several, 1947 (FE. & Y. (1949)). Dover, fairly frequent in m.v. trap in garden in the town (G. H. Youden, in litt., 16.xii.1963). 9. Ramsgate, one, July 1, 1910; Broadstairs, one, July 21, one, July 29, 1948 (J. W. C. Hunt). St. Peters, one, May 20, one, May 28, one, August 10, 1956, one, at m.v.l., September 25, 1959 (W. D. Bowden). 11. Aylesford, c. 1953 (G. A. N. Davis). 12. Chartham, six, 1949 (P. B. Wacher). Willesborough, three, August 2-5, 1954, two, May 31, 1956; Wye, one, August 13, 1955, one, May 31, one, August 15, one, September 10, 1956 (W. L. Rudland). Ashford Town, one, in garden, July 14, 1956 (P. Cue). 14. Knock Wood, Tenterden, c. 1855 (Beale, Diary) (Stainton, Man., 1: 276, refers). Sandhurst, one, at sugar, August 2, 1948 (G. V. Bull). 15. Dungeness, two, August 12, 1932, one, August 5, 1934, several, August 5, 1945, one, September 11, 1947 (A. M. Morley); twenty-four taken, August 1, 1945 (A. Richardson); a few, August 5, 1945 (de Worms, Entom- ologist, 79: 45); abundant at sugar, August 27-30, 1947 (Richardson, Entomologist, 81: 110); at sugar in variety and profusion, August 30, September 3, 1947 (H. King); September 6, 1947 (R. C. Edwards); June 30- July 3, 1954 (R. F. Bretherton); one, in m.v. trap, June 11, 1962 (R. E. Scott). Newchurch, one, at sugar, August 18, 1947; St. Mary-in-the-Marsh, one, at ear lights, July 31, 1948 (P. le Masurier). Appledore, June 25; 1956 (P. Cue). LEPIDOPTERA OF KENT (167) 16., Folkestone Town, ¢, April 27, 1948 (Morley, Entomologist, 81: 178); one, May 17, 1952, five, July 29-August 9, 1953, ten, August 3-23, 1955, one, June 19, four, August 23-September 2, 1956, one, August 4, 1958, one, August 25, 1962, all in m.v. trap (A. M. Morley). West Hythe, three, August 28, three, September 4, 1947, including two ab. confluens Evers (Bull, Proc. S. Lond. ent. nat. Hist. Soc., 1948-49: 15); September 2, 5, 1947 (H. King). Sandgate, one, 1961 (N. Reay-Jones). VARIATION.—Generally speaking, specimens noted since 1944, away from the species’ normal habitat, have been comparatively small and with a strong tendency to melanism. A. Richardson (in litt.) briefly classified those taken by him at Dunge- ness in 1945 and 1947, as “dark” (these conform to fig. Ic in Barrett, Br. Lep., 4, plt. 157, and approximate to ab. confluens Evers.), “medium” (in- termediate between figs. 1 and la, in Barrett, loc. cit.), and “light” (approximating to fig. 2, in South, Moths Br. Isles (1907), pit. 121); and gives as follows some indication of their relative frequency :—August l, 1945: ‘“‘dark” (8), “medium” (4), “light” (10); August 27-30, 1947: “dark” (58), “medium” (27), “light” (22). He confirms that “on the whole the specimens are small”’. Tutt (Br. Noct., 3: 88) records ab. w-latinum Esp., from Deal and Strood; and in R.C.K., is ab. laeta Reuter, one, “Sheppey, 26.6.34, B. W. Armstrong”. First Recorp, 1809: “Habitat in Cantio, at valde infrequens; tempore oblito” (Haworth, Lepidoptera Britannica, 2: 190). H. thalassina Hufn.: Pale-shouldered Brocade. Native. Mainly woods; foodplant unknown. Of frequent occurrence, but apparently never plentiful. Recorded from all divisions, except 2, 9, 15. Few records for 3-6, 7, 10, 13-14, 16. “Generally common” (V.C.H. (1908)). 3. Blean Woods, one. May 31, 1866 (Fenn, Diary). Bigbury Wood, one, at sugar, 1895 (S. Wacher MS.). Whitstable, one, June 19, 1938 (P. F. Harris). 4. Deal, one, 1891 (Fenn, Ent. Rec., 2: 203). Sandwich, one, July 2, 1948 (G. H. Youden). Ickham, one or two only, 1954-59 (D. G. Marsh). 5. Chevening, 1914, 1917 (Gillett, Diary). Westerham (R. C. Edwards). 6. Greenhithe (Farn MS.). Gravesend (H. C. Huggins). Eynsford, June 19, 1960 (R. G. Chatelain). 7. Fir Grove; Wigmore Wood (Chaney (1884-87)). Westwell, June 4, 1951; June 23, 1954 (E. Scott). 10. Sevenoaks, June 12, 1922 (Gillett, Diary). 13. Tunbridge Wells, 1892 (Beeching, Ent. Rec., 3: 158); (E. D. Morgan). Goudhurst (W. V. D. Bolt). 14. Sandhurst (G. V. Bull). 16. Folkestone, July 1955 (R. W. Fawthrop, fide A. M. Morley). VARIATION.—Of ab. humeralis Haw., Tutt (Br. Noct., 3: 93) states: “This grey form is not at all uncommon in the various localities in Kent in which I have collected”. First ReEcorp, 1829: “. .. found throughout the metropolitan district” (Stephens, Haust.. 2: 183). ‘-H. contigua Schiff.: Beautiful Brocade. (168) ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 76 15/V/64 Native. Woods, heaths; on birch, oak, ‘“brake-fern’, “wild plum”, Solidago virgaurea. Very scarce nowadays, but apparently less so for- merly. 1. Birch Wood (Douglas, Zoologist, 3246). West Wickham, bred May 24, 1861, from larva (Huckett, Ent. week. Int., 10: 117). Blackheath (West, Ent. Rec., 18: 230). Eltham (Jones, in Trans. Cy. Lond. ent. Nat. Hist. Soc., 1899: 77) (Shooters Hill (Fenn, in Wool. Surv. (1909)) may refer). Joydens Wood formerly (Fenn, in Wool. Surv. (1909)) (Bexley (Jones, in Wool. Surv. (1909)) may refer). Dartford (Farn MS.). Dartford Heath, 9. on bramble blossom, July 8, 1935+ (B. K. West). Bromley, one c. 1949+ (CW. A. Cope). 3. Thornden Wood, one, at sugar, June 10, 1865 (Fenn, Diary). Blean, two, 1902, one, 1903; in J. Platt Barrett coll.+ (C.-H.). 6. Greenhithe, in moth trap (Farn MS.) (V.C.H.. (1908) probably refers). Pinden, two, June 1956 (Hare, fide de Worms, Lond. Nat., 1959: 102). 6a. Darenth Wood, 1844 (Douglas, Zoologist, 687); 1859 (Harding, Ent. week. Int., 6: 75); July 4, 1860 (Fenn, Ent. week. Int., 9: 59); bred 1861, from larva (Huckett, Ent. week. Int., 10: 117); five, 1862, two, May 30, 1863 (Fenn, Diary); larvae on golden-rod, 1864 (Meek, Ent. mon. Mag., 1: 191); larva on brake-fern, September 26, 1874 (Fenn, Diary); July 10, 1881 (Finzi, Entomologist, 14: 185); a larva, September 23, 1920 (A. R. Kidner, Diary); a larva on wild plum, October 10, 1925, imago reared (F. T. Grant). 7. Wigmore Wood, very uncommon (Chaney (1884-87)). 8. Folkestone* (Ullyett (1880)) (V.C.H. (1908) probably refers). Wye*, two in R.C.K., presumably taken by F. J. Hanbury, are labelled “F.J.H. Wye 5.93” (C.H.). 11. Yalding (V.C.H. (1908)). Wateringbury, one in E. Goodwin coll., undated} (C.-H.). Mereworth Wood, on larch trees in the Lord’s Walk (W. A. Cope). Holt Wood, Aylesford, one in m.v. trap, 1953, taken by G. A. N. Davis} (C.-H.). Note: “East Kent’, 1899 (Porritt, Ent. mon. Mag., 35: 210) cannot be located. First REcorpD, 1844: Darenth Wood (Douglas, Zoologist, 687). H. dysodea Schiff. (chrysozona Borkh.): Small Ranunculus. Resident, apparently extinct. Gardens. gravel pits. waste places; on Lactuca virosa, “Sonchus’. Formerly rather plentiful locally, with a wide range in Kent, more or less maritime or sub-maritime in character. No known occurrence since 1909. 1. Lewisham, two, July 5, one, July 23, 1845, both at light (Stainton, Zoologist, 1194); one at light, July 3, 1846 (Stainton, Zoologist, 1790). [Plumstead], 1857, more than thirty specimens captured (Purnell, Ent. week: Int. 225123): 2. Chatham.—“This moth was not uncommon in some years in my garden at New Brompton, flying at dusk over the flowers of candy-tuft, orange lily, ete. I have never seen it in woods or the open country” (Chaney (1884-87)). Near Sheerness, 1871, rare, at rest and flying at dusk (Walker, Ent. mon. Mag., 8: 185). 4. Deal*, 1858 (Harding, Ent. week. Int., 4: 141); 1860 (Harding, Ent. week. Int., 8: 155). 6. Northfleet, June 1848, five at flowers in garden (Hodgekinson, FOR THE ENTOMOLOGIST Apparatus, Books, Cabinets, and Set Specimens Price lists of the above are issued from time to time, so if you would like to receive regular issues please send me a postcard stating your interests L. 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CONTENTS COMMENTS ON THE SUPPOSED OCCURRENCE IN SCOTLAND OF EREBIA LIGEA (LINNAEUS) (LEPIDOPTERA, SATYRIDAE). E. C. PELHAM-CLINTON A, as ved sr Oe. A oe beh sak -- 124 A CONTINENTAL HOLIDAY, 1963. Dr. NEVILLE L. ‘fier 4 sae Bits OE NEW SYNONYMY IN THE GENUS ZYGAENA FABRICIUS (LEPIDOPTERA : ZYGAENIDAE). HuGO ReIss and W. GERALD TREMEWAN ... Fees were ORTHOPTERA NOTES FROM S.W. BRITAIN, 1963. J. F. BURTON, F.R.E:S., OY A a aR ee RAs ec arr neue mrouatore ty Sl ANT RECORDS AND OBSERVATIONS. K. E. J. BARRETT... ... Petite t NOTES AND. GHSERVATIONS. <2, > 40. 627.059, 7 22 RO ec ae CURRENT LITERATURE ... aa xt rh ei neil sg hte teas Tar whic Bd AO CURRENT NOTES .... ues ai a tye 55 a ee be. 43 See oo SUPPLEMENT—THE BUTTERFLIES AND MOTHS IN KENT: A CRITICAL ACCOUNT. PART II. J. M. CHALMERS-HUNT _... . (165) TO OUR CONTRIBUTORS All material for the TEXT of the magazine must be sent to the nee at 54 Hayes Lane, Bromley, Kent. ADVERTISEMENTS, EXCHANGES and WANTS to F. W. 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LTD. 1-4 Bedford Court, Strand, , London, — a 149 Collecting Zygaena Fabricius (Lep., Zygaenidae) in Scotland in 1963 By W. G. TREMEWAN and W. B. L. MANLEY For some considerable time we had both wanted to visit Scotland to collect some of the Scottish subspecies of the genus Zygaena Fabricius, but it was not until 1963 that the opportunity arose. After reading various collecting accounts and studying maps of Scotland, we decided to visit the Isle of Skye. Due to the near arctic conditions that prevailed while making our plans, we assumed that the season would be a late one. We were particularly anxious to obtain a series of the recently discovered Z. lonicerae jocelynae Tremewan. This subspecies was described from a series of specimens bred from cocoons collected by Mr. R. F. Bretherton in 1961 on the Isle of Skye (Tremewan, 1962: 10). We also wanted speci- mens of Z. purpuralis caledonensis Reiss and Z. filipendulae Linné from Skye. As these normally appear towards the end of June in Scotland, we decided to try for these species and hoped to obtain lonicerae jocelynae by collecting the cocoons as Mr. Bretherton had done. We therefore decided to leave for Skye on 20th June. Our party consisted of the two authors and the wife and son of W. G. T. We left Byfleet, Surrey, at 5 a.m. on 20th June and, having lunched on arrival in Scotland, arrived at 7 p.m. that evening at Glencoe, where we spent the night. The weather during our journey north was atrocious, with torrential rain and showers, so we feared that any insects that might have emerged would be badly damaged. Leaving Glencoe at 9 a.m. on the morning of the 21st, we arrived early in the afternoon at Kinloch Farm, Isle of Skye, which was to be our headquarters for the next five days. Although the weather was still poor, occasional glimpses of the sun between the showers raised our hopes. However, we were rather worried as to the possibility of our having arrived too early in the season as, during our journey through Glencoe, patches of snow were still to be seen on the north-facing slopes of the mountains. We were somewhat encouraged with the news from our hosts that, although there had been severe and prolonged frost on Skye, no snow had fallen there during the winter. Later that afternoon we explored the coastal area near Kinloch but found no sign of Zygaena. On the morning of the 22nd the weather had improved and, in spite of a cool breeze, the greater part of the day was warm and sunny. Driving to a remote, coastal part of the island where we knew that lonicerae jocelynae occurred, we soon came upon purpuralis caledonensis in great profusion. This species was so abundant that at times it was difficult to walk without crushing specimens under our feet. Most of them were males, with an occasional female, all in fresh condition and many, mainly females, were still emerging. The cocoons of purpuralis were spun low down on the ground amongst the herbage, and many were attached to rocks and stones. We were rather anxious to study the variation, if any, of purpuralis and our efforts were soon rewarded. In addition to a good series of typical specimens, several were taken in which the normal, carmine red of the forewing streaks and hindwings is replaced with brownish red. This aberration is more apparent when the insect is alive with folded wings than when set, when the colouration is 150 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 76 15/V1/64 more translucent. A female was captured with distinct, red scaling on the underside of the last two abdominal segments. One of us (W. B. L. M.) took a perfect male in which the normal red colouration is replaced with orange-yellow. The specimen was feeding, in company with normal specimens, on a thistle-head and was easily spotted from a distance of several yards. The species was very active in the sunshine, flying and feeding on flowers, including those of Thymus drucei Ronn., the foodplant of the larvae. On one thistle-head, nine purpuralis were counted, each struggling for a place to feed. Both sexes of filipendulae anglicola Tremewan were found in fresh condition. In the Isle of Skye the species is rather variable compared with populations from the south of England. The cocoons of filipendulae were found spun low down near the ground on grass and other stems. They were easily detected and were not concealed like those of trifolii palustrella Verity on the chalk downs of southern England. The cocoons of the Skye filipendulae are very uniform in size and are rather narrower than those of the English specimens. In colour, the cocoons are very constant and are a bright, shining yellow, showing no variation. An abundance of Lotus corniculatus L., the foodplant of the larvae of filipen- dulae, grows in the area. The colonies are situated on the steep, south-facing slope of a valley and extend from the coast to about a mile inland. Both species occur from the foot of the valley to the top, at an elevation of approximately 300 ft. The area is fairly heavily grazed by sheep and cattle but this does not have any apparent effect on the abundance of either purpuralis or filipendulae. It was not until we had actually arrived on the edge of the sea-shore, that we found cocoons of lonicerae jocelynae. Here, there is no grazing and the cocoons were spun fairly high up on grass stems, amongst lush herbage at the foot of the cliffs. As the tide was low, we were able to walk along under the undercliffs and, further along on the slope of the undercliff, we found more cocoons and a few larvae of lonicerae. Some larvae were just beginning to spin up and many others had not yet pupated within the cocoons. Available foodplants which grow in the area are Lathyrus pratensis L., Trifolium pratense L. and Lotus cornicu- latus L., but all larvae that we found were resting or feeding on L. pratensis. The 23rd June proved to be a cold and wet day and, driving to another coastal spot, we found only one filipenduiae, a freshly emerged male. The morning of the 24th greeted us with subnormal temperatures and heavy rain and showers. However, we decided to revisit our first locality which we reached about mid-day, by which time the rain had stopped. During the afternoon we again worked the north side of the valley, con- centrating our efforts in obtaining further aberrations of purpuralis. In this we were successful and captured further specimens of the brownish red form. One of us (W. B. L. M.) found a female in which the right fore- wing streaks are enlarged and suffused so that practically the whole of the forewing is red. Unfortunately, the left forewing is deformed and crippled. The specimen was in copula with a normal male. The weather during the afternoon was cloudy with occasional showers and collecting was made easy by the inactivity of the insects. During dull or wet weather, purpuralis rested exposed but low down on flower heads and grass stems. Many were also found sheltering under fronds COLLECTING ZYGAENA FABRICIUS IN SCOTLAND 151 of bracken (Pteridium aquilina (L.) Kuhn). When for a brief moment the sun appeared, the Zygaena species became very active. It is evident that, in such northerly localities where prolonged periods of bad weather are frequent, the insects have to take advantage of every glimpse of sun- shine for feeding and pairing. A new station was discovered for lonicerae when we found cocoons of this species in the more inaccessible area above the top of the slope. Here, the vegetation is more luxuriant and grazing by sheep and cattle is less evident. Z. filipendulae was conspicuous by its absence, both as imagos and cocoons. However, the ubiquitous purpuralis was found here although not so abundantly as lower down on the slope. The cocoons of lonicerae jocelynae are readily distinguished from those of filipendulae. The cocoons of the latter are situated exposed btut low down, and are long and narrow in shape and bright yellow in colour. The cocoons of lonicerae jocelynae are situated fairly high up on grass stems but lower than those of lunicerae transferens Verity in the south of England. In the latter region the cocoons of lonicerae transferens are difficult to separate from those of filipendulae. The cocoons of lonicerae jocelynae are readily separated from those of lonicerae transferens in being larger and broader. Further cocoons of lonicerae jocelynae were found along the sea-shore. Even here, a few purpuralis were found resting on rocks and pebbles. It is necessary to emphasize that heavy grazing by sheep and cattle has no apparent effect on purpuralis or filipendulae, whereas the cocoons of lonicerae were found only above the top of the slope where grazing was not so heavy or along the sea-shore, which was inaccessible to sheep and cattle. When we reached the shore it was late afternoon by which time it had started to rain. Rather than return to the car by the laborious route along the slope we decided to walk along the shore to the south side of the valley. However, we were unaware that we had to cross the river, described locally as “the wee burn”, which, with the recent heavy rains, was almost a torrent. Our only course was to wade across and we dried out our clothes during the journey back to Kinloch. The weather of the 25th had improved considerably, with more pro- longed periods of sunshine. After visiting Portree, the capital of Skye, we drove to a further locality situated on steep, south-facing slopes above low cliffs on the north side of a loch. Here, the grass- and bracken- covered slopes were heavily grazed by sheep. There was an abundance of Thymus drucei and Lotus corniculatus which supported colonies of purpuralis and filipendulae respectively. However, neither species was so abundant here. A short series of both species was taken but very little variation was noted, except in filipendulae, in which the forewing spots are frequently confluent in pairs. No cocoons of lonicerae were found. On 26th June, our last day on Skye, we decided to return to the first locality where all three species of Zygaena occurred. The weather was still very unsettled and, shortly after we commenced colleeting, a heavy shower soaked us. The rest of the day was dull and cool with only occasional glimpses of the sun. We again concentrated on searching for aberrations of purpuralis and our efforts were well rewarded. The wife of W. G. T. captured a fairly good male of purpuralis in which the fore- wing streaks and hindwings are clear yellow. Although this aberration has been recorded once from Ireland (ssp. hibernica Reiss ab. flava Tutt) 152 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 76 15/ V1/64 it had previously not been taken in Scotland. Almost simultaneously, one of us (W. G. T.) captured an orange-yellow specimen which, unfortune- ately, is in very poor condition. A perfect male was captured with the forewing streaks suffused, so that the whole of the forewings are red with the exception of a narrow border of the ground colour around the apex and termen. This aberration is of the same form as the crippled female taken on the 24th. Further specimens of the brownish red form were taken. A not uncommon aberration was captured in which the hatchet- shaped streak (3+5) is reduced in size and constricted in the middle. This aberration was also captured on the 22nd and the 24th. The females were now more abundant and some beautiful specimens were taken with yellowish scaling in the ground colour of the forewings. The variation of filipendulae was of the usual form found in this region, with the spots confluent in pairs, especially spots 5 and 6. Two extreme examples were taken with spots 5 and 6 confluent and extended in a red suffusion towards the termen. Further cocoons of lonicerae were collected above the top of the slope. Here, Lathyrus pratensis appears to be absent, but a larger species of pea, Lathyrus montanus Bernh., grows abundantly. A larva of lonicerae was actually seen feeding on this plant a few weeks earlier by Dr. M. Harper (in litt.). In addition to L. montanus, Lotus corniculatus and Trifolium repens L. grow in the area and one larva of lonicerae was found feeding on the latter plant (T. repens). We left the Isle of Skye early on the morning of 27th June and made our way to Braemar, via Spean Bridge, Aviemore and Grantown-on-Spey. We had hoped to call on Cmdr. Harper at Newtonmore but, unfortunately, he was collectiing in North Wales at the time. On route to Braemar we were often in the clouds in the Tomintoul area and our hopes of seeing Erebia epiphron Knock and Coenonympha tullia Miller soon disappeared. The nearer we approached Braemar the more the weather deteriorated and we finally reached our destination in the late afternoon in a thick drizzle. On the morning of the 28th the weather had worsened but we decided to look for Z. exulans subochracea White, the object of our visit to Brae- mar. We drove up the mountain to about 1500 ft. when we began to enter the cloud layer. A bitterly cold, northerly gale, with rain and drizzle, forced us to abandon our search for exulans. In Scotland, the species flies between 2000 ft. and 3000 ft. and at the time of our visit the whole of the area was enveloped in cloud. We had allowed two days for collecting at Braemar but, as the weather showed no signs of improving, we de- parted on the 29th, reaching Byfleet early in the afternoon of 30th June, having broken our journey overnight at Boroughbridge, Yorkshire. We considered that our complete failure at Braemar had been compensated for by the remarkably good collecting that we had experienced on Skye, in spite of indifferent weather conditions. A more detailed analysis of the specimens captured or bred is given below. Z. purpuralis caledonensis Reiss Z. purpuralis caledonensis Reiss, 193i, Int. ent. Z., 25: 341. The specimens of purpuralis from the Isle of Skye differ little from those from Oban, Argyllshire, the type locality of ssp. caledonensis Reiss. As noted above, the variation is remarkable, but such variation may not BUTTERFLIES AT GIBRALTAR, MARCH 1964 153 necessarily be confined to Skye and may have been overlooked in other Scottish localities where the species occurs. The orange and the yellow forms have not previously been recorded from Scotland and this also applies to the other aberrations. The brownish red aberration, which was not uncommon, is of great interest. The two aberrations with the fore- wings suffused with red are probably the result of exposure of the larvae or pupae to extreme temperatures. Z. filipendulae anglicola Tremewan Z. filipendulae anglicola Tremewan, 1960, Ent. Gaz., 11: 189. The populations from the Isle of Skye are quite distinct but are best referred to ssp. anglicola Tremewan. ‘The chief characteristics of the Skye populations, and also of those from the other islands of the Inner and Outer Hebrides excepting the Isle of Berneray, are the rather hairy thorax and abdomen and the frequent confluence of the forewing spots into pairs, especially spots 5 and 6. This variation has already been noted by Heslop-Harrison (1940: 135; 1945: 25). The populations of the Inner and Outer Hebrides may prove to be a subspecies distinct from ssp. anglicola but, before separating them, it is necessary to compare them with large series of specimens from the mainland of West Scotland. Z. lonicerae jocelynae Tremewan Z. lonicerae jocelynae Tremewan, 1962, Ent. Gaz., 13: 10. From the cocoons that were collected, we bred a series of over one hundred specimens of lonicerae jocelynae Tremewan. The rather hairy thorax and abdomen, broad forewings with rounded apexes and enlarged forewing spots, separate this subspecies from lonicerae transferens Verity from England. Three males and sixteen females show varying degrees of confluence, from examples with spots 2 and 4 confluent, to specimens with all the spots suffused and confluent. In the females, spots 3 and 4 are joined and are rarely separated by the ground colour. These forms are uncommon in ssp. transferens. Two females have the base of the hind- wings tinged with orange-vermilion. REFERENCES Heslop-Harrison, J. W.,. 1940, The Genus Zygaena in the Western Isles of Scotland. Ent. Rec., 52: 134-137. ——., 1945, Further Observations on the Genus Zygaena in the Inner and Outer Hebrides. Ent. Réec., 57: 25-27. Tremewan, W. G., 1962, A New Subspecies of Zygaena lonicerae Scheven (Lep., Zygaenidae) from Scotland. Ent. Gaz., 13: 10-11. Butterflies at Gibraltar, March 1964 By Major General Sir GEORGE JOHNSON, K.C.V.O., ' A ten day visit to Gibraltar in March produced some interesting butterflies, both on the Rock itself and in adjacent parts of Andalucia. A crowded and uncomfortable three hour night flight from London brought me to the Rock Hotel about 1 a.m. on 10th March. The following day was overcast with only intermittent sun, and was spent investigating the gardens and walks behind the hotel and in obtaining a permit for the military zones on the Rock from Fortress Headquarters. Three fresh Zerinthia rumina L., one Gonepteryx cleopatra L., two of the bright Spanish form of Pararge aegeria L., and one Celastrina argiolus L. were 154 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 76 15/V1/64 caught. Pieris brassicae L., Pieris rapa2 L., and Pyrameis atalanta L. were seen. On 11th March, Colonel Mackworth Praed showed me a delightful cliff path in the military zone. It faced south above Europa Point, and the cliff was covered with flowers and shrubs, particularly various sweet smelling leguminosae. Barbary partridge and the blue rock thrush were amongst the birds to be seen. Sun was weak and intermittent, but we saw several Euchloé tagis Hiibn., and caught one. At about 11.30 a.m. we motored into Spain taking the San Roque-Ronda road. About three miles beyond San Roque, we stopped by a railway line in cork oak woodland. Thanks to the railway fence, the herbage was less grazed than usual along the line. Though sun was only fitful, a number of Z. rumina were flying, and a fresh series was obtained. Other butterflies noted were Anthocaris euphenoides Stgr., Leptidea sinapis L., Colias croceus Fourc., and Callophrys rubi L. The next three days were overcast and wet, but 15th March was lovely, sun all day, though rather windy in the afternoon. A visit to the cliff path previously described (known as the Mediterranean steps) produced six E. tagis and one or two Z. rumina and A. euphenoides. E. tagis, as usual, flew very fast and erratically on the steep ground, and could not be followed. The only procedure possible was to select a likely corner and to stand and wait, taking a wild shot whenever the insect came within range, perhaps about once every ten minutes; as many were missed as caught. In the afternoon we joined Colonel Mackworth Praed, who was staying near San Roque. His hostess allowed us to collect in her almond orchard on a north facing slope. Despite a strong wind, Thestor ballus Fab. was flying over the short turf and we obtained a series. A large, white Astragalus was growing here in clumps, and round them flew Tarucus telicanus Lang. and a few Cosmolyce boeticus L., The only Papilio machaon L. we saw on our trip was on this ground. On 16th March I made an expedition to the sandhills west of Tarifa. Here amongst white broom, a few of the small Andalucian form of Polyommatus icarus Rott. were flying with a few T. ballus. 17th March was a day of rather thin sun but a morning visit to the Mediterranean Steps produced three E. tagis and one Aricia agestis Schiff. On 18th March we visited Castellar de la Frontera, a hill top village 27 kilometres from La Linea off the Ronda road. The tiny, winding cobbled streets and outer walls were clearly unchanged since mediaeval days, and many lesser kestrels were breeding in the towers and walls. On the way down, as the road to the north-east entered the cork oak zone, ‘some fast flying “whites” were seen. A stop for one hour produced a nice series of Euchloé ausonia Hiibn. and a few of the spring brood of Euchloé belemia Esp. So ended a pleasant trip; a list of the butterflies noted follows :— Papilio machaon L., Zerinthia rumina L., Pieris brassicae L., Pieris rapae L., Euchloé ausonia Hiibn., Euchloé belemia Esp., Euchloé tagis Hiibn., Anthocaris cardamines L., Anthocaris euphenoides_ Sitgr., Leptidea sinapis L., Colias croceus Fource., Gonepteryx rhamni L., Gonepteryx cleopatra L., Pyrameis atalanta L., Pararge megera L., Pararge aegeria L., Callophrys rubi L., Thestor ballus Fabr., Cosmolyce boeticus L., Taracus telicanus Lang., Aricia agestis Schiff., Polyommatus icarus Rott., Celastrina argiolus L. Castlesteads, Brampton, Cumberland. 28.iii.1964. ‘ MELANISM IN LEPIDOPTERA IN WEST IRELAND P55 Melanism in Lepidoptera in the West of Ireland By H. C. Hucaeins, F.R.E.S. It is now fifty years since my first collecting trip to Ireland, which was in late April and May of 1914, and since then I have made in all 24 visits. I should probably have gone more often had it not been for the “troubles” and the second world war. Not all my time there was devoted to lepidoptera, I put in quite a lot of trout fishing, and my first five trips were mainly concerned with land and freshwater shells, especially the curious races of Lymnaea pereger Mill. found in the mountain lakes of west Cork and Kerry. Asa result of my collecting Lymnaea involuta Thompson was reduced to SE USSCING rank, and L. praetenuis Bowell washed out altogether. Communications in my first days were either difficult or non-existent. To get to Glengarriff it was necessary to take the now defunct Cork, Bandon and Bantry railway and then wait at Bantry for the boat, which only sailed twice a week. When my wife and I spent our honeymoon at Glengarriff in 1919 we hired a side car and drove the eighteen miles from Bantry. A side-car is what tourists, guides and romantic authors call a ‘“jaunting car’. I never heard the word used in Ireland until after the second world war, though it may have been at Killarney, which was early devoted to such rubbish as bog-oak, post cards of angels and the lakes printed in Germany and the Colleen Bawn (invented by Dion Boucicault circa 1850). On 10th May, 1914, I took the first recorded Irish specimen of Eupithecia pulchellata sub-sp., hebudiwm Sheldon, which whetted my interest in the Irish melanics. I have the insect still and it is identical with Sheldon’'s Scottish type in the B.M. Since then I have kept records and specimens of most of the melanic western forms, and have tried at times to produce theories about them, but have always given up in despair. Nature is rather a sorry jade; just as you seem to have mastered the cause of some phenomenon, she gets behind you and treats you as More of More Hall did the Dragon of Wantley. My first difficulty is the utter inconsistency of species, several of whicn are extremely light in the west. Hadena conspersa Esp., which has black forms in the Shetlands, and even on the silver sand at Tresco is slightly suffused with buff when fresh, is at Dingle as clear a black and white as on the Kentish downs or at Dungeness. Eupithecia castigata Htibn. is represented at Dingle by a whitish insect with black bands: I took this to the B.M. to be confirmed, and even Mr. Fletcher was doubtful until he had examined the genitalia. As I have only taken two, so far, I have not sufficient material to tell whether it is a sub-species or an aberration of which I have missed catching the typical form. Cleora repandata L. is, at Dingle, the lightest I have ever seen. I have taken beautiful dove-grey forms at Glengarriff, but these are there mixed with heavily speckled ones, but at Dingle the majority are whitish grey with a few dark lines. Unfortunately all these forms change from grey to dirty brown after a few years in the cabinet. Polia nebulosa Hufn. The whitest I have ever seen come from Glen- garriff and Dingle. - I will not multiply examples, of which I could give others, but it is 156 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 76 15/VI/64 disconcerting when insects much paler than usual turn up with the melanics. My second difficulty is the utility of melanism in these coastal insects. Apart from cryptic reasons, Dr. Kettlewell has suggeted that in these misty and rainy areas, a black insect can absorb sunlight more readily than a light one. His arguments with painted coins, etc., are quite convincing, but I cannot understand how an insect can be benefited by sunlight to which it is seldom, or never exposed. ‘ I have done little collecting with a light in Ireland and made most of my captures by hard searching yet I have never seen Hadena lepida ssp. capsophila Dup. or H. caesia Borkh., both of which are markedly melanic, at rest on a rock although I have found plenty of H. nana Hufn., whilst looking for them. This is the more remarkable as capsophila is one of the commonest insects where it occurs, as I have often found the light lepida Esp. on fences and posts in Kent. Although I have netted both species at dusk over flowers, I have never heard of anyone finding capsophila at rest naturally, and the only caesia that I know was so found was one by P. H. Grierson on the cliffs of Moher, Co. Clare. Grierson, who was in the Irish Land Survey, was, like R. A. Phillips, primarily a botanist and conchologist, and was no doubt peering for snails when he found it. It may be remembered that he was the first to find the glass snail Vitrina pyrenaica Fér. in the British Isles at Collon, Co. Louth; when first found, it was described as a new species by the late J. W. Taylor as V. hibernica. In 1915 Grierson, Phillips and myself had a discussion on Irish melanics and other subjects at Galway, and these two acute observers both said how seldom you found melanic insects when snail-hunting. I remember the occasion particularly as we did not knock off until 1 a.m. and my boat left for the Arran Islands at 5.30! I have mentioned these two Hadenas particularly as their coloration is uniformly dark, whereas in most others the darker specimens are mixed with more typical. Even here, however, insects are seldom seen at ali unless disturbed, or attracted to M.V. light, and I think are mostly hidden by day. I will now give a few notes on the dark forms I have seen, in the hope they will help others in forming conclusions. Cryphia muralis Forster. I have only seen this moth, on which I specialise in Ireland, at Dingle in the far west. It is rare there and runs from pale grey through green, to black (ab. nigra Huggins). In thirty days hunting, mostly in company with my wife, who was quite as good as I was, I have seen 70 examples, of which four were ab. nigra and five of a greenish black form which might fairly be called melanic. These melanics were sitting on walls in company with the lighter specimens. I have never seen a melanic muralis in Cork, where it is locally common, or elsewhere. Hadena caesia Borkh. The so-called black caesia, which is dark iron grey with still darker areas, appears to be the only form found in west Cork and Kerry. I have it from Adrigole, Slea Head and the Blaskets, and I also bred two of this kind amongst a long series of the blue-grey ones from the Burren. Fiadena cucubali Fuessl. Kane mentions a specimen from the Blaskets of a blackish ground colour with only the faintest trace of purple. I have bred a number from Adrigole (my locality there was a large rock, cut off, except at low tide, and covered with spray in every wind) and also MELANISM IN LEPIDOPTERA IN WEST IRELAND Sul Inishvickilaun in the Blaskets, and all were exactly similar to my Kentish ones, or those found on ragged robin on inland bogs in Ireland. H. lepida ssp. capsophila Dup. The melanic ab. confusa Tutt is the only form from Seven Heads in Cork, to Dingle. When fresh it may fairly be called black, but turns brownish black after a few years. I have also bred ab. obsoleta Richardson, in which the lighter markings are almost entirely gone, from Adrigole, Slea Head, and the Blaskets. Curiously enough I bred four or five from Adrigole which are as light grey as any Howth ones, but these were a very small percentage as from 1948-50 I bred over 100, as all my friends wanted black ones and the larva was very common at Adrigole. Eumichtis adusta Esp. All Dingle specimens are deep blackish-brown, the lighter brown and marbled forms which predominate in England are absent. Apamea monoglypha Hufn. The very dark brown, almost black, forms are found all round the coast of west Cork and Kerry from Glengarriff to Dingle in varying proportions. At Glengarriff I should estimate them at 5%: at Dingle at 25%. The Dingle ones are darker than any I have seen from Scotland or elsewhere. Caradrina taraxaci Hubn. At Dingle 25% of this moth are deep brownish black. Mr. E. S. A. Baynes has informed me that this form is the commoner cne in some parts of the Burren. As the moth is most obscure in habits (I have never seen one in the day time) the value of its melanism in Western Ireland appears somewhat problematical. Euphyia bilineata L. This is another Irish insect on which I have specialised; it is also the most puzzling. On most of the sea cliffs and beaches of west Cork and Kerry it varies little, yet on a thirty mile range from Dingle to Dursey, occasional cliffs have a profuse range of variation from slightly striped and banded forms to hibernica Prout and very rare extremes such as almost uniform blackish brown near to isolata Kane and ethelae Huggins, the blackish brown form with a few white hair lines 9n the forewings. My two specimens of this were taken in localities thirty miles apart and at an interval of eight years. In these mainland cliffs, where it does vary 90% of the moths are ordinary yellow, or nearly so; the variations only exist in gullies on the cliff face, and in some gullies a small percentage of hibernica and its allied forms is found, whilst in exactly similar ones a few hundred yards away, all specimens are yellow. A peculiarity of these hibernica forms is that they in some cases inhabit caves and others live in the rough grass, ragwort, and occasional brambles growing on the rock surface, and that those inhabiting caves are in all cases accompanied by typical ones, whilst the darkest may lurk in a tuft of grass. The original ab. ethelae taken by my wife was dislodged by me from a mass of grass and brambles twenty feet below the top of a cliif and flew to the top where she was standing, and was boxed by her from a rock on which it alighted. I have never seen any of these extreme forms except where the cliff is periodically drenched with spray in rough weather. Finally there is the most extreme form isolata Kane. This so far has only been found on Tearaght and Inishvickilaun in the Blaskets. Kane’s specimens were all taken on Tearaght, and I know nothing further about them except that they were the only kind found on the island and that he took a number of females. They are now, after over sixty years, _ of a blackish brown colour. On Inishvickilaun I have seen 18 specimens, of which seventeen were males and one a female. Of these I obtained eight, 158 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 76 15/ VI1/64 all males, whilst in 1953 Mr. J. E. Flynn in a week on the island took two males and a female (most of his time was spent bird-ringing). Isolata, when fresh, has a remarkable jetty sheen, which goes off in a year or so; I have seen no comparable specimens on the mainland. It is the only bilineata found on the island, and quite different in habits from those on the mainland cliffs. It appears to live only in clefts and caves on the sea face, I have never disturbed one from grass, thrift, or sea campion. When Mr. Baynes and I first visited the island in 1960 we worked all over it, beating bracken, stone walls, a nettle bed, and brambles, and saw nothing except the single specimen we dislodged from the cliff face. It would appear that shortly after emergence it makes its way into these caves and clefts, and also that the female is very sluggish and difficult to dislodge by day. The only one I saw went into a narrow cleft and did not come out; she probably flies at dusk as Mr. Flynn caught one during his stay. I imagine Kane, who visited Tearaght in his yacht, worked for the females in the evening. On a day trip to Inishvickilaun it is not safe to stay after mid-afternoon owing to the danger of fog and navigation amongst the rocks and races of the journey. The females on the mainland cliffs are as easy to dislodge as the males. It seems that isolata differs not only in being a homogeneous population, but also in habits from all other bilineata. Eupithecia pulchellata ssp. hebudium Sheldon. This subspecies, which totally lacks the pale brick-red of typical puichellata, appears to be the only coastal form from Glengarriff to Dingle; I have it from Glengarriff, Adrigole, and Dingle, and Mr. Baynes has it from Valentia. It penetrates at least three miles inland, but as Donovan knew nothing of it until I told him of my original Glengarriff specimen, I infer it is not found in his collecting grounds in east Cork or Killarney. In the long series I bred from Glengarriff, one or two have a slightly brownish suffusion; my Dingle ones are the most extreme, clean black and white. Eupithecia venosata Fab. All specimens I have bred from Inishvickilaun are the ssp. plumbea Huggins, a very deep leaden insect. I recently showed some to Mr. Fletcher at the B.M. and he could find none like them in the collections there. They are far more extreme than any Shetland or Orkney ones. I have a few pupae from the mainland and it will be interesting to see if they are also plumbea, or like Donovan’s smoky ones from Cork. : Cnephasia conspersana Doug. I bred a few of this moth from sea campion gathered on Inishvickilaun, but as I did not open the bags for several days, all were spoilt except one male and one female. The male is exactly like a small Scottish octomaculana Haw., the female plain shin- ing black, quite a different colour from the blackish form of chrysanthemana Dup. The ruined insects were the same colour. This is another interesting case as the males on the cliffs opposite at Slea Head are uniform pale grey. The identity of these has been checked at the B.M. As I intend visiting the west shortly, I had thought of postponing these notes until the Slea Head venosata had emerged and until after I had returned, but thought I might celebrate my jubilee with them. Also readers can guess my other reason; anno domini. Notes on the Microlepidoptera By H. C. Huaains, F.R.E.S. Platytes alpinellus Hiion. Mr. Allen’s note on this Crambid (antea 116) COLLECTING IN ELBA CHARAXES JASIUS L. AND OTHER SPECIES 159 is very interesting. On the night of 8-9th July 1957 a perfect male came to my mercury vapour light in the garden here at Westcliff and in record- ing this (Entomologist, 90: 269) I pointed out that the nearest known localities were Sandwich Bay and Aldebrough and that it was new to Essex and appeared to be a migrant. I have, of course, no knowledge as to the localities where other specimens were captured last year, but, at any rate until 1932, the moth was common on the golf course at Sandwich Bay, so a local migration thence seems to me at least as likely as one from abroad. Cnephasia conspersana Dougl. The confirmation of my Blasket insects as this moth once more draws my attention to its protean character. In my Blasket specimens, the male was pale grey with almost black markings as in C. octomaculana Haw. and the female shining leaden black. On the Kerry coast it is pale grey with a few dots, and in the Scillies the mark- ings are much heavier. On the Dorset coast it is heavily spotted, and at St. Margaret’s Bay it was a chalky white insect (see Barrett, 10: 262). This chalky form, however, was really very scarce; of about thirty speci- mens submitted to Pierce, only one was conspersana, the rest being a white or pale chalky grey form of octomaculana. The curious form found on the salt marshes of the Thames estuary (see Tutt’s Practical Hints, 1: 39) which Tutt said had not been reported on, was also sent by me to Pierce, and proved to be S. pascuana Hubn. Lobesia euphorbiana Freyer. I was sorry my friends Chalmers-Hunt and Wakely had no luck with this moth at the Warren. I turned it up commonly there in 1925 and passed on the locality to my friend Ford. It fed on wood spurge and was double brooded; possibly in a late year like 1963 they were between the broods. Collecting in Elba Charaxes jasius L. and other Species By J. A. C. GREENWOOD, O.B.E., F.R.E.S. Most islands are attractive, particularly if they are small enough to allow a visitor to see a large proportion in a short stay. If, in addition, the weather is excellent, the scenery superb, and the visitors concentrated in a few resorts, the prospects for a pleasant holiday are promising. Elba also provided the final ingredient, a numerous and interesting population of butterflies and moths. We arrived on the island on the 27th August 1963 and left on the 16th September. We flew from London to Pisa, paused there for three days to see the Leaning Tower and the other spectacular buildings in this interest- ing city, and then travelled southwards by train for a couple of hours to the port of Piombino, which is ten miles west of the main Rome-Genoa railway to which it is joined by a branch line. ; From Piombino there is a regular service of ferry steamers, modern vessels carrying up to 1,500 passengers and 40 or 50 cars on each trip across the six miles or so of sea dividing Elba from the mainland. We landed at Portoferraio, the capital of the island with a population of 11,000. The hotel car met us at the ferry terminal and took us six miles westwards to the bay of Procchio, where we were to stay. 160 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 76 15/VI1/54 Elba has a coast-line of 90 miles, but an area of only 62 square miles. Our base was roughly in the middle of the north coast; at this point the island is just three miles wide. This North/South axis through a fertile plain is highly cultivated, largely with vines. On either side the hiils rise sharply and from them the islands of Pianosa and Montecristo are visibl2 on a clear day. Almost the whole island is mountainous, the highest point being Monte Capanne, some 3,400 feet, a great mass of granite which, perhaps because of the small scale of this island, seems very much higher than it really is. The hills are thickly covered with vegetation, including cork oaks, sweet chestnuts, olives, pines; with dense growths of heathers (sometimes six to ten feet high) and arbutus. It would be difficult to move about on the hillsides through this tough undergrowth if there were not innumerable paths, criss-crossing in every direction and well marked on the local map. Many of these routes seem to have been cleared either as a means of access for the cork cutters to their trees or to provide short cuts from isolated farmhouses to the village or main road. In addition a considerable length of water pipeline has been laid quite recently and these cleared strips also provide a way into and over the hills. Our hotel was modern, admirably equipped, with a private bathing beach (water temperature 70°+) and a large sea-water pool. From Procchio a large part of the island can be reached on foot and there are also buses (with a somewhat erratic and inconvenient time-table), taxis and cars to be rented. My collecting was mainly from an area within a four mile radius of the hotel with two expeditions to Monte Capanne, some five miles in a straight line but ten by road. The rock formation in this area is granite, with porphyry and eurites. The hills near Procchio range from 200 or 300 feet to 1,000 or more and 2,000 foot slopes are reasonably within walking range. To the west they rise to the Monte Capanne massif, the upper parts of which are largely bare rock, in some areas forming a loose scree of gigantic fragments. The ascent of Monte Capanne on foot is not difficult for there are well marked paths, but a ’bus takes the less energetic to the terminus of a recently completed chair-lift which covers the last 2,000 feet to the sound of piped music; fortunately this is only audible within close range of the actual pylons. Throughout our stay the weather was hot, with day temperatures up to the high eighties, and blazing sunshine, except for two days of mist and one of strong winds and continuous rain. Elba with the other islands, such as Corsica and Sardinia, is much older geoiogically than the mainland of Italy, and may represent the remains cf a submerged continent which extended to the Balearic Islands and the Iberian Peninsula. RHOPALOCERA In ali, 34 species of butterfly were seen and captured, with one ad- ditional species seen as larva only. Papilio machaon L., the swallowtail. Fairly numerous throughout the area, especially near the sea. Abundant on the outskirts of the village of S. Piero in Campo at an altitude of 800 feet near the southern coast. COLLECTING IN ELBA CHARAXES JASIUS L. AND OTHER SPECIES 161 Papilio podalirius L., the scarce swallowtail. Common on the beach at Procchio; not frequent elsewhere. Several almost full-fed larvae found feeding on cherry. Papilio (?). One larva on fennel near Procchio. It failed to pupate. Very similar in appearance to P. machaon but pale grey ground colour instead of green. Pieris brassicae L., the large white. Widespread but not abundant. A large well marked race. Pieris rapae L., the smali white. Scarce, some with pronounced grey dusting on the upper side. Pieris napi L., green-veined white. Very scarce. Pieris manni Meyer. Very like the small white but with a squarer black spot. Only one taken. Pieris daplidice L., the bath white. Common on the beach; occasional elsewhere; some very worn, others freshly emerged throughout our stay. Pieris sinapis L., the wood white. Scarce, single specimens in a number of areas. The local form appears somewhat smaller than the British. Colias croceus Fourc., the clouded yellow. Common, especially on Monte Capanne up to 2,000 feet. Many more females than males, and 1 in 4 f. helice Hubner. Gonopteryx cleopatra L., the mediterranean brimstone. Occasional fresh specimens, mostly on foothills near Procchio. The orange patch on the males is very conspicuous in flight. Charaxes jasius L. The aristocrat of the island. In July I had spent three weeks in Uganda, Kenya and Tanganyika and had seen a number of Charazes sp., but this was my first experience of seeing C. jasius in flight. The butterfly is extremely fast on the wing, reminiscent of A. iris L. It is pugnacious and frequently appeared to attack A. pandora L. and other species. It is also inquisitive and greedy. The first specimens I saw were flying at great speed round a tree of a Pyrus species. They seldom came below fifteen feet but occasionally settled on the branches and on the ripe fruit, always well out of reach. Jasius is very common on Elba, on several occasions a dozen or more were in sight simultaneously. The twin tails on the hindwings are fragile and, owing to the speed of flight and its habit of roosting at night and during cloudy intervals in the heart of a cork oak or amongst similarly dense foliage, undamaged specimens are not easily found. Gradually I learnt how to capture this fine butterfly without difficulty. Ripe, growing figs, preferably black and split, have a great attraction for males and females, and they feed so greedily on these that on more than one occasion I was able to select a perfect specimen and remove it between my finger and thumb. Others were netted as they fluttered slowly search- ing for the choicest (by their standards) fruit. When my straw hat was well soaked with sweat it fap) served as bait. The second specimen I caught settled on my hat and I saw its shadow added to my own. Catching it was more difficult, but I finally swung my net straight down over my head and shoulders. Several others were caught as they investigated the hat which I had displayed on a convenient ‘bush. ; 162 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 76 15/ VI1/64 Along some of the more open paths jasius flutters about comparatively slowly and sometimes settles on arbutus and the taller heathers. This habit is much more pronounced between 10.30 and 12.30 when the morning sun is at its hottest. It is reluctant to fly at all unless the sun is shining, and the markings on the underside are an effective camouflage so that it is extremely difficult to see when at rest with the wings closed. The most successful method of catching a large number of specimens, without the risk of damaging them, was to walk along the paths cut through the heather and shrubs which form a wall on either side about six to eight feet high. Jasius loves to fly along these paths just above the level of the bushes, and can be caught quite easily by sweeping the net over one’s head from front to rear in the direction of the insect’s flight. By this method the fabric of the net is moving with the insect and not against it and, as the butterfly does not see the net, it cannot take the avoiding action which it does so skilfully that a stroke towards the butterfly’s head is seldom successfui unless it is done so violently that damage is almost inevitable. I was using a net made of very light, fine mesh nylon with the largest bag that could be handled in the rather confined area. In all I captured over 200 specimens of jasius, including one spell when I caught 22 in half an hour. I was able to select some 30 perfect, or almost perfect, insects. Badly damaged specimens were released at the end of each session to avoid the likelihood of catching the same individual more than once. Jasius appears to fly over almost the whole of the island from the sea- shore up to at least 1,800 feet on the slopes of Monte Capanne. The largest female has a wing span of just over 4 inches; the males are half or three-quarters of an inch smaller than the females. Limenitis rivularis Scop. Widespread, but not plentiful. Its flight is very similar to our own white admiral, but this southern European species has a distinctly blue irridescence. Vanessa atalanta L., the red admiral, only half a dozen seen. Vanessa cardui L., the painted lady, very few seen and all these on the beach. Argynnis pandora L. This large fritillary, so like our own silver-washed fritillary, but with imposing red markings on the underside of the forewing, was locally abundant, though mostly past their best. It was to be seen in dozens on a large bed of African Marigolds in th2 hotel gardens, and was numerous on the slopes of Monte Capanne up to 2,000 feet. One specimen with large, confluent black markings on the underside was taken. The majority of the females were greenish, similar to ab. valezina. Argynnis lathonia L., the queen of spain fritillary. Only seen on Monte Capanne at 1,500 feet where about a dozen were observed, but only five taken owing to the difficulty of movement except on the path. Neohipparchia statilinus micromaritima Verity. This large well-marked satyrid has almost black ground colour. Although very numerous on all hills, especially Monte Capanne, very little variation was observed. Hipparchia aristaeus Bonelli. A large and beautifully marked species 3i the Grayling group. Only found on the hillsides and local. Not many fresh specimens and difficult to catch. The form found on Elba seems the same as that on Corsica and Sardinia. i COLLECTING IN ELBA CHARAXES JASIUS L. AND OTHER SPECIES 163 Pararge megera L., the wall brown. Abundant, usually on hillsides, some females very pale. Pararge aegeria L., the speckled wood. Locally abundant. Epinephele jurtina L., the meadow brown. Abundant. Females much more frequent than males. A very brightly and well-marked race. On Elba this butterfly has very secretive habits. It seldom appears at all in the sunshine and prefers dense shade where it flies under bushes only a few inches above the ground. Epinephele tithonus L., the gatekeeper; females only, sparse and very worn. Probably at the end of its flight period. Epinephele ida Esp. Very similar to the gatekeeper except on the under- side. A few very worn females. Coenonympha pamphilus L., the small heath. Only one specimen taken. Coenonympha corinna elbana Staudinger. Rather iike the small heath, but this race is found only on Elba and adjacent islands. Attrac- tively marked, particularly on the underside. It was very abundant almost everywhere in all stages of wear. Flies in sun and shade alike. Zephyrus quercus L., the purple hairstreak. Several seen flying high round trees, but only two captured. Lampides boeticus L., the long tailed blue. Only two seen, a female at 1,000 feet, a male at sea level. Calastrina argiolus L., the holly blue. Very common in wooded areas. Lycaena phlaes var. eleus, F., the small copper. Not common, less than thirty seen in all, but widely spread. Ground colour variable but a preponderance of dark specimens with well pronounced tails. Lycaena telicanus Lang. A few of this little tailed Blue in the hotel grounds and several a mile away on flowers of a vetch. Not seen elsewhere. Lycaena agestis Hub. Common in restricted localities. Polyommatus icarus L., the common blue. Abundant at lower levels. Spilothyrus alceae Esp. An attractive Skipper with lighter build than many. Only seen in the hotel grounds. Gegenes pumilio Hoffmsgg. A dark brown Skipper, the female with a few light markings, only five taken. HETEROCERA I had no equipment for night collecting but quite a large number of species were found flying by day or at rest, were stirred up or were cap- tured at lighted windows in the hotel or village shops. The following are a few of the more interesting species so far identified :— Sphinx convolvuli L., the convolvulus hawk, one at rest on a tree. A very large female flew into the hotel dining room during dinner ana created considerable alarm and chaos before I captured it with the help of a waiter. Macroglossa stellatarum L., the humming bird hawk moth. Very common at the hotel around bougainvillaea (which was also attrac- tive to P. machaon and P. podalirius). Very seldom seen elsewhere. Lasiocampa quercus L., the oak eggar. Males very common flying by day. A well marked race. Several females at lighted windows. Some males of a form without bands taken. Lasiocampa trifolii Shiff., the grass eggar. Two males and two females taken at lighted shop windows. 164 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 76 15/V1/64 Gastropacha quercifolia L., the lappet. Four males at lights. A small, pale form, Also five ova found on the edge of a cherry leaf on which a larva of P. podalirius was feeding. One of the resultant larvae fed up rapidly and pupated in November 1963, the other four are hiber- nating. Coscinia striata L., the feathered footman. Common in one area of waste ground, flies freely in the sunshine. Two males taken with black hindwings. : Coscinia cribrum L., the speckled footman. A few specimens of a large, pale form taken at light. Deiopeia pulchella L., the crimson speckled footman. Only one, found in a field of stubble. Phragmatobia fuliginosa L., the ruby tiger. Occasional at light, large and rather pale. Plusia gamma L., the silver y. Frequent by day and at night. Plusia ni Hiibn., the scarce silver y. A few seen. Catocala dilecta Hiibn., a large crimson underwing larger than C. sponsa. One found at rest on a tree. Catocala conjuncta Esp., a considerably smaller red underwing. Several disturbed during the day and these caught. Very lively and take to the wing easily. Pseudophia tirrhaca Cram., a large moth with pale greenish yellow fore- wings and yellow hindwings marked with brown. Three disturbed. A very fast and erratic flier and only one captured. I also caught this species in Nairobi in July 1963. It is related to P. lunaris, the Lunar Double Stripe. Acontia luctuosa Schiff., the four-spotted. Several taken in a patch of waste ground. Sterrha sacraria L., the vestal. Common but local. In some specimens the red diagonal streak is replaced by very pale brown, in some the whole forewing is pinkish. Although our visit was made comparatively late in the season, insects were very numerous. An expedition in June or July would probably prove very rewarding. A car is not necessary, but it would be a useful aid to hire one, at least for part of a visit, so that the south-east and western corners of the island, which are poorly served by buses, could be more easily reached from a centre such as Procchio. The standard of hotel is good, the people friendly and helpful and, if a holiday without elaborate night clubs (which will probably soon appear) and large shops is acceptable, I would recommend a visit; with or without entomology as an objective. My thanks are due to Dr. de Worms for his help in identification. Woodcote, Horsell Park, Woking, Surrey. Entomologists will note with pleasure the appointment of Professor O. W. Richards, D.Sc., F.R.S., to the Scientific Policy committee of the Nature Conservancy; they thus have one of their own fraternity on this important committee. t HISTORY AND HABITS OF THE PARASITE PSYCHOPHAGUS OMNIVORUS 165 Some Notes and Observations on the Life History and Habits of the parasite Psychophagus omnivorus (Wlk.) and its attacks on the pupae of Lepidoptera By A. T. Postans The parasitical insect enemies of the lepidoptera are as varied as they are numerous. Almost every lepidopterist becomes acquainted with this fact quite early in his career. But while the perfect insects themselves are often well known and conspicuous enough yet of their earlier lives and habits many of us know but very little. When we consider, for a moment, how closely associated with the lives of the lepidoptera these parasites are this fact seems all the more sur- prising. It is a subject that seems to attract but little attention even from our leading entomologists; for we seldom hear of it being discussed at any of the meetings, and articles or notes on the subject are few and far between in the various entomological magazines. Why this should be it is difficult to imagine, for in the whole world of insects there are few more interesting creatures to watch, and the problems they sometimes present are a joy to the observant naturalist and an entertainment to the curious. I propose, in the course of this paper, to give an account of a few personal observations concerning the life history and habits of one of the chief insect enemies of the lepidoptera; but, before proceeding with this subject, a few details about lepidopterous parasites in genera! and the position they occupy in scientific nomenclature may be of interest. In the first place, then, the numerous species may be grouped into three distinct orders, viz.:—Hymenoptera, Diptera, and Synaptera—or wingless para- sites. To the latter order belong the various species of mites which infest the bodies and wings of some butterflies and moths—sometimes in considerable numbers. It would be interesting to know what influence these particular parasites have on the lives of their victims. It is possible that they only cause inconvenience. It is equally possible—nay, much more probable—that the sustenance which they derive at the expense of their hosts must inevitably tend to make those brief lives still shorter. But upon these problems, interesting though they may be, we will not linger at the present moment. Larval parasites are usually either Hymenopterous or Dipterous, but some species of noctua larvae frequently fall victims to the Synaptera as well. The embryos of this order do not live within the bodies of their victims but sap their vitality while attached to the outer surface of the skin. The ultimate result however is the same in all cases for feeding is continued until nothing but the shriveled skin of the host remains. Pupal parasites are very few, only about four or five being known to occur in this country. All are Chalcids; and at least one species, Psychophagus omnivorus (W1k.), is common everywhere. It is this species which so frequently attacks the pupae in our breeding cages—although not many of us are perhaps aware of the fact; for, so insidious are its attacks that its depredations may be carried on for years under the very nose of the collector without him being any the wiser as to the real cause of the mischief among his stock even in the breeding cages. My attention was first attracted to this parasite some years ago when I discovered unmistakable evidence of its work upon the cocoons and 166 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 76 15/ V1/64 pupae of Cerura bifida which I happened to be breeding in some numbers at that time. The knowledge gained of its habits then imbued me with a desire to know still more about it, and it was not long before I discovered that its activities were not confined to the pupae of C. bifida alone but included also the pupae of almost any fair sized moth as well as those of some butterflies. To give some idea of the wide range of choice open to this parasite in its selection of a victim I will here give a short list of species from which I have, on more than one occasion, actually bred it. From the pupae of Smerinthus populi, and S. ocellatus; Endromis versicolor, and Saturnia carpini; Arctia caja, A. villicae, Spilosoma menthastri; S. lubricepeda; S. fuliginosa; and S. mendica. Of the “prominents’”—Stauropus fagi; Cerura bifida; C. furcula: Dicranura vinula: Notodonta dictaea; N. ziczac; N. dromedarius; N. trepida; N. chaonia; Pterostoma palpina: Lophopteryx camelina; and L. carmelita: many species of noctuae, including Acronycta psi; A. tridens; A. aceris; Hadena glauca; H. pisi; H. oleracea; H. thalassina: Nonagria typhae; etc., etc. Also from the pupae of Boarmia gemmaria; B. abietaria; Tephrosia biundularia; T. consonaria; Biston hirtaria; and Selenia tetralunaria— especially the spring brood—these of course having been attacked in the autumn. But the geometrae, as a whole, seem fairly immune; and the same may be said of the butterflies. Pupae of the Vanessids are, however, an exceptional attraction, and are sometimes attacked wholesale. Entire broods of V. io and V. urticae will often produce this particular parasite in vast numbers. The wonderful instinct and almost human intelligence displayed by this species, when seeking a victim, is something to marvel at. I will take the case of C. bifida for example. Here the objective—the pupa of course —is completely hidden from view, cleverly concealed, and protected on all sides by hardened walls of gum and wood chips closely amalgamated together to form an apparently impregnable casket. That a lilliputian insect, which is smaller even that a grain of teazel, should be capable of detecting that hidden morsel and of piercing those tough walls to get at it seems almost incredible. Yet, to the female omnivorus, the problem pre- sents no difficulties. Without hesitation it flies straight to its hidden prey, and with deadly sureness settles down to the task of patiently biting a hole in the wall of the cocoon. The operation may take several hours to accomplish, but eventually the hole is large enough for the parasite to squeeze through—it enters and is lost to view, to complete its mission on the helpless pupa within. It never makes a mistake; even before it has pierced that outer barrier it knows what lies beyond, for it will make no attempt to enter a cocoon if it does not contain a healthy pupa. Another interesting fact concerning this species is, that although it never attacks larvae, yet it will linger in the vicinity of some species for days, patiently waiting for them to change to pupae. I once had in my possession some half grown larvae of V. polychloros from the New Forest. These were sleeved on a bush of Salix caprea in my garden and within a few hours I observed several female omnivorus crawling about over the foliage and examining the larvae, having obviously made their entrance through the leno sides of the bag. I at once removed the larvae and resleeved them in another part of the garden, but the parasites were not long in marking them down and again made their appearance inside the sleeve. This time I allowed them ‘ HISTORY AND HABITS OF THE PARASITE PSYCHOPHAGUS OMNIVORUS 167 to remain undisturbed, as it occurred to me that it would be a good opportunity to observe more of their work and to see what they would do on this occasion. Right up to the time when the larvae were full fed there was always parasites moving about in the sleeve; sometimes more, sometimes less, but they never deserted it altogether. Eventually the larvae slung for pupation—some to the undersides of leaves and others to the top of the leno bag. I noticed that as soon as this happened the parasites immediately ceased their restless roving and took up positions on the suspended larvae—but not more than one on each. When I touched one with a grass stalk it made no attempt to fly off but moved sluggishly about over and around the larva, but never leaving it unless absolutely forced to. I repeated this experiment on several others, but the result was always the same; the flies were obviously there with some special object in view and from which they were not easily to be turned aside. At times the larva would make frantic efforts on its own account to get rid of its unwelcome attendant—contorting itself and lashing round in all directions but all to no purpose—the fly always maintaining its hold and seeming but little disturbed. Just before pupation took place I carefully removed the larvae that were suspended from leaves to a safe place indoors—having first picked off and killed the flies attached. The larvae suspended from the top of the leno bag were allowed to remain undisturbed. All pupated shortly afterwards and by noon of the next day the parasites in the sleeve had disappeared and were seen no more. No further incident occurred until a couple of weeks later when the pupae in the indoor cage commenced to develop rapidly and in due course produced butterflies—perfect in every way. Meanwhile there was no apparent change taking place in the pupae of the sleeve. They were, in appearance, perfectly healthy; but they failed to respond to a gentle touch, and a few days later became marked with uneven crimson stains. At this stage I removed them for closer examina- tion and in every case found the well developed grubs of a parasite which I had no difficulty in recognising as those of P. omnivorus. I will now explain how and when the eggs of the parasite were deposited. The way in which this important operation is carried out, as well as the events leading up to it, may well deceive all but the most observant. In the case just dealt with, for example, all the facts would seem to indicate that the larvae were the victims of attack and not the pupae. I have shown what an irresistible attraction they seem to possess for the female parasites—for days all were closely associated together. But as soon as the larvae had pupated the attraction was gone and the parasites no longer remained. What more conclusive evidence could there be than this? And yet, for all that, there is one important thing which could not be overlooked. For why did some pupae produce butterflies and others only parasites? There was a significance about this fact which could not be ignored, and therefore I was forced to accept the only other logical alternative, which is, that the pupae were the victims after all; and the following explanation will prove that this was actually the case. First of all, the 168 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 76 15/VI1/64 female omnivorus intent on egg laying has but one concern—the welfare of her future progeny. When she finds a possible pupa victim it matters not at all whether that pupa is soft and but newly formed or weeks old, its skin toughened from exposure and by the passing of time—so long as it can provide sufficiently for a brood of grubs until they are full fed. Also the eggs must be deposited in such a way that the tiny grubs when they hatch out shall have no difficulty in reaching the nourishing juices so vital to their existence and development. There must be no obstacles in the way or they must inevitably perish as soon as they are born—for the sucking mouths are useless for any other purpose but the sole one of taking in liquid nourishment. For this reason, then, it is plain that the eggs cannot be laid at random on the pupa skin—nor are they. But there are vulnerable parts which the parasite does not overlook—the mouths of the breathing tubes—the spiracles, and it is in these that the eggs are deposited. Now, in the case of the polychloros larvae, the victims chosen for attack belonged to a group of butterflies which only remain for a short period in the pupal stage and it was essential for the parasites to be close at hand in order to deposit their eggs the moment a favourable opportunity presented itself —no time had to be lost if their project was to meet with success. For this reason the prospective victims once found were always kept in sight and never left. Yet, while they remained as larvae, they were not molested; or at any rate no real harm was done them. But it was obvious that their actions were being closely watched all the time, for as soon as the larvae slung for pupation it was the signal for the parasites to draw closer—the opportunity for which they had been so patiently waiting was close at hand. As soon as the larval skins were cast off and the pupae were exposed the moment for action had arrived—eggs were quickly secreted and the parasites disappeared for good, their object achieved. The eggs are so minute that only with the aid of a strong lens would it be possible to ascertain the exact number deposited in any particular case; but I have obtained fairly correct estimates by carefully noting the number of parasites bred from various pupae on different occasions. The number certainly varies according to the size of the species. Thus from a pupa of Hadena glauca I have bred 89 flies—58 males and 31 females, but a pupa of D. vinula or E. versicolor will produce nearly twice that number although I am convinced that but one female is responsible in every case. So tightly packed are the grubs when full fed that they occupy the whole space of the interior of their victims from which the last vestige of liquid has been drained. Development is so rapid that the entire transition from ovum to imago occupies less than a month. The perfect insect is continuously brooded from April to the end of October; the last brood hibernating as full fed grubs in the empty shell of the host. The remarkable difference in the two sexes, both as regards size and in colour, is very striking and might easily lead one to suppose that they represented two distinct species. The head and thorax of the male is glittering metalic green; body black with a yellow longitudinal stripe beneath. The female entirely black with an almost imperceptible coppery sheen and is fully twice the size of the male. A peculiar characteristic of both sexes, but more especially of the male, is the strong perfume which is discharged when one is touched or crushed between the fingers. The life story of this insignificant looking little CONSERVATION OF INSECT LIFE IN THE NEW FOREST 169 creature is not without interest as I have shown: but as a lepidopterist I have come to recognise it as an enemy with an evil reputation, and one not lightly to be despised, and lepidopterists in general will do well to be on their guard against it. Common as it is yet it is all too frequently overlooked, or ignored, as I know well and it is for this reason that I have selected Psychophagus omnivorus as the speciel subject of my paper to-day in the hope that the few details concerning it which I have been able to supply may prove not only interesting but helpful to fellow readers of the “Record” and lepidopterists in particular. ‘Broadmayne’, 13 Stanfield Road, Winton, Bournemouth. Conservation of Insect Life in the New Forest NOTE OF MEETING HELD AT LYNDHURST IN THE VERDERERS’ HALL ON MONDAY, 23rd MARCH 1964, AT 2.30 p.m. Present :— Mr. W. A. Cadman | ieee eBewvane (me i. a ek Forestry Commission Mr. E. G. Parker i Dred =. DW: Krazer | RMirwviewt. Woodman \............. Nature Conservancy Mr-€. R. Tubbs Veet ee ESCTSOM 6 x aise du ae seve me British Museum Dr. T. R. E. Southwood ‘ ; Mr. C. ei Precay) Bee a aes Royal Entomological Society Dr. A. M. Massee, O.B.E., D.Se. .... South London Entomological and Natural History Society Missi awe Watson. Se) Hampshire and Isle of Wight Naturalists’ Trust Dri eP!Kettlewell 20.0)'5. 02. Oxford University Mr. H. D. Bessemer Mr. R. Mere Mr. H. Symes Apologies for absence were received from Captain R. A. Jackson and Mr. I. R. P. Heslop. I. Introduction Mr. Cadman welcomed the company and thanked them for giving up their time and coming so far in order to be present. He then read the attached prepared statement outlining the object of the Meeting. Meeting 23/3/64—Conservation of Insect Life in the New Forest Opening Statement by Mr. W. A. CapmMaAN Object of the Meeting I have called this meeting because I am perturbed by the many changes in the abundance, and in some cases distribution too, of many species within the New Forest. Now we all know that the prime reasons for the sudden change in the status of any one species may be quite outside our control: I refer, of 170 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 76 15/V1/64 course, to the climatic factors of warm or wet summers, and mild or cold winters. We all know that since the Second World War man has developed devastating means to control pests both on the broad acres of the farm lands and on the small plots of the allotments. No-one knows where the side effects of these sprays will end, nor how many innocent species will become victims. But here in the forest we have a greater measure ois freedom from these sprays than many other areas in Britain. The argument has been put forward that because sprays do ten times more harm than anything else, everything else should be permitted: and because motor car head lamps kill thousands of insects, mercury vapour lamps are harmless. There is no logic in this argument. It is because of all these additional losses which are occurring that we must consider how we can best make up for their adverse effects. Now the other causes of change are:— Land Use: I am using that term to cover the major activities within the forest; broadly three things are included, in ascending order of intensity of impact these are :— (1) The ever increasing numbers of the public who spill out onto the forest for recreation. (2) The grazing activities of the Commoners’ animals. (3) The work of the Forestry Commission. This last, we all know, can have nearly as great an effect as climatic conditions. At this stage, all I want to say about this is that our work has to go on: we've got a very definite job to do (not an easy one, either!). But, when we know what the effects of any course of action will be, then we can often ‘bend’ our activities so as to favour a particular ecological set-up. Sometimes we can alter our work completely in order to assist some species—not necessarily insects—in need of help. We are anxious to do these things where it is a practical proposition: we haven’t always got the knowledge, or the advice to know what is needed. Lastly, I come to the question of collecting. Here I must say that I have been dumbfounded at the number of letters I have received: “Dear Sir, I hear there is a move afoot to ban collecting ....”. Then follows a long list of the writer’s prowess, and the letter ends with a strong plea that he, at any rate, should be allowed to collect. These letters have left me with the impression that a large number of collectors must have very bad consciences! Let me put this question of collecting into proper perspective. A very great deal of the collecting which is carried out does no harm at all. But, human nature being what it is, there are greedy collectors; there are col- lectors who do it for financial gain; and therefore there are certain insects which are particularly vulnerable by one or other of the many means available to collectors. On the other side there are many species which can be collected, bred up by carefully controlled conditions in parasite-free environment, and released to help build up a weak colony. Obviously, gentlemen, all these aspects must be considered, but collecting is only one of the many considerations which we must examine in order to arrive at a course of agreed action which will, we hope, promote conservation of Insect Life in the New Forest. I know no-one who has suggested a total ban on collecting! CONSERVATION OF INSECT LIFE IN THE NEW FOREST 171 Now the object of calling this meeting is to set up a small working committee who will advise me on desirable conservation measures to be adopted in the future in the New Forest. I cannot commit myself to accept this advice. But I will undertake to give it very close and sympathetic consideration. But before we appoint this committee, which I now think should be the last and not the first item of the agenda, I think we should consider the main lines on which we should work. What, I think, we must do, falls into three headings :— G) We must know, and record, what is happening, so far as we can. (ii) We must decide what species are in the greatest need. (iii) We must formulate a positive policy in order to help these species in particular, and others in general. There may well be two broad courses of action required—long term and short term. I have talked for a long time. I only want to make three more points :— (1) I am not prepared to open a discussion on fees for insect collecting permits. But there are three amendments which I want to announce: Day permits at 2s. 6d. will be available, schoolboy permits will be ds. Od. a season or Is. 0d. a day, and bona fide scientific collectors are given a free permit. (2) Please don’t take up the time of this meeting by making an impas- sioned plea on behalf of collectors. That can be taken as read. We are not here to ban collecting (unless the panel recommends that, which is unlikely). Whether or not we shall need to control the col- lecting of certain species, or the means by which collecting is done, must be considered, the main emphasis being on those insects which may be in danger—and not on which collectors may be endangered! (3) My last plea I make with all due humility. It is truly said that “a little learning is a dangerous thing”. Unfortunately my personal knowledge of the latin names of lepidoptera is limited. I would ask that the learned company I am with to-day should first use the English names (which I do know for all butterflies, but not, I regret to say, for all moths) for my special benefit. II. Agenda It was agreed that Item 1 be deferred till last. Discussion then followed in general terms :— 2. Species to be given Protection Mr. Bessemer felt that all butterfly species were in need of protection. Dr. Kettlewell mentioned the extremely rare New Forest Burnet. Dr. Massee mentioned various colonies of beetle species unique in this country and quoted instances where such colonies had been destroyed in the past. 3. Measures to achieve Protection It was unanimously agreed that habitat was by far the largest single factor in conservation. Mr. Bessemer referred to the spread of bracken in the Forest. Bracken kills off violets and consequently fritillary populations are reduced. It was agreed that a reduction of bracken growth would aid butterflies, moths _ and beetles. On the other hand bracken (and no burning) was essential for cicadas. 172 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 76 15/V1/64 Mr. Bessemer also referred to the general disappearance of brambles from the Forest. He understood the cause to be a virus attack. It was agreed that the Committee would look into this, and should it be decided that research was desirable this would seem to be a matter for the Nature Conservancy. The question of leaving sallow bushes for the eggs and larvae of the Purple Emperor (Iris), and for many other species, was mentioned. Mr. Cadman confirmed that there was a long-standing instruction to all foresters to do just this. Mr. Watson mentioned a patch of nettles on the Forest about half a mile from the Hampshire County Council dump at Setley. These had been killed last year, apparently by a toxic spray. Mr. Cadman remarked that the use of toxic sprays on the Forest was not permitted. 4. Methods of Collecting Mr. Cadman said that he was considering the long standing ban on sugaring. He had looked into its origin and as long ago as 1935 it was said to be responsible for serious losses amongst certain species. Dr. Kettlewell commented that the current ban on Sugaring had been imposed probably 50 years ago because of the unsightly mess on trees. Mr. Cadman stressed that Keepers should be informed when lights were going to be used at night. He agreed to permit sugaring experi- mentally. It was agreed that the Mercury Vapour Lamp if properly used need not be a serious threat to conservation, but it should not be left as an unattended trap overnight. It was pointed out that the use of Mercury Vapour Lamp for several nights in succession could wipe out a single local colony. 5. Records Mr. Cadman stated that detailed records, including localities, of all species in need of protection were essential. It was agreed that records be kept jointly by the Nature Conservancy and Forestry Commission and it is hoped that societies and individuals will co-operate by supplying information. 1. Advisory Committee on Insect Conservation A Committee was appointed as follows :— Mr. C. R. Tubbs (Chairman) Dr. H. B. D. Kettlewell Dr. A. M. Massee Mr. C. Mackworth-Praed Mr. R. W. Watson Dr. Massee suggested that Mr. Gardner be co-opted. It was agreed that the Committee should have the power to co-opt as desired. Mr. Cadman undertook to make the Verderers’ Hall available for Committee meetings. Mr. Watson placed his house and office facilities at the Committee’s disposal, free of charge. It was decided that the first meeting of the Committee would be held in the Verderers’ Hall, Lyndhurst, on Monday, 6th April 1964, at 2.30 p.m. Mr. Mere, on behalf of those present, thanked Mr. Cadman for arranging this initial Meeting. The Meeting closed at 3.45 p.m. 5 76 PLATE It GOWAN C. G. CLARK OBITUARY 173 Obituary GOWAN C. C. CLARK Although the entomological work of the subject of this short notice was confined almost to South African insects, it is felt that some account of his great achievements in this field could fittingly be placed on record in the United Kingdom. Gowan Creswell Coningsby Clark was born at Port Elizabeth, Cape Colony, on 19th April, 1888, and was by profession a civil engineer on the South African Railways. From an early age he had shown a keen interest in natural history, particularly butterflies, and even as a school- boy, in the Western Cape, made discoveries relating to the early stages which would have been considered noteworthy had they been made to-day. In later years his Railway work enabled him to visit a wide range of localities and procure a very large number of interesting butterfly speci- mens, most of which, in order to save space, were retained as scale- impressions only, with the bodies and antennae meticulously painted in between the impressions of the wings. In the early thirties he turned his attention to the painting of the immature stages (at that time, those of both moths and butterflies). These were at first drawn to the size of the originals, but on acquiring Frohawk’s magnificently illustrated book on the British Butterflies he realised the necessity of including the more important details under magnification, and from then onwards produced most beautiful sets of paintings of the life-histories of South African butterflies, very many of which had not been previously known. It should be mentioned too that some helpful advice was given by Dr. A. J. T. Janse at about this time. In all, about 260 life-history paintings of butterflies, each set on a single sheet, were completed before ill-health compelled him to lay aside his brushes towards the end of 1963. Numerous other species were represented by partially completed records, while the complete life- histories of several moths had also been done, as well as other paintings which represented lLepidopterous. parasites, depicted under high magnification in most cases. The full life-history of one British butterfly, Colias croceus (Fourcroy) (the Clouded Yellow), was painted by him, from living material. All essential data accompanied each painting and very many original observations were made on the subjects covered, especially in connection with the honey-gland and retractile tubercles in the larvae of the Lycaenidae. Some of his publications were based entirely on such observations, amongst them a comprehensive paper on the proposed classification of the South African Lycaenidae from the early stages. This close study of the early stages threw fresh light on relation- ships and indicated specific differences till then not appreciated, examples of the latter being present in the Lycaenid genus Heodes and in the thyra-group of the genus Aloeides, of the same family. Besides many individual papers published elsewhere, a great deal of his work has been and is being reproduced in Dr. G. van Son’s volumes of “The Butterflies of Southern Africa”. Some twenty years ago he was awarded the Senior Captain Scott medal for his butterfly life-history work. He was also a talented woodcarver. and his collection of models of fish, accurately carved in every detail and coloured as in living specimens, . numbering over one hundred and housed in the Port Elizabeth Museum 174 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 76 15/ V1/64 and Snake Park, is unique. As an entomological draughtsman, he possessed, to a very marked extent, the ability to retain in his mind’s eye what he had seen under the microscope and accurately transfer this to paper, without referring fre- quently to the object itself; and this was probably the secret of his high output of work and his being able to record six or more life-histories, on occasion, all at the same time. He was a man of restless activity and retained his full vigour until very late in life. In spite of his remarkable gifts, he was always modest about his accomplishments and, with his kindly nature, always ready to assist, and help in any way, others who had a similar interest in Lepidoptera. After a prolonged illness he passed away, at Port Elizabeth, on 26th January, 1964. His death has been a severe loss to South African entomology and he has been sadly missed by all who were associated with him. GC. Gy CDi Cape Towa: Notes and Observations THE FOODPLANT OF IDAEA LINEATA (Scop.).—With reference to Mr. Craufurd’s note (antea: 115) I do not think that this moth feeds on Genista tinctoria. I have in the past found it in four places in Kent, and I know that in two of these no Genista tinctoria grew, and in one, even the common broom was absent. Dr. Cockayne asked me in 1954 whether I knew on what the caterpillar fed, and I told him I did not know; it was popularly supposed to feed on grass, and indeed, some collectors thought that it fed on a grass that only grows on the chalk. In a criticism of Dr. Ford’s “Moths” I pointed out (Entomologist, 88: 194) that lineata was not confined to chalk, as it was formerly found on Leigh cliffs, Essex (London clay) and on heavy wei clay at Chattenden, both localities being too near to London for such an easily caught insect to survive. I saw it at Chattenden in 1901 and 1903, but it was then very rare; in Essex it was exterminated between 1850 and 1860.—H. C. Hucetns, F.R.E.S., 65 Eastwood Boulevard, Westcliff-on- Sea. PocoTA PERSONATA HARRIS AND CRIORRHINA SPP. (DIPTERA, SYRPHIDAE) IN THE Lonpon AREA.—Some of my captures of Syrphidae were recently identi- fied by Mr. L. Parmenter and these included a © Pocota personata Harris taken in a woodland clearing on Wimbledon Common, Surrey, 2.vi.1951. Previously this species seems to have been noted only three times in the London area viz:—Palewell Common, East Sheen, Surrey, 20.v.1939, A. M. Low; Bexley Woods, Kent, 16.v.1945. H. Aducent; and Epping Forest, Essex, pupae, 11.iv.1947, emerging 23.iv.1947 and 1.v.1947, and 26.iv.1947 emerging 9.v.1947, J. F. Shillito. Species in the closely allied genus Criorrhina were: 2 ¢¢ C. ranunculi Panz. hovering round birch in a wood 9n Wimbledon Common, 18.iv.1949; ¢ C. floccosa Mg. woodland ride, Wimbledon Common, 13.v.1950; 92 C. berberina F. woodland clearing, Epping Lower Forest, Essex, 2.vii.1951; 2 ocd C. berberina F. var. oxyacanthae Mg., hazel copse, Marden Park, Surrey, 19.v.1968, and © near Four-Wents Pond, The Holmwood, Surrey, 26.vi.1959. ; CURRENT LITERATURE 175 These specimens were recently exhibited at meetings of the London Natural History Society and of the Croydon Natural History and Scientific Society —A. W. Jones, 15 Suffolk Road, South Norwood, London, S.E. 25. 20.iv.1964. Dates OF APPEARANCE OF THE PARTS OF BRITISH FLIES, 6: EMPIDIDAE BY J. E. Cotuin.—As the Cambridge University Press omitted to give the dates of the publication of the Parts of this volume which also appeared in 4 single bound volume, Mr. Collin has asked us to state that the relative dates were as follows :— Part I, June 30th, 1961. Part II, August 25th, 1961 Part III, October 27th, 1961 L. PaRMENTER Current Literature Recent papers on Conopidae. An interest in this family has been encouraged in Gt. Britain by the publications of Mr. J. E. Collin and Mr. K. G. V. Smith. As illustrations are useful when named specimens are not available it is worth mentioning that papers have been received recently that are in English, by Dr. Milan Chvala on “Czechoslovak species of the subfamily Conopinae” and “A Review of the Conopid Flies of the genus Sicus Scop.” published in Acta Universitatis Carolinae—Biologica, vol. 1961 and 1963, respectively. The papers contain keys, descriptions and figures of many species that occur in Gt. Britain. The first mentioned also has distributional maps Another paper with figures of Conopidae that include some of the genera Myopa and Zodion is by Leif Lyneborg entitled “Danske acalyptrate fluer. 1. Conopidae, Micropezidae, Calobatidae, Megamerinidae og Tanypezidae (Diptera)”, appeared in Entomologiske Meddeleiser, 31. 1962. The keys are in Danish but the English summary gives the known distribution and flight periods for Denmark. | Wa es Ecology of some Asilid species (Asilidae, Diptera) and their relation to honey bee (Apis mellifica L.). Zivko R. Adamovic. Museum d’ histoire naturelle de Beograd. 1963. 1-104. This has 31 figures mostly showing the diurnal rhythm and proportions of the types of prey of the Asilidae of Yugoslavia. These include the species Philonicus albiceps Mg., Asilus crabroniformis L. and Leptogaster cylindrica Deg. that occur in Gt. Britain. There is an English summary which deals with the hunting and feeding habits, pairing, mating and egglaying behaviour, daily rhythm, population and territorial matters The natural enemies which include several species of dragonfly are dis- cussed as is the ecological niches of each species of Asilid. Detailed lists of prey appear in a second paper of the author published in Archives des sciences biologiques, XV. 1963. EP: 176 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 76 15/VI1/64 A Synonymic List of the Nearctic Rhopalocera. By Cyril F. dos Passos. Published by the Lepidopterist’s Society. Memoir No. 1, 1964, pp. 145. The author, one of N. America’s leading liepidopterists, in his intro- duction draws attention to the fact that it is just over a quarter of a century since the last check-list of the lepidoptera of Canada and the United States by McDunnough was published, which is reason enough for the present publication. In this list, 682 species are enumerated together with their subspecies, forms and aberrations making in all approximately 3.850 names and it is pleasing to say that no errors are apparent amongst this vast assemblage. However, it is felt that the author should have defined the southern limits of the area dealt with in order to clarify the status of approximately 15% of the species as they are of doubtful securence in North America. Coupled with this it is a great pity that the author did not include the type locality where known for in the intro- duction he mentions that nearly all the names were checked with the original references and this extra information would have much en- hanced the value of this list and would have been well worth the small amount of extra work involved. As the title suggests, the author has included the synonymy and has given the type citations for the genera. The date of publication for each name is given but in many cases there are two, the first in parenthesis, the second in square brackets. It is assumed that the former is the pub- lished date and the latter the actual date of publication. It would have helped the reader to have had a simple key to the abbreviations, signs etc. and general set-up regarding the treatment of the synonyms, both objective and subjective, which would have saved time searching, some- times vainly. through the introduction. This could easily have appeared on page ‘vi’ which at the moment is blank, together with a list of Families and their pagination. The index is slightly confusing as the numbers given refer to both the pagination of the genera and the individual species numbers and though in different columns the significance of the dashes after each generic name is not at first apparent. At the beginning of the index on p. 107 this is clarified by the word ‘page’ appearing above the appropriate column but not on the other pages thereafter. The review copy when received was very badly damaged about the spine so that many of the pages were loose which would indicate that the Lepidopterist’s Society would do well to consider having their Memoirs, this being their first, more strongly bound, particularly in this and similar cases as it should receive a great deal of use by the student of North American Rhopalocera and it should be able to stand up to years of hard wear before re-binding is needed. Apart from these few rather minor criticisms, both the author and the society are to be congratulated, the latter for beginning this new enterprise, and the former for the painstaking and industrious manner in which this long-awaited list has been compiled. T. G. HOWARTH. LEPIDOPTERA OF KENT (169) Zoologist, 2328). Dartford.—Fenn (Diary) had a locality for dysodea be- tween Dartford and Darenth which he described in 1890 as “the gravel-pit on the Darenth road close to the Brent cricket ground”; on July 25, 1874, he took over thirty very young larvae there on “wild lettuce” (L. virosa), and writes that on August 7, 1875, with A. H. Jones, he carefully searched every plant of this: “I found nothing but Albert got four all on one plant and clinging to the stems just under the flowers”. Fenn’s subsequent visits to the locality failed to procuce any more. “Dartford, bred 1894”, six so labelled in R.C.K.; “Dartford, 1909”, one so labelled in S. Lond. Ent. Nat. Hist. Soc. coll. (C.-H.). 6a. Darenth Wood.—“I have taken many specimens at Darenth-wood”’ (Stephens, Haust., 3: 32). “On post, Darenth Wood, 12.7.73”, one so labelled in Meldola coll. (Woodforde, Entomologist, 54: 93). Darenth Wood, two, 1896; in Hope Dept., Oxford (R. F. Bretherton, in litt.). 8. Folkestone*.—“Flying at dusk, larva feeds on Sonchus” (Knaggs (1870)). 9. Margate—At meeting of S. London Ent. Nat. Hist. Soc, on November 4, 1875, Messrs. Moor and Gibbs exhibited dysodea “Margate, 1875” (Ent. mon. Mag., 12: 167). First REcoRD, 1829: Darenth Wood (Stephens, Haust., 3: 32). H. bicolorata Hufn. (serena Schiff.) ssp. leuconota Ev.: Broad-barred White. Native. Downs, railway banks, shingle beach, etc.; on “Hawkweed”. Found in all divisions, but chiefly on chalk soils, and shingle (in 15). “Generally common” (V.C.H., 1908). The moth is mostly found at rest on fences and tree-trunks; is occa- sionally noted at light and at flowers; but is seldom seen at sugar. It normally appears from about mid-June to early August, but in 1948, one occurred at light at Eddington (division 3), on May 7 (D. G. Marsh, Diary). At Dungeness in 1962, R. E. Scott noted it in his m.v. trap from June 16-August 1, with maximum (20) on July 13. The larva has been noted as follows:—Sidcup (on railway bank), August 12, 1917 (2), August 25, 1922 (4), August 26, 1923 (several), plentiful from end September 1924, September 1925, September 1927 (several), September 25, 1931 (2, half-grown) (A. R. Kidner);: Dartford Marshes, one, September 23, 1951 (J. F. Burton). None of the aforementioned records specify foodplant; Fenn (Diary) wrote, however, that on the railway bank at Grove Park in 1886, “the larva of H. serena was very common on various hawkweeds’, on August 3; and at this same locality, “a few larvae of serena were still noticed on the Hawkweed”, on August 30. VaRIATION.—British specimens are referable to ssp. leuconota Ev., which is diagnosed as having the base and outer area of forewing and the head and thorax whiter. Certainly many Kentish specimens have the ground pure white, contrasting sharply with the dark central band, and are quite different from the greyish, more unicolorous examples that I have seen in North France and Belgium (C.-H.). In R.C.K. is ab. albicans Spul., one, “N. Kent, July 1923, L. W. New- (170) ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 76 15/ V1/64 man”. First REcorD, 1829: Dartford, June 1819, on a pollard and rotten ash trunk, several dozens of the insect reposing thereon (Stephens, Haust:, 3: 33) H. albimacula Borkh.: White Spot. Native. Shingle beach, chalky places; on Silene nutans. Now mainly in 15, though formerly plentiful in 8. Probably casual in 1, 6a, 12. An imago taken at Dungeness by A. G. Riddell, September 1, 1933 (A. M. Morley), appears to have been a partial second generation specimen. 1. Birch Wood (see First Record). [(Birch Wood, larvae found in 1873 (1907, South, Moths Br. Isles, 1: 249; and repeated in subsequent editions). South gives no authority for this statement, but I strongly suspect it is based upon his having mis-read Barrett, Br. Lep., 4: 247-248 (C.-H.).)] 5 6a. Shorne Ridgeway, one at light, July 30, 1958 (E. E. J. Trundell). 8. Dover-Folkestone.—Two taken near Folkestone, 1874, by W. Purdey (Meek, Entomologist, 7: 165); six, taken one evening by Mr. Blackall (Ullyett, Ent. mon. Mag., 12: 157); larvae common, 1881, scarce 1882 (Tugwell, Entomologist, 15: 205); W. H. Tugwell said that one season he found over 300 larvae at Lydden Spout (Fenn. Lep. Data MS); Shakespeare Cliff, one, June 11; two, June 12, 1899; one, June 14; one, June 16, 1900 (Stockwell, Diary); St. Margaret’s Bay (Barrett, Lep. Br. Isles, 4: 248); 1922; larvae common, 1927 (H. C. Huggins); Folkestone Warren, common (V.C.H. (1908)); Folkestone, 1912 (F. A. Small coll.); Langdon Hole, pre. 1914 (E. & Y. (1949)); Dover Cliffs, larvae common, 1932 (J. H. B. Lowe); Dover Town, one, June 21; one, June 22, 1951; both in m.v. trap in garden (G. H. Youden). 12. Willesborough, one worn specimen in m.v. trap, July 4, 1955 (W. L. Rudland). 15. Dungeness.—1927 (H. C. Huggins); sixty-four sitting on posts, June 26, 1930 (Morley (1931)); sits on posts by day, at night flies around S. nutans and sometimes comes to light, but apparently not to sugar; the larvae are usually found in fair numbers in July; have never failed to find the moth when there at the right time, i.e. about June 12; it was particularly numerous on June 18, 1938, when about forty were noted by A. M. Morley and myself, including many at light (C.-H.); abundant, June 30-July 3, 1954 (R. F. Bretherton); 1962, in m.v. trap, June 10-July 17, maximum numbers on June 28 (56) and July 2 (57), with six on July 17 (R. E. Scott). Note.—The moth appears to be confined to the areas about the old lighthouse, the Long Pond, the old level-crossing (now destroyed), and extending to Lydd-on-Sea Halt. I have no knowledge of its having been taken at Greatstone, Lydd Town, or the Hope and Anchor (C.-H.). 16. Folkestone-—One on the Lower Road, June 23, 1874 (Poulton, Entomologist, 7: 177); one, 1951 (Morley, Ent. Rec., 64: 171); one, in the town, 1955, by R. W. Fawthrop; also, some half dozen altogether in m.v. trap in garden in the town, by A.M.M., 1951-58 (A. M. Morley, in litt., 16.xii. 1959). VARIATION.—Barrett (op. cit., 4: 245) records ‘“‘a slight difference in general colour between specimens found on the Kentish coast and those from Portsmouth district (Hants), the latter being of a rather lighter purple-brown”’. A o taken by me, Dungeness, May 31, 1952, has the reniform and orbicular joined under one encirclement (C.-H.). LEPIDOPTERA OF KENT (171) First Recorp, 1829: A unique specimen in the British Museum, “taken by Mr. Bydder, on a gate near Birch-wood, I believe, in June 1816” (Stephens, Haust., 3: 27). H. conspersa Schiff. (nana Rott.): Marbled Coronet. Native. Downs, rough fields, shingle beach, etc.; on Silene cucubalus, S. maritima. Mainly distributed on the chalk; and locally fairly numerous hay A: 1. Dartford Heath (Fenn, in Wool. Surv. (1909)). Bexley (Newman, in Wool. Surv. (1909)). West Wickham, twelve larvae on S. cucubalus, 1947, imagines reared (C.-H.). Dartford (B. K. West). Petts Wood (A. M. Swain). Orpington, 1953 (L. W. Siggs). Blackheath, one, in m.v. trap (A. A. Allen). Lee, 1956-62, one or two annually at m.v.l. (C. G. Bruce). Orpington, in m.v. trap, May 26, July 3, 1963 (2) (R. G. Chatelain). 2. Dartford (B. K. West). 4. Sandwich Bay, one, May 27, 1954 (W. D. Bowden). Ickham (D. G. Marsh). 5. Knockholt (G. V. Bull). Polhill, larvae common on S. cucubalus (S. F. P. Blyth). Westerham (R. C. Edwards). Chelsfield, 1950 (A. M. Swain). High Elms, one, July 23, 1963 (R. G. Chatelain). 6. Near Northfieet*, three, 1848 (Hodgkinson, Zoologist, 2328), Green- hithe* (Farn MS.). Clay Lane Wood, June 13, 1912; Birling, June 15, 1912; Gravesend, June 19, 1916 (F. T. Grant). Ryarsh, one, 1936 (J. Fremlin). Pinden (E. J. Hare). Eynsford, one, June 21, 1959; June 19, 1960 (R. G. Chatelain). 6a. Darenth Wood (Curtis, Br. Ent., 177); many taken (Stephens, Haust., 3: 26); one, June 7, 1865; July 13, 1883 (Fenn, Lep. Data MS.); (L. T. Ford). Cobham, May 8, 1912 (F. T. Grant). 7. Darland Hill; Wigmore Wood; Burham (Chaney (1884-87)). West well (Scott (1936)). 8. Deal* (Harding, Ent. week. Int., 6: 124); bred from larvae (Sheldon, Proc. S. London ent. nat. Hist. Soc., 1886: 44). Dover (Stonestreet, Ent. week. Int., 10: 186). Folkestone* (Ullyett (1880)). Kingsdown (Carr, Entomologist, 35: 246). Petham (H. C. Huggins). Crundale (J. A. Parry). Bridge (R. Gorer). Adisham. larva on S. cucubalus, 1949 (C.-H). Ewell Minnis, June 4, 6, 15, 1935; Dover Cliffs, June 29, 1935 (J. H. B. Lowe). Elham (W. E. Busbridge). Wye; Brook (Scott (1936)). 9. Margate, one, June 3, 1923 (H. G. Gomm. Diary). St. Peter’s, June 27, 1957, at m.v.l. (W. D. Bowden, Diary). 11. Wateringbury (V.C.H. (1908)). Aylesford (G. A. N. Davis). Great Chart, c. 1953 (P. Cue). 12. Chartham (P. B. Wacher). Ashford, c. 1953 (P. Cue). Wye, single- tons, May 31, June 23, July 10, 1956; Willesborough, singletons, June 2, July 20, 30, 1956 (W. L. Rudland). 15. Dungeness, larvae on S. maritima (A. J. Wightman); July 26, 1935 (A. J. L. Bowes); (G. V. Bull); several, June 6-7, 1950 (E. C. Pelham- Clinton); June 3, 1950; June 30-July 3, 1954; ten, July. 27, 1956 (R. F. Bretherton); one, August 3, 1951; several, May 31, 1952, all at m.v.]. (C.-H.); August 5, 1955 (de Worms, Entomologist. 89: $3); many in m.v. trap, June 1-August 30, 1962, with maximum of 44 on June 28 (R. E. Scott). 16. Folkestone Town (A. M. Morley). First RECORD, 1827: Darenth Wood (Curtis, Br. Ent., 177). (172) ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 76 15/V1/64 H. compta Schiff.: Varied Coronet. Resident. Gardens, chalk downs; on Dianthus barbatus, Silene cucu- balus. The species was found in numbers in 1948 in the town of Dover, since when it has gradually extended its range throughout much of the eastern half of the county, but although apparently still spreading, has not yet reached West Kent (v.-c. 16) so far as is known. ‘There are very few authenticated records of the occurrence of compta in Britain prior to 1948, and it is noteworthy that the earliest of these should also be for the Dover district. Normally single brooded, but in 1956, G. H. Youden took one in his m.v. trap in Dover in perfect condition, on October 14. 3. Herne Hill, three pupae dug up in garden by John Knowler in 1957, from which a moth was reared, the others dried up (F. Bickerstaff, in litt.). 4. Ickham. larvae on Sweet William (D. barbatus), 1954 (G. H. Youden); numerous at m.v.l., July 1956 (Marsh Proc. S. Lond. ent. nat. Hist. Soc., 1956: 36) (Canterbury, 1956 (Scott, Trans. Folkestone nat. Hist. Soc., 1956: 6) refers); imagines “in fair numbers, sometimes several on the sheet at one time”; larvae taken annually in garden since 1955 (D. G. Marsh, in litt., 20.1.1960). 7. Tunstall, one, at light, 1963, and exhibited by J. C. Felton at annual exhibition of Kent Field Club, November 16, 1963+ (C.-H.). 8. Lydden Spout, a 9, labelled “W. Purdey. Leaden Spout, Folke- stone, June 1877” (Cockayne, Ent. Rec., 59: 58), is in R.C.K. Dover Town.— 1948: eleven imagines taken in June; seed heads of D. barbatus collected containing larvae (Youden, Proc. S. Lond. ent. nat. Hist. Soc., 1948-49: 52, 1949-50: 49; idem, Entomologist, 83: 121-122); 1949 (Cockayne, Ent. Gaz., 2: 76-79; C.-H., Ent. Rec., 61: 93); 1949, “upwards of fifty were taken on the wing, and a further thirty were bred frem larvae taken in 1948” (Morley, Trans. Folkestone nat. Hist. Soc., 1949-50: 17); noted in numbers annually 1949-63 (G. H. Youden, in litt., 16.xii. 1963). Shepherdswell, larvae, 1950 (G. H. Youden). Whitfield, 1953 (Wakely, Ent. Rec., 66: 109). Folkestone, larvae in seed heads of S. cucubalus on Creteway Down, July 1949, from which two imagines were reared in 1950 (Morley, Proc. S. Lond. ent. nat. Hist. Soc., 1950-51: 56). Brook, 1957 (P. Cue). [At meeting of Northern Entomological Soc., December 21, 1861, a “Dianthaecia” received from H. J. Harding of Deal and which exactly resembled H. compta, was exhibited by Mr. Sidebotham (Zoologist, 7903), It seems probable that this specimen originated from Kent, since so far as is known Harding seldom if ever collected outside the county, and he was also a man whose integrity has never been questioned. The compta referred to by Tutt (in Ent. Rec. 4: 299, 8: 8-9), however, would appear to be much less creditable (C.-H.).] 9. St. Peters, one, at m.v.l., in garden, August 19, 1959 (W. D. Bowden). 12. Chartham, one, July 16, 1953; imagines noted annually since (P. B. Wacher, in litt., viii.1958). Wye, one, July 4, 1955 (W. L. Rudland). Willes- borough, one, June 30, 1954, one, June 25, 1956 (W. L. Rudland; one at light, 1958, two, at m.v.l, 1961 (M. Singleton). Sandy Lane, West Ashford, one, 1961 (M. Enfield). Ashfield Town, in garden, June 14, July 3, 1960, June 21, 1961 (P. Cue). Ham Street, one, July 2, 1963 (R. G. Chatelain). 13. Goudhurst, one, at m.v.l., July 4, 1963 (W. V. D. Bolt). 15. Dungeness, one, at m.v.l., June 28, 1955 (Haxby, Ent. Rec., 72: 73). LEPIDOPTERA OF KENT (173) 16. Folkestone Town, one, July 18, 1951 (Morley, Ent. Rec., 64: 170); one, 1952, by A. Riddell (Morley, Trans. Folkestone nat. Hist. Soc., 1950-52: 12); one, by A. M. Morley, six, by R. W. Fawthrop, 1955; larvae in garden, 1956 (A. M. Morley); 1957 (de Worms, Entomologist, 91: 149). Sandgate, one, June 17, three, June 20, 1961 (N. Reay-Jones). Hythe, August 13, 1962, “batch of Sweet William seedheads produced about sixty larvae, the majority of them D. compta” (R. G. Chatelain, in litt., 3.xii.1962); from these a large number of compta emerged, June 1963 (idem, in litt., 22.x.1963). VaRIATION.—Cockayne (Ent. Gaz., 2: 79) recorded the following interest- ing observations, based on nearly 500 Dover compta, most of them bred :— “The variation is considerable when the lightest and darkest are compared, but there is a gradation from one to the other and no definite forms can be separated. In some the subterminal markings are pale ochreous instead of white and in two the median band is cream coloured with a white orbicular. In some there is a broad pure white median band and in others it is narrow with the costa darkened, and it is crossed by two black lines, one immediately below the margin; the usual white space on the inner margin is broken by transverse black lines. One specimen has the white band so filled with dark markings that I think it can be assigned to ab. defasciata Hannemann. One was an example of homoeosis with a narrow streak of forewing colour and pattern on the left hind wing”’. The series in R.C.K. includes the following abs. from Dover bred by E. A. Cockayne in 1950:—ab. defasciata Hannemann (1) (Cockayne, Proc. S. Lond. ent. nat. Hist. Soc., 1950-51: 27); ab. having “ochreous subterminal” (18); ab. having “cream coloured median area” (3). First RECORD, 1877: Lydden Spout (W. Purdey). H. bicruris Hufn. (capsincola Hubn.): Lychnis. Native. Downs, woods, chalky places, gardens, shingle beach, etc.; on Melandrium rubrum, M. album, Dianthus barbatus. Frequent and found in all divisions. “Generally common” (V.C.H. (1908)). The moth normally appears from about the end of May to July, with what seems to be a partial second generation some years from August to September. I have found the larva on M. rubrum, Haddling Wood, near Walder- share, 1950; on M. album, West Wickham, 1947; on D. barbatus, Dover, 1953, Westenhanger, 1953; and on each occasion reared them (C.-H.). Hammond (Ent. Gaz., 8: 185) records the parasite Microplitis tristis Nees, bred from a larva of H. bicruris found on M. rubrum, Dover. VARIATION.—Cockayne (Ent. Rec., 64: 35) described ab. ochreofusca, holotype 9, Bexley, bred 1914. First RECORD, 1829: Stephens, Haust., 2: 188. The earliest record, how- ever, that it has been possible to trace that actually mentions Kent, dates from 1862: Lee (Fenn, Diary, 25.vi.1862). H. rivularis F. (cucubali Schiff.): Campion. Native. Downs, rough fields, waysides, etc; on Silene cucubalus, Saponaria officinalis. Locally plentiful on chalk soils. Recorded from all divisions; apparently rather scarce in 1-4, 10-16. . Note: At Westwell (div. 7), twelve fresh specimens at m.v.1., August 8, 1955 (C.-H.). Folkestone, larvae common in capsules of S. cucubalus (174) ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 76 15/VI1/64 (Knaggs (1870)); Cuxton, larvae in seed capsules of S. cucubalus (Ash, Ent. Rec., 14: 341); Whitehill, nine larvae, September 11, 1915, three larvae, September 23, 1915, all on S. cucubalus (F. T. Grant); Ash (div. 4), several larvae in seed heads of S. officinalis, August 28, 1960, from which an imago emerged May 1961 (C.-H.). 1. Recorded from many localities in this division. Recent occurrences are :—Sidcup, one, at light, June 27, 1936 (A. R. Kidner). Dartford, “much scarcer than H. bicruris”’ (B. K. West). West Wickham, 1951 (E. J. Trun- dell); one, August 20, 1958 (C.-H.). Plumstead, 1953 (J. Green). Bexley, one, July 29, 1952 (A. Heselden). Abbey Wood, 1954 (A. J. Showler). Orpington (R. G. Chatelain). Lee, several (C. G. Bruce). Blackheath, at m.v.l., one, June 2, one, July 21, 1960 (A. A. Allen). Bromley, one, 1960, two, 1963 (D. R. M. Long). 2. Dartford (B. K. West). 3. Blean, one, 1939 (P. F. Harris). 4. Sandwich, one, 1902 (J. P. Barrett coll.) Ham Fen, one, July 2, 1955 (C.-H.). Ash, larvae in S. officinalis, 1960 (C.-H.). Worth, 1961 (T. W. Harman). 10. Dunton Green, May 13, 1912 (Gillett, Diary). 11. Yalding; Wateringbury (V.C.H. (1908)). Aylesford (G. A. N. Davis). 12. Willesborough, seven, May 26-June 23, 1954, five, June 5-July 16, two, August 5-13, 1955, five, May 31-June 24, three, July 31-August 10, 1956 (W. L. Rudland). Ashford Town, one in garden, July 27, 1956 (P. Cue). West Ashford, one, in m.v. trap, 1961 (M. Enfield). 13. Tunbridge Wells, commoner than H. bicruris (Knipe (1916)). Goudhurst, three, 1952 (W. V. D. Bolt). 14. Sandhurst (G. V. Bull). 15. Dungeness, one, August 3, 1951 (C.-H.); one, at light, July 27, 1956 (R. F. Bretherton); one, June 13, two, June 14, 1962, in m.v. trap (R. E. Scott). 16. Folkestone Town (A. M. Morley). Sandgate, one, 1960, one, 1961 (N. Reay-Jones). VariaTIon.—Of the twelve examples taken by me at Westwell, two conform to ab. disjuncta Lempke (C.-H.). First RECORD, 1829: Darenth Wood (Stephens, Haust., 2: 188). H. lepida Esp. (carophaga Borkh.): Tawny Shears. Native. Chalky places, shingle beach, ete; on Silene nutans, S. cucubalus, S. maritima. Recorded from all divisions except 10. Ap- parently rather scarce in 1-4, 6a, 11-14, 16. Note :—Dungeness, first brood often abundant at light, June; second brood less numerous, August (C.-H.); larvae on S. maritima (de Worms, Entomologist, 64: 108); on both S. maritima and S. nutans, but preferring nutans (A. J. Wightman, in litt... Adisham, larvae in seed heads of S. cucubalus, 1946 (C.-H.). 1. Erith, one, June 7, 1884 (Fenn, Diary). Greenwich; Farnborough (Wool. Surv. (1909)). Chislehurst (S. F. P. Blyth). Swanley, three larvae, July 18, 1933 (A. R. Kidner). Bexley (L. T. Ford); one, May 15, 1952 (A. H. Heselden). West Wickham, 4, flying in sunshine, August 13, 1950 CE HE): Dartford (B. K. West). Petts Wood, one, 1950 (E. Evans). Orpington, 1953 (L. W. Siggs). Plumstead, 1953 (J. Green). Hayes (de Worms, Lond. Nat., 1954: 88). Lee, one, June 16, 1962 (C. G. Bruce). Bromley, one, August 16, 1962 (D. R. M. Long). LEPIDOPTERA OF KENT C75) 2. Dartford (B. K. West). 3. Den Grove, one, May 13, 1944 (C.-H.). Whitstable (P. F. Harris). Herne Bay, scarce at light (D. G. Marsh). 4. Sandwich, August 16, 1939 (A. J. L. Bowes). Ickham, occasionally at light, 1954-59 (D. G. Marsh). 6a. Cobham, June 10, 1912 (F. T. Grant). 11. Aylesford (G. A. N. Davis). Hoads Wood (P. Cue). 12. Ham Street, one, 1948 (C.-H.). Chartham (P. B. Wacher). Ashford (P. Cue). Willesborough, one, May 11, one, July 14, 1954, two, July 10-11, 1955, two, May 31-June 19, 1956; Wye, one, August 10, 1953, five, May 12-30, 1954, two, May 17-June 10, 1956 (W. L. Rudland). West Ashford, one, at light, August 1959 (M. Enfield). 13. Tunbridge Wells, one, c. 1955 (L. R. Tesch). 14. Hawkhurst (B. G. Chatfield). 16. Folkestone Town (Morley, Ent. Rec., 64: 171; idem, Proc. S. Lond. ent. nat. Hist. Soc., 1952-53: 41). VaARIATION.—Adisham (div. 8) series bred from larvae found on S. cucubalus all produced a much variegated form with sandy-coloured ground, quite unlike the Dungeness specimens, which have predominantly whitish ground with a marked tendency to obsolescence; one that I have from Dungeness is pure white with the markings almost entirely sup- pressed (C.-H.). Wightman (Ent. Rec., 52: 128) describes at length the differences between Dungeness and Sussex specimens; Dungeness examples being chiefly characterised by “ground colour much peppered with the finest possible atoms in grey, greenish-grey, or metallic-bronze”’. “Central area is never darker than the rest of the wing, and is often the palest area’. Morley (1931) notes Folkestone area [| Dungeness ] specimens frequently ab. pallida Tutt; and the same observer records (Proc. S. Lond. ent. nat. Hist. Soc., 1952-53: 41) the “Dungeness form” from Folkestone. Colthrup (Proc. S. Lond. ent. nat. Hist. Soc., 1910-11: 148) exhibited one from Folkestone having the “ground colour white, markings intense black”. Tutt (Br. Noct., 3: 28-31) records the following abs. from Kent: fusco-pallida Tutt; ochrea-pallida Tutt. Also, carpophaga Borkh., two only; and lepida Esp. The following abs. are in R.C.K.: pallida Tutt, Folkestone, bred, 1906 (1), E. Kent, bred, 1915 (1); pallida Tutt, with “white plain fringes, no marginal dots’, Dungeness (several); virgata-pallida Wightman E. Kent, bred, 1914 (1); pallida Tutt, with “plain fringes, marginal dots present’, E. Kent, bred 1914 (1); pallida Tutt, “white, chequered fringes’, Dungeness (several); ochrea-pallida Tutt, Otford, 1902 (1); ochracea Haw., N. Kent, vi.1910 (1), “Sevenoaks, C. May, 17.vii.96” (1); ochracea Haw., with “plain fringes, no marginal dots”, Lydd, bred 1934; virgata-ochracea Tutt, Kent, bred 1900; fusco-pallida Tutt, Dungeness (many); ochracea Haw., with “plain fringes, marginal dots present’, S. W. Kent, bred 1929. First REcorRpD, 1849: Dover (Grant, Zoologist, 2583). [H. capsophila Dup.: Pod-lover. Questionably Kentish. The moth has a western and north-western distribution in Britain, and is considered by most authors to be a sub-species of H. lepida Esp., but is treated here as specifically distinct in accordance with Heslop’s ‘Classification. It has been suggested that the records relating to capsophila (176) ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 76 15/ V1/64 from Kent referred to dark aberrations of H. lepida; with regard to the Webb and Newman records, however, the possibility of casual introduction would seem to be a more likely explanation. Unfortunately, nothing is known of the present whereabouts of any of these specimens, so that it has not been possible even to check the determinations. 6. Otford, June 21, 1902 (Adkin, Proc. S. Lond. ent. nat. Hist. Soc., 1902: 50). North Kent [Eynsford?] L. W. Newman exhibited “a pair of a Diantheecia bred from North Kent larvae in 1912, identical with specimens of D. capsophila from the Isle of Man” (Proc. S. Lond. ent. nat. Hist. Soc., 1912-13: 99; Entomologist, 45: 345). 8. Dover, 1890, “I bred specimens identical with the darkest Manx capsophila from sweet-william heads out of my garden last year’ (Webb, hint hee. 22 oil Heliophobus albicolon Hibn.: White Colon. Native. Coastal sandhills; foodplant unknown. Probably casual in de Gee ie: 1. Lee, one, June 19, 1954, in m.v. trap+ (C. G. Bruce). [(Orpington (Chatelain, in de Worms, Lond. Nat., 1959, 103), is based on erroneous determination (C.-H.).)] 4. Kentish Coast [Deal] (see First Record). Deal- Sandwich sandhills. —1856 (Harding, Ent. week. Int., 1: 99); very common at sugar, July 4-24, 1891 (Fenn, Diary); June 9-10, 1934; June 22, 1935; June 22, 1936 (A. J. L. Bowes); of regular occurrence and often numerous at sugar, marram, and occasionally light (C.-H.); twelve, May 27, 1954 (W. D. Bowden). Ham Fen, one at sugar, June 17, 1950, probably a stray (C.-H.). Worth, June 9, 10, 1962 (T. W. Harman). 7. Boxley, one, June 25, 1953 (A. H. Harbottle). 8. Folkestone Warren, at Haggerston Entomological Soc., September 2, 1886, E. Anderson exhibited ‘tone M. albicolon from the Warren, Folke- stone” (Anderson, Young Nat., 7: 206). 12. Willesborough, one, June 16, 1954; one, July 20, 1956; both in m.v. trap (W. L. Rudland). 15. Romney Marsh, June 15, 1911 (Colthrup, Ent. Rec., 24: 93). Little- stone, one, 1934 (R. C. Crewdson, fide A. M. Morley); two, 1953 (P. Cue). Lydd Town, one at light, June 13, 1953 (C.-H.). Lydd-on-Sea, 1958 (Wakely, Proc. S. Lond. ent. nat. Hist. Soc., 1958: 42). Greatstone, six in m.v. trap on the shingle, July 15-22, 1963 (C.-H.). Dungeness, one, June 6, 1950 (E. C. Pelham-Clinton); seven singletons in m.v. trap, June 15-July 10, and one, August 5, 1962 (R. E. Scott). 16. Folkestone Town, one at m.v.l., 1957, by R. W. Fawthrop (A. M. Morley). VARIATION.—Tutt (Br. Noct., 1: 114-115) considered English specimens much greyer than continental examples and referable to ab. cinerascens Tutt, but added that he had taken the “dark type” at Deal. At Sandwich I have noted a fair proportion of dark examples that I judge to be referable to nymotypical albicolon Hiibn., but the majority there would appear to conform to cinerascens Tutt (C.-H.). An apparently un-named ab. in R.C.K., labelled “Sandwich E. S. A. Baynes vi. 1913” (one), has the forewings blackish--grey, the subterminal dots present, but the stigmata, basal and antemedial lines only faintly visible (C.-H.). First REcORD, 1853: Kentish coast, exhibited by H. J. Harding at Soc. British Entomologists, September 6, 1853 (Zoologist, 4071). FOR THE ENTOMOLOGIST Apparatus, Books, Cabinets, and Set Specimens Price lists of the above are issued from time to time, so if you would like to receive regular issues please send me a postcard stating your interests L. CHRISTIE 137 Gleneldon Road, Streatham, London, S.W.16, England (Postal business only) Official agent for publications of the Amateur Entomologist’s Society M.V. GENERATORS AND BULBS. Ex W.D. 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With 12 pages of colour photographs, 24 pages of half-tone illustrations and over 150 line drawings, 55/-. Available from all geod bookshops and published by ae 2. ust PUBLISHED 5 2 , | The Natural History of Flies i WEIDENFELD & NICOLSON, 20 New Bond Street, London, W.1. HAROLD OLDROYD, M.A. 2 | ! a ULSTER MUSEUM has now published CATALOGUE : OF a MACRO-LEPIDOPTERA ate NORTHERN IRELAND oh ee by Ww. Stuart Wright, BSc, FRES. 2 ee Price 5I- : From "SECRETARY, Ulster Museum, BELFAST Us THE ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD AND JOURNAL OF VARIATION (Founded by J. W. TUTT on 15th April 1890) The following gentlemen act as Honorary Consultants to the magazine : Lepidoptera: Dr. H. B. Wiuu1aMs, Q.C., LL.D., F.R.E.S.; Orthoptera: D. K. McE. KEvAN, Ph.D., B.Sc. F.R.E.S.; Coleoptera: A. A. ALLEN, B.Sc.; Diptera: L. PaRMENTER, F.R.E.S.; E. C. M. d’Assis-Fonseca, F.R.E.S. CONTENTS Dea! COLLECTING ZYGAENA FABRICIUS (LEP., ZYGAENIDAE) IN SCOTLAND IN 1963. W. G. TREMEWAN and B. L. 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FLIES OF THE BRITISH ISLES C N COLYER, FRES and C 0 Hammond, FRES This, the only work of its kind, provides a comprehensive survey of the structure and metamorphoses of flies, their life-histories and habitats; with information on collecting, rearing and preservation. With 100 superb illustrations, depicting 286 species. 384 pp 35s WAYSIDE AND WOODLAND TREES _ HERBERT EDLIN, BSc, Dip For, FSF The author, Information Officer at the Forestry Commission, has brought Edward Step’s famous work up to date with superb tact. There are now nearly 250 illustrations; and, for quick reference, there is an identification chart. of all trees described 1 in vee book. 224 pp 30s fa oe FREDERICK WARNE oes -o other titles available | Chandos —_ Bedford Court, Strand. head 177 Some Wayside Collecting in Andalusia, April 1964 By R. F. BRETHERTON, C.B., M.A., F.R.E.S. I spent a fortnight’s holiday with my wife and daughter in Andalusia from 6th to 20th April, 1964. Collecting was only one object among several, but I hoped to meet with a number of the spring butterflies, some of which are found in Europe only in southern Spain. This hope was only partly fulfilled, as it turned out to be a very late season there, and most of my desiderata had clearly not yet emerged. We were told that, after a good February, March had been cold and sunless; and, though we had three really good hot days ourselves, the weather was mostly unsettled right to the end of our stay, with cool winds, cloud, and much hesitant sunshine. Besides the total absence of many kinds of butterflies which we had hoped to see, we were struck by the great scarcity of hibernated species and of the early Whites, Green Hairstreaks, etc. One could go for miles, both along the coast and in the mountains, without seeing anything at all; and, even in water-courses and fallow fields, which were the best localities, it was unusual to have more than half-a-dozen butter- flies in sight at once. This made collecting very hard work. I only recorded 33 species, and set about 100 specimens, besides about 20 moths. Some, nonetheless, were of interest. We flew to Gibraltar by an evening ’plane on 6th April, and picked up our hired car there the next morning: a stout Morris Oxford which served us without a hitch over Spanish roads which often deteriorated without warning from a first-class surface to no surface at all for several miles on end. We spent the rest of the morning exploring the upper part of the Rock. There was a fine display of flowers, and one of the apes kindly presented himself for a photograph, sliding down a steep wall on his very bare behind. These beasts share the top of the Rock with the garrison and the tourists, and seem to have developed a commendably detached attitude to both, showing neither fear nor excessive interest. The only lepidoptera seen were two or three Zerynthia rumina L., of which one fine example was caught. We saw this butterfly in almost every locality we tried in the coastal zone of Andalusia, though it was never numerous. It varies greatly in size, in the extent of the red markings, and in the shade of the ground colour, which ranges from pale primrose to rich chocolate. Some of the females have a wing-span of 24”, and are really magnificent creatures; but all are larger and brighter than the ssp. medesicaste Illiger which I had found two years earlier on the French Riviera. After lunch we crossed into Spain and drove along the coast road eastwards to Estepona. We saw no butterflies, and the only incident was provided by two cocked-hatted Guardias Civiles, who stepped out into the road with their hands raised to stop the car. I reviewed mentally all the driving offences which we might be committing, but they only wanted a lift, and made themselves agreeable company. We were told that asking for lifts is a custom of the country for Guardias Civiles! We spent four nights at the Hotel Santa Marta, a little beyond Estepona. The rooms here are formed by a number of separate bungalows, attrac- tively arranged in the garden. Though the nights were decidedly cool, there was a fair assembly of moths at our bungalow lights: an Arctia villica L., several “Wainscot” Noctuae, and many Geometers, mostly “Waves” and “Pugs” but including the familiar immigrants to Britain, 173 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 76 15/ VIII /64 Nycterosea obstipata F. and Rhodometra sacraria L. The coastal strip is at this point fairly wide and intensively cultivated, and there were few butterflies immediately round the hotel except for Z. rumina and the very rich brown southern form of Pararge egeria L., though a nearby scrub- covered hill yielded me single specimens of Euchloe ausonia Hb., Pyronia pasiphae Esp. and Chrysophanus rubi fervida Stdgr. On the morning after our arrival we drove some twenty miles further along the coast, beyond Marbella, to Calahonde. There are fine pinewoods here with good shelter, and we know that Mr. J. A. C. Greenwood and Baron de Worms had found these productive at the same season in earlier years. But now there was the familiar scarcity of butterflies: a couple of Z. rumina, a torn Papilio machaon sphyrus Hb., and four male Anthocaris euphenoides andalusica Ribbe being the only captures. The next morning we did rather better when, in stronger sunshine, we visited a limestone outcrop, rich in flowers, on the west side of Estepona. A. ewphenoides was quite common, and I caught one female—always difficult to get with this species; there were plenty of P. megera L. and P. egeria; and I secured a newly emerged male of the pretty Lycaenid Tomares ballus F., whose European distribution is, apart from a very limited colony on the French Riviera, confined to Spain. But the following day, 10th April, was again disappointing. We drove over the beautiful but rather hair-raising mountain road to Ronda, a town which is neatly divided into two by a sheer gorge several hundred feet deep. But the sky was grey and the wind cold, and we found some Spanish friends on whom we called huddled round an electric brazier. In the one gleam of sunshine we could only record Pieris rapae L. and P. brassicae L. and a number of very worn and presumably immigrant Vanessa cardui L. We left Santa Marta early on 11th April to drive to Granada, going along the coast through Malaga and on to Motril before turning inland across the edge of the Sierra Nevada. The weather, poor at first, improved steadily. We made a stop at Calahonde, and this time succeeded in catching single specimens, just emerged, of Agapetes ines Hffmsg. and Maniola jurtina hispulla Hb., neither of which we saw elsewhere. After another stop at Malaga, to look at the fascinating Alcazaba (Moorish castle), we settled to eat our picnic lunch on a sunny bank near the sea some miles further on. Our attention was first caught by a number of Colias crocea Fourc., mostly worn but including several f. helice Hb. But there were also fast flying Whites careering over a fallow field full of Biscutella, and when, after much exertion, one was caught, it proved to be the much desired Euchloé belemia Esp., which is only found (in Europe) in south Spain and Portugal. It took an hour’s hard work to get five more, as the insects hardly ever settle, fly faster than one can run, and dodge like a Rugby half-back. Seeing my activities, a Spaniard in a nearby garden took his cap to the chase in the hope, presumably, of earning a few easy pesetas; but he soon gave up in heat and anger. These E. belemia were all of the first (usually February) brood, but still in fair condition. Four days later I came on another colony inland, near Jaen: of five taken there, three were of the first brood,-and two, obviously newly emerged, were of the very different second brood form. Finally, on our last day, 20th April, I secured two more near Algeciras which were also of the second brood form. It would be interesting to know if this overlapping of the broods (or forms) is normal, or was perhaps the result of unusual weather conditions this spring. ‘ SOME WAYSIDE COLLECTING IN ANDALUSIA, APRIL 1964 179 After this interlude we had to press on to reach Granada, and had all too little time to enjoy the magnificent stretch of mountainous coast be- tween Torre del Mar and Motril, or the fine scenery on the mountain road beyond it. Given time and season, both should give good collecting. We stayed four nights in Granada. Most of the first day was devoted to studying the Alhambra, which must not be rushed; but in the late after- noon, and also on the two succeeding afternoons, I explored the slopes beyond it, which are the classical ground for Zegris eupheme Esp. But I did not find it, perhaps because it was not yet out, perhaps because most of the Biscutella which it is supposed to haunt almost exclusively, has now disappeared as a result of close grazing by sheep and donkeys and the planting of large areas with conifers. There were, however, a few welcome Euchloé tagis Hb. and E. ausonia, many Pontia daplidice L., a few Coenonympha pamphilus lyllus Esp., Polyommatus icarus Rott., Lycaena phloeas L., and a single Syntarucus pirithous L.; and I collected a short series of a Skipper which I hoped might be Reverdinus marrubii Rambur but which turned out to be only Carcharodus alcaea Esp., in poor condition. The migrants, C. croceus, V. cardui and V. atalanta were also in evidence, and I saw, but could not reach, a couple of Iphiclides feisthameli Dup. On the morning of 13th April we drove up the beautifully engineered road to the snows of the Sierra Nevada, reaching the lower ski hut, at about 7,000 feet, in 50 minutes. The weather was brilliant and the views magnificent; and several worn Aglais urticae L. and Inachis io L. were circling over the snow, with some P. megera at its lower edge. But on the descent, though we stopped at several apparently suitable spots, we saw hardly a butterfly. The next morning we were more fortunate when we drove east through the Sierra Harana to see the cave-dwellings and fantastically wind-eroded rocks near Guadix. Pausing on return by a mountain stream near the Puerto de la Mora we found butterflies more numerous than anywhere else on our journey. T. ballus and P. daplidice were quite common, and we added to our list a Pieris which is probably the spring brood of P. dubiosa Rober, Colias australis alfacariensis Ribbé, Gonepteryx cleopatra L., Nymphalis polychloros erythromelas Aust., and Lycaenopsis argiolus L. Unfortunately we had too little time to do full justice to this admirable locality. We left Granada for Cordoba on 15th April, travelling by Jaen through pleasant hilly country; but, apart from the E. belemia already mentioned and a few E. ausonia and E. tagis, we saw no butterflies of note. We devoted the 16th April wholly to the Great Mosque and other glories of Cordoba, and did no collecting: incidentally, there were showers and much wind. On 17th April we set off early in cloudy weather for Jerez- de-la-Frontera. We saw no butterflies, but it was definitely our bird day. In order to avoid traffic jams in Sevillia, where the fiesta was just due to begin, we took a cross road which passed through very marshy land near Marchena. First, we saw several Hoopoes (Upupa epops), one of which politely raised its crest for us as we passed. Next, we had a fine view of a flock of Little Egrets (Egretta garzetta) standing and feeding in a swamp, as well as of various kinds of duck and moor-hens. A little further on we saw many White Storks (Ciconia ciconia), some of them sitting in enormous untidy nests balanced on the tops of poles and chimney stacks. Shortly after that a great Imperial Eagle (Aquila heliaca) rose off the road im- mediately in front of the -sr «arrying a mouse or some other small 130 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 76 15/ VIII /64 creature in its talons. Finally, after a late lunch at our hotel in Jerez, we went out to the nearby hill-town of Arcos. The town is built on the edge of a high, rugged cliff, which proved to be inhabited by at least three pairs of Griffon Vultures (Gyps fulvus), about twenty Lesser Kestrels (Falco naumanni), and a number of Jackdaws (Corvus monedula), co- existing in apparent amity. We watched—and photographed—this assemblage from a small tower above the town hall, soaring and circling in the void in front of us. The vultures are prodigious birds: “muy grande: dos metres’’, as the door-keeper put it. They have apparently been there for time immemorial. The local legend is that, when the mediaeval lords of Arcos went forth to war, the vultures always went too. Later, they had a claim on the bodies of the horses killed in the local bull-fights, which used to be thrown over the cliff for their benefit. How they get their living at the present time we did not discover. The next day we first of all visited a “bodega” in Jerez and sampled several kinds of excellent sherry, and later drove round the marshes of the Guadalete to Cadiz, coming back through another interesting hill-town, Medina Sidonia, from which the commander of the Armada took his title. But the weather was cool and windy, and my hopes of finding the little Blue, Zizera lysimon Hb., in the marshy ditches were disappointed: nor did we see many birds. Next morning we set off southwards for Algeciras in improving weather. After a short detour to the interesting Moorish hilltown of Verjer-la-Frontera, we explored some flowery ground among pinewoods just across the Rio Barbate, but without notable success. We were disappointed to find that the large Laguna de la Janda, where we had hoped to see more marsh birds, had recently been totally drained and converted to cattle pastures; and we had to content ourselves with the sight of a number of Cattle Egrets (Ardeola ibis), standing almost between the legs of the new bovine colonists, one or two to each beast. We lunched beside the fine beach at Tarifa, the southernmost point of Spain, and then devoted some time to exploring a romantic- looking glen in the Sierra de la Luna. This produced several Z. rumina, T. ballus, C. rubi and P. egeria, but nothing that we had not seen else- where; so we pushed on to spend our last night at the beautifully situated Hotel Reina Cristina on the outskirts of Algeciras. Our last day, 20th April, was the sunniest and hottest we had. While my wife and daughter sun-bathed in the garden of the hotel, I spent a long morning by the railway line which goes from Algeciras toward Los Barrios. I was looking primarily for a reputed locality for the very local Fritillary Melitaea aetherie Hb., though I realised that in this late season it was unlikely to be yet on the wing. If I found the right place, it did not look very suitable for that insect; but there were fair numbers of butter- flies on flowery banks by the railway, and I took some P. machaon and female A. euphenoides as well as two E. belemia, and completed my series of Z. rumina and T. ballus: a bag of eighteen insects in all. In the late afternoon we drove round the semi-circular Bay of Algeciras to Gibraltar, thus completing a round trip of about 900 miles. After watching a magnificent sunset and having dinner, we caught the midnight ’plane for London, and drove home from the airport in the small hours through a deluge of chilly English rain. This ended a most interesting and enjoy- able expedition, though for good collecting we were clearly, this year, something like three weeks too early. Folly Hill, Birtley Green, Bramley, Surrey. 26.iv.64. VOL 76 PEATE Ty Pelosia obtusa Herrich-Shaffer and P. muscerda Hufnagei (x 3:3). Norfolk specimens. ‘ PELOSIA OBTUSA HERRICH-SCHAFFER (LEP. ARCTIIDAS) 181 Pelosia obtusa Herrich-Schaffer (Lep. Arctiidas), a species overlooked in Britain? By C. J. CapBury, Department of Zoology, University Museum, Oxford. The first British specimen of this Lithosiid was netted at dusk on 31st July 1961, by A. L. Goodson at Barton Broad, East Norfolk (Goodson, 1961). At the time he and J. Read were working the reed beds for Pelosia muscerda Huf., the Dotted Footman. The moth (a male) was taken some 40 yards from their light. It was not until later, however, that it was recognised by C. G. M. de Worms as P. obtusa, a species which was already known to be very local in scattered localities on the Continent (de Worms, 1963). ; In spite of a search, no further specimens were obtained at Barton the following year. In 1963 I therefore tried another Norfolk locality several miles away, and, on the calm and overcast night of 3rd-4th August, I captured the second British example of P. obtusa (another male). This footman was taken in a mercury vapour light trap together with a large number of other moths, including four P. muscerda, Comacla senex Hiibn., the round-winged muslin footman, the wainscots Arenostola phragmitidis Hubn. and A. brevilinea Fenn, and unexpectedly a specimen of Enargia paleacea Esp., the angle-barred sallow, a local species usually associated with more northern counties. The trap was situated in an open marsh amongst reed, Phragmites communis Trin., and the sedge Cladium mariscus (L.) Pohl. There were several small bushes of sallow, Salix cinerea L., scattered about the swamp. Nearby there was a denser growth of sallows, great water dock, Rumex hydrolapathum Huds. and comfrey, Symphytum officinale L. Beneath the bushes I noticed rotten logs covered with the moss Acrocladium cuspidatum (Hedw.) Lindb. and a considerable accumulation of dead sallow leaves. This may be where obtusa is breeding as the reed and sedge bed in which I captured the specimen is frequently flooded. The type of marsh in which I was work- iny was, however, much less wooded then that round Barton Broad, where there are large areas of alder and birch carr. The locality is isolated from Barton by several miles of well-drained land, quite unsuit- able for this fen species. P. obtusa differs from P. muscerda, found in similar habitats, by its shorter and relatively broader fore-wings, which are more rounded at the apex. Furthermore, the ground colour is browner and the wings lack the silvery costal stripe that is characteristic of fresh specimens of the larger species. The best distinguishing feature, however, is the arrange- ment of dark spots on the fore-wings (see plate). A. Seitz’s work (1913) has a good illustration of obtusa, and there are excellent photographs of both species in Goodson’s 1961 paper. The genitalia of P. obtusa and related species are beautifully illustrated by E. Urbahn (1932, plate 2). Compared with those of .P. muscerda the claspers of obtusa are considerably shorter and more spade-like. The uncus is also shorter and strongly recurved to form a hook. Furthermore, the antennal segments, which Urbahn figures in the same plate, differ in the two species, those of obtusa having smaller tubercles. According to Urbahn (1932) P. obtusa was first described from a speci- men taken in 1840 near Pratovecchio in Toscana, Central Italy. In 1870 182 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 76 15/ VIII/64 F. Schmidt obtained a female that hatched from a pupa found in a reed stem near Wismar in Mecklenburg, North Germany . This specimen was, however, passed over as P. muscerda until 1894. In addition to these areas, O. Staudinger and H. Rebel (1901) give the distribution of obtusa as East Hungary, Galicia (part of which is now Poland and the rest in the Ukraine), Sarepta in the vicinity of Volgagrad (until recently Stalingrad) in South Russia, and Armenia. Staudinger described P. sutschana from three males taken by the Ussuri River on the U.S.S.R.-Mongolia border (Romanoff, 1892). However, as Urbahn points out, this is in fact a small race of P. obtusa with genitalia differing but slightly from those of Eurcpean specimens. Between 1870 and 1931 no further specimens of obtusa were taken in North Germany. In 1931 Pfau and Schmidt rediscovered the species in the Peene Valley, Mecklenburg. These two collectors returned to the locality with the Urbahns and Dunkel the following July. They took a series of males and also a single female that were attracted to a powerful light in the dense reed beds (Urbahn, 1932). In 1933 obtusa was not only taken in some numbers in the original marsh, but also lower down the Peene River, and in what is now North-west Poland, where six males were captured by Haeger and Rathje (Urbahn, 1933). Bishop A. S. Hoffmeyer (1937) mentions that obtusa occurs in Brandenburg (now in East Germany) on Urbahn’s authority. Furthermore, he adds the Danish island of Lolland in the Baltic to the known distribution of this species. Since 1950 P. obtusa has been discovered in at least 14 localities in Holland, from Friesland (3 places) in the north to Noord Brabant (5 places) and Lemburg in the south. A number of specimens have been captured at Kotenhoef (between Amsterdam and Hilversum) in Noord Holland (Lempke, 196i). In France P. obtusa was first taken in 1932. Vicomte H. de Toulgoet (1945) states that this species had been found in 7 departments of France :— l’Aisne and 1]’Oise in the north; les Deux-Seévres, la Charente-Maritime and la Vendée in the west; and les Bouches du Rhone on the south coast; as well as his own locality in Loir-et-Cher in the centre. Between 15th July and 5th August he captured 20 specimens at light in a room overlooking a lake cver-grown with reed and lesser reedmace, Typha angustifolia L., near Millancay. He indicates that the species must be local as it was apparently absent from two suitable areas nearby which had previously been well worked by entomologists. At the time of writing, the British Museum (Natural History) in Lon- don has only 16 specimens of obtusa. A number of these were taken in 1911 close to the present eastern border of Hungary. There are also specimens captured in 1950 by Dr. Kaszeb in the vicinity of Lake Balaton, West Hungary, as well as a few from France. I suspect it will be found in the extensive marshes of the Neusiedler See on the East Austrian- Hungarian border, and in the Danube and Volga deltas. It is possible that a melanic polymorphism exists in P. obtusa as ir P. noctis Butler, a related species known from Japan and the U.S.S.R.- Mongolian border. The two British specimens of obtusa and all those from Hungary and France in the British Museum have tawny-brown fore-wings. two of the four imagines from North Germany that are figured by Urbahn (1932: plate 1, figs. la and 1d) appear to have dark wings with the spots somewhat obscured. In fact, he mentions that obtusa can be recognised \ PELOSIA OBTUSA HERRICH-SCHAFFER (LEP. ARCTIIDAS) 183 by its chocolate-brown colour from moths like Comacla senex, Chilodes maritima Tausch., the silky wainscot, and Chilo phragmitellus Hubn., a Pyralid, that may also be attracted to the light at the same time. Melanic forms of several fenland wainscots including Nonagria typhae Thunb. and N. dissoluta Treit, are well-known in certain parts of England. These melenics may well be more cryptic than the light form when at rest on the dark stems of plants like the great water dock, Rumex hydrolapathum or on old reeds, which, in some areas, such as East Anglia, become blackened with industrial pollution (Kettlewell, 1958). As practically nothing has been published in English on the habits and life history of P. obtusa, 1 propose to quote fairly extensively from Urbahn (1932 and 1933). This species was bred for the first time in 1932 by a Berlin collector, H. Meinicke, who obtained eggs from les Deux-Sevres in France. Eight larvae hatched on 10th August and were fed on dandelion, Taraxacum spp. Six of them died in the first instar; the seventh grew rapidly and pupated in late September. The remaining larva had reached the third instar by mid-October when it came into the hands of Dr. Urbahn, who both described and illustrated it (Urbahn, 1932: plate 1, fig. 7). He noticed that it was very sensitive to changes in humidity. In the later stages of its development the larva hid in a dry reed stem, feeding only on the lettuce and dandelion leaves that it could reach from there. On attaining full growth (when it was 1:5 cm. long) the larva spun a light cocoon in a fragment of reed and formed a reddish-brown pupa with the larval skin adhering to it. The imago emerged in mid-December, 16 days after pupation. It is of interest to note that the first German obtusa was reared from a pupa discovered in a reed stem in the wild. Urbahn was unable to describe the earlier stages in the life cycle until he had obtained eggs from the female taken in 1933. According to Urbahn, the eggs of obtusa are at first pale yellow and become darker brown, while those of P. muscerda are greenish-grey. Furthermore, young obtusa larvae have yellowish-brown heads, while those of muscerda are black and shiny. In obtusa the integument of the third instar larva is glossy and generally sand-coloured or greenish with various dark longitudinal stripes. The dorsal stripe is narrow and interrupted. The broader sub-dorsal stripes are lilac-brown in colour. The dark spiracle openings are picked out by a line of arcuate (curved) spots. Along the dorsal surface of each abdominal segment there are two pairs of wart-like protuberances which bear tufts of light-brown hairs. There are additional hairs in the vicinity of the spiracles and below them where they are longer and darker. Though the head remains pale, the integument of the last instar larva becomes blackish-brown so that the stripes are no longer conspicuous, and the hairs become darker. Vicomte de Toulgoét (personal communication) has two specimens of obtusa in his collection which (from information on the data labels) were reared in 1937 and 1940 from eggs of Hungarian origin by Pinker in Vienna. This may be the only other occasion when P. obtusa has been bred in captivity. Larvae have never been discovered in the wild, neither indeed have those of P. muscerda as far as I can ascertain from the records. W. Buckler (1889) describes the life-history of muscerda and figures last instar larvae. His muscerda fed on the mosses Camptothecium sericeum Kindb. and Dicranoweisia cirrata Lindb., the lichen Diploicia canescens (Dicks) Massal, as well as on decayed sallow and bramble leaves. Dr. H. 184 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 76 15/ VIII/64 B. D. Kettlewell (personal communication) has reared larvae of this species on dandelion in a screw-top jar. No fresh food was added when he noticed that the larvae thrived on the decaying leaves. The emergence of P. obtusa imagines appears to begin in the second or third week in July, but the species can be found until the first week of August. Extreme dates given by Lempke (1961) from Holland are 23rd June and 14th August. Goodson took his male specimen at Barton Broad while it was flying at dusk. According to Urbahn (1932) the one female that he took in 1932 came to light at 22.30 hrs. while the males did not appear until an hour later and continued to fly until 01.00 hrs. This suggests that the female may have a precopulatory flight on occasions. The males did not appear to be attracted from any distance but they “buzzed” actively round the lamp. The female taken in 1933 was captured at 02.00 hrs. ‘when perhaps it was on an oviposting flight). De Toulgoét (personal communication) also claims that both sexes of obtusa are at- tracted to light. Barrett (1895) states that in the case of P. muscerda there may be three periods of flight on favourable nights—at dusk, at midnight, and again at dawn. Though muscerda may be attracted freely to traps, more frequently it is the habit of this species to remain resting on the illuminated vegetation outside. In spite of its fairly wide-spread distribution on the Continent, P. obtusa is represented in comparatively few ccllections. Is obtusa really so local and rare, or is it overlooked because of its retiring habits? Barton and Sutton Broads, and the marshes round Ranworth and Horning have been well worked by entomologists for a century, and many muscerda have been taken in these localities. There is no doubt, in my opinion, that P. obtusa is indigenous in Norfolk, and may possibly be found elsewhere in Britain (e.g. Suffolk and Kent). I believe that it has been overlooked because it is sluggish in its behaviour and does not fly far. Its short, rather rounded wings give the impression that obtusa is, like Comacla senex, a weak flyer. P. obtusa apparently rarely leaves the shelter of dense reed beds. With the evidence provided in this paper that an extremely local species exists in the fens of Britain (not necessarily associated with its relative P. muscerda), it is hoped that new localities for Pelosia obtusa will be recorded. It is also hoped that further dates on the ecology and life history of this species will be forthcoming in the near future. It is my intention that the second Norfolk specimen of obtusa will be preserved in the National (Rothschild, Cockayne, and Kettlewell) Collec- tion of British Lepidoptera in the British Museum (Natural History) at Tring. SUMMARY 1. Details of the first two British records (1961 and 1963) of Pelosia obtusa H.S. (Lithosiidae) are given. Both specimens were taken in the Norfolk Broads. 2. The distinguishing features between P. obtusa and P. muscerda Huf. are described briefly, together with some details of the genitalia which are quoted from E. Urbahn (1932). 3. P. obtusa was first described from an Italian specimen taken in 1840. This species is now known to occur on the Continent in France, Hol- land, on a Danish island in the Baltic, North Germany and Poland, and from Hungary into South Russia. A small race is found in East Asia. ‘ THOUGHTS ON REARING STAUROPUS FAGI L. (THE LOBSTER MOTH) 185 It is possible that a melanic form occurs in North Germany. 5. The moth has been bred successfully only three or four times in captivity. Details of the life history, including a description of the larva, are taken from Urbahn (1932 and 1933). The larva has not been found in the wild. 6. The imagines usually first emerge in the second and third weeks of July, but they are still tc be found in the first week of August. Some details of times of flight are given. Both sexes are attracted to light, but the majority of specimens taken in such a way are males. 7. It is suggested that P. obtusa is indigenous in the Norfolk Broads, but has been overlooked because of its sluggish habits and the fact that it rarely leaves the dense reed beds. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS It was Dr. H. B. D. Kettlewell who encouraged me in the first place io search for P. obtusa. I am therefore most grateful to him and to Professor E. B. Ford for reading this paper and making valuable comments. REFERENCES. Barrett, C. G. (1895). The Lepidoptera of the British Isles, Vol. 2: 210-213. London. Buckler, W. (1889). The larvae of British butterflies and moths, Vol. 3 : 26-28 and plate 41. London. Edited by H. T. Stainton. De Toulgoét. H. (1945). Pelosia obtusa H.S. en Sologne. Revue francaise de Lepidopterologie. 10: 88-89. de Worms, C. G. M. (1963). Recent additions to the British Macrolepidoptera. Entomologist’s Gazette, 14: 110 and plate 3. Goodson, A. L. (1961). Pelosia obtusa Herrich-Schaeffer (Lepidoptera), a species of Lithosid new to Britain. Entomologist, 94: 285 and plate 8. Hoffmeyer, A. S. (1937). Ny dansk storsommerfugl, Pelosia obtusa H.S. Flora og Fauna : 122-123. Kettlewell, H. B. D. (1958). The importance of the microenvironment to evolu- tionary trends in the Lepidoptera. Entomologist, 91: 214-224. Lempke, B. J. (1961). Catalogus der Nederlandse Macrolepidoptera. Tijdschrift voor Entomologie, 104: 124. Romanoff, N. M. (1892). Wémoires sur les lepidopteres rédigés, Vol. 6: 260. St. Petersburg. Seitz, A. (1913). The Macrolepidoptera of the World, Vol. 2: 70 and plate 13. Stuttgart. Staudinger, O. & Rebel, H. (1901). Catalog der Lepidopteran das Palaearctischen Faunengebiets : 379. Berlin. ’ Urbahn, E. (1932). Pelosia obtusa H.S. und verwandte Arten. (Lep. Lithos.). Stettiner Entomologische Zeitung, 93: 309-317 and plates 1 and 2. ——. (1933). Zur Lepensweise von Sedina butineri Hering und Pelosia obtusa H.S. (Lep.). Stettiner Entomologische Zeitung, 94: 325-326. Thoughts on Rearing Stauropus fagi L. (The Lobster Moth) By H. SyMEs A great deal has been written about the remarkable larva (which, of course, alone bears some fanciful resemblance to a lobster) of this species, and there is a long and fascinating account of it in Buckler (Larvae, II., 63/72). Moults at every stage nearly always take place at night, and I once sat up until nearly 2 a.m. watching a final one. In its earliest stages the larva resembles an ant, and later a spider. Dr. E. B. Ford 186 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 76 15/VIII/64 (Moths, p. 110), after remarking that it may often be saved by this deception, goes on to point out that it can eject formic acid from a gland in its thorax, and that this acid may be a protection against ichneumons. If this is so, I must say that it is not very effective, for of all the larvae that I have beaten or found, something like 25% had already been “stung”. I remember once cutting a larva in half with my beating stick, and my initial chagrin was soon ended when I saw a parasitic grub inside the body. - The best year I have known for the larvae (and not of this species only) in the New Forest was 1934. I beat fourteen of them, nearly all from oak, and found a very dark one on a hawthorn as I was walking along a path: so closely did it resemble a couple of withered brown leaves that I walked past it and then turned back for a second look. Unfortun- ately it turned out to have been “stung”. The late Mr. Rippon, who wanted two or three larvae, motored down from Newbury for a day with me, and soon beat four or five from oak. About twenty-five years ago, I went down to east Kent with a friend for a week, mainly to get Melitaea athalia Rott. One day we were invited to join a party of local entomologists on a visit to a beech wood where fagi was regularly to be found on the tree trunks. It was pouring with rain and we wandered through the wood under the partial shelter of the trees for a long time without seeing anything. Then someone found a fagi. It was an extremely worn specimen. One by one, the members of the party came up and inspected it. “What a pity it is a male’, they said, “you can tell that by the antennae”. When they had all rejected it and passed on their way, I came back and had another look at it. Was it really a male, I wondered, and the possibility of eggs began to form at the back of my mind. I boxed the insect and took it back to my quarters, where I put it in a large pill box and covered the top with a piece of gauze. Next morning, I found that twelve eggs had been laid. What had been assumed to be male antennae were really, as I had suspected, the hairy forelegs extended in front of the moth on the tree trunk. I believe that when resting, fagi keeps its antennae tucked back over its shoulders, where they can hardly be seen. Forty eggs in all were laid, of which a dozen did not hatch, and eventually I bred twelve moths. For success in rearing fagi from the egg, certain precautions are advisable. If the eggs are laid on a suitable foundation, such as gauze or paper, the material should be cut up into small pieces, with not more than two or three eggs on each, and placed separately in small boxes. Then, when the larvae hatch and each stands guard over its own egg, there will be no danger of the larva being driven away from its egg ina free fight. All through their life, they should be kept in very small numbers in separate boxes, for they are restless, quarrelsome beasts, and when two meet, they seem to be spoiling for a fight, in the course of which they bite off one another’s legs, or bits of them, and tail filaments. Such injuries very often lead in the end to the wounded larva’s death, but this is not necessarily the case. One morning after a very stormy night, I found a larva at the foot of a large beech tree near Wantage. It was in its last instar and was just starting on the long climb back to a leafy branch. I doubt if it would have succeeded, as several bits of leg were missing. However, it survived to complete its growth and pupate, and next year a very nice moth emerged. GREECE, APRIL 1964 187 To illustrate the disastrous effects of overcrowding, I must cite the ease of an acquaintance who found himself with about two hundred eggs. When these hatched, he tried to rear the whole lot of the larvae. I heard afterwards that five had pupated. During the eight months or so of its existence, the pupa must be exposed to plenty of moisture, or its contents will dry up. In 1934, after one or two deaths and losses from parasites, ten of my larvae pupated. I kept the pupae through the winter just inside the open window of a very cool room facing north, but when the time came, only three moths (and two ichneumons) emerged. I was disappointed, but the remaining five pupae looked perfectly healthy, and thinking that they might perhaps, like other Notodontidae, go over for a second year, I put them aside in a cool place, but when I eventually opened them a year later, I found that each pupa contained a dried-up moth. I mentioned this to the late F. W. Andrews, and he said: “You must keep fagi pupae in a place exposed to the rain’. How right he was. The cocoon, usually enclosed between two leaves, is made of a transparent material that looks like thin polythene, and is presumably waterproof. When my East Kent larvae pupated, I put the leaves containing the cocoons in a flower pot and covered the top with wire gauze as a protection against mice and birds, but not against the rain, and kept the pot out of doors, exposed to all weathers. Twelve moths emerged from, I think, fourteen cocoons. This year I kept four pupae through the winter under similar conditions, and four moths have emerged. They came out about 11 p.m. B.S.T., an inconvenient habit, since they must be allowed enough time to dry their wings before being killed. Females will generally remain quiet until morning, but males are apt to damage themselves. Other members of the prominent family, notably Pheosia tremula Clerck, also emerge at this time of night. The first time I bred a swallow prominent, I found in my breeding cage one morning a battered and almost unrecognisable male. Fagi is one of those species that have been taken in much larger numbers since the introduction of the mercury vapour light. But I think that a dozen specimens taken in this way would be the source of much less satisfaction to a real entomologist than three or four that he had bred from the egg and had the pleasure of observing through all the stages of their life history. 52 Lowther Road, Bournemouth, Hants. 3.vi.1964. Greece, April 1964 By Major General Sir GEORGE JOHNSON, K.C.V.O., C.B., C.B.E., D.S.O., D.L. After reading Baron de Worms’s account of spring butterflies in Greece (Ent. Rec., 75: 233) I decided to visit that country on the first opportunity. I took the plane to Athens on 6th April. The following day I went to Crete and stayed a week in Heraklion. The weather was mixed; four days overcast and a little rain on one of them. I investigated the country within about 50 miles of Heraklion by car so far as the rather limited roads permitted. Butterflies were a little disappointing. Twelve species com- mon in England were observed. Of others, Papilio machaon L. and _Iphiclides podalirius L. were common. Pieris ausonia Hiibn. was common 138 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 76 15/ VIII /64 in a form with a much yellower green on underside of hindwing and a considerably larger expanse of white generally on this wing than in Greek mainland or in Spanish forms. Gonepteryx cleopatra L. was common but worn (hibernated). Turamana vicrama Moore (a small form) was common on some strong scrubby ground adjoining Heraklion airport. One Polyommatus thersites L. with very small underside spots was obtained, and several skippers, apparently all Spilothymus alceae Esp. There were fine flowers in the hills, in particular a very large dark purple Arum, a most spectacular improvement on our own “lords and ladies”’. Of birds, Cetti’s warbler was not uncommon and very noisy with its loud and distinctive song. Collared flycatchers were seen at Knossos, perhaps on migration. On 14th April I returned to Athens, and next day motored the hundred odd miles to Delphi where I stayed until 26th April. The weather throughout my stay, except for one overcast cool day, was perfect, brilliant sun, temperatures 65°-75° by day with cooler nights. The village of Delphi and the famous ruins lie at about 1700 feet above sea level on steeply sloping ground between two enormous precipices, one above and one below, each over 1000 feet in height. I stayed in a hotel where I had the rather unusual experience of taking the lift down to the bedroom, the hotel being built down from the road on to the brink of the lower precipice. The view from my balcony was spectacular—over an enormous gorge, its bottom a valley covered with olives, which extended in a gradually widening plain to Itea on the Gulf of Corinth, five miles as the raven flies, but perhaps fifteen miles by road. Numbers of ravens soared past my window, playing in the thermals rising from the precipice. A pair of Egyptian vultures often came sailing past, and griffons, which were breeding in the second tier of precipices above the hotel, were usually in evidence. Once I had the wonderful sight of a lammergeier (one of the rarest birds in Europe) soaring past at quite close range. Flowers round the ruins were abundant in quantity but rather dis- appointing in quality. Crucifers, scabious, Papilionaceae, etc., were pre- dominant. Higher up on the plateau above the higher tier of cliffs (3500 feet) there were species of delightful small irises, blue anemones and a scarlet Adonis. My experiences with the butterflies were similar to de Worms’s, to whom I am most grateful for his lucid article and personal advice. There were a few points of difference worth recording. Papilio alexanor L.., first seen 20th April, subsequently common, particularly on a slope below the village of Hrisos on the road to Itea at about 300 feet. Here, where the vegetation was obviously earlier than at Delphi, I found a patch of big purple thistles on which alexanor frequently settled and was easily caught. It is less wary than machaon or podalirius, which flew with it. Pieris krueperi Staud., first seen 15th April (on arrival), later common about half a mile of the Castalia Spring on the higher precipice. I never saw it more than a few feet from the sheer cliff and its capture was a question of standing on the undercliff at a suitable corner within net range of the cliff itself. At one point, half the whites that came past were krueperi and more could be seen flying up and down the rock faces above. No doubt the foodplant (of which I am ignorant) grows in clefts on the precipice. ‘ A NOTE ON LETO VENUS STOLL. (LEPIDOPTERA: HEPIALIDAE) 189 Pieris ergone Geyer. I found this most commonly above Delphi on the way up to the higher plateau above the highier tier of cliff. Polyommatus thristes L. de Worms records this as the predominant blue on the undercliff. I found it very scarce, whereas P. icarus L. and Aricia agestis Schiff. swarmed. I saw all the butterflies recorded by de Worms except for Aglais urticae L. and I add the following :—Aporia crataegi L. (one ¢ at 3400 ft.); Pieris napi L. (one ¢ on 18th April); Leptidia sinapis L. (one ¢ on 17th April at the Castalia Spring); Pararge egeria L. (cne ¢ at the Castalia Spring); Thestor ballus F. seen near St Luke’s Monastry above Gulf of Corinth; Spiolio orbifer Hubn., one fresh specimen on the ruins, 18th April. Apart from birds already mentioned, the following species, unfamiliar in north-west Europe, were observed :—Red-footed falcon, roller, pratin- cole, lesser ringed plover (all from Itea), black-throated wheatear, blue rock thrush, subalpine warbler, Rappell’s warbler, Orpheim warbler, rock nuthatch, sombre tit, red-rumped swallow, crag martin, alpine swift and Cretschmar’s bunting. 15.v.1964. A Note on Leto venus Stoll. (Lepidoptera: Hepialidae) By A. J. DUKE and J. S. TayLor Popularly known as the silver moth or the silver-spotted ghost moth, this magnificent hepialid is described and illustrated by Janse (1942-48) while the same author has also described the larva (1939) and the pupa 1940). In 1945 Dr. Janse gave an account of the occurrence of the species and what was then known of its life-history based upon notes made by members of the Newdigate family of Forest Hall, near Plettenberg Bay, CE: For many years this family held the monopoly (so to speak) of Leto venus and maintained a strict secrecy about its occurrence and where- abouts, as they feared if these became widely known the species might become in danger of extinction through over-collection. However, they supplied collectors with specimens for a small fee, all the monies received being devoted entirely to charitable purposes, and it has been recorded that a mission church was erected with some of the funds thus raised. As Janse (1945) mentions, most of the specimens now in museums were obtained from the Newdigate family. Both the present writers have at different times (1956 and 1964) and independently carried out investigations on L. venus and this paper is the result of their combined efforts. No precise locality was given when the species was first described by Stoll in 1780 except that it was from the Cape of Good Hope. Neither did Walker mention any particular locality when he produced a further description in 1856. However, from correspondence between Mr. W. N. Newdigate of Forest Hall and Mr. Roland Trimen, Curator of the South African Museum, Cape Town, it seems that an adult specimen was sent fzom Forest Hall to the Museum in 1869, while in 1878 the insect was first found in association with its larval host, the keurboom (Janse, 1945). 190 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 76 15/ VII1/64 Leto venus is apparently confined to the Tzitzikama Forest area, and, as stated in the Newdigate notes (Janse, op. cit.), is found from Witelsbos in the east to George in the west. More recently it has also been recorded from the Longkloof. The larval host, keurboom or Virgilia oroboides, formerly capensis, is found from van Stadens westwards right down into the Western Province of the Cape although some botanists state that the species of Virgilia oc- curring from George eastwards is another species divaricata and that orcboides is the more western species. However, opinions seem to be divided as to whether they are one or two species, and because of this technical botanical problem we have assumed that the keurboom of the area in which L. venus occurs is Virgilia oroboides. That Leto venus is not found west of George is not surprising as the nature of the country is vastly different, the continuous indigenous forest belt ceases, while keurboom is found in only isolated patches here and there. It may also be mentioned in this connection that the adult insect, especially the female, is not particularly mobile and is therefore unlikely to travel far. It has been found that this hepialid is of much commoner occurrence than was at one time thought. Almost every sizeable keurboom is infested by the larva and practically all ultimately die as a result of its depreda- tions. It is said that the early settlers in the area described it as “the tree that blocks the path”, indicating that fallen trees were then as now, often met with. There seems to be little doubt that L. venus was responsible for the fallen trees. Indeed, if the keurboom was a cultivated species, this hepialid might well be regarded as a serious pest. Fortunately the seed germinates easily and the young trees spring up everywhere. So long as the keurboom remains as common as it is today, there seems to be little likelihood of there being any scarcity of L. venus. Although the adult itself is apparently seldom seen, signs of larval feed- ing such as frass and mucilage on the trunks of affected trees, with empty pupal cases protruding during the emergence season, can be found through- out the area, and, as stated previously, there is hardly a sizeable tree which does not exhibit such signs or indications. The exact duration of the immature stages of L. venus has not been determined but the estimates for the larval and pupal periods as “several years” and “at least a year” as given in the Newdigate notes and quoted by Janse (op. cit.) are probably at least approximately correct. The adult, like other hepialids, has vestigial mouth-parts and is in- capable of feeding; hence its period of life is short. At Wilderness, a male lived for two days in captivity and a female for five days. From a keurboom stump obtained at Knysna on 5th February 1964, and removed to Wilderness, adults emerged from 10th February until 31st March (the second emergence did not take place until 3rd March). Twenty individuals in all, of which nine were males, were obtained from the same stump. Three stumps obtained near Plettenberg Bay in 1956 and taken to Cape Town, produced four adults, of which two were males, from 21st to 29th March between 7.30 and 10.15 p.m. At Wilderness, the moths usually emerged early in the evening from about 6.45 p.m., but . sometimes considerably later. It was noticed that as the days shortened emergences tended to occur earlier in the evening, indicating that dusk or nightfall has some influence upon the time of emergence. It was ‘ A NOTE ON LETO VENUS STOLL. (LEPIDOPTERA: HEPIALIDAE) 191 likewise observed that emergences were more liable to take place when the weather conditions were damp. At Wilderness, attempts at breeding from the adult were unsuccessful; also attempts at “assembling” with the female; this possibly because of the distance from the forests where the host tree is normally found. Eggs were obtained from the female kept in captivity: all proved to be infertile. The egg is round and seed-like, dull black with a matt sur- face and measures some 1:5 mm. in diameter. The period of emergence, according to the Newdigate notes, is from February to March, as was the case with the more recent collected material already referred to. Under natural conditions, however, the emergence period probably extends well into April, as apparently fresh pupal cases have been found on growing keurboom as late as 24th April. It has been found that the empty pupal cases do not normally remain for more than a day or two in situ as they are very soon removed by ants or disappear through some other cause. Possibly emergence was accele- rated by the cutting down of the trees and the removal of the stumps indoors. It is understood that the Newdigate material was also obtained in this manner. As described in the Newdigate notes, the larva pushes its frass out through a hole in the upper end of its tunnel and, on reaching maturity and preparatory to pupation, it seals this hole with a cap of gummy saw- dust. These caps are visible and denote the presence of the pupae within. Immediately prior to the emergence of the adult the cap cracks open and the pupa forces its way through. An acccunt of this as observed in one of the stumps removed to Cape Town follows. The first indication of an emergence appeared on the evening of 21st March when a slight crack was noticed at the top of one of the sawdust caps. This was at 7.30 p.m. An hour later the crack had widened sufficiently to enable the head of the pupa to be seen. The method employed was that the pupa exerted a steady pressure until the crack had widened slightly. It then moved back down the tunnel to rest there for several minutes before moving up to resume the pressure on the cap once more. These operations continued until 9 p.m., by which time the cap was split wide open at the top, and then, with a crackling noise, the pupa worked itself out of the tunnel until the wing-cases were free, and it was held only by the abdominal segments. It remained still for a minute or two and then broke open, the moth (a male) pulling itself free and, half-turning, it clutched at the trunk and walked rapidly to the top. It then walked round and round the top of the stump obviously desiring to proceed higher, but it eventually settled down and hung quietly while its wings commenced to expand. The drying process occupied only twenty minutes and then the moth folded its wings into the normal resting posi- tion. The moth was not interfered with and it eventually flew around the room at 10.15 p.m. The flight is peculiar as it beats its wings very rapidly like a locust, and with its abdomen trailing out behind. In one instance the pupal tube was opened in order to observe the pupa moving up and down within it. It was found that the pupa can move very rapidly by wriggling the abdominal segments which are provided with ridges and protuberances for the purpose. As Dr. Janse _ (1940) has pointed out in his description of the pupa the abdominal segments are also provided with spines and setae which are designed to 192 ENTOMOLOGIST ’S RECORD, VOL. 76 15/ VIII/64 hold the pupa firmly in the tunnel while the adult pulls itself free. To this end it is also assisted by the silk at the top of the tube. When the pupa first moves up the tube to exert pressure on the cap it forces the silk to the sides. The setae and spines cling firmly to the silk lining when the pupal case is forced half-way out of the tube preparatory to the moth’s emergence. In the case of the keurboom stump kept at Wilderness and from which twenty adults were obtained, the majority on emergence climbed rapidly to the top of the stump and considerably higher if and when provision was made for this. One or two, however, were content to climb only a few inches. In 1956, before the three stumps, already referred to, were removed to Cape Town, some time was spent by one of the present writers (A.J.D.) on the farm Longridge, near Plettenberg Bay, then belonging to Mr. J. Newdigate, a grandson of the owner of Forest Hall, who supplied Trimen with his specimens, and whose daughters obtained most of the material now to be found in museums. Nearly all the larger trees on and around the property were found to be infested by L. venus, and many showed signs that more than one larva was at work within, while a considerable number also had galleries sealed with the saw-dust cap indicating that pupae were present. Searches were made in the evenings and at night in the hope of obtain- ing adults but were hampered by rain which fell constantly and the results were completely negative. Inspection of the trees in the morn- ings, however, revealed that moths had emerged during the night as fresh pupal cases were found protruding from the trunks. From this, as well as from the fact that moths ex stumps apparently prefer to climb to a considerable height after emergence it would seem reasonable to conclude that under natural conditions they climb high up the trees where in the semi-darkness they would be most inconspicuous, their silver spots assist- ing them to merge into the background of keurboom leaves. Unfortunately, no proof of this has been obtained as no specimens were taken on trees (in fact the moth is rarely seen, hence its apparent rarity), although a female came to a 300 c.p. paraffin pressure lamp between 8 and 8.30 p.m. one evening, indicating that like some other species of hepialid, L. venus is also attracted to light. If this is the case, however, it seems strange that no other specimens have been attracted in this way. The locust-like flight of the male moth has already been mentioned. The female, as described in the Newdigate notes, is probably too heavy and clumsy for sustained flight and just flops about. As suggested earlier this may at least partially account for the restricted distribution of the species. Both larva and pupa have been described by Janse (1939 and 1940); all that can be added about the larva here is that when the stumps removed to Cape Town in 1956 were eventually opened one living half- grown specimen was found. It had a strong and most unpleasant smell which the writer concerned (A.J.D.) is at a loss to describe, as he knows of no other odour with which it can be compared. According to the Newdigate notes the chief enemies of L. venus are bats and ants, while the practice of cutting down keur trees for fencing poles and firewood destroys many in the developmental stages. That the larval frass is attractive to ants soon became evident in Cape Town where, ‘ A NOTE ON LETO VENUS STOLL. (LEPIDOPTERA: HEPIALIDAE) 193 when the stumps were left unattended for a short period, they were soon swarming with Argentine ants. Birds, such as woodpeckers, owls and nightjars also probably prey upon the insect. The stump obtained at Knysna and kept at Wilderness as well as pro- ducing twenty adults of L. venus also brought forth, but before the emergence of the hepialid commenced, many hundreds of alates of Porotermes planiceps Sjostedt. This termite nests within dead and decay- ing wood in or in contact with the soil, and its infestation of the keurboom stump was doubtless secondary to that of L. venus and was not in any way competitive with the latter. SUMMARY An account, supplementary to that based upon data obtained by the Newdigate family (Janse, 1945) is given of the occurrence, life-history and habits, so far as they are known, of Leto venus Stoll. (Hepialidae). The insect, although not rare, is seldom seen, except for the empty pupal cases, and it has a restricted distribution, being apparently confined to the Tzitzikama forest area from Witelsbos to George. The larval host is Virgilia oroboides, popularly known as keurboom, and almost all the older and sizeable specimens are infested by the larva. The adult or moth emerges from February to April. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The writers are much indebted to Mr. J. Newdigate and Major C. H. F. Woolley for their ready and enthusiastic assistance in obtaining material; to Dr. W. G. H. Coaton for the determination of the termite as well as for information thereon; and to Mr. C. G. C. Dickson for helpful criticism and advice in the preparation of this paper. REFERENCES. Janse, A. J. T. 1939. On the structure of lepidopterous larvae, with special reference to the mature larva of Leto venus Stoll. Jl. ent. Soc. S.A., ii, 165-175. ——. 1940. On the pupa of Leto venus Stoll. (Lepidoptera). Ibidem, iii, 124-127. —. 1945. On the history and life-history of Leto venus Stoll. Ibidem, Vili, 154-156. ——., 1942-48. The Moths of South Africa, iv. Transvaal Museum, Pretoria. EaRLY MIGRANT LEPIDOPTERA IN 1964.—A male Heliothis peltigera and two Nomophila noctuella came to my light trap at Arundel, Sussex, on 9th May. The peltigera was of the palest yellow form (not worn) and had evidently developed quickly under warm conditions in its country of origin. There were two Plusia gamma L. and a female Agrotis ipsilon in the trap on 15th May and the same species again on 17th May. A female Nycterosea obstipata came on 16th May. On 12th May I watched Nymphalis atalanta L., the red admiral butterfly, at Lyndhurst, Hampshire.—G. HaGceEtt, 1 Torton Hill, Arundel, Sussex. 18.v.1964. MELIANA FLAMMEA CURTIS AT ARUNDEL SUSSEX.—A very fresh male of this species came to my light trap at Arundel on the night of 17th May 1964. This is apparently the first record for this species in Sussex.—G. ’ Haacett, 1 Torton Hill, Arundel, Sussex. 18.v.1964. 194 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 76 15/ VIII/64 The Larval Taxonomy of the British Trichoptera By ALLAN BRINDLE 4. The Sericostomatidae Although in general the identification of caddis larvae presents some difficulties, certain families are relatively easily distinguished. The Sericostomatidae are one such family for many of the larval cases are distinctive and unlike those of any other family. The kind of case is even more useful, for in the Sericostomatidae, which is a small but rather heterogeneous family, there are four subfamilies, each of which has a different kind of larval case. The cases of this family can be summarised as follows :— 1. Case tubular, smooth, of mineral material (fig. 10) .. Sericostomatinae Case tubular, of silk only, without added material .. Brachycentrinae 3. Case quadrangular, of vegetable or mineral material (fig. 11) ...... to Lepidostomatinae 4. Case elliptical, of mineral material and with larger stones arranged AGH ANON SIGS MS Doo pe hoi rey eek ret athe os ery oye eee a iS, Goerinae Since the number of species in each subfamily range only from one to four, the type of case used by the larvae is most useful. This summary weuld serve for both the larvae and the pupae since the pupal stage is spent within the larval case. The only exception to the above is Lasiocephala, which belongs to the Lepidostomatinae but makes a tubular ease (fig. 12). Of these four kinds of cases, the first kind is the one most liable to be confused with other caddis cases, certain Limnephilid larvae, for ex- ample, making a similar case, but these can be distinguished by features of the thorax. The case of the Brachycentrinae is distinctive, but Lestage (1921) reports that occasionally the case may be partly of vegetable material, and may be quadrangular in young larvae. This illustrates the caution which should be used when identifying caddis larvae from their cases, but these are most useful provided their limitations are recognised and other characters used as well. The quadrangular cases of the Lepidostomatinae are distinctive, no other caddis larvae making such a case, though the young larvae sometimes make a tubular one. When this occurs the later constructed parts of the case are quadrangular, i.e. the posterior part is tubular and the anterior part is quadrangular. No reservations are needed for the cases of the Goerinae; this type is easily recognised and appears to be constant and restricted to this subfamily. The key to the larvae of this family given in Lestage (1.c.) has been partly superseded by more recent descriptions of British larvae. Hanna (1956) when describing the larva of Notidobia, included some distinguish- ing features between this larva and that of Sericostoma. Baker (1963) has revised the larvae of the Goerinae and has given a key. Both these publications have been referred to in the compilation of the present keys, as well as Hickin (1943) on the larva of Brachycentrus. The pupal keys are based on those in Lestage (1.c.). The spines mentioned in the key are those at the apex of the tibiae of the pupae; they are conspicuous and large, and the numbers are given in order for the first, second, and third pairs of legs. ‘ The four subfamilies of this family have previously been separated in the larval and pupal stages in earlier papers (Brindle, 1961a, 1961b) but a modified key is given below. THE LARVAL TAXONOMY OF THE BRITISH TRICHOPTERA 195 ‘ WALENTA 1 2 11 12 S. personatum : 1, head; 3, pupal labrum; 10, larval case. N. ciliaris : 2, thorax (after Hanna); 4, pupal labrum. Silo: 5, head: 7, left half of metanotum:; 9, larval case. Goera: 6, left half of metanotum. B. subnubilus : 8, head (after Hickin). C. irrorata: 11, larval case. L. basalis : 196 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 76 15/ VIII /64 Key to subfamilies (larvae) 1. Cases characteristic (fig. 9); head triangular in front view (fig. 5) .... Goerinae — Cases otherwise; head elliptical in front view (figs. 1, 8) .......... 2 2. Cases tubular, smooth, of mineral material, slightly curved (fig. 10); head dark brown, almost blackish (fig. 1) .......... Sericostomatinae —' Cases otherwise: head Jiehter inAcolowr +... 22. Beae- ae eee oe. 3 3. Cases usually of silk only, without added material; head with longi- tudinal: darker \pands AGS) 6) yp spars east aes epee: Brachycentrinae — Cases quadrangular (except Lasiocephala), of vegetable or mineral material; head without darker bands .............. Lepidostomatinae Key to subfamilies (pupae) 1. Anal appendages short and blunt, consisting of rounded lobes; spines BA en Od, NN Nhe Ra OR Ded 5 et Ot es Sete EER ee Lepidostomatinae =) (Anal “appendages lone +eandeslenders >. ..25 2. 4. 24s. Se Re 2 2. Pupal mandibles with apical half narrow and tapered, basal half very broad: \Spimes 2. a. ona eee, ae Masi ecik a. eg eee 4 Brachycentrinae — Pupal mandibles not so shaped; spines otherwise ..-......:-.):5.. 3 3. Anal appendages widely divergent; pupal mandibles triangular in shape; -Spines) 2ad4 4 Ga... Maes. See ee edie re: Me ae Goerinae —- Anal appendages not diverging; pupal mandibles almost parallel-sided; SUIMESE. Wan es, “sich h ice ta oes Mamie ee eine siue Sead sen ee Sericostomatinae SERICOSTOMATINAE Two species in two genera; cases as fig. 10; head very dark brown with pale spots, which are sometimes indistinct (fig. 1); pronotum and meso- notum dark brown, the former with numerous black setae on anterior. half; mesonotum with lateral black setae; metanotum whitish with two rows of black setae (fig. 2). From Limnephilid larvae, which make similar cases, those of this subfamily can be distinguished by the thorax; in Limnephilid larvae the metanotum has always about three pairs of small dark sclerotised plates and is never entirely whitish. The numerous dark setae also are not found in Limnephilid larvae. Larvae 1. Mesonotum more heavily sclerotised, with a prominent longitudinal suture (fig. 2). Length 15 mm., case 17-18 mm. Local, in slow running Water Of i Canals es bce ei ae ree oe eae Notidobia ciliaris (L.) — Mesonotum less heavily sclerotised and without a longitudinal suture. Length 13-14 mm., case 15-16 mm. Widely distributed, typical of fast running rivers, but also occurs in slower water ................ Sericostoma personatum (Sp.) Pupae 1 Anal appendages longer, without a complete fringe of hairs on dorsal edges; labrum shaped like a blunt equilateral triangle (fig. 4). Length i 1 Sax. 1964, 234 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 76 15/X/64 Aviemore in August 1964 R. G. CHATELAIN and B. F. SKINNER For some time, we have wanted to return to the Highlands to sample the insects for which we have previously been too early, and this year we decided that the third week of August should be reserved for these Scottish specialities. This turned out to be a wise choice as, although some species were showing signs of wear. an earlier visit would have caused us to miss others which were just appearing during our stay. Nothing extraordinary fell to our lot but, in view of the popularity of the area, we hope this note will be of some small assistance to future visitors. We left London on the afternoon of Friday, 21st August, and arrived at Aviemore at 6 o’clock the following morning, when we repaired to the foot of the Burma Road for a catnap and a wash in the stream. We found the village much changed since our last visit with a row of new shops and a pleasant restaurant. We heard horrifying tales of further changes, with plans for ten hotels on the golf course, curling and bowling alleys and a flyover to connect the A.9 with the road to the ski lift. On this occasion we stayed with Mrs. Tully and ran two traps in the extensive wooded grounds of Craigiellachie House. Fortunately, we had over 200 yards of cable with us and were thus able to place the traps well within the wooded area. One of our main quarries was Aporophyla luneburgensis Fr. although we realised that we were a little late to get the bug in its prime. Accord- ingly, we repaired to a likely spot near Granish Moor on the night of 22nd and were rewarded by nine moths of this species, some of which were still fresh. Later visits to this and nearby localities produced more but we should have had some difficulty in obtaining enough good speci- raens to complete our series had we not taken one or two examples nightly in the traps. Both sexes appeared to frequent light in eaual numbers. Our second objective was Lithomia solidaginis Hubn. and, although only odd specimens came to light, we found the moth in numbers on posts with its head tucked under the wire and its posterior airing in the breeze. One morning’s searching produced sixteen moths in perfect condition and others were found throughout our stay. Antitype chi L. was worrying us slightly as, after three nights with the lamp and industrious searching, we had only found three moths. However, on 25th August we called on Commander Harper whose first words were to ask whether we wanted any chi. He then pointed out two sitting in his garden and during tea a knock at the door produced a third. Newton- nicre moths are well trained in Naval discipline. During the next two mornings we visited the Kingussie-Newtonmore area and collected as many as we wanted from stone walls, including some which had not fully expanded their wings. An attempt for Tiliacea citrago L. was abortive as the weather was hopeless and sugar unproductive. However, the lights in a nearby marsh produced four rather worn Calaena haworthii Curt. to add to two others taken at Granish and in the trap. Two days later the area on which we had run the lamps was completely under water. Enargia paleacea Esp. was another moth on which we had set our sights but, although fairly plentiful. it was well past its best and we had some difficulty in obtaining a respectable series. We had almost given up AVIEMORE IN AUGUST 1964 235 hope until we ran the lights at the foot of the Burma Road on 28th when several good specimens turned up. We have a few ova and hope to breed the beast. Few other Noctuids of note were seen. On 24th August, on Granish Moor, we took a female Eurois occulta L. who obliged with a sizeable batch of eggs, and a fairly nice Apamea furva Schiff. Paradiarsia glareosa Esp. was fresh and common everywhere and Amathes agathina turned up fairly regularly but in small numbers as did Stilbia anomala Haw.., Diarsia dahlii Hubn. and one or two Plusia interrogationis L. The “ears” were widespread but sporadic in appearance and we took a long series. As soon as those have been determined we will publish a note on their identity. Three Plusia bractea Schiff. were seen in the trap but all were males and badly worn. Surprisingly, Eugnorisma depuncta L. was com- mon in the traps in far better condition than those we had taken early in August 1960, when we were too early for the majority of the other moths mentioned above. Aporophyla nigra Haw. was just coming out during our visit but quickly became worn. An unexpected visitor to the trap was Amathes ditrapezium Schiff., a rather uncommon moth in the area. The Geometers were thin on the ground but nearly all of interest. Dysstroma citrata L. swarmed practically everywhere with many beautiful forms and, towards the end of our stay, we took half-a-dozen fresh Chloroclysta miata L. and one C. siterata Hufn. Oporinia filigram- maria H.-S. was also well out when we left. The Thera species were re- presented by one cognata, one variata, two obeliscata and several firmata. One Plemyria rubiginata ab. fumosa Prout was taken at the Burma Road, together with a female Gnophos obfuscata Schiff. which died without laying. Because of the abominable weather, we were unable to devote as much time as we should have liked to larva searching, although we did obtain a number of Hydriomenia ruberata Fr. from sallow. Odd larvae of N. ziczac, E. adusta, A. myrtilli and L. callunae were noted and one gigantic larva of E. versicolora. The highlight of the visit was undoubtedly a trip to the Findhorn sand- hills on 26th August. We commenced py getting the car bogged in the sand. After digging her out and plastering the marram with sugar, we settled down to a steady stream of moths consisting of one A. secalis. one A. tritici and three vestigialis. The gale then abated sufficiently to allow a torrential downpour when we decided that discretion was the better part of valour. Returning across a desolate stretch of moor which made Dartmoor look like Kew Gardens in comparison, the car gave up the ghost. Arriving eventually at the hotel we found we had been locked out. It was little consolation that London was enjoying the warmest day of the year. However, the trip was most enjoyable and we returned home with all setting boards occupied and the knowledge that we had been well re- warded for our efforts. THUMATTA SENEX HUBN. IN SCOTLAND.—Perhaps the two Thumatta senex Hubn. which I took at Aberfoyle, Perthshire, on 8th and 12th July of this year are worth recording, since “South” states that there is only one previous record of this species from Scotland.—Colonel H. G. RossEL, The _Ola School House, Bodinnick, Lanteglos by Fowey, Cornwall. 18.ix.1964. 236 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 76 15/X/64 A Scale Defect in Lysandra bellargus Rott. By Dr. NEVILLE L. BIRKETT During the last week of August this year I was on holiday in the [strian Peninsula, Yugoslavia. While there. I collected a moderate num- ber of butterflies and among these a series of a ‘blue’ which gave some diagnostic difficulty. These blues had the chequered fringes and under- side markings much as in typical bellargus but the colour of the upper surface of all the wings was a dui! rather leaden hue. I finally decided these must be either ab. pallida Tutt or ab. suffusa Tutt as detailed in Seitz (1909). I finally decided to examine the wings under a magnifica- tion of 76X with the binocular microscope and was quite surprised to find that nearly all the scales on the upper surface were twisted and de- formed—this anomaly accounting for the abnormal colouration observed. This curious condition of the scales in some Lycaenids has been well described and illustrated by the late Dr. E. A. Cockayne (1917) and reference to his paper and plate will show exactly the condition found in my specimens although he was describing Agriades thetis Rott. (? icarus Rott., thetis Esp.). He refers to other blues also showing the defect but does not mention the condition as having been observed in bellargus. It would appear that the cause of this abnormality is quite unknown. In the localities where I took my specimens quite normal coloured males were also flying but these seemed to be in smaller numbers than the de- formed forms. I do not know whether or not Tutt, when describing the forms mentioned, examined his specimens microscopically but I suspect that had he done so this scale deformity would have been observed because the condition is most striking and obvious. REFERENCES Cockayne, E. A. The condition of the scales in the leaden males of Agriades thetis Rott. and in other Lycaenids. Trans. ent. Soc., Lond., 1917: 165-168 with plate. Seitz, A. Macrolepidoptera of the World. Vol. I: 115. LITHOSIA QUADRA L. IN WALES AND BrRiIstToL.—Whilst on holiday in Waies in 1962, I took a fresh male specimen of L. quadra at mercury vapour light near the village of Corris, on the Montgomery-Merioneth border. The date was 3lst July. I took a second specimen of this species away from the south coast this summer. On this occasion the moth, another male, was taken on 17th July at Bristol. It would be interesting to hear from those more expert than myself whether these were merely immi- grants which had penetrated inland.—R. Haywarbp, 41 Suffolk Road, South- sea, Hants. 26.vii.1964. HYLOICUS PINASTRI L. IN PoRTSMOUTH.—The year 1964 has seen a con- tinuation of the establishment of H. pinastri (pine hawk) in the Forest of Bere, just north of Portsmouth, a very welcome addition to the moths of this superb area. Even more exciting, however, was the finding of a fine specimen of this moth in the centre of the city of Portsmouth about the middle of July 1964.—R. Haywarp. 41 Suffolk Road, Southsea, Hants. 26.vii.1964. ‘ THE COLEOPTERA OF A SUBURBAN GARDEN 237 The Coleoptera of a Suburban Garden 6 Brachelytra (Part 2) By A. A. ALLEN, B.Sc., A.R.C.S. (Continued from Vol. 71, page 44) A new feature of the garden, having a bearing on this and still more on the supplementary part of the list, yet to come, should be mentioned here: viz., a very small artificial pond, only about 6’ by 4’ in area, constructed in the middle of a lawn in the autumn of 1958. As before, rare, uncommon or very local species in our fauna, without reference to the garden, are marked with an asterisk (bracketed in ‘borderline’ or arguable cases). TACHYPORINAE The members of this group, often of more or less conical form and relatively bright colours, tend as a whole to be more in evidence from autumn to spring than in high summer. Mycetoporus brunneus Marsh. (=lepidus Grav.).—Scarce and always found singly. The first on an outside doorstep, 20.iv.55; swept off mint flowers, viili.57; floating on pond, 28.iv.59; and the last amongst grass at edge of pond, 12.vi.64. Also once crawling up a wall from a moist spot beneath. Mycetoporus longulus Mann.—Still rarer here, or more seldom seen; one under a stone at base of fence, and another among dead leaves on soil under a bush, 22.iv.62. *Mycetoporus angularis M. & R.—Only a solitary example has occurred, which was sifted out of loamy soil mixed with humus and debris of straw, 19.iv.53. Mycetoporus splendens Marsh.—Most uncommon. First found settled on a wall of the house in hot sunshine, iv.40; twice from remains of old grass heaps, 10.vii.52 and 26.x.53; one by sweeping over a similar site, 1l.iv.55; running on freshly-turned earth, 20.iv.53; two under a stone in a torpid state in grass by fence, 20.iv.56. Mycetoporus splendidus Grav.—Like longulus, only twice captured up to the present: by sweeping in a rough overgrown corner in the vicinity of a compost heap, 8.v.56; and resting in the evening at base of wall above a tile placed as a trap, 29.viii.59. Lordithon (=Bolitobius auct.) trinotatus Er.—A stray specimen of this fungus-feeder occurred by sweeping grass beneath apple trees in sultry weather, 30.vii.58. Bolitobius (=Bryocharis auct.) analis Payk.— Extremely sparing, never more than one at a time, though seen more often since 1951 except just recently. At roots of grass and other herbage, in moss and litter, occasionally under stones, etc.; spring and autumn. This bright, elegant insect is very quick in its movements. Conosomus littoreus L.—Another species which has occurred but twice: in rotten stems of cabbage (30.iv.53), and in rubbish left where there had been a bonfire (23.i11.59). Conosomus testaceus F. (=pubescens Grav.).—In dryish refuse, humus and dead leaves, at grass roots, and once swept up; infrequent, but seems to be increasing. Oftenest, of late, in grass traps in spring. 238 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 76 15/X/64 Conosomus immaculatus Steph—In similar situations, but more sparsely, though, again, less rare in the last two or three years; often with the preceding. First noted 17.x.52, whereas testaceus was detected some time before 1949. Tachyporus hypnorum F.—Exceedingly common; at roots of herbage, in moss, humus, dead leaves and grass, vegetable litter, and indeed all refuse except such as is actively decaying; sometimes on the wing or by sweeping; found throughout the year. (These habitats apply equally, in general, to the succeeding species of the genus, some or all of which may occur in company.) Tachyporus chrysomelinus L.—As for the last; but on the whole, and as a rule, perceptibly less abundant. Least common between late June and early August, when many of those met with are immaturely coloured; this evidently being the main emergence period, which is also true of at least the next species. Tachyporus solutus Er.—Common, in similar situations but generally in slightly moister conditions, and (apart from special flight periods) markedly oftener by sweeping. Not noticed before 18.viii.51, when one was shaken from golden-rod flowers. Tachyporus pusillus Grav.—Also common; habits about as hypnorum and similarly eurytopic. Unlike its congeners it varies much in colour from brownish-yellow to all black (the latter however being infrequent and the former perhaps immature). A pure colony of the species was found under a tile, 14.x.59. Tachyporus nitidulus F. (=brunneus F.).—Easily the least common of the genus in the garden, but cannot be called rare; it tends, however, to occur singly. Sometimes under stones, tiles, etc., in damp places against a wall of the house. Tachinus humeralis Grav.—Very rare indeed; first found in a manure heap as far back as May or June 1927. In cat-dung, 18.x.52; in dead grass, 27.x.55. All three were single specimens. Tachinus subterraneus L.—Quite frequent from late autumn to early spring (but only casual at other times) in decaying herbage such as heaps of fermenting grass or compost; also in carrion, rotting apples or fungi, and (once) cat-dung. A typical winter species. *Tachinus scapularis Steph.—Rare, though occasionally in some small numbers in much-decayed grass heaps, etc., nearly always in late autumn; one under decomposing fish, 26.x.53. Tachinus rufipes Deg.—Common without being abundant, and not noticeably gregarious, often found singly or by twos or threes. Habitat wider than the last three, more as the species of Tachyporus, and but little attracted by fermenting substances; often, for instance, at grass roots or in moss and under stones. Tachinus marginellus F.—As the previous species, but a good deal less frequent and of far less regular incidence. Mostly in grass traps in spring and autumn in one or two fairly recent years; has occurred in mid- winter in dead grass litter. First recorded 6.vi.51. *Tachinus laticollis Grav.—Found twice only, in grass litter: 14.x.98, 28.iv.59. Very possibly passed over at times as marginellus. Leucoparyphus silphoides L.—This pretty little species is confined to rotting plant material, especially grass mowings. Erratic and never at all common, but occasionally several together when it does occur. THE COLEOPTERA OF A SUBURBAN GARDEN 239 Habrocerus capillaricornis Grav.—A great rarity here; single examples in identically the same spot 12 years apart (28.v.52, 27.iv.64)—under a piece of board at the base of a wall of the house where the ground is kept damp by the outflow of the kitchen sink. Cypha (=Hypocyptus) longicornis Payk.—Not uncommon in compara- tively dry vegetable refuse, grass litter..etc.; at roots of herbage, by sweeping, and in flight. More or less throughout the year. ALEOCHARINAE A very large assemblage including many of the smallest and most obscure Staphylinidae. Many can be found almost throughout the year in their proper habitats. For the nomenclature and notably the subgenera of the huge genus Atheta, I follow Hansen (Danmarks Fauna, 1954) who to a great extent adopts the classification of Brundin, the chief modern authority on the systematics of the group. Oligota inflata Mann.—Apparently rare, unless passed over as one of the commoner species—though I do not think this has often happened. I have an undoubted example from cut grass, 3.viii.38, and believe there have been one or two others. (*)Oligota parva Kr.—This species is sometimes plentiful in a particu- lar grass heap when discovered, but is most irregular in occurrence; found on and off since 1935. Oligota atomaria Er.—In similar conditions; not common, and rarely found of late, but perhaps partly confused with pusillima. (The presence of O. punctulata Heer requires confirmation.) Oligota pusillima Grav.—Certainly the commonest of the genus in the garden, but still erratic and far from abundant; sometimes with parva. *Oligota flavicornis Bsd. & Lac.—Scarce, only found two or three times singly at long intervals; swept or beaten from foliage of pear trees growing along a wall (8.vi.48, 22.ix.53). Recorded as preying on mites which attack fruit trees Encephalus complicans Westw.—This curious little species, a newcomer to the garden, first turned up in the early spring of 1959, sparingly, in grass traps in one area only; taken most years since at the same time and place, so that it is evidently established. Also once by sweeping near this spot. Bolitochara bella Mark.—One by sweeping long grass under apple trees, 1l.v.53. There seemed to be no fungi near, so it was probably a wanderer —cf. Lordithon trinotatus above. Autalia rivularis Grav.—Often occurs copiously in grass mowings, rotting straw, and various kinds of decaying vegetable matter. Cordalia obscura Grav.—Plentiful as a rule in like situations; on the whole more regular and less periodic than the preceding. Falagria sulcata Payk.—Also similar in habits, but very much less common and often taken only singly. First found in art 1933 in old dahlia roots, with the last two species. *Bohemiellina paradoxa Mach.—An example of this small but interest- ing species, sifted out of a warm, actively fermenting grass heap on 8th August 1953, is one of the only two yet known as British—the other having been taken by the Rev. C. E. Tottenham near Cambridge. (Cf. Ent. mon. Mag., 1955, 91: 296-7). 240 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 74 15/X/64 Gnypeta carbonaria Mann.—A solitary specimen at the muddy edge of the pond, 10.ix.64. This is the typical habitat of the beetle. Callicerus obscurus Grav.—Very scarce indeed; one in a grass or com- post heap, iii.85; another by sweeping long coarse grass, 5.v.60—a very warm day. (Generally found between March and May in grass tufts or flood rubbish, also by sweeping on moist low ground, and suspected of living in the runs of small mammals.) Amischa analis Grav.—Extremely common and quite general at roots of herbage, in litter, moss, humus, etc.; often in numbers by sweeping in warm, close weather, flying and settling on one’s clothing, etc.; but not attracted by decomposing substances. Amischa decipiens Sharp.—The only record I have for the garden is of a specimen at grass roots at base of fence, 5.ili.51; it surely, however, must be far commoner than implied by this, being no rarity, and easy to overlook among the hordes of A. analis. Atheta (Aloconota) gregaria Er.—Most infrequent; odd examples by sweeping or on the wing in early summer, and occasionally in a damp place by the house under bricks or other cover; a few under fish bait when nearly disintegrated, viii.53. Not certainly noted earlier than 1952. Atheta (A.) sulcifrons Steph—Very seldom met with and always singly, in the damp environment just mentioned (at least once beneath a large flagstone); not more than three times in 25 years. Atheta (Philhygra) luridipennis Mann.—Found only twice up to the present; one in a small amount of rotted-down grass mulch placed around the roots of a rose tree, 1l.v.57; and one crawling uv a wall at the base of which was a quantity of well-decayed straw, 27.iv.64. (A species—like elongatula—of very varied biotope ° Atheta (P.) haiophila Ths. (=tomlini Joy).—A 2 apparently referable to this species was taken at the edge of the pond, 7.v.60; but it is possible that it belongs rather to hygrobia Ths. (=malleus Joy), of which ? have $ ¢ from a pond (no longer existing) not far away— ° of the group being difficult to name with certainty. Atheta (P.) elongatula Grav.—Not common; met with under the same conditions as A. gregaria, but less seldom; also sometimes in cut grass (perhaps only casually), and recently in small numbers at grass roots round the muddy edge of the pond, notably in the past summer. First in 1938. Atheta (Dinaraea) angustula Gyll.—Sporadic; a few times since 1951 at roots of grass along a fence; in debris of moss and leaves, 17.iv.53; under remnants of putrid fish, 16.vii.52; at the pond-edge, 17.v.60. Atheta (D.) linearis Grav.—One taken at base o ffence, 19.v.52, is the only record for the garden; the species mostly lives under bark and in rotten wood. Atheta (Plataraea) brunnea F.—Very rare. Singly in remains of dry cat-dung, 8.viii.5b2; in humus (cat-dung being again in the vicinity), 15.x.53; swept under apple trees, 17.vi.54; and by sweeping ivy on wall and ground in shrubbery, 2.vii.64. Atheta (Bessobia) occulta Er.—Not at all uncommon in autumn in rotting grass and straw, even plentiful at times; but in other seasons only odd specimens are met with. (One running on kitchen step, 10 or 11.iv.55.) The summer is normally spent in the larval and pupal stages—to judge ‘ THE COLEOPTERA OF A SUBURBAN GARDEN 241 from a specimen taken in the garden as a young larva, and bred out by Mr. W. O. Steel. I cannot agree that the species is rare, as both Fowler and Joy state in their books. Atheta (Microdota) inquinula Grav.—This, the smallest of the genus, is quite scarce, having occurred singly only some half-dozen times since 1937—or perhaps a little oftener. Probably, from its size, much over- looked. In heaps of cut grass, etc. *Atheta (M.) benickiella Brund. (=validiuscula auct. Brit.).—A rarity of which I obtained one example by sifting the latter material, 10.iv.48. Atheta (M.) amicula Steph.—Frequent, in vegetable refuse of various sorts, in a moist place beneath bricks and tiles, and at times by sweeping grass or over rubbish heaps. Atheta (M.) atricolor Shp—Not common, and usually found singly, but taken at intervals from about 1940 up to the present time. In heaps of rotting grass or other herbage, and at least once on the wing near a pile of freshly-mown grass. (The known distribution is remarkable: England and Scotland, Calabria and Algeria. Joy wrongly omits the species from his book.) *“Atheta (M.) alpina Ben.—A rare and supposedly boreo-alpine species, known as British only on a few specimens from Devon and one from the New Forest, until a female was detected amongst material sieved from a small pile of rotting straw in the garden, 14.v.62. (Cf. Ent. mon. Mag., 1963, 99: 63, where, however, I mentioned ‘the first Scottish record’ in error— this should be deleted—and 1962, 98: 48.) *Atheta (M.) indubia Shp.—Three examples in loamy soil mixed with remnants of old straw, etc., and a fourth from bonfire ashes in which there remained some unburnt vegetable matter, March 1959; two further 3 ¢ by sweeping widely over the garden, late April 1964. (I have not been able to check the tew records of captures earlier than the former date.) *“Atheta (M.) n.sp.?—A © taken at the time and place first mentioned under indubia is indistinguishable externally from that svecies, but has. an entirely different spermatheca; the species appears to be undescribed. *Atheta (M.) perexigua Shp.—In grass-mowings; rare, though in the period when first found (iv-v.37) a short series was obtained. Since then, however, it has been very seldom seen, the latest being one swept from a lawn (5.v.60)—probably in flight—where mowing was in progress, on a very warm day. Also two from rotten stems of cabbage, 20.iv.53. Atheta (Atheta) nigricornis Ths.—In nests of thrushes and blackbirds; single specimens taken three times in the last few years, the first 6..iv.61. It is not, however, restricted to this habitat. (*)Atheta (A.) divisa Mark.—Several times under the remains of de- composed fish and other carrion in 1952-3, once or twice in some small numbers; the first from a grass heap, 3.x.37, and a few later from similar loci; one shaken out of old cabbage stalks, 10.v.53. (Hardly rare as the books suggest.) Atheta (A.) coriaria Kr.—From time to time in cut grass and other rotting herbage, occasionally in small numbers, but far from common; one brushed from pear foliage, 14.viii.64. Atheta (A.) crassicornis F. (=inoptata Shp.).—Fairly common in most kinds of vegetable refuse, once or twice in fungus and rotten fruit; also at carrion (where, indeed, several of the Athetae attracted to rotting herbare 242 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 76 15/X/64 may well occur, but this material has not been closely worked for the genus in the garden). ; Atheta (A.) xanthopus Ths.—Very sparingly by sweeping in suitable weather, at roots, in moss, straw, humus, piant litter and dead-grass traps; never more than one specimen at a time. Atheta (A.) trinotata Kr.—Found chiefly of late years (first recorded 13.iv.51) and by no means common. In compost and decomposing herbage, especially in foul straw. . *Atheta (A.) sp.?—A single 9 sifted out of loamy earth rich in various organic debris (4.iii.61) is apparently very close to trinotata and to hybrida Shp., but has a strikingly different spermatheca from either; the species cannot yet be determined. Atheta (A.) triangulum Kr.—So far rare and only found a few times, singly, in recent years; habitat about as the last two species; the first in grass litter, 30.iii59. (Tends to be commoner near the coast.) Atheta (A.) aquatica Ths.—One by sifting an accumulation of dead leaves under a buddleia bush, 19.i.62. Atheta (A.) pertyi Heer—One example from a pile of dead grass, 262058. *Atheta (A.) hypnorum Kies.—A male in debris of hay, 20.iv.55. (A woodland species). Atheta (Liogluta) longiuscula Grav. (=vicina Steph.).—Peculiarly scarce for a species regarded as common. Occasionally in past years, on the wing, on a wall of the house, under sods and pieces of board or tile lying on moist earth, etc. The most recent is one sieved out of dead grass, 18.x.58. Atheta (Dimetrota) atramentaria Gyll.—Rather uncommon, but found from time to time over a long period of years in grass heaps, mulch, compost and decaying herbage in general; casual examples also under carrion. (A very common species elsewhere in dung). *Atheta (D.) setigera Shp. (?).—A specimen was swept off pear foliage, 13.iv.61, possibly attracted by the blossom. The spermatheca, however, differs in one important respect from that of setigera as figured by Brundin and of another 2 in my collection, so that—whilst in any case nearest to this species—the identification is provisional. Atheta (D.) nigripes Ths.—At fairly long intervals and very sparsely or singly as a rule, but at one period (18-21.v.59) it was present in some numbers. Always in heaps of rotting grass-mowings. *Atheta (D.) cauta Er. (=parvula auct. Brit.)—Occasional only from 1956 (earlier records doubtful). In dead leaves and moss, on the wing and settling in fur of white cat, and in remains of compost in late November; the most recent is from old straw, 11.v.63. (Joy’s ‘common’ for this species and ‘rare’ for ischnocera Ths. is an error of transposition—cf. Williams, 1930, Ent. mon. Mag., 66: 51). Atheta (Datomicra) canescens Shp.—Found sparingly in fermenting cut grass; rather erratic in occurrence but less so than some of the other species; may easily be passed over with the next. Atheta (D.) sordidula Er.—In the same circumstances but considerably commoner, and of comparatively regular occurrence; and not infrequently by sweeping over or near grass heaps, especially in spring. (to be continued) NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS 243 Notes and Observations CoLIAS CRCCEUS FouRC. IN ANGLESEY.—I saw one Colias croceus Fourc. (clouded yellow) in the island of Anglesey. The specimen was a male in very fresh condition—J. A. C. GREENWOOD, Woodcote, Horsell Park, Woking, Surrey. 1.1x.1964. COLIAS HYALE L. IN ESSEx.—On the 2nd September I took three fresh male Colias hyale L. (pale clouded vellow) in a lucerne field at Upminster, quite near to the Purfleet/Dartford tunnel, and two male Colias croceus Fource. (clouded yellow) were also seen. I noted this latter species in good numbers along the Purbeck Hills, Swanage, and also odd specimens at Weymouth and Bournemouth during August. I took a further C. hyale on 7th September at Bradwall-on-Sea, Essex.— R. R. Cook, 164 Collier Row Lane, Romford, Essex. 9.i1x.1964. COLIAS HYALE L. IN EsseEx.—During the morning of 5th September, in a lucerne field near Upminster, I captured a male specimen of C. hyale. As this specimen was in mint condition, it seems quite clear that it was of local emergence.—ANDREW M. FREEBREY, 29 Springfield Gardens, Upminster, Essex. STIGMELLA ULMIFOLIAE HERING IN KENT.—On 19th September 1964, while examining bush elm for Nepticulid mines, I found several examples of the mine of Stigmella ulmifoliae Hering. Unfortunately, the mines had all been vacated by the larvae, and as the elms were on the edge of a build- ing site in the middle of Bromley town, they are likely to disappear before another generation can make use of them. I examined other elm trees in the near vicinity without finding the species, but my time was limited and this does not mean that the species was not in fact there. I first found the mine on 12.ix.1950 in the Stratford-on-Avon district ana reported it as a species new to Britain (Ent. Rec., 74: 122) after Mr. A. G. Carolsfeld-Krause had identified the mine for me. IW GAM yee es Richens reported the mine (Ent. Gazette, 14: 37) from Essex in three widely separated districts: Rayleigh, near Southend-on-Sea; Stebbing, near Braintree; and Stifford, near Tilbury. It would therefore seem that, like many other small and obscure species, ulmifoliae is probably to be found over a wider area if sought after carefully enough. The mine is easily distinguished by the fact that the frass lies in a thin central line throughout the course of the long thin gallery, the frass in all other elm species is spread at some part of the course of the mine.— S. N. A. Jacoss, 54 Hayes Lane, Bromley, Kent. 21.ix.1964. EROMENE OCELLEA Haw. IN HamMpsHIRE.—On 13th June 1964, I took here at light a specimen of Eromene ocellea in very good condition. Beirne’s British Pyralid and Plume Moths gives Timoleague, Co. Cork (1932) as his last record.—C. H. Drxon, Northbrook Farm, Micheldever Station, Hants. 30.viii.1964. LEUCANIA UNIPUNCTA HAw. IN KentT.—On the 21st September 1963, I took a male specimen of Leucania unipuncta Haw. at Lydd. Kent. I believe that there are only two previous records of this species having been taken in Kent during the past eighty-five years.—R. Haywarbp, 41 Suffolk ‘Read, Southsea, Hants. 26.vii.1964. 244 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 76 15/X/64 WIDESPREAD IMMIGRATION OF EuRoIS OccuLta L. In AuGustT.—I have had several pale grey specimens of the continental form of this fine Noctuid in my trap (mercury vapour) beginning on 16th August up to the end of the month. I also have news from Air Marshal Sir Robert Saundby, near Newbury, and from Mr. J. L. Campbell in the Isle of Canna in the Hebrides, that they took the moth also on 16th and later. I have not, however. heard yet whether their moths are also of the pale grey race, but I strongly expect so. This race is a regular immigrant with me, but I think the widespread nature of this year’s occurrence is noteworthy.— Commander G. W. HarPER, R.N., Retd., Neadaich, Newtonmore, Inverness- shire. 2.ix.1964. VENILIA MACULATA L. IN SEPTEMBER.—I would like to record a specimen of Venilia maculata L. (speckled yellow) on the wing at Grayswood, Surrey, on 18th September. It was quite typical, but I kept it as a curiosity of Spring in Autumn.—E. E. JoHNson, Wood Pigeon Hotel, Witley, Surrey. 21.ix.1964. ENARGIA PALEACEA Esp. NEw TO SUFFOLK.—Some very good weather for ecllecting lepidoptera at the beginning of August culminated on 6th August when between dusk and 1.45 a.m. I observed 148 species, the best being Arenostola brevilinea Fenn (Fenn’s wainscot), at Harmony Hall, Weston, near Beccles, Suffolk. The weather then cooled off until 14th August (86 species) and 15th August (103 species). It was at 12.30 p.m. on the 15th that I saw attracted to the blended mercury vavour bulb and progressing up the red brick wall, a moth that in flight reminded me of Apamea sublustris Esp. (reddish light arches). The creature soon settled dccwn and I was able to inveigle him within reach by means of my net. In the box his true identity was revealed as Enargia paleacea Esp. (angle striped sallow), and a further female specimen followed shortly after 1 a.m. I maintained the vigil untii 3 in the morning, but there were no more paleacea. I did not have my reference books with me on holiday, but I thought the insect might be a new county record, as I associated it mostly with Scotland. The moth is, in fact, new to Suffolk and, interestingly enough, three specimens were taken in Surrey on 14 and 15th August. Apparently the Surrey specimens were of a continental form and it seems likely that mine also will prove to have been immigrants, particularly as I captured four specimens of Eurois occulta L. (great brocade) the same week. The native populations.of paleacea seem to range through Cumberland, Yorkshire, Lancashire, Shropshire, Staffordshire, Derbyshire, Nottingham- shire, Worcestershire, Gloucestershire and Somerset. The species has been noted casually in the south in Hampshire, Surrey and London. In the east it has been taken rarely in Lincolnshire, Huntingdonshire, Norfolk, Essex, and now Suffolk. It seems, however, that most collectors travel to Scotland to take the species. Paleacea is Suffolk’s 1572nd species of lepi- doptera and may be added as the first species on page 23 of the “Final Catalogue of the Lepidoptera of Suffolk’, published by the Suffolk Naturalists’ Society in 1937. A list of additions to the county list from 1937 to 1960 was published in the Suffolk Naturalists’ Transactions (IX: 479-488) adding 62 species, since when there have been seven further addi- tions.—ALASDAIR ASTON, 15 Pickwick Road, London, S.E.21, NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS 245 EUROIS OCCULTA L. IN SUFFOLK.—I was surprised to capture a good specimen of Eurois occulta L. (great brocade) at Harmony Hall, Weston, near Beccles, Suffolk, on 14th August. The insect came to blended mer- cury vapour light at 12.30 p.m. The next night brought two more, both after midnight, in company with Enargia paleacea Esp. The weather then turned very windy and I was not able to take a fourth and last specimen until 18th August, by which time the full moon was proving a nuisance to collecting. E. occulta is scarce in Suffolk and the possibility of an immigration is strengthened by the capture of occulta at Winchester the same week. Suffolk records are mainly coastal: before 1890 near Ipswich (Har- wood), Bentley (Morley) and Beccles (Crowfoot); July 1907, Waldringfield, on gate post (Waller); 3lst July 1918. on Paling, Gorleston (Doughty); 8th August 1926, 3 on pine trees at Aldeburgh (incog.); Fritton Lake on sugared oak, Aug. 1934 (Morley); Sep. 1936, Pakefield (Goddard); lst May 1938, Bury St. Edmunds (Allen); 1988, Beccles (Goldsmith); 18th August 1938, Oulton Broad, sugar (P. J. Burton); Aldringham, 13th August 1932 (J. and G. Burton); 30th August 1955, Waldringfield (Waller). Harmony Hall, where I took my four specimens, is only some six miles inland. Apart from Scotland and certain northern haunts in England, it would be interesting to know whether occulta has a permanent home in Britain. It is recorded casually from Somerset, Oxford, Hamvshire, Isle of Wight, Sussex, Kent, Surrey, London, Essex, Suffolk, Norfolk and Lincoinshire.— ALASDAIR ASTON, 15 Pickwick Road. Dulwich Village, London, S.E.21. 1964 Notes.—I would like to put on record two interesting captures here at mercury vapour light; on 20.viii.1964. I took a very pale specimen indeed of Enargia paleacea Esp. in quite good condition, and sn 3.1x.1964, two Heterographis oblitella Zell. I went to Aviemore with Mr. Hare, 28.v. to 3.vi.1964, and we did quite well. Pupae of Amathes alpicola Zett. were not too difficult, Anaritu melanopa Thbg. were flying in numbers at the top of the “Burma Road” and about half-way up we found a few Apatele euwphorbiae ssv. myricae Guen, sitting on rocks fully exposed to the sun.—Davip Morr, The Little House, Hockley Road, Rayleigh, Essex. 6.ix.1964. More Micrants IN THE NEw Forest.—The following have appeared in my mercury vapour trap at Minstead: 28 Aug. Rhodometra sacraria L. ¢ 29 Aug. R. sacraria ¢ 7 sep: R. sacraria ¢ 12 Sep. R. sacraria 2 ab. sanguinaria Esp. 13 Sep. Acherontia atropos L. —L. W. Sices, Sungate, Football Green, Minstead, Lyndhurst, Hants. 14.1x.1964. UNUSUAL APPEAKANCE OF MaLACOSOMA NEUSTRIA (THE LacKEy).—On 9th September an M. neustria ¢, in perfect condition, was taken at Wyke Regis, Weymouth, by Mr. V. W. Philpot, who kindly gave it to me. What was this moth doing at such a date? Could it have been one of a second brood, such as sometimes happens with Diacrisia sannio L. and Euproctis similis Fuessl]. (I mention these two species from personal experience) or was it merely a delayed emergence of the normal brood.—H. SyYMEs, 52 Lowther Road, Bournemouth, 22.ix.1964. 246 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 76 15/X/54 AGLAIS URTICAE L. aT LicHT.—It is of interest to record that a specimen of Aglais urticae L. (small tortoiseshell) came to the electric reading lamp in my room at Bentham House School, Purton, Wilts., at 11.20 p.m. B.S.T. on 20th July. There appears to have been no case of fortuitous distur- bance. There was definitely an attraction to the light as I have noted occasionally with Vanessa atalanta L. (red admiral), V. cardui L. (painted lady) and Apatura iris L. (purple emperor) (and in Africa with Charazxes species). The butterfly played and basked around the lamp for several minutes until I boxed it for release on the following day.—I. R. P. HESLop, “Belfield”, Burnham-on-Sea, Somerset. 5.ix.1964. _A NOTE ON STAPHYLINUS STERCORARIUS OLIV. (COL. STAPHYLINIDAE).—In a previous note concerning his personal records of this genus, Allen (Ent. Rec., 64: 126) writes of this species: “Despite its name, it does not frequent dung”. Whilst I would agree that stercorarius does not usually frequent dung, I should mention that my first experience of the species was in August 1959, when I took a specimen in cow dung in New Mill quarry near Penzance, W. Cornwall. Fowler (1888, Col. Brit. Islds., 2: 251) writes about the species: ‘In carcases, dung, dungheaps, etc., but mostly found on the wing or running in pathways’. My own limited experiences bear out Fowler’s observations on the species: on paths, by sweeping, on the wing, and beneath stones, and of course the dung record men- tioned above.—Co.LiIn JoHNSON, Dept. of Entomology, Manchester Museum. 10.ix.1964. CHLOROPS (CETEMA) NEGLECTA TONN. IN Hunts.—Mr. R. L. Coe recently showed me a copy of the 1940 Handbook of the Society for the Promotion of Nature Reserves. On page 5 in the report on Wood Walton Fen Reserve, Mr. H. M. Edelsten recorded Mr. Coe’s capture, in 1939, of this species as new to Britain. Mr. Coe, in litt., informs me that in 1940 Dr. F. W. Edwards and he realised that the specimens standing in the British Dip- tera collection at the British Museum (Nat. Hist.) under the label of Chlorops (Cetema) myopina Lw. were misnamed and were really neglecta Tonn. and were accordingly relabelled. Owing to his leaving the Museum on war service, Mr. Coe omitted to publish the facts in an entomological journal, and by his return in 1946 the matter had slipped his mind.—L. PARMENTER, 94 Fairlands Avenue, Thornton Heath, Surrey. 15.1x.1964. On Saturday 31st October, The South London Entomological and Natural History Society will hold its Annual Exhibition in the libraries of the Royal Society and the Royal Geographical Society at Burlington House, Piccadilly. From 11.30 a.m. until 5.30 p.m. Visitors are welcome. LEPIDOPTERA OF KENT (195) 1937-38: 22) exhibited ab. pallida from E. Kent. First Recorp, 1870: Parry, Entomologist, 5: 58. L. albipuncta Schiff.: White Point. Resident, perhaps reinforced by immigration. Rough fields, chalky places, wood borders, etc.; on “grass”. Recorded from all divisions, except 10, 13. Mostly observed in East Kent, particularly on the coast. It is noteworthy that there is no record for the period 1913 to 1931, but that from 1932 to 1963 the moth wag noted annually, except for the war years, 1940-44, and in 1950 a total of over 109 albipuncta was recorded. On April 4, 1937, A. M. Morley found a larva feeding on grass in Alkham quarry (div. 8), from which he bred a ¢ aibipuncta on July 11 that year. 1868-1896.—1868: Folkestone, August 15, one at sugar; one, much worn, on or about October 5, within 5 yards of the first, and one other supposedly this species that escaped (Briggs, Proc. ent. Soc. Lond., 1868: xxxix; idem, Ent. mon. Mag., 5: 173; idem, Entomologist, 4: 222). [1869: Canterbury, August 12 (1), 16 (1), 17 (1), 19 (3) (Parry, Entomologist, 7: 16-17).] 1870: Folkestone, one, August 17 (Vaughan, Ent. mon. Mag., 7: 87); August 18 (1), 23 (2), and one a few days later (Ullyett, Ent. mon. Mag., 7: 111); [Blean, Hospital and Pine Woods, eleven (Parry, Entomologist, 5: 172, 7: 16-17).] [1871: Near Canterbury about 20 (Parry, Entomologist, 5: 417, 7: 16-17).] [1872: Near Canterbury, nine (Parry, Entomologist, 7: 16-17).] 1873: Folkestone, 9, August 30 (Jones, Ent. mon. Mag., 10: 118); two. September 1 (Oldham, Entomologist, 6: 519); Sheppey, two at sugared thistle heads, August 24 (Hodgson, Ent. mon. Mag., 10: 180); Near Canter- bury, five (Parry, Entomologist, 7: 16-17).] 1874: Folkestone, two, Sep- tember (Oldham, Entomologist, 7: 228). 1875: West Wickham Wood, one, August 24 (Channon, Entomologist, $8: 228); Folkestone (Oldham, Entom- ologist, 28: 308). 1876: Deal Sandhills, two, August 23 (Andrewes, Entomologist, 9: 232); Folkestone (Oldham, loc. cit.). 1877: Deal, one, August (Tugwell, Naturalist, new series, 3: 41); Walmer, two, August 26 (Meldola, Entomologist, 10: 255); Folkestone (Oldham, loc. cit., 1878: Folkestone, August 14 (9), 25 (Jj) (Heatherley, Entomologist, 11: 230). 1879: Folkestone (Oldham, loc. cit.). 1884: Sandwich dist., two (Tutt, Entomologist, 18: 71). 1891: Folkestone Warren, one taken off ragwort flowers, end of August (Barker, Proc. S. Lond. ent. nat. Hist. Soc., 1890-91: 135). 1892: Folkestone, one, August (Austen, Proc. Folkestone nat. Hist. Soc., 1892: 26). 1893: Folkestone Warren, one taken by W. J. Austen in May (Austen, fide Fenn, Diary). 1895: Willesborough Lees, one, August 24 (Chittenden, Entomologist, 28: 281); Folkestone, one, September 7 (Oldham, Entomologist, 28: 308). 1896: Yalding, one, September 19 (S. G. Reid, in. V.C.H. (1908)). 1900-1912.—1900: Margate dist. (Barrett, Proc. S. Lond. ent. nat. Hist. Soc., 1900: 101; idem, Entomologist, 34: 23). 1903: Chattenden (Ovenden, Ent. Rec., 21: 33). 1912: Deal sandhills, two taken at sugar, August 27 (Tonge, Proc. S. Lond. ent. nat. Hist. Soc., 1912-13: 103; idem. Ent. Rec., 242/273): 1932-1939.—1932: Dungeness, August 20, one at dusk by C. G. M. de Worms, Y at sugar by A. M. Morley (Morley, Entomologist, 67: 38; de Worms, Entomologist, 65: 23). 1933: Dungeness, one, August 14, three, ‘August 16, and six more by other people (de Worms, Entomologist, 66: 259) (196) ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 76 15/X/64 (about 12, but not taken by Morley (Morley, Entomologist, 67: 238), may refer); Edenbridge (div. 11), at sugar (F. D. Greenwood). 1934: Dungeness, August 3 (5), 11 (1), September 3 (13), 8 (3) (A. M. Morley); August 5 (23), by Morley, Lowe, and two others (Lowe, Entomologist, 67: 237); August 14, September 10 (A. J. L. Bowes); September 17 (2), 18 (1) (Beckwith Whitehouse MS.); August 31 (1) (A. G. Peyton); Ham Street, eight, August 4 (de Worms, Entomologist, 68: 103); Sandwich, August, 24 (1); Deal, August 2 (1); Dover, August 31 (several) (Lowe, loc. cit.); Sandhurst, August 12, 13 (Bull, Entomologist, 67: 279). 1935: Dungeness, August 16, $, “at Pits on Loosestrife” (A. M. Morley, in litt.); a few, September 7 (de Worms, Entomologist, 69: 157); September 21 (1) (Beckwith Whitehouse MS.); Ham Street, September 17 (2) (Beckwith Whitehouse MS.). 1936: Dungeness, August 20 (1), by J. O. T. Howard (A. J. L. Bowes); September 5 (de Worms, Entomologist, 70: 89); Sandwich, August 20 (4), 30 (2), September 5 (2, by A. G. Peyton), 6 (5), 12 (1), 14 (1) (A. J. L. Bowes). 1937: Dungeness, September 1 (1) (A. H. Lanfear); September 27 (1) by B. Embry (A. M. Morley). 1938: Dungeness, August 9 (1), 21 (3) (Bowes, Ent. Rec., 51: 107); August 30 (5) (A. M. Morley); August 12 (1) (C.-H.); a total of some 50-100 noted here this year (A. M. Morley); Sandwich, September 14 (A. J. L. Bowes); September 25 (1) (C.-H.); [(Dover, larva, April 9, by J. O. T. Howard (A. J. L. Bowes). This is the basis for the record by Haggett (in Proc. S. Lond. ent. nat. Hist. Soc., 1962: 196). However, Howard told me that he reared the moth and that it was not albipuncta but L. lithargyria (C.-H.).)] 1939: Sandwich, one, June (A. J. L. Bowes). 1945-63.—1945: Dungeness, August, 12 taken (Richardson, Entom- ologist, 79: 20); August 11 (1) (A. M. Moriey); August 5 (1), September 1 (1) (de Worms, Entomologist, 79: 76-77); Herne Bay, June 22 (Dann- reuther, Entomologist, 79: 107); Reculver, August 6 (1); Sandwich, August 11 (1) (C.-H.). 1946: Deal, one at light, by C. M. Gummer, September 1 (Dannreuther, Entomologist, 80: 140). 1947: Dungeness, August 11 (1) (A. M. Morley). 1948: Herne Bay, August 24 (1, at light) (D. G. Marsh, Diary); Ham Street, September 9 (1) (Howarth, Ent. Gaz., 1: 41); Brook; Dover; Westwell; eleven, August 14-September 7 (Dannreuther, Entomologist, 82: 107) (including five at Westwell, September 7 (E. Scott)) c. 1948: Broad- stairs, four (J. W. C. Hunt coll.). 1949: Broad Oak (div. 3), d¢, rather worn, at electric light, May 27 (C.-H.); Herne Bay, June 10 (2), 12 (one, worn), August 27 (1), September 4 (D. G. Marsh, Diary); Sandhurst, August, one, September 22, one (G. V. Bull); Ham Street, August 12 (1) (EH. C. Pelham-Clinton); September 3 (2), 9 (©) (C.-H.); four at sugar, Septem- ber 3 and 5 (R. F. Bretherton); Lydd-on-Sea, September 7 (1) (R. W. Par- fitt); West Wood, near Lyminge (div. 8), ¢ and @, at sugar, September 2 (A. M. Morley). 1950: Herne Bay, June 2 (1), 12 (1), August 3 (1), 8 (2), 18 (2); Sandwich, at sugar, August 11 (about 30) D. G. Marsh & G. H. Youden); Dungeness, August 13 (2) (D. G. Marsh, Diary); Sandhurst, August (2) (G. V. Bull); Deal, August (fairly common) (C. M. Gummer, in litt., 20.viii.50); Waltham, August 25 (1), 27 (1) (J. W. C. Hunt); Cliftonville, one (W. D. Bowden); Sandwich, June 16 (3, at sugar), July 22 (1, at sugar), August 5 (1, at marram), August 26 (20, at sugar) (C.-H.); Kent (79) (Dannreuther, Entomologist, 84: 102). 1951: Ham Street, July 9 (1) (W. D. Bowden); September 7 (1, at m.v.l.) (C.-H.); Broad Oak, September 21 (1, at electric light) (C.-H.); Folkestone Town, August 29 (1), September 5 (1), 10 (2) (Morley, Ent. Rec., 64: 71); Pinden (div. 6), one (E. J. Hare); Herne Bay, August 3 (D. G. Marsh, Diary); Dover (Dannreuther, Entomologist, LEPIDOPTERA OF KENT (197) 85: 155). 1952: Herne Bay, June 8 (¢) (D. G. Marsh, Diary); Folkestone Town, August 10 (1) (A. M. Morley). 1953: Herne Bay, May 17 (3), June 3 (1) (D. G. Marsh, Diary); Ham Street, August 26 (A. H. Harbottle); August 30 (1) (de Worms, Ent. Rec., 66: 48); Folkestone Town, six at m.v.l., August 12-September 15 (A. M. Morley); Hoads Wood (div. 11), September 15 (P. Cue); Westwell, July 3 (2) (E. Scott, Diary); Folkestone, July 2; Dover, August-September (6) (French, Entomologist, 87: 63). 1954: Brook, August 25 (C. A. W. Duffield, fide E. Scott); Ashford Town, October 18 (P. Cue); Cliftonville, September 1 (1) (W. D. Bowden); Ham Street, two (G. Law, fide P. B. Wacher); September 24 (E. J. Hare); Sandwich, September 19 (1), 26 (1) (B. K. West). Romney Marsh, three (Keittlewell, Entomologist, 88: 45); Wye, October 13 (1) (W. L. Rudland); Folkestone Town, October 2 (1), September 7-October 14 (4, by R. W. Fawthrop) (A. M. Morley). 1955: Folkestone Town, September 5 (1), 20 (1), both at m.v.l., by R. W. Fawthrop (A. M. Morley). 1956: St. Peters, August 10 (1) (CW. D. Bowden); Sandwich, June 19 (1) (P. B. Wacher); Wye, September 10 (1) (W. L. Rudland); Ham Street, September 9 (2) (Huggins, Entom- ologist, 90: 50); September 14 (1) (de Worms, Entomologist, 90: 181); Dungeness, July 28 (1) (W. L. Rudland); September 10 (Huggins, loc. cit.); Folkestone, September 10, 15, 25 (French, Entomologist, 90: 235); Folke- stone Warren, September 24 (¢) (W. L. Rudland). 1957: Ham Street Vil- lage, August 31 (de Worms, Entomologist, 91: 152). 1958: Folkestone Town, August 26 (1) (A. M. Morley); Dungeness (de Worms, Entomologist, 92: 73); Folkestone, July 26 (1), August 29 (2) (French, Entomologist, 92: 173). 1959: Folkestone, July 26, August 22, October 12; Dover, October 11 (4) (French, Entomologist, 95: 175); Ham Street, October 6 (3) (R. G. Chatelain). 1960: Dover, June 10 (2); Folkestone, late August; Ham Street, September 7; Brook, September 14 (French, Entomologist, 95: 210). 1961: Ham Street Village, September 3 and 7 (de Worms, Entomologist, 94: 163; idem, Ent. Rec., 72: 246); Orlestone Woods, September 1 (1) (B. F. Skinner); Tenterden, August 25, 27; Folkestone, August 30; Brook, September 4, 5, 9; Dover, September 17 (French, Entomologist, 96: 37). 1962: Dungeness, October 1 (1, at m.v.l.) (R. E. Scott); October 1-4 (22) (Wightman, Ent. Rec., 74: 237); Ashford Town, autumn (1) (P. Cue); Folkestone, August 5 (1), October 3 (1), 21 (1); Dover, September 4-October 5 (12); Ickham, October 1 (2), 4 (2) (French, Entomologist, 97: 125-126) 1963: Dover, about six in m.v. trap, September 7-30 (G. H. Youden). VARIATION.—The following named abs. are in R.C.K.:—grisea Tutt, Sandwich, one, 1935; ochrea Warren, Dungeness, four; suffusa Tutt, Dunge- ness, several; italo-gallica Mill., Dungeness, two; flecki Caradja, Dunge- ness, two; rufa Tutt, Dungeness, several; also, typical albipuncta Schiff., Dungeness, several. First REcorpD, 1868: Folkestone, one at sugar, August 15, 1868 (Briggs, Proc. ent. Soc., Lond., 1868: xxxix). This is also the first British record. L. lythargyria Esp.: Clay. Native. Grassy places in woods, marshes, waste land, etc.; on Festuca rubra. In all divisions. “Generally common” (V.C.H. (1908)). A larva taken by me, Trottescliffe (div. 7), April 20, 1962, feeding on F. rubra L. (det. C. A. Stace), from which D. R. M. Long reared an imago “(C.-H.). A. R. Kidner (Diary) records finding young larvae in numbers (198) ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 76 15/X/64 at night at Sidcup, in April 1924, and again in 1936, but does not specify foodplant. The moth is fairly plentiful at flowers of rush, sugar, and especially at light. For example, it has been recorded at m.v.l. as follows :—Dungeness, July 1-August 13, 1962 (62), with maximum (6) on July 24 (R. E. Scott); Willesborough, July 11-August 9, 1954 (51), June 27-August 8, 1955 (85), July 10-August 9, 1956 (80); Wye, July 2-August 8, 1953 (32), July 12- August 20, 1954 (27), July 4-August 11, 1955 (58), July 7-August 13, 1956 (63) (W. L. Rudland); Bromley, 1962 (30), last noted September 4; 1963 (33), first noted June 28 (D. R. M. Long). VARIATION.—Tutt (Br. Noct., 1: 32) records the following aberrations: pallida Tutt, Farnborough; extralinea Tutt, Strood; fulvescens Tutt, Chat- tenden. First Recorp, 1829: “Mythimna grisea ... occasionally at Darenth Wood” (Stephens, Haust., 2: 150). L. conigera Shiff.: Brown-line Bright-eye. Native. Downs, commons, lanes, grassy places; on Festuca rubra. In all divisions. ‘“‘Generally common” (V.C.H. (1908)); but markedly less plentiful than L. lythargyria. An imago was reared from a larva found by me at Trottescliffe (div. 7.), April 20, 1962, feeding on F. rubra L., det. C. A. Stace—the only record I have of the feral larva (C.-H.). VARIATION.—In R.C.K. is a striking ¢, ab. coxvi C.-H., pale and marking- less, taken at Abbey Wood (div. 1) in 1949; also, ab. intermedia Tutt, one, Ashford, 1935. First Recorp, 1829: “Not uncommon in Darenth-wood” (Stephens, Houst., 23151): [(L. sommoides Guen. Very doubtfully genuine. 15. Four specimens taken, “in a spot bordering on Romney Marsh’’,* during the first week of August (1873) (Parry, Entomologist, 6: 522-523).)] Mythimna turca L.: Double Line. Immigrant? Woods. 6a. Knight’s Place near Rochester, 1890 (Pye, Rochester Nat., 1896 (51) aa. 8. Folkestone* (Newman, Br. Moths, 260); one, taken by J. W. Walton, c. 1907, flying at dusk at the foot of the downs, is in A. M. Morley coll. (A. M. Morley). Brook, one worn specimen, taken by C. A. W. Duffield, in light trap, June 18, 1961 (E. Scott, Diary). First RECORD, 1869: Folkestone (Newman, Illustrated Natural History of British Moths, 260). NONAGRIINAE Stilbia anomala Haw.: Anomalous. Perhaps resident, but doubtless now long extinct. Heaths? Note:—It is regrettable that the species has been so badly recorded, with failure in every case to give sufficient particulars. 1. Allchin (Ent. week. Int., 7: 205) records that he took one at sugar, in August 1859, “in Kent” [West Wickham?], which record I have tenta- LEPIDOPTERA OF KENT (199) tively placed in this division (C.-H.)*. 8. Near Folkestone*, one (in 1875) (Haggar, Entomologist, 8: 300). Folkestone* (Ullyett (1880)), may refer to the preceding occurrence. [11. Wateringbury.—W. A. Cope told me he was fairly certain E. Goodwin took an anomala at Wateringbury; there is however no such specimen in the Goodwin coll. (C.-H.).] 13. Pembury (Stainton, Man., 2: 314). First RecorpD, 1837: “Mr. Standish has met with it I think in Kent” (Curtis, Br. Ent., 631). A more positive record dates from 1857: Stainton, loc. cit. Rhizedra !utosa Hubn. (crassicornis Haw.): Large Wainscot. Resident, perhaps native. Reed beds!, marshes, ditches, river-banks; [on Phragmites communis]. Locally plentiful in 2, 4, 15. The records are often of single specimens—mostly at light, occasion- ally ivy blossom—away from suitable terrain, many of which must have flown far from their place of birth. The moth is classed as a migrant by Williams et al. (1942). 1. Lee, October 28, 1863, October 20, 1885, October 26, 1886 (Fenn, Diary). Charlton, September 13, 1865 (Fenn, Diary) (Jones, Ent. mon. Mag., 2: 139). Bromley, at sugar (Watchurst, Entomologist, 17: 279); one, October 14, 1962 (D. R. M. Long). Sydenham, one, 1901 (Hammond, in Buckle and Prout, Trans. Cy. Lond. ent. nat. Hist. Soc., 1901: 63). Bexley; Eltham (Wool. Surv. (1909)). Dartford (B. K. West). Petts Wood, two, 1947, three, 1949, one, 1950 (E. Evans). Abbey Wood, 1952 (A. J. Showler). Orpington, one, 1957 (R. G. Chatelain). Blackheath (de Worms, Lond. Nat., 1955: 36). Lee, one, September 28, 1959 (C. G. Bruce). 3. Herne Bay, several at light ‘A. J. L. Bowes). Whitstable (PF. Harris). Broad Oak, three at light, October 17, 1953 (C.-H.). 5. Westerham (R. C. Edwards). 6. Greenhithe* (V.C.H. (1908)). Gravesend, odd ones, 1910, 1912-14, 1922 (F. T. Grant). Pinden, a few, 1952 (E. J. Hare) Otford, two, 1955-56 (W. B. L. Manley). 7. Westwell, one, September 18, 1953, at light (E. Scott, Diary). 8. Folkestone* (Ullyett (1880)). Dover, 1936, 1939 (E. & Y. (1949)). 9. Margate, October 5, 1920 (H. G. Gomm, Diary); (H. C. Huggins). St. Peters, October 9, 1955 (W. D. Bowden). 11. Wateringbury (V.C.H. (1908)). Hoads Wood (E. Scott). Aylesford (G. A. N. Davis). Sevenoaks Weald, two at m.v.l., October 1, 14, 1959 (E. A. Sadler). 12. Canterbury, 1895 (S. Wacher MS.); one at light, c. 1947 (J. A. Parry). Hothfield (Scott (1936)). Brook*, 1947; Ashford (Scott (1950)). Chartham (P. B. Wacher). Willesborough, four, 1953, two, 1955, five, 1956: Wye, twelve, 1953, one, 1954, fourteen, 1955, six, 1956 (W. L. Rudlanda). Willesborough, several at light, 1959, 1961; West Ashford, one, 1960, one, 1961 (M. Singleton). Ham Street, September 21, 1957 (R. F..Bretherton). 13. Goudhurst, several at light (W. V. D. Bolt, personal communication, 1961). 14. Iden Green. 1951 (H. Boxall). 16. Folkestone (Morley, Ent. Rec., 64: 171). VaRIATION.—The following abs. are in R.C.K.: crassicornis Haw., -Dymchurch, one, bred 1932; pilicornis Haw., Dymchurch, several; rufescens (200) ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 76 15/X/64 Tutt, Dymchurch, Herne Bay. First REcorD, 1853: Near Deal (Harding, Soc. Br. Ent., in Zoologist, 4141). lHaggett (Entomologist, 90: 184) observes that the ‘ideal habitat is in a large reed basin where drainage has caused a permanent lowering of the water-table and a weakening of the reed vigour, but there is sufficient moisture and periodic flooding to prevent colonization by other plants . I have seen the moth in abundance at Ebbsfieet (div. 4), and Dymchurech (div. 15), where these conditions obtained exactly (C.-H.). Arenostola pygmina Haw. (fulva Hubn.): Small Wainscot. Native. Marshy places, damp woods, fens: foodplant unknown. “Abundant in some places” (V.C.H. (1908)). Note:—The species is evidently locally plentiful, but the majority of observers including myself have never had the fortune to encounter it in good numbers (C.-H.). C. & J. Fenn (Diary), who took it so abundantly at Lee Swamp, wrote: “By looking on the Carices with a lantern we found N. fulva in tolerable plenty—this is certainly the way to take it”. 1. Lee Swamp, took 49, September 9-18, 1862; took 103, August 20- September 16, 1863; August 31, 1864; one, September 15, 1885; Lee, one at light, September 17, 1865; one at light, September 30, 1866 (Fen, Lepi- doptera Data MS.). Shooters Hill Wood (Purnell, Week. Ent., 3: 268). Bromley (Watchurst, Entomologist, 17: 279). Eltham; Holwood; Paul’s Cray (Wool. Surv. (1909)). Paul’s Cray Common, annually to September 1920 (S. F. P. Blyth). Sidcup, one, at light, September 5, 1913 (A. R. Kidner). West Wickham, common, 1929 (S. Wakely). Lee, 1954 (C. G. Bruce). 2. Near Sheerness, rare among reeds (Walker, Ent. mon. Mag., 8: 185). Greenhithe* (V.C.H. (1908)). Rochester* (Ovenden, Ent. Rec., 18: 19). Cliffe Marshes, one, September 3, 1960 (R. G. Chatelain). 4. Deal, one, August 22, 1890; Ham ponds, one, August 17, 1892 (Fenn, Diary). Minster Marshes, one, August 9, 1927 (H. G. Gomm, Diary). Westbere, two, August 28, 1938, one, August 3, 1946 (C.-H.). Sandwich (BE. & Y. (1949)). Ickham, several, 1954-59 (D. G. Marsh). Worth, 1961 (T. W. Harman). 6. Springhead (H. C. Huggins). Otford, one, 1956 (W. B. L. Manley’. 7. Detling, September 23, 1960 (R. G. Chatelain). 8. Folkestone Downs (A. M. Morley, in litt 22.viii.1958). 11. Shipborne (P. A. & D. J. A. Buxton coll.). Aylesford (G. A. N. Davis). 12. Shadoxhurst (Scott (1936)). Brook*, October, 1947 (Scott (1950)). Ham Street, in small numbers at light, 1949-54 (C.-H.); (de Worms. Entomologist, 88: 61); September 3-5, 1949, September 29, 1956, September 21, 1957 (R. F. Bretherton). Ashford, September 10, 1955 (P. Cue). Willes- borough, two, September 24-October 2, 1953, four, September 12-25, 1956; Wye, one, September 10, 1953, two, September 6-26, 1954, two, September 5-16, 1955, two, September 25, 1956 (W. L. Rudland). Willesborough, one, 1957, two, 1959 (M. Singleton). 13. Tunbridge Wells, fairly common (Knipe (1916)). Goudhurst, two at light, 1959 (W. V. D. Bolt). 15. Dungeness, August 7, 19, 1935 (A. J. L. Bowes); one August 18, 1958 (E, C, Pelham-Clinton); one, taken by T. W. Harman, August 30, 1962 (R. E. LEPIDOPTERA OF KENT (201) Scott). Military Canal* (G. V. Bull). Dymchurch (A. M. Morley, in litt. 22.viii.1958). Appledore, 1962 (de Worms, Entomologist, 96: 59). 16. Folkestone* (Ullyett (1880)). Hythe* (&. J. Hare). Folkestone Town, one at m.v.l., September 19, 1957 (A. M. Morley). Sandgate, one, 1960, one, 1961 (N. Reay-Jones). VARIATION.—Tutt (Br. Noct., 1: 45) records specimens from Deal of the whitish form, ab. concolor Tutt. Ab. concolor is also represented by a single specimen in R.C.K., taken Dungeness, 1935. First ReEcorbD, 1862: Lee Swamp (Fenn, Diary, 9.1x.1862). [A. extrema Hubn. (concolor Guen.): Concolorous. Doubtfully Kentish!. 8. Folkestone (1871, Morris, Br. Moths, 2: 89). No particulars are given, and the record is not confirmed from any other source; it is possible, however, that Morris confused it with A. morrisii Dale (q.v.), which was first recorded from Folkestone as extrema in error. ] 1The species has been recorded from Eastbourne, Sussex, and was exhibited (Ellison, Proc. S. Lond. ent. nat. Hist. Soc., 1957: 12). A. fluxa Hubn. (hellmanni Ev.): Mere Wainscot. Perhaps resident. Woods, marshy places. Note: Calamagrostis epigeois is a rare plant in Kent, but of the few recorded stations, two are located between Folkestone and Ham Street (cf Hanbury and Marshall, Flora of Kent, 394), and a number of plants were recently noted at Dungeness by S. Wakely and the late Dr. E. Scott. 12. Orlestone Woods, one taken by R. F. Bretherton and J. L. Messenger, at m.v., July 28, 1956 (Scott, Trans. Folkestone nat. Hist. Soc., 1956: 6). 15. Dungeness, two, including one of the red form, July 31, 1963, taken by D. W. H. ffennell (D. W. H. ffennell, in litt.). 16. Folkestone* (Ullyett (1880)). first REcorpD, 1880: Folkestone (Ullyett, Rambles of a Naturalizt Round Folkestone, 142). A. morrisii Dale ssp. bondii Knaggs: Bond’s Wainscot. Native. Greensand cliffs; on Festuca arundinacea, Arrhenatherum elatius. |(2. “The moth ... has been taken in Woolwich marshes” (Newman, Br. Moths, 276). A most unlikely occurrence, unless introduced (C.-H.).)] 16. Folkestone.—The main locality is a rough extent of cliff between the Leas and the beach, the most accessible portion and that best known nowadays being adjacent to the Road of Remembrance. About 1928, A. M. Morley found the moth flying on the cliffs between the Leas and Sandgate, at a spot a mile or so to the west of the Road of Remembrance, but the place was so steep as to be virtually unworkable. Knaggs (Entomologist, 30: 75) records that he was informed that a “straggling specimen” was once taken in the Warren on the gault. First found by Dr. H. Guard Knaggs in 1859, and exhibited by him as “Nonagria concolor’ in September of that year at the Entomological . Society of London (see First Record). Within a few years of its discovery here, the species was collected in enormous numbers, and Fenn (Diary) (202) ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 76 15/X/64 writing in 1862 testified to the fact that up to that time ‘about a thousand specimens have been captured’. It was still “very common” in 1864, according to Meek (Ent. mon. Mag., 1: 125); but in 1867 the same observer noted that it had become “very scarce’. Webb (S. East Nat., 1903: 54) records it as having become far less common around the turn of the ceniury, though it appears that this was only a temporary decline. In 1935-36, according to A. J. L. Bowes (Diary), a landslip over its breeding ground considerably reduced the numbers in 1936. Despite this however, the moth was noted by me flying in good numbers between 9.30 and 10 p.m., on June 29, 1939, although at this date many were already getting worn; on June 24, 1952, the insect was abundant and fresh; but in 1956, a year considered a poor one generally, only twelve were noted, on June 29 (C.-H.). | Nicholls (Entomologist, 11: 252) records that he bred the species in 1863 from larvae which he found in the roots of A. avenaceum (elatius), growing along the Sandgate Road. About 1955, G. M. Haggett (in litt.) found larvae full grown, May 13-27, on F. arudinacea, by the Road of Remembrance, and reared the moths; and he states that it was on no other plant. VARIATION.—The form occurring in Kent is referable to ssp. bondii Knaggs. G. M. Haggett who has compared a good many fresh examples from Folkestone, Kent, and Charmouth, Dorset (the original locality of typical morrisii Dale), states (in litt.) that Charmouth examples have “pallid white ground colour compared with cream-white of Folkestone, and Charmouth moths are well dusted with dark grey atoms on the central fascia and especially at the outer margin so that the white nervures stand out more sharply than those from Folkestone”. First ReEcoRD, 1859: Folkestone (Knaggs, Proc. ent. Soc. Lond., 1859: IXXVI1)). Arenostola phragmitidis Hubn.: Fen Wainscot. Native. Marshes, fens, ditches, riversides [on Phragmites communis]. 1. Bromley Marshes (Courtney, Entomologist, 1: 227). Abbey Wood* (C. Fenn, in Wool. Surv. (1909)). Sidcup, one at light, August 13, 1909 (A. R. Kidner). 2. Greenwich Marshes (Stainton, Man.); abundant, July 30-August 1, 1861; fifteen, July 16, 1886 (Fenn, Diary); on the banks of the Thames below Greenwich (Newman, Br. Moths, 273). Greenwich to Erith (J. W. Tutt, in Wool. Surv. (1909)). Gravesend (Button, Entomologist, 4: 129); (Miller and Jones, Ent, mon. Mag., 6: 114); 1926-27 (F. T. Grant). Green- hithe; Cliffe (V.C.H. (1903)). Sheppey (Hodgson, Ent. mon. Mag., 10: 180). Near Strood (Ovenden, Ent. Rec., 21: 32). Higham Marshes (F. T. Grant). Iwade (H. C. Huggins). Aylesford, one (G. A. N. Davis). Dartford, com- mon (B. K. West). 4. Deal (Harding, Ent. week. Int., 1: 163, 8: 155; Fenn, Ent. week. Int., §: 60; Browne, Proc. S. Lond. ent. nat. Hist. Soc., 1906-07: 86). Sandwich to Deal (Shepherd, Entomologist, 17: 136). Cliffsend, numerous, 1907, 1912 (J. W. C. Hunt). Reculver, 1934-36 (A. J. L. Bowes). Sandwich (de Worms, Entomologist, 67: 103); several on marram grass, August 5, 1946 (C.-H.); one, August 5, 1957 (R. F. Bretherton). Westbere, twenty, flying and on rushes, August 3, 1946; Ham Fen, four, July 31, 1955 (C.-H.). Minster Marshes, July 24, 1951 (W. D. Bowden). 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Harper, R.N.(Retd.), F.R.E.s. 7 BSCRIPTION 35/- POST FREE OR U.S. DOLLARS 5.50 ‘on. Treasurer, CLIFFORD CRAUFURD. alloway Road, Bishop’s Stortford, Herts. cereal SESE THE STANDARD NATURAL HISTORY From Amoeba to Man The task of the editor, W P Pycraft, and his contributors has been to provide a balanced presentation of the animal Kingdom such as will afford a comprehensive survey of the classification of animals and of the outstanding types which have come into being as a result of the process of evolution. The book is lavishly illustrated with colour plates, photographs and diagrams, and with the high quality of its general presentation this superb book represents outstanding value. ; 35s net THE WORLD IN THE PAST What It Was Like and What It Contained . 1 7 - ney perm" gage Serene ee reer Ege: — — ETS BBA Se ist 2S TR oa Se RES Here is given a popular account, in simple nontechnical language, — of the wonders recorded in Nature’s Great Stone Book of the Earth. Every cliff, quarry or river has a tale to tell. We wander — amongst the Coral Islands, Mountains and Volcano Craters. We | read of the birth of the Earth and the Dawn of Life; the succession : of ages, each characterised by its own peculiar form of life. Every student of Nature will be thrilled by this most antorosting story | of the world when it was young by B poe ck Smith. el ers CEPT ERE ET LIES I et aoe oF, 73 plates in full colour z Bae Paes of 193 half-tone photographs | ear ee | ‘21s net | 14 Bedford Court, London n WC ‘ x Fee 247 In The Welsh Hills By An OLD MotTH-HUNTER In central Wales there is a tract of mountain moorland more than 200 square miles in extent which has never yet—so far as I have read—been trodden by the foot of entomologist. There is no road across it nor even a track, and the distance from the road which bounds it on the north (that from Yspytty Ystwyth to Rhayader) to its southern limit (a line drawn from Lampeter to Llanwrtyd Wells) is about 18 miles. From west to east the average width is roughly twelve miles. It is a desolate place indeed, peopled chiefly by scraggy hill sheep, ravens, buzzards, and, in summer, curlews. The going is hard—heather clumps and tussocks of fescue and moorgrass, with patches of cotton-grass and small sedges marking the bogs. But there are many green valley bottoms with chattering streams, and much bilberry and mountain plants— butterwort and Viola tricolor, and stonecrops in clefts of rock, and many another interesting plant too. On the steep hillside of a narrow valley on the fringe of this area—a lonely spot where I wished I had a companion in ease I fell, for I was many miles from help if help were needed and 1t was only once in a blue moon that anyone passed that way—I once netted Procris statices (Forester) and found that handsome singing dipteron Sericomyia borealis in plenty on the tall marsh thistles. Si Jupiter referat annos I would fit out an expedition to explore that territory. There should be four of us—lepidopterist, coleopterist, dipterist and botanist. We should engage two ponies to carry the equipment, and a man to lead them and perhaps cook, and we should take provisions for fourteen days; for we should travel slowly and perhaps camp in a likely spot for a day or two while exploring the country round about. The lepidopterist would sugar every night (having provided himself with a reel or two of broad white tape with which to mark the herbage sugared, for of course there are no trees nor fences) and light the petrol lamp as soon as the moths had finished visiting the sugar. By day we should walk about and sweep the heather and bilberry and examine every insect that we saw—for I am sure our Editor would like to have an account of the expedition, And we would make a representative collection of all the Orders. I don't suggest that we should find anything to ‘write home about’; but we might. You never know. We might—if it were early July—find the Marsh Ringlet; for although tullia has not yet been recorded as ranging so far to the south in this island, in Ireland it flies in a south coastal county, south indeed of Latitude 52°N. We might also find ashworthii and a mountain Geometer or two. Perhaps even the larva of a Small Lappet. When I lived in Montgomeryshire I refused to believe that the Feathered | Footman (grammica or striata, according to the book you use) was extinct and diligently I searched those limestone hills and valleys; but I never found one, not even a wing in a spider’s web. Alas, it is now too late for me to join the expedition, for I am in ‘the sere, the yellow leat’. But if you, reader, being young and enthusiastic and possessed of sturdy legs would allow me to drop my mantle, lightly, upon your shoulders, I can assure you that such an expedition—supposing you went about it in the right way—would ensure for you and your three friends a very happy and healthy holiday—provided of course that it did 248 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 76 15/ X1/ 64 not rain every day, that the tent did not leak, and that you had not forgotten to pack the corkscrew... . All the same it is not an expedition that anyone—especially anyone without previous experience of the Welsh moorlands—should undertake lightheartedly. It sounds ridiculous to suggest getting ‘lost’ in this little island of ours; but I can assure you that it would be very easy indeed to get into trouble, serious trouble, in those hills. Even in the height of summer, mists, real dense mists, sometimes roll down from the peaks with disconcerting suddenness, often too suddenly for ‘avoiding action’ to be taken. Believe me, I am speaking from personal and unpleasant experi- ence. To go on walking in one of these mists is the height of folly: it is likely to end in disaster. In a mist one could quite easily walk over the edge of a shelf beneath which was a drop of twenty feet. Once on the Plinlimmon range at about 2,000 feet I was caught in a real corker; so instead of trying to climb down I climbed up, and presently I was sitting in blazing sunshine, smoking my pipe and looking down over what was apparently an obliterated world. I started to recite Cowper’s lines— “IT. am monarch of all I survey, My right there is none to dispute, From the centre all rouna to the sea, I am lord of the fowl and the brute”. At this point there was a loud ba-a-a beside me, and the brute, in the shape of a very untidy sheep, joined me for company. It was followed by the fowl, a raven, which alit on a rock about thirty yards away, and croaked. The sheep distrusted it, and moved nearer to me. I threw a stone at the raven, which said bah! and flew away. Half an hour later a breeze arose, and sheep and I marched downhill together at our ease. So if you put some chocolate and a sizeable flask of sherry in your haversack on leaving camp you will not find your temporary segregation from mankind so unpleasant if caught in a mist, for it is possible that a breeze may not spring up until the evening. Shouting is no use on these occasions even if a companion is only a hundred yards away: it is impossible to locate the source of a sound in mist. If you decide to go on walking, very slowly and carefully, you will walk in a circle. To trust to a compass is to make certain that you will land in a bog or walk over a shelf of rock. Sometimes the mists come low and fill the valleys. And iit on such an occasion you have lost your way and you should catch sight of a cow, and it be afternoon, you will know that all is well with you; for the cow will be aware that milking-time is approaching and she will graze nearer and nearer home; and after a while you will hear, through the mist, the welcome cry of “Co, co, co’, and your cow will make her way towards the cry, and soon you will catch sight of a farmer leaning on a gate, calling his herd back to the milking-shed. Ravens and crows dislike mist, and if one flies past you going uphill, follow his example and most likely you will be clear of the mist presently. Get into the habit of scrutinising and memorising the shapes of the surrounding peaks and their position in relation to the camp when you go out in the morning, and look at them occasionally while you are doing your field work. If your pursuit of an insect carries you over and beyond a ridge, go back to the top of the ridge when you have boxed your capture REARING THE JERSEY TIGER—A THIRD ATTEMPT 249 and take your bearing afresh. Remember that distance as the crow flies is of no significance in those hills: it may be far easier to travel twelve miles in one direction than three in another. Some of the bogs cover nearly an acre and you may find that the one you are skirting ends right up against a wall of rock which it is impossible to climb. Never attempt to cross a bog. Stout ankle-supporting boots (and waterproof at that) are essential: with shoes you would become a casualty (and thus a nuisance to your friends) before the first day was out. Let them be well shod: steep dry grassy hillsides are sometimes as slippery as glass. A waterproof sheet is necessary: you cannot roll yourself up in a blanket and sleep on the ground in the Welsh hills. But these things are mentioned only to prepare you for a possible contingency and it is unlikely that in settled weather you would be troubled by mist. In a fine summer there is really no risk at all; for the hills do not exceed 1,800 feet above sea-level; most of them are only from 1,400 to 1,700 ft. Normally the atmosphere is so clear that one can see peaks ten and more miles away. With ordinary precautions the danger of losing one’s way is negligible and with a one-inch Ordnance map and a reliable pocket compass one can readily identify every hill. Of course if you have been collecting in the Cairngorms you already know all about hills of this nature. Anyhow, good luck to you—and please report to our Editor in due course. Lastly, don’t forget that you are the guests of the landowners. For although the law of trespass does not exist in these pasts of Wales the landowners are as susceptible as any of us to the virtue of courtesy and the nuisance of litter (especially sharp-edged tins where sheep are liable to tread). Treat your hosts, if you meet them, as you would like to be treated yourself and you will be received with a warm-hearted hospitality, a ready welcome, and offers to do anything that will be off assistance to you. I know, for I lived in those parts for five years, and kinder folk I have not met anywhere in this island. Rearing The Jersey Tiger—A Third Attempt By L. P. J. WappINGTON Those readers who have followed my fortunes in the September issue of the Record—1963—may have their interest stimulated by a recital of the happenings this year. Although a modicum of success attended my efforts last year, I felt that given a reasonable amount of luck, freedom from illness and better weather conditions, I could, profiting by previous experience, achieve better results. I decided therefore, instead of imposing on the good nature of my friend in Plympton by a request for more eggs, to make-the journey, to Paignton, thus enabling me to have the pleasure of meeting my friend and acquiring the know-how of collecting the moths from an experienced exponent of the art. Alert to the fact that 25% of present day motorists have no more road sense than a cow, I decided to take my car by train ferry from Sheffield to ‘Exeter and so minimise the risk of being an unwilling party to accident statistics. 250 ENYOMOLOGISI’S RECORD, VOL. 76 15/ X1/64 Thus it came about that at midnight on 19th August 1963, I was on my way to Exeter. On arrival there I was kidnapped by a hotel scout who whisked me off to a welcome and delectable breakfast. Having fortified my constitution I proceeded at a leisurely gait to the Park Hotel at Paignton, where my friend called on the Wednesday morn- ing. The weather was warm and sunny and we lost no time in sallying out in search of the elusive tigers. We wandered on the south side of the town, examining the ivy growing on party walls in hotel grounds or drooping over garden walls in the residential areas. They are not easy to see but in the course of the morning we managed to box 8. Eggs were laid by three of the moths the same night, thus solving the difficult problem of sex determination. By the following night I had about 130 egys, so all the moths were released in a park at the rear of the hotel. Unsettled weather with strong winds prevailed during the rest of my stay, and having obtained as many eggs as I required, further excursions were somewhat perfunctory and met with no success, probably due to the fact that it was now getting late in the season. Grouse and jersey tiger shooting both open on the same date. Back in Doncaster the eggs were all distrbuted in four 3” plastic boxes and kept in a bedroom. By 10th September all had hatched and were fed on stinging nettle, and most of them had moulted for the first time by the 19th. The bulk of them were transferred to three glass cages and housed in the garage, while the remainder, about 40 in number, were put in a plastic sandwich case and put on top of the frig in the kitchen, the idea being to compare progress with those in the garage. On 28th September they were transferred to a 4th glass cage but still kept in the kitchen. In the previous article I described how, in inserting nettle in the glass cages, I cut the stems to such a length that the leaves just impinged on the muslin cap where they were instantly available for the larvae clustered there. It was just about this time that I noticed with alarm that the caps on the three cages in the garage were clear of the glass; on examination it trans- pired that the nettle had proceeded to grow and pushed the caps off, so they were duly pruned. By 11th October 11 had died in the kitchen and four in the garage, but it was now clear that the larvae in the garage were making far more pro- gress than those in the kitchen, so I brought the kitchen cage into the garage. The move had little effect on the mortality as casualties continued to mount and by 7th December there were only four survivors, so these were put into one of the other cages. Cold weather now supervened so I deemed it avisable to bring all three glass cages into the kitchen and install them on top of the ‘frig. All larvae appeared’ to be very healthy. Keen frost occurred on 18th to 20th December and ruined all available stinging nettle, so recourse was had to dead nettle. REARING THE JERSEY TIGER—A THIRD ATTEMPT Zo By 9th January this year 15 larvae had died and I suspected over- crowding was partly to blame, so once more I used No 4 glass cage and put about a score of the most advanced larvae in it; they were all about 1” long. Severe frost occurred on the 16th and dead nettle was unobtainable so the ever dependable lettuce was used. By Jan 23rd many larvae were full fed, so about 30 were transferred to a breeding cage; pupation took place daily. Four, however, after abortive attempts to spin up at the top of the cage, gave it up as a bad job, and pupated on top of the moss—more about these anon. By 13th February another 30 were put in a second breeding cage and the last instalment of 10 in a small wooden muslin covered box about 9” x 6” X 4” with about 2” moss pressed down on the bottom; this smal] box had to be tilted to prevent the water running out of the food-plant bottle. Dead nettle was available all during February but from time to time supplemented by lettuce. By the end of the month all larvae had pupated. The first emergence took place on 20th March, and thereafter occurred practically every day, no less than seven emerging on 27th March. The last emergence took place on 11th April, bringing the total to 51: of these two were badly crippled, two were slightly crippled, but to off-set this there were four fine specimens of lutescens. GENERAL OBSERVATIONS This year I had no trouble with larvae eating their way out of the muslin covered cages. As soon as pupation commenced I sprayed the moss aig in the cages with tepid water; the four pupae referred to previously lying exposed on the moss were left in situ and suffered spraying till they glistened like iced lollies. Apparently they suffered no ill-effects, since in due course the wing pattern showed up clearly and they looked ripe for emergence, but all four dried up; I feel confident that had I buried them in the peat they would have survived, but being exposed they lost the benefit of sustained damp- ness. The ten larvae which had spun up in the moss in the small wooden box all emerged safely and colour the suggestion that a layer of peat is not absolutely necessary for pupation purposes; ample moss will fit the bill. As of yore, the bulk of the emergences took place in the morning, usually between 8 a.m. and 11 a.m. and transferred to the porch as soon as they became restless; it was quite a job at times to get them to settle down on the framework; some persistently flew back on-to my hand or sleeve, but patience prevailed, and once they closed their wings they stayed put until I returned home for tea. One was ‘lost’ for ten minutes until it was finally located on my trousers, quite happy to be carted about in the meantime. It is interesting to compare some the 1963 features with 1964; 20th April 1963 saw larvae still feeding, while this year all had pupated by the end - of February. 252 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 76 15/X1/64 The first emergence took place on 12th March in 1963, and 20th March this year, while the corresponding last emergences took place on 15th June and ilth April this year. I think the most significant factor in this third shot at rearing the moth was the high mortality rate of the batch of larvae reared at the outset in the warm kitchen; I doubt if any survived. It would appear therefore that undue warmth in the early stages is inimical to success; fatalities also arose through overcrowding in the glass cages and coupled with this, the growth of mould on the foodplant when owing to harsh weather conditions, changing the foodplant was deferred a few days. I had visions of getting a pairing and rearing a second brood this August, but although I kept several alive for some days, I was unsuccessful. I may have a fourth go at rearing the moth, as my friend has promised me another batch of eggs next year providing I can stave off the under- taker. One last word—the bulk of the specimens bred were exceptionally fine, and on the average larger than caught ones. 9 Greenleafe Avenue, Doncaster. Madeira in the Spring, April 1964 By C. G. M. pE Worms, M.A., Ph.D., F.R.E.S. Having visited the Canaries in 1961, I thought that the spring of 1964 would be an appropriate period for spending in the sister island of Madeira, situated some three hundred miles north west of them. A good deal has been written about the natural history of this delightful island and its lepidoptera, particularly of recent years, largely due to the visits and researches of Messrs E. W. Classey, A. E. Gardner, W. H. T. Tams and R. W. Uffen. The results of their sojourn there in December 1957 is em- bodied in two papers in the Proceedings of the South London Entomo- logical and Natural History (Part I, 1959: 184-206 and Part II, 149-159). I set out by air in a Caravel jet about mid-day on 2nd April. and after a brief stop in Lisbon we reached the island of Porto Santo by 4 p.m. Al- thcugh an airstrip on Madeira has been in preparation for some time it was not yet serviceable and we had to resort to the small coastal steamer for the forty miles to Funchal. We were landed there after 10 p.m. having endured three hours of a very unkind sea, but the sight of the thousands of lights of this fine city of 90,000 inhabitants, stretching up the steep slopes was most impressive and cheering. Most of the hotels are situated to the west of the main centre, and mine, the Miramar, near Reid’s, was most comfortable, with a large garden and excellent cuisine, run by a former English family. But I was told what a very fickle and cool spring was in progress and when I looked out towards the mountains towering un to 5,000 feet, I could see a heavy coating of snow still lying. However, the first morning proved warm and sunny, and after visiting Mr. Jerry Maul, the well-known director of the Museum, I found a piece of ground just overlooking the harbour, but right in the centre of the city, which had been allowed to go derelict with a luxuriant growth of yellow daisies and other flowers, I soon discovered that it was attracting most of MADEIRA IN THE SPRING, APRIL 1964 253 the butterflies in the vicinity. the first of which I noted being Pyrameis callirhoe Mill., the Indian painted lady which was also so common in the Canaries. But I soon found that the whole area of about four acres was alive with Colias croceus Fourc. and I have seldom seen it more abundant in a confined space, but shortly afterwards I missed a specimen of the only butterfly peculiar to the island, Pararge xiphea Fab. which looks rather like an outsize speckled wood, of which it was at one time considered only a race, but is now regarded as a good species. It flies in shady places, as a rule round bushes even in the city gardens, and is extremely dodgy and difficult to catch when in full flight: it has usually to be stalked when at rest. Lampides boeticus L., the only blue on Madeira, was also in this restricted area on medick. 4th April was a dull and showery day when I took the ’bus to Monte, lying at 2,000 feet above Funchal, of which a magnificent view is to be had from the steps of the church where Emperor Karl, last of the Haps- burgs is buried. Thence I wended my way on foot up the excellent main road a further 1,000 feet up to Terreiro da Lucta where there is a very pleasant restaurant, but the only interesting capture was Heodes phlaeas L., actually the only one I saw in the whole period. The 5th was again a very unsettled day which only produced a few more C. croceus and a L. boeticus on the town site. The next day I embarked on one of the many excursions that are run daily to the various show places of this en- chanting Island. On this occasion we went westwards to Camara de Lobos, a delightful fishing village. just to the west of which is the second highest sheer cliff in the world. One looks down straight into the sea from a height of 2,000 feet. Another on Formosa only just beats it. Thence we travelled further along the rugged coast road and struck inland up the Serra d’Agua to the Encumeada Pass which is the watershed at 3,000 feet, and when clear, both coasts of the island, north and south can be readily seen. Nearby is a special hostel and a power station. The next three days were spent in the vicinity of Funchal in mixed weather. P. callirhoe and P. xiphea appeared in allotments to the west of the city on the 7th, as they did also in the fine’ garden of Quinta de Palheiro belonging to the Blandy family on the high ground to the east of Funchal on the 9th. That afternoon I went by coach to the Grand Curral, ai amazing round bowl, a former crater, in the heart of the mountains, looking rather like a miniature Grand Canyon since you look down on it from some 3,000 feet. P. xiphea was also flying here, as it also was on the following day which was spent on an excursion to the north east of the island. We went up through the thick fir forests to Poiso, where the road reaches a height of 4,500 feet. C. croceus was again everywhere with a few P. callirhoe, especially round Ribeiro Frio where we lunched under very-warm conditions, returning through Porto da Cruz and over the pass at Portela and Machico on the eastern peninsula. On the last four days, April 12 to 15, I paid daily visits by ’bus to the high ground in the neighbourhood of Monte, since this seemed the most productive area. Just below this small town, near the Sanatorium, I came upon a flourishing colony of L. boeticus on a steep sunny bank with a luscious growth of vetch, but not an easy spot to try to net P. xiphea which frequently flitted past, usually singly. The 13th was an especially fine day when both these insects were well in evidence, and'I also saw a fe- male of the endemic form of Pieris brassicae L., f. wollastoni Butler, which unfortunately just eluded me. My final morning on the 15th, I spent 254 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 76 15/X1/64 in the deep barranco to the east of Monte, but a dull day prevented any interesting captures. I was much disappointed not to see anything of that fine butterfiy, the local brimstone, Gonepteryx cleopatra medarensis Felder, virtually a separate species. but getting very hard to come by in recent years. During my fortnight’s stay, I had made almost daily visits just after dinner round the street and other lights in the immediate vicinity of the hctel, and on occasions these proved very fruitful. But some of the lights were out of reach of my net and these were often the best patronized, especially by the pugs. I also saw a large hawk-moth, probably Deilephila tithymali B.W. on a lamp overhanging the deep barranco that carries the main road into the city. However, I had some interesting captures, though quite a number were “old friends’, especially among the Noctuids which included Leucania loreyi Dup., L. unipuncta Haw., Prodenia litura Fab., Plusia limbirena Guen., P. orichalcea Fab., P. chalcites Esp. and of course P. gamma L., also P. circumflexa L., Leucania scirpi Dup. and Hypaena obsitalis Hiibn. Most of the Geometers were more specialized. These comprised Sterrha atlantica Sttn., Scopula irrorata Bethune Baker, Cosymbia maderensis B-Baker, Xanthorhéde centrostrigaria Woll. and Gymnoscelis lundbladi Prout. Palpita unionalis Hiibn. was quite numerous. I left Madeira with a heavy heart on the morning of 16th April by the sea route, which was even more uncomfortable than the previous journey. After a five-hour stop on Porto Santo, we flew to Lisbun, arriving at 1 a.m. Istayed in this grand and most picturesque city until the 22nd, visiting several famous resorts such as Sintra to the north, Estoril to the west and Setubal south of the Tagus, but hardly saw any lepidopterous life, only a few Pieris napi L. at Sintra on the 18th, also Zerynthia rumina L. and Anthocharis cardamines L. at Estoril the next day. So ended yet another very enjoyable few weeks spent in southern climes in the height of spring. Three Oaks, Woking. 6.ix.64. Who Was Coleman? By Dr. R. G. AINLEY “British Butterflies; figures and descriptions of Every Native Species. By W. S. Coleman”. So reads the title page of a little book which will provide hours of entertainment for those who have a taste for things Victorian. I found this book a joy to read, and have met few collectors who have encountered it—hence this article. The date given in the Preface is 1860, thus antedating by a few years the works of Newman and Kirby. The layout is conventional, begining with chapters on anatomy, metamorphosis and hints on collecting, followed by a systematic account of each species. The information given is accurate as far as it goes, and the standard of colour printing is good, considering its date. The real attraction of the book lies in its style, and in little snippets of information that so vividly highlight the contrasts between the time in which it was written, and our own. Its whole atmosphere is that of a more leisurely age (when, we are told, a 14” x 10” storebox cost half a crown). The style is of the ripest Victorian “literary-rhetorical”—discursive, and full of picturesque analogies and Classical allusions, with the usual curious WHO WAS COLEMAN? 259 capacity for stating the obvious at great length. And, of course, every story points a Moral. Chapter III has a splendid beginning, in which more than a page is devoted to the proposition that “no butterfly can either sting or bite in the least degree”, followed by the story of “a murderous onslaught made by a Privet Hawk-Moth on the neck of a lady’. Having, at some length, argued the case for the moth’s innocence, Coleman concludes that he (the moth) “. .. might have been pardoned for mistaking the fair neck for one of his. favourite flowers (a lily, perhaps), while the utmost harm he con- templated was to pilfer a sip of nectar from the lips he doubtless took for rosebuds”. I am sure Freud would have made something of this. Chapter V begins with four pages of justification for the killing of butterflies, presumably to soothe the conscience of the squeamish. The message is that you aren’t necessarily a Bad Chap merely because you kill a few butterflies. But having calmed the fears of the sensitive young reader, the author then risks breaking his heart by the following harrow- ing footnote, the pathos of which is somewhat marred by a spot of surrepti- tious advertising. He describes an apparatus for carrying chloroform as “A very ingenious and neat contrivance—the invention of my friend Dr. Allchin, of Bayswater. It may be procured from Mrs. Foxcroft of 3 Union Yard, Oxford Street (near Orchard Street), the widow of an assiduous collector and dealer! in insects, who, I regret to state, has lately fallen a victim to his entomological labours in the deadly climate of Sierra Leone. Mrs. F. also keeps a stock of excellent entomological apparatus and | specimens of all kinds’. One cannot but feel sorry for both Mr. and Mrs. F.—but what a shining example to us all! Setting is, of course, to be done with cardboard braces on a saddle board. And the following advice struck a familiar chord, remembering the recent controversy in the Record (vide Messrs. Irvin and Waddington): “.... don’t waste time in trying to puzzle out the meaning. the} why or the wherefore of butterflies’ scientific names; ....in general there is no more connection between the name and character of a butterfly, than there is between a ship’s name . . . . and the moral disposition or personal appearance of the vessel that bears it”. It is saddening to think that in 1858, two years before the book was published, larvae of Aporia crataegi L. were recorded near Cardiff as “ feeding by thousands on shrubs of Prunus spinosa”. And the Chequered Skipper (here called Steropes paniscus) is recorded as occurring at Charl- bury, in Oxfordshire—its old Wychwood Forest haunts. However, one's credulity is somewhat strained by a record of the Lulworth Skipper “in great abundance” near Lichfield in 1835, and the Glanville Fritillery at Falkland in Fifeshire. The final chapter, very properly, deals with Reputed British Species, namely, Papilio podalirius, Parnassius apollo, Erebia ligea, Argynnis dia (‘taken by Mr. Richard Weaver at Sutton Park, near Tamworth”), Chrysophanus chryseis (i.e. Lycaena hippothoe), and Polyommatus boeticus, (first recorded the year before the book was published.) Danaus plexippus L., Everes argiades Pall., and Thymelicus iineola Ochs., none of which had yet been recorded in Britain, are not mentioned. Only a shadowy picture of the author emerges from all this. Coleman ‘was a member of the Entomological Society of London, lived in Bayswater, and appears to have been a close friend of a Dr. Allchin, also of Bayswater, 256 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 76 15/ Sey/'6a, who shared Coleman’s liking for Lepidoptera. He was an enthusiast, who obviously enjoyed writing his book, and may well have been a good all-round naturalist (for example, he is insistent that “Nasturtiums” should be called Tropaeolums; and he has written another book entitled “Our Woodlands, Heaths and Hedges’”.) Can any readers of the “Record” throw any light on the problem; who was Coleman? 46 Peveril Crescent, Chorlton-cum-Hardy, Manchester 21. 7.X.64. Heliothis peltigera Schiff. (The Bordered Straw) in Wessex By H. SyMEsS This migrant makes frequent but somewhat irregular appearances in ‘*the southern counties. A favourite locality for it is Dungeness, where in some years (this was one) the larvae have been found in large numbers on sticky (or stinking) groundsel (Senecio viscosus). Both the English names are well deserved. In July I found this plant growing freely in a fire break near Wareham, and was looking forward to searching it for larvae of peltigera in due course, but before 11th August it had all been cleared away. In Dorset, 1$06 was a particularly good year for this species (W. P. Curtis, Lepidoptera of Dorset). The first time I saw the moth alive was on 23rd August 1945, in the New Forest, when one suddenly appeared from nowhere, and settled on a forest track almost at my feet, where it was promptly captured by D. R. M. Long, then on holiday from school. In 1950, that great convolvuli year, the Rev. F. M. B. Carr found a larva in his butterfly net after taking a swipe at a convolvus hawk on his tobacco plants at Sandbanks. He told me that he could find no suitable foodplant in his flower bed (perhaps it had fed on the buds of Nicotiana), but the larva went down almost at once, and was probably under-nourished, as the moth which emerged about a month later was a very small one. On 10th June 1958, Brig. Warry, Miss Pengilly and I saw two peltigera beside the Chesil Beach, of which one got away. That evening Brig. Warry and I took five specimens at mercury vapour light in a garden at Lodmoor, where Sir Billy is to open one of his holiday camps. They are very lively on the sheet, and one, after the briefest of visits flew off to a neighbouring Cypressus macrocarpa, and settled there about twelve feet from the ground, where it tantalizingly remained, clearly visible against the background of dark foliage, until it was time for us to pack up. We were hoping all along that it might come down to the sheet again. In the same year, Captain R. A. Jackson took two peltigera at Codford (The Macrolepidoptera of Wiltshire, ed. Baron de Worms: 64). On 12th June this year, I glanced casually at a vase of mixed flowers that my wife had brought in from the garden and saw a dull, dark-green larva about half an inch long in the middle of a marigold (Calendula officinalis) I immediately remembered reading in “South” that these flowers are a useful food for the larvae in confinement. I put the larva in a box and went out into the garden, where I found two more, a good deal smaller than the first. They all fed only on the inner florets in the middle of the bloom, and did not touch the large outer ones. As these soon closed when the flowers were brought indoors and remained closed, HELIOTHIS PELTIGERA SCHIFF. (THE BORDERED STRAW) IN WESSEX 2517 they hid the larvae from view. I did not wish to disturb them, and in the case of the largest larva, pellets of frass were soon extruded and showed that all was well. I had never seen the larva before, and still had a disquieting suspicion that these might after all belong to some common polyphagous species, and indeed on 29th June I did find one such larva (Orthosia incerta Hufn.) on a marigold flower. It was not until 20th June, when No. 1 changed into its final instar, that I was convinced that they really were peltigera, for this beast was exactly like fig. 2d on plate XCIX in Buckler. It grew rapidly and ate immature green seeds as well as the florets. After spending barely a week in the last instar, it stopped feeding on 26th June and went down on the 27th.. Meantime, on 22nd June I had found three more larvae on marigolds in my garden. All these, when fuli fed, were light green, exactly the same shade as the marigold stems, with three darker green lines along the back, harmonising with the ribs on the stems, and a white line along the spiracles: they were sparsely covered with inconspicuous short hairs, and the head, which had been black in the earlier stages, was now the same colour as the body. I found another larva on Ist July: it was in its last instar and was stretched out on a marigold stem where it was almost invisible, and attacking a flower from below. All seven larvae had gone down by 6th July, but on the 8th, I found two half-grown larvae on the same marigold plants, and when they were in their last instar, their ground colour was pale pink, rather like fig. 2c in Buckler, but somewhat lighter. On 17th July I found yet another larva, of the green form, like the first seven. It went down on 22nd July. These three larvae must have had a different parent from the first seven. On 25th June, Brig. Warry took a very worn peltigera on the Chesil Beach, which died during the following night, but not before it had laid about twenty eggs: these, unfortunately did not hatch. They were round, creamy-white, laid singly or in pairs on rest-harrow (Ononis ripens), and they were small for the size of the moth, noticeably smaller, for instance, than those of Diacrisia sannio L., with which I was able to compare them. But more than a month before this, Capt. J. Ellerton tells me, his son Hugh took a specimen in his light trap at Sherborne on 23rd May, a foul, wet night. An even earlier specimen, though not quite in Wessex, was taken by Mr. G. Haggett at Arundel 9th May (supra: 193). To return to my Bournemouth brood, the first moth emerged on 26th July, a large, richly coloured dark specimen, and four more, of which the last was paler than the others, emerged by 3rd August. From the three later larvae I had two moths, which emerged on 13th August and 22nd August. They were similar in colour to the last of the earlier lot, but not nearly so pale as those figured in “South”. All seven moths were fine specimens, larger than wild ones I have taken. The period that elapsed between the going down of a larva and the emergence of the moth varied between 26 and 31 days. On turning out the pupating material, I found one pupa containing a dead moth, one slightly malformed pupa, and the remains of a larva. The pupa is fragile, pale brown, and semi-transparent. From the somewhat blunt tail end, there projects a very fine hair-like spine or bristle. In conclusion, I will mention that Mr. F. R. Clafton, the warden at the _ Portland Field Centre, took four peltigera at his mercury vapour light during the summer. These specimens are all of the pale form. 52 Lowther Road, Bournemouth, Hants. 258 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 76 15/X1/64 The Microlepidoptera By B. W. WEDDELL Reading through the notes on Current Literature in the July/August issue, on Microlepidoptera Palaearctica, I was struck afresh by the magnitude of the task facing the students of micros. : As a humble lepidopterist who has for over thirty years been keenly interested in micros and macros, I have always been puzzled by the mysterious tradition which has always obsessed the great majority of our fraternity. I refer, of course, to the concentrated study of the 850 species of macros, to the complete exclusion of the 1450 species of micros. For generations, all but a handful of enthusiasts have shrugged off as “only a micro” any moth found in the net, which could not be indentified in the sacred 850 species of South. There cannot be much still left to be discovered about the macros after all this continual and assiduous study. On the other hand, the micros still hold many secrets, and indeed, I believe there are still new species waiting to be discovered. It is a great pity that such a wealth of beauty and interest should be neglected through this arbitrary division of the order—‘‘above and below the salt”, so to speak. Turning to other orders studied by naturalists, can anyone imagine an ornithologist only being interested in birds over (or under) the size of say, a lark? Would any botanist confine his interest exclusively to plants over, say six inches high, or bearing a flower over half an inch in diameter? While it is probably too much to hope that the older members of our fraternity would ever be persuaded to jettison the present “apartheid” practice, one hopes that the younger element amongst us might become aware of the rewarding pleasure and almost unlimited scope that is awaiting them in the study of Microlepidoptera. I have always thought that ideally one ought to start collecting at the micro end of the scale while the eyes are young and sharp, and able to focus closely. There is plenty of time, when the finding and handling of micros becomes difficult, to move on to the macros. Setting these presents little difficulty even for octogenarians! An incidental advantage to be gained from this approach is that a collection of micros takes up very much less room, and is consequently a lot less expensive to house that the usual macro collection. 11 The Halve, Trowbridge, Wilts. While I fully agree with the sentiments expressed by Mr. Weddell, I think it only fair to point out that during the past twenty years, the number of members of the South London Entomological and Natural History Society interested in the Microlepidoptera has shown a very substantial increase. I have little doubt that this increase is not limited to members of that society alone, and some of these young men have done serious work, and have added considerably to our knowledge of these interesting insects.—Ed. RHODOMETRA SACRARIA L.—A male specimen of Rhodometra sacraria L. was taken at mercury vapour light at Lee, south east London, on 9fh September this year.—C. G. Bruce, 16 Harland Road, London, S.E.12, 8.x.1964. | ABISKO REVISITED 254 Abisko Revisited By Major-General. Sir GEoRGE JOHNSON, K.C.V.O., C.B., C.B.E., D.S.O. In 1960 I visited Abisko in Swedish Lapland from 7th until the 18th July. It was an early season and although I did well with some of the later butterflies, I failed to secure the earlier species in good condition (Ent. Rec., 72: 203). This year (1964) with Lt. Colonel C. Mackworth Praed, O.B.E., and his son, Mr. H. Mackworth Praed, I went again to this interesting area, north of the Arctic Circle (Lat. 68° 23’). We arrived off the night sleeper from Stockholm on the afternoon of 24th June. It had been raining steadily all the way north, but Abisko itself was in sunshine. On a short walk in the late afternoon, we found a few Clossiana freija Thnbg. and Pyrgus centaureae Rbr., which satisfied us that some butterflies anyhow were on the wing. We also found the nesting hole of a pair of three-toed woodpeckers about ten feet up in a small birch trunk, being attracted thereto by the very noisy young inside. The old birds showed little fear of us and we were able to watch their frequent visits with food at very close quarters. On our way back to our hotel we found a Tengmalm’s ow]! on a low bush in a sallow thicket, which allowed approach to within a few feet. After photographing it we withdrew without disturbing it. The next day was cold, wet and windy with nothing flying. Indifferent weather pursued us throughout our stay, which ended on 3rd July. During this period we only had two full sunny mornings, and on the other days an hour or so of intermittent sun, usually best about mid-day. Shade temperatures did not rise much above 60° F. (in-1964 when I arrived and for several days afterwards they were over 80° F.) and on occasion at 1 a.m. dropped to beiow 40° F. even though the sun, albeit obscured by cloud, did not of course, sink below the northern horizon. Snow wreaths and patches, which on my previous visit were confined to north-facing slopes of the higher hills, this year extended down into the upper limits of the birch zone only 300 feet above our hotel. Nevertheless butterflies flew freely directly the sun came out and we secured a very fair sample of the earlier species in good condition. Our collecting was mostly confined to areas round Abisko Ost, just outside the nature reserve in which our hotel itself was situated. At this stage in the season it was useless to go up high, and we did not, in fact, attempt anything above the tree line except two walks by the Praeds up Nuolja, the hill immediately above the hotel, and a lower hill to the south, to look for flowers. The first really fine morning (28th June) I took the early train to Stordalen, the next station east of Abisko, and worked the mosses im- mediately north of it. I was successful in finding Erebia disa Thnbg., of which I took seven, though some were worn. In addition, a few Clossiana frigga Thnbg. and Proclossiana eunomia Esp. f. ossianus Hebst. were flying on the mosses. We all revisited the mosses on 1st July, but only got three more E. disa, a very cold wind with cloud springing up about mid-day. Notes on the species found by us are as follows :— Pieris brassicae L. One only, 28.vi.1964. P. napi L. One ¢ caught by the Praeds south of Abisko Ost, 2.vii.1964. 260 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 76 15/ X1/ 64 Colias nastes Boisd. Fairly common and widespread in all areas flying the moment the sun appeared. Some of the gd were already a little worn. Erebia disa Thnbg. Only on the Stordalen mosses and not numerous. By no means easy to catch, partly from their ability to dodge the net and partly from the boggy nature of the ground, which afforded them refuge where one could not follow. ‘ee E. pandrose Esp. Flying quite commonly in a number of places in the birch zone, usually on the edge of bogs. On my previous visit it was only to be found well above the birch zone. Oeneis norma Thnbg. Only found in one area about two miles south of Abisko Ost, where it was flying on a bog and in the drier birch zone surrounding it. In fresh condition, but curiously ¢d were very searce. Not very numerous. Euphydryas iduna Dalm. In small numbers in widely scattered areas in the birch zone. Very fresh and just emerging, no doubt more numerous later. Proclossiana eunomia Esp. The local form ossianus Herbst. is very different from the Pyrenean race. It was in small numbers on the Stordalen mosses and in a bog next the railway line between Abisko Ost and Abisko Turiststation (our hotel). Clossiana euphrosyne L. Just emerging, only one or two taken. It is a nice dark form. C. freija Thnbg. By tar the commonest fritillary, occurring practically everywhere, though preferring dry ground to bogs. Fresh to start with, but going over towards the end of our stay. C. frigga Thnbg. Only in bogs or mosses. Not uncommon and very fresh. The best places for it were the bog between Abisko Ost and Abisko Turiststation, and the Stordalen mosses. Lycaeides idas L. Only beginning to emerge at the end of our visit. Two or three taken by the Praeds. Vacciniia optilete Kn. One only taken by the Praeds on our last day. In 1960 it was already going over by this date. Pyrgus centaureae Rbr. Fairly common in most places in the birch zone —not seen on the mosses. In good condition. Castlesteads, Brampton, Cumberland. 11.x.1964. PATRICK BUXTON MEMORIAL PRIZE The Patrick Buxton Memorial Prize, endowed by his relatives in memory of the late Professor Patrick Alfred Buxton, C.M.G., F.R.S., Director of the Department of Entomology at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine from 1926 to 1955, is open to competition among past or present students and staff of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. The Prize of £150 will be awarded for the best essay relating to medical or veterinary entomology or an allied subject based on a candi- date’s published or unpublished research. Essays should reach the Dean, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street (Gower Street), London, W.C.1, not later than September 30, 1965. THE COLEOPTERA OF A SUBURBAN GARDEN 6, BRACHELYTRA (PARTY 2) 261 The Coleoptera of a Suburban Garden 6 —Brachelytra (Part 2) By A. A. ALLEN, B.Sc.; A.R.C.S. (Continued from Vol. 76, page: 242) Atheta (D.) arenicola Ths. (=germana Shp.).—Sporadic, though prob- ably less so than it seems, as it can easily pass in the field as the very common A. nigra. In the same conditions as the two preceding, and singly in flight, in fur of white cat, and by sweeping. Atheta (D.) nigra Kr. (=zosterae auct. Brit.)—Quite general, usually plentiful and often in profusion in cut grass, old straw and most kinds of vegetable rubbish and litter; the most regularly occurring of the smaller species in such biotopes, and found from early times. Atheta (Chaetida) longicornis Grav.—A common and often abundant species in similar situations; on the whole the most frequent of the larger Athetae in the garden, though, like most, varying much in numbers. Atheta (Acrotona) sordida Marsh.—This bright-looking species (at least in life, and despite its name) is often met with in the same habitats as longicornis, but as a rule far more sparingly. Atheta (A.) aterrima Grav.—Moderately common in decaying herbage etc., sometimes in considerable numbers, and like the last two it has been captured by sweeping; one at mercury-vapour light (5.ix.59), the only specimen of the Aleocharinae I have so taken. Abundant in straw, 16.11.61. (*)Atheta (A.) n.sp.—A species confused by some authors with the next, only separable by the quite different aedeagus of the male, and which it 1s proposed to describe elsewhere. I know of it from several localities and it is probably not much less common in Britain than pygmaea. Scarce in the garden; a ¢ from a grass heap much rotted down, 3.iii.57, and another from foul straw, 10.iv.64. Atheta (A.) pygmaea Grav. (sensu Brundin).—Equally seldom found; a ¢ with the preceding in grass mulch, with two 2 2 which may belong to either or both species. I have also noted it previously but cannot at present trace the specimens. Atheta (A.) muscorum Bris.—Seemingly rare here; one sieved from humus with debris of straw, where refuse had been dumped the year before, 1.111.59; and another from moss at edge of lawn, 4.111.61. *Atheta (A.) exigua Er.—Of this, formerly thought to be an Oxypoda, one captured on the wing over a lawn (20.iv.60) is the sole record hitherto. Atheta (A.) fungi Grav.—Very general and plentiful throughout; per- haps the commonest Aleocharine, even outnumbering Amischa analis which has similar habits. At roots of herbage, under any sort of cover on soil, in humus, moss, dead leaves and sometimes freely by sweeping. Often profusely in vegetable litter or traps of dead grass; not however, in actively decomposing material, except casually. Very variable; the small forms with more transverse joints to the shorter, darker antennae can be most confusing and easily mistaken for the rare A. orphana Er. Atheta (A.) laticollis Steph.—Decidedly erratic; but tends to be more or less gregarious and often present in some little quantity when found. In various kinds of decayed plant material, usually with several of the other species. 262 : ENTOMOLOGIS1°S RECORD, VOL. 76 15/ X1/ 64 Athetu (Rhagocneme) subsinuata Er.—Not common, in similar environ- ments to the last; mostly by ones or twos (occasionally more) at intervals from about 1934 onwards. There is some indication that it is mainly a winter and early spring species, probably often overlooked. , *Aleuonota gracilenta Er. (=splendens Kr.).—Twice taken by sweeping in May on lawns in the warm afternoon sunshine (8.v.59, 7.v.60). A great rarity which has been taken, always singly, in sand- and chalk-pits and by sweeping on downs, and once (by myself) in rotten wood with ants; the proper habitat of the genus is doubtless subterranean. *Aleuonota n.sp.—A species differing from gracilenta in having the antennae shorter and steadily thickened to apex, which Dr. G. Benick of Lubeck is studying; it appears to be certainly new. The unique specimen was obtained in sweeping long grass by a fence (where there were prob- ably mouse-runs) while the air was very warm, still, and humid after a thunder shower, on 30th August 1958. Zyras limbatus Payk.—Irregular and periodic in incidence but by no means rare in company with the ant Lasius niger (only too common in the garden); should also occur with L. jlavus, which too now abounds here. First found in the spring of 1951 in some numbers with the ants at grass roots along the base of a fence, but perhaps commonest in 1955. *Amarochara umbrosa Er.—Very scarce; one in a grass heap, iv.35; oc- casionally under stones or bricks in moist places along a wall of the house in May and June, 1952, while the latest was swept off long grass beneath apple trees in sultry weather, 11.v.53. This is another of the small Staphylinids believed to live underground in the runs of mice etc. Oxypoda opaca Grav.—One, 17.xi.56, in debris of dry dead grass. (1 appear to have taken it previously, about three years earlier, but details of this are not to hand). Oxypoda lividipennis Mann.—One beaten from an apple tree, 22.v.59. (*)Oxypoda pectita Sharp (?induta M. & R.).—A little-known species because much confused with the next, and so doubtless overlooked. Not at all uncommon here in cut grass and other rotting herbage, though not of quite regular occurrence; the first as long ago as iv.35. Also swept up (a teneral one 14.iv.57, ete.) (Note: induta is now used as the valid name but I am not convinced that Mulsant and Rey’s species is really the same as Sharp’s—whereas our beetle, or at all events the Blackheath one, is quite certainly the latter. Donisthorpe, who compared a series of con- tinental induta with our pectita, pronounced them ‘quite different species’). Oxupoda umbrata Gyll—Though considered common (and I have it from several localities, unlike the last) the only specimen I can record from the garden was found under a piece of board placed as a trap in a muddy © spot at the base of a wall of the house, 20.iv.55. Oxypoda nigrina Wat.—First noted in February 1952, when it occurred rather freely in well-rotted grass-mowings; since taken at intervals, in similar material and especially (lately) in decaying straw, nearly always in late winter and early spring—after which it almost disappears. Oxypoda haemorrhoa Mann.—Tolerably common in cut grass, old straw, etc., sometimes numerous. Has also occurred by sweeping in warm weather, on house wall, under sods, and cover in damp. places, at roots, and so on. *Oxypoda ferruginea Er. (=misella Fowl.).—Infrequent, but found singly or few at a time on a good many occasions in fairly recent years; THE COLEOPTERA OF A SUBURBAN GARDEN 6, BRACHELYTRA (PARTY 2) 265 the first in grass-cuttings (1.vi.41) but subsequently at roots on turf along the base of a fence during the early ‘50’s, March-April; more rarely since, but once lately in straw; also in the past beneath stones and suchlike traps along house wall. Has occurred in company with the next; likewise said to inhabit sandy places. Oxypoda brachyptera Steph.—Very uncommon; single examples in spring and early summer since 1951, one or two at grass roots and on or under turf and sods along fence as above, and the rest (little in excess of half-a- dozen) under bricks and tiles in spots where the soil was light and some- what sandy or mixed with fine gravel; 4 of these taken on one day, 19.iv.51. Not seen since one was found floating at edge of pond, 27.111.59. (Chiefly a species of sandpits etc., whose presence here is surprising). Microglotta pulla Gyll.—In nests of thrushes and doubtless other birds; twice only so far (30.iv.53, 11.v.61) but is probably far more frequent than this would suggest. Aleochara curtula Gze.—Often rather numerous under any kind of carrion, to wnich it seems quite confined; copiously at fish bait at times; in dead sparrow, 8.v.59. Excessively variable in size. *“Aleochara lata Grav.—Though fish etc. was put out almost contin- uously in the summer of 1952 (and often later) to attract carrion species, only one specimen of A. lata has turned up (29.vii.52). This insect has the same habitat as curtula but is very scarce in comparison. Aleochara intricata Mann.—Under carrion (fish); the sole record I have is of two specimens, 14.vii.52. (*)Aleochara tristis Grav.—Likewise extremely rare; a single individual shaken out of the carcass of a starling, 7.viii.5b2. (These two species mostly frequent dung, in my experience, tristis being much the less common of them). Aleochara lanuginosa Grav.—Formerly very sporadic in grass heaps, but latterly more common in rotting straw on particular occasions (e.g. 17.iv.62, when it was plentiful) but very variable in numbers. One was noted with a springtail (Collembola sp.) as prey (1962, Ent. mon. Mag., 98: Zab). Aleochara diversa Sahlb. (=moesta Er.)—Another species which is ‘unique’ in the garden records (5.viii.52 at the fish bait when much dis- integrated). Aleochara sparsa Heer.—Again only a single example has occurred, which was sifted out of loamy soil where a pile of straw had stood, 1.iii.59. Aleochara bipustulata L.—Not altogether uncommon in the period 1952-3, and casual specimens before and since, but not found earlier than 4111.51. In rotten wood at the foot of a fence-buttress, once or twice swept up or on the wing, and the last in cut grass 5.v.60; otherwise at carrion— usually buried in the soil beneath. *Aleochara bilineata Gyll—A few between 5th and 10th July, 1952, under rotting fish with others of the genus, the total not exceeding 5 or 6. (In my experience it is rare anywhere, at all events as compared with the last). Tinotus morion Grav.—In various situations, but very seldom met with; except for the first (iv.33) all in relatively recent times. Twice at carrion (1952, 6.vii.53) and has been swept from lush grass under apple trees; 3 in compost, 11.v.53; and one in cut grass, 5.v.60. 264 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 76 15/ X1/64 This completes the body of the list, but during the course of publication —inevitably spread over a number of years—a great many additions have accumulated. Naturally, the earlier sections of the list are now very in- complete and out of date, for—quite apart from the substantial numbers of species to be added—further experience of many of the others means that some of the published data require modification in the light of this. In the supplement which it is proposed to publish in due course, therefore, not only will additional species be listed but also, where the status in the garden fauna of species already in the main list has changed considerably, the fact will be noted—along with any points of special interest. LITHOPHANE LEAUTIERI Boisp. IN SOMERSET.—In October 1963 I was delighted to find a Lithophane leautieri Boisd. in my light trap in my garden at Minehead. This was, to the best of my knowledge, the first time that the species had been noted from Somerset. At that time I was living in the built-up area of Minehead, and there are a good many mature trees of Cupressus macrocarpa in the vicinity as well as in my garden. Since then I have moved about four miles into the country where the Cupressus trees are by no means common, in fact the nearest one seems to be about one mile away in the valley, although the adjacent Selworthy woods have a good selection of mature and introduced conifers. On 2nd October of this year I was surprised and delighted to get a further example at my mercury vapour lamp. From what I have read about this moth, I have gathered that it is usually taken in the vicinity of mature Cupressus macrocarpa, and . wonder whether it may possibly prove to breed on allied species. Of course, it may have been just a wanderer, and it remains to be seen whether more will be found.—Dr. H. M. CuappeL, The Old Rectory, Sel- worthy Minehead, Somerset. 19.x.1964. SPHECIA BEMBECIFORMIS Hs. IN DERBYSHIRE.—A perfect female Sphecia bembeciformis Hb., was found at rest on a sallow bush growing on a piece of waste land near the abandoned colliery near the village of Tibshelf in Derbyshire at 10.0 a.m. on 22nd July 1963. It was kept alive for a few days and laid a few eggs which were attached to a sallow trunk. Unfor- tunately they failed to hatch. Although this is not the first record for the county, i think its appearance at any time is worthy of note—J. H. JOHNSON, 1 Berry Street, Hepthorne Lane, Chesterfield. 15.x.1964. APATELE TRIDENS SCHIFF., IN DERBYSHIRE.—In September 1963 a small boy brought me two larvae which were undoubtedly Apatele tridens Schiff., and almost fully fed. They had been found feeding on some species of small leaved elm growing in a hedgerow near a bus stop in the village of Tibshelf, Derbyshire. This is the first definite record of this species in this section of Derbyshire. I at once promised half a crown to any boy who could find another one of these caterpillars, but even that failed to produce any more. Twenty psi larvae were brought to me in a few days, proving that an intense search was in progress, and also that tridens is not very common.—J. H. JouHnson, 1 Berry Street, Hepthorne Lane, Chesterfield. 15.x.1964. VOL: 76 PLATE V ee ee - B Es Mrs. R. W. WATSON OBITUARY 265 Obituary Colonel SIDNEY HARDINGE KERSHAW, D.S.O. Colonel Sidney Hardinge Kershaw, D.S.O., who died on 12th July 1964, was born at the Rectory at Fledborough in Nottinghamshire in 1881, being the youngest son of the Reverend E. W. Kershaw. Educated at The Wells House, Malvern Wells, and Repton, he passed into Sandhurst and had a distinguished Army career, both as commanding officer of his regiment, the Fifth Fusiliers, and on the General Staff. During the Palestine campaign in 1916 he was present at the battles which resulted in the defeat of the Turkish 7th and 8th armies. Subsequently (1917) he served as G.S.O.1 on General Lord Allenby’s staff and was in the famous pursuit when the Turkish Army was pushed northwards. For his services in this campaign he was awarded the D.S.O. Later came the Order of the Nile and the White Eagle of Serbia. After the war he commanded the 2nd Battalion of his regiment in India. Kershaw began collecting Lepidoptera when at school, and throughout his life as a soldier he collected wherever he was stationed. Thus he formed a fine collection of foreign Lepidoptera, which collection has now passed, at his request, to the Nottingham Museum. For many years Kershaw was a friend and correspondent of the late S. G. Castle Russell, and since it was impossible for anyone who knew Castle Russell intimately not to become infected by his enthusiasm for and great knowledge of the variations of the British Rhopalocera, Kershaw turned his attention more and more to this branch of collecting. His butterfly collection, a fine one which increased in interest with the years, has now passed to his youngest son, Major R. M. Kershaw, who is himself a keen collector. His moth collection he left to Mr. Sydney Humphries of Roade, Northamptonshire. In 1932 Kershaw retired from the Army and settled at Alderman’s Lodge, Aspley Heath, near Bletchley, where he continued to collect actively, visiting many of his favourite localities for both butterflies and moths. And here after nearly seventy years of collecting he succumbed to the illness which has now resulted in his death. A man with a delightful personality, an entertaining companion, a staunch friend and a correspondent to whose letters one always looked forward, Kershaw had a strong sense of duty to his fellow men. He founded his local branch of the British Legion and was President of it up to the time of his death. He was also an active supporter of the church at which he worshipped. By his many friends and correspondents he will be sorely missed. He is survived by his wife, two sons and a daughter. To them we offer our profound sympathy in their great loss. Multis ille bonis flebilis occidit. SPP Baie vA! NORA WATSON The sudden death on April 10th, 1964, of Mrs. R. W. Watson, at the age of thirty-seven, was a grief to all who knew her. She had been the wife of Mr. Robert Watson, accountant, for seventeen years, and had taken a prominent part in building up their vast collection—all speci- mens perfect and most exquisitely set—of British Lepidoptera. She was 266 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 76 15/X1/64 a regular exhibitor, nearly always with something startling or unusual, at the Annual Exhibition of the South London Society. Nora Watson combined a patience for searching among myriads of insects on the wing, with an unerring eye for locality. She had also a remarkable flair in breeding aberrations; and had bred, right through, nearly every species of resident British butterfly and many of the mots —including even some of the most difficult species. Among her major aberrations, taken or bred, were the following: a male underside of Colias croceus Fourc. with black suffusion, both male and female ab. cinnamoneus of Lysandra coridon Poda, a fowleri female of L. bellargus Rott., an albino Coenonympha pamphilus L., and a female ab. illustris of Panaxia dominula L. There were also a remarkable asymmetrical specimen of Aphantopus hyperantus L. taken only in 1963, and several specimens showing homoeosis of both Euphydryas aurinia Rott. and Melitaea cinxia L. There were many others, too numerous to detail here. Mrs. Watson shared also in her husband’s predilection for and skill in game shooting. Nora Watson was the third daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Alfred Hayter of Twyford, near Shaftesbury, Dorset. Her many friends remember her, apart from her qualities as an entomologist, as a charming personality and a most gracious hostess. To Robert Watson, who owed so much to her, both in the field and in business, our deepest sympathy is due.—TI. R. P. H. Notes and Observations HERSE CONVOLVULI L. IN SHANKLIN.—During the past three seasons ! have grown a clump of Nicotiana for the purpose of attracting hawk moths, and at last I have had a little reward. A male H. convolvuli came to the light on 12th September, and another male specimen was found hovering over the Nicotiana flowers after dark on 25th September. On both occasions a strong breeze was blowing from the south west. The only specimen of Macroglossum. stellatarum L. seen this year was at the Nicotiana flowers on 19th September at 7 a.m—T. D. FEARNEHOUGH, 26 Green Lane, Shanklin, Isle of Wight. 27.ix.1964. ENARGIA PALEACEA Esp. In SURREY.—May I add the following records of the occurrence of this species in southern England to those recently reported by Mr. Alasdair Aston and Mr. David More (antea 224/5). A specimen of E. paleacea came to my mercury vapour light trap here on the night of 13th August last, and was followed by two further examples on 17th August. All three were males in mixed condition and have a pale dull background colour, which suggests that they assort well with Mr. More’s example, and all lack the bright Ce eae of the normal northern British form. It would be most interesting if any readers could make any reliable suggestion as to their place or origin—J. L. MESSENGER, Stonehaven, Wormley,. Godalming, Surrey. 17.x.1964. NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS 267 CUCULLIA VERBASCI L. on BuppLera.—A full grown larva of C. verbasci was found feeding on Buddleia davidii (variabilis) in my garden on 5th July last. My attention was attracted by the eaten condition of the leaves, and I felt sure that more than one larva had been present. The larvae of verbasci have been found on Buddleia globosa according to South (Barrett) but some years ago I had a few larvae, and running short of mullein I offered them leaves of Buddleia davidii. They refused to touch this possible food plant.—T. D. FraRNHOUGH, 26 Green Lane, Shanklin, Isle of Wight. 27.ix.1964. COLIAS CROCEUS FOURCH. (CLOUDED YELLOW) IN DEVONSHIRE.—On 21st September of this year I saw a perfect specimen of Colias croceus Fourch. at Start Point, south Devon, Start Point is about four miles east of Prawle Point, where Mr. Burton reports that two were seen in August (antea 217). The butterfly was flying along the coast in the direction of Prawle Point.—J. MUGGLETON, 52 Penton Road, Staines, Middlesex. 4.x.1964. RHODOMETRA SACRARIA L.—This may well turn out to be a bumper year for Rhodometra sacraria L. Two specimens have come under my notice this year, the first came to a mercury vapour light operated in company with Mr. B. Goater at Scratch Wood, Middlesex, who later bred a short series from this female. The second, a male, came aboard the Marine Biological Association’s research vessel “Sarsia’”’ while trawling at forty fathoms at the Eddystone grounds. This latter was not retained, as I collect only Noctuae—-A. A. Myers, 34 Crundale Avenue, Kingsbury, London, N.W.9.—3.x.1964. ENARGIA PALEACEA Esp., A CORRECTION.—I made a slip in my note on Hampshire migrants (antea 214) when I said that Mr. Ian Lorrimer had recorded Enargia paleacea Esp. at Chandler’s Ford. It was, of course, Mr. Barry Goater who did so. May I take this opportunity of recording the capture at light at Camber, Sussex, of one Leucania unipuncta Haw., in good condition, on the night of 4th-5th October last—AtrR MarsuaLt Sir RoBert SaunpBy, K.C.B., Oxleas, Burghclere, near Newbury, Berks. 10.x.1964. HADENA COMPTA FaBR. IN NORFOLK.—Having seen two male specimens of Hadena compta at mercury vapour light in a garden at Rackheath in 1963, the Sweet Williams in the garden were left undisturbed and no seed heads were removed this summer. During August this year the seed heads were searched and forty larvae were found, in all stages from one third to fully fed. These duly pupated, the last in the third week of September, and some of these were parasitized, and the pupae of these are being bred for identification.—C. G. Bruce, 16 Harland Road, London, S.E.12. 8.x.1964. EurRoIs occuLtta L. IN MippLtEsex.—As this species has been widely reported this year, I should like to record that a pale female Eurois occulta L. came to my mercury vapour light trap here on 17th August.— M. G, Mason, 14 Paxford Road, North Wembley, Middlesex. 17.x.1964. 268 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 76 15/X1/64 THE OCCURRENCE OF ENARGIA PALEACEA ESP. (ANGLE-STRIPED SALLOW) IN WILTSHIRE.—On the night of Saturday 15th August last, which was fairly mild and dry, with the sky overcast and little or no wind blowing, I ran a mercury vapour light beside a barley field in the vicinity of Old Sarum, abcut a mile from the outskirts of the City of Salisbury. Ostensibly I was collecting in this particular area for the purpose of obtaining a series of Oria musculosa Hiibn. (Brighton Wainscot), but was naturally on the look- out for anything else of special interest. Around 2 a.m. a rather large orange-coloured moth circled the light and moved away as though to escape into the night. Thinking it was probably only some common species of noctuid, perhaps an over-sized Diarsia mendica Fab. (festiva Schiff.) i netted the insect and having boxed it, was somewhat puzzled as to its identity. Two days later, I went through my copy of R. South’s “Moths of the British Isles’ and the only species which my moth resembled was Enargia paleacea Esp. Before setting the specimen, I showed it to my friend. Mr. B. F. Skinner who has collected this species in Scotland; he confirmed straightaway that I had indeed caught the angle-striped Sallow moth. In view of the fact that the fairly recent work compiled by Baron de Worms “The Macrolepidoptera of Wiltshire” (1962) does not enmesh the species, it is worth-while to draw readers’ attention to what I hope is a new county record.--R. F. Haynes, 29 Fairfield Drive, Dorking, Surrey. 24.x.1964. LAMPIDES BOETICUS L. ON ASCENSION ISLAND.—In July 1964, during the course of geological field work on Ascension, a remote island in the southern atlantic (7° 57’ S.: 14° 22’ W.), Lampides boeticus L. (long tailed blue) was observed in large numbers above 2300 feet on Green Mountain. This mountain (2817 feet), the highest on the island, is the only one with prolific vegetation. A search through the literature has failed to find any previous record of Rhopalocera on Ascension Island, although C. O. Waterhouse (Annals and Magazine of Natural History 1881) listed several Noctuid moths, most of which were in evidence in July 1964.—F. B. Arxtns, Devt. of Geology and Mineralogy, University Museum, Oxford. 4.x.1964. Foop PLANT OF LEUCANIA OBSELETA Htpn.—I noticed in this month’s Record that Mr. Chalmers-Hunt in his account of Leucania obsoleta Hiibn. (obscure wainscot) says that the food plant is unknown. I think it is generally accepted that the larva feeds on Phragmites, the common reed, but it may be of interest to note that in 1949 I took a female obsoleta at Wood Walton. She deposited ova, and when the larvae hatched, I put them on Phragmites, but they would not feed. I tried various food plants and finally they started on knot-grass, Polygonum aviculare. I fed them entirely on this until they went into hibernation, pupated in the spring, and produced moths in the following June. I had a rather similar experi- ence with the larvae of Hydrillula palustris Hiiobn (marsh moth). I had a large number of ova in 1954, and when they hatched I put them on Spiraea (meadow sweet), their usual food plant, but they would not feed. I finally got them to feed on Taraxacum (dandelion) and Lactuca (lettuce) but after about two weeks they turned to withered Spiraea and finally fed up on this.—R. GEOFFREY Topp, West Runton. Cromer. Norfolk. 30.ix.1964. CURRENT LITERATURE 269 Current Literature Ten Little Housemates. Karl von Frisch. 146 pp. 8vo. Pergamon Press. 12/6. This book deals with ten insects and other creatures associated with the domestic biotope, and the subject is treated in a manner calculated to appeal to school biology classes, but this is in no way allowed to impair the accuracy of the accounts. The author has a keen sense of humour and a fund of anecdotes which impress his points on the mind. The creatures treated are the house fly, gnats, the flea, the bed bug, lice, the clothes moth, the cockroach, silver fish, spiders and ticks. Each is the subject of a chapter and is treated from a diversity of aspects. The book makes interesting and amusing reading, and will certainly have a strong appeal in school libraries, as also in families blessed with children with enquiring minds (parents may also read it when the children have gone to bed). It is well printed on good paper with stiff paper covers, and is copiously illustrated with good line drawings of the subjects, sufficiently enlarged to show their structure (and the scale is mentioned), and also of many other aspects of their life and activities, including the harnessing of a “performing flea’, a matter which had always puzzled me.—S.N.A.J. Wasp Farm. Dr. Howard Ensign Evans. 178 pp. and 16 half-tone plates. George G. Harrap & Co. Ltd. 21/-. This book is full of pleasing features and can be recommended to all classes of naturalist. It gives an account of the author’s field activities studying the behaviour of many genera of wasps on a small piece of wild land which he occupied for a few years. His personal observations are not, however, the sole material used, but the writings and observations of others are used in order to make the account as complete as possible. The book is packed with fascinating details of insect behaviour, and each chapter deals with a different aspect or problem of wasp life, and each is very well ordered. A most pleasing feature is that the author does not go out of his way to simplify scientific names, but applies them naturally to the subjects of his accounts so that they may be intelligible both to the entomologist of any country, or to the layman; he does not, however, omit to mention popular names of species which are part of the ordinary life of everyone. The chapters all finish with two welcome features: “Cast of Characters,’ in which the scientific names mentioned are analysed and their component Greek and Latin parts translated, and “For Further Reading”, in which a short relevant bibliography is given. The author holds the reader’s interest throughout and, as one would expect from a university graduate, he keeps clear of both anthropomor- phism and of cold scientific inhumanity. The illustrations consist of line drawings, mostly explaining the peculiarities of certain wasp nests, and of photographs showing the various activities of the insects concerned, the taking of which must have required infinite patience. The most pleasing feature of these is that they are taken to illustrate the activity, and they are not merely cosmetic pictures to ornament the book, of a kind all too familiar in these days of advanced photography.—S. N. A. J. 270 ENYOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 76 15/ X1/64 Current Notes HOD HILL In years gone by, this famous collecting ground supported a large and flourishing population of both Euphydryas aurina L. (marsh fritillary) and Lysandra bellargus Rott. (adonis blue). They occurred over the whole of the top of the hill, and their numbers were not noticeably affected by the casual grazing to which their breeding grounds were subjected from time to time. Of recent years, however, stock has been kept on much of the hill in greater numbers with disastrous consequences for the butterfly popula- tion. So much so in fact that the fritillary is now confined to a very limited area which is not subject to grazing, and the Adonis Blue has become a rarity. In an effort to preserve both these insects by giving their breeding grounds some measure of protection the Dorset Naturalists’ Trust, through the sympathetic co-operation of the owner, has recently arranged to lease an area of the hill-top on the south and west sides. These areas have now been enclosed by several hundred yards of stock-proof fencing. Provided collectors play the game, the Trust does not propose to inter- fere with their activities, but at the same time they hope that the utmost restraint will be used, particularly while these two butterflies are re- establishing themselves. The cost of this project has been considerable and should any entom- ologist wish to contribute towards it, the hon. treasurer of the Trust, Mr. P. A. Bentley, St. Judes, Wimborne Road West, Hayes, Wimborne, Dorset, would welcome a donation. The Treasurer’s Appeal With the December issues of 1961 and 1962 I made an appeal to all subscribers who pay by cheque to subscribe by Banker’s Order, and I have had a fairly good response. There, are, however, more than a hundred sub- scribers who pay direct by cheque, and I again appeal to them to save themselves and the Treasurer trouble and expense by using a Banker’s Order. I often receive in March and April charming letters of apology for having overlooked the subscription. I hope that those subscribers not using a Banker’s Order will send me their subscriptions before ist February. If a subscription is not paid before the end of February, I have to send a reminder, and thereafter, if no reply is received, I must assume that the Record is no longer required, and must withold further issues. This applies also to those who ‘subscribe through subscription agents. I again assure subscribers that I am not being high-handed in this matter; the Record has to pay its way even though it is not run for profit, and your co- operation will be sincerely appreciated. I will on request send a Banker’s Order for 1965 onwards to any sub- scriber; it is payable on ist February each year, and can be cancelled at any time should the necessity arise.—C.C. LEPIDOPTERA OF KENT (203) Agrimony fiower, September 1, 1962 (T. W. Harman). Ickham, 1954-59, several most years (D. G. Marsh). 6. Gravesend, August 9, 1910 (F. T. Grant). Springhead (H. C. Hug- gins). 9. Margate, August 4, 1951; Cliftonville, one, July 30, 1955 (CW. D. Bowden). 11. Aylesford, two (G. A. N. Davis). 12. Willesborough, one, August 4, 1954, one, July 29, 1955 (W. L. Rud- land). 15. Dymchurch (Browne, Entomologist, 35: 269); (G. V. Bull); 1952 (Wakely, Ent. Rec., 65: 44). Appledore, several, 1953, twelve, 1957 (P. Cue). Dungeness, one, taken by T. W. Harman, August 30, 1962 (R. E. Scott). 16. Folkestone* (Ullyett (1880)). Near Hythe*, 1929 (Morley (19381)). Folkestone Town (Morley, Ent. Rec., 64: 171). VaRIATIon.—According to Tutt (Br. Noct., 1: 42-45) ab. pallida Tutt is the commonest form of the species; of ab. rufescens Tutt, he writes (loc. cit.):—‘“‘I have a fine series .. . captured on the banks of the Thames in North Kent”. First REcorD, 1841: Bromley Marshes (Courtney, Entomologist, 1: 227). Gria musculosa Hubn.: Brighton Wainscot. Resident? Note :—lIt is possible the species has been much overlooked owing to its habit of frequenting corn-fields. 8. Wye*.—A rather worn musculosa in J. Platt Barrett coll., labelled “Wye 8/8/81 J. Platt Barrett’} (C.-H.). [The following records cannot be accepted here without reserve :—(1) Under Simyra nervosa Steph. (which Bainbridge Fletcher attributes to musculosa, see Entomologist, 75: 141), Stephens records one taken by Pittard near Darenth Wood; (2) a specimen of musculosa in Rev. C. A. Sladen’s coll. sale, labelled “Wye Downs, 1885, Morley collection” (Ent. hee, S: 15):] First RECORD, 1881: Wye (J. P. Barrett). Nonagria algae Esp. (cannae Ochs.): Reed Wainscot. Resident. Ponds; [on Typha latifolia]. 11. Frittenden, one taken at light, c. 1949, by Rev. O. S. S. Edwards (R. C. Edwards). 15. Dungeness, Open Pits, 1952, “I had cut some mined stems of Scirpus and Typha, expecting to breed N. sparganii (Esp.), and was very surprised to find that a male cannae had emerged on 12th September, to be followed by a female on the 14th” (Jackson, Entomologist, 86: 2; Proc. S. Lond. ent. nat. Hist. Soc., 1952-53: 36). Dungeness, one taken 1954 by E. J. Hare and in his coll.; (C.-H.). : First REcorpD, c. 1949: Frittenden (O. S. S. Edwards). N. sparganii Esp.: Webb’s Wainscot. Resident, probably native. Marshes, ponds, ditches; on Iris pseudocorus, Typha latifolia, T. angustifolia, Sparganium ramosum. Formerly chiefly maritime; now ranging well inland as a breeding species. The “Kent Wainscot” of Tutt (1896, Br. Moths, 164). (204) ENTOMOLOGIS’S RECORD, VOL. 76 15/ X1/ 64 Note :— In wet seasons liable to suffer heavily from attacks by Moor- hen, which can then more easily reach the larvae and pupae. 2. Iwade Marshes, 1922, approximately 1% larvae against N. typhue (H. C. Huggins). Queenborough, imagines plentiful in ditches, August 1936 (E. H. Wild). Higham, four pupae and a larva among 24 larvae and pupae of N. typhae in stems of T. latifolia, August 12, 1956 (C.-H.); eighteen pupae, August 11, 1962; pupae fairly plentiful, August 1963 (R. G. Chate- lain). Burham Marsh, Aylesford, pupae, 1953 (G. A. N. Davis); common, 1955 (Davis, Bull. K. Field Cl., 1: 6). 3. Whitstable, pupae rather common, imagines reared; in 1942 and other years (P. F. Harris). Broad Oak, several pupae, August 9, 1955, in T. latifolia, growing in village pond, imagines reared (C.-H.). 4. Dover district, at Haggerston Entomological Soc., November 15, 1883, Messrs. T. Cook & Son exhibited sparganii (Entomologist, 17: 24). Deal, September, 1884 (Meldola, Ent. mon. Mag., 21: 135; idem, Entomo- logist, 17: 253); August 1884 (Tutt, Entomologist, 18: 71). Reculver, larvae and pupae on Typha, 1934, 1937-38, much more common in 1939 (A. J. L. Bowes). Sandwich, one, 1947 (J. A. Parry). Hersden, pupae abundant in T. latifolia and I. pseudocorus, August 5, 1955, August 6, 1956, almost every stem being tenanted, with sometimes two per stem, and in one stem of T. latifolia I counted three (C.-H.). Ickham, imagines fairly fre- quent at light, 1954-59, six in 1959 with four in m.v. trap one night (D. G. Marsh). 6. Cliffe Chalkpit, pupae common, c. 1950, all in I. pseudocorus (B. K. West). 6a. Chattenden, larvae and pupae in T. latifolia, June 26, 1960 (C.-H., Proc. S. Lond. ent. nat. Hist. Soc., 1960: 85). 8. Folkestone Warren, one at light, taken by R. C. Crewdson, Septem- ber 18, 1931 (A. M. Morley). 9. St. Peters, one, at light, August 28, 1933 (J. W. C. Hunt). 11. Hoads Wood, ¢, at m.v.l., August 11, 1955 (C.-H.); August 1960 (C. R. Haxby). Great Chart, five pupae in Typha, 1962, produced 4 ¢¢,1 ? (M. Singleton). 12. Ashford, one, September 21, 1938 (de Worms, Entomologist, 71: 261); one, 1954, one, 1955, both at light (P. Cue). Chartham, pupae in Typha, August 5, 1955 (C.-H.). Brook, one, end August 1952 (C. A. W. Duffield, fide E. Scott). Wye, one, September 28, 1953, one, October 1, 1954 (W. L. Rudland). Ham Street, one, at light, September 4, 1954 (W. L. Rudland); one in m.v. trap, September 21, 1957 (R. F. Bretherton); August 1960 (C. R. Haxby). 14. Hawkhurst, one at light, August 12, 1952+ (B. G. Chatfield). 15. Dungeness, one exhibited by S. Webb in January 1879, bred from a larva taken by him in 1878 (Carrington, Entomologist, 13: 50; see also First Record); larvae in S. ramosum and I. pseudocorus, 1879 (Carrington, loc. cit.); many were taken by Webb, Hanbury and Jeffery before 1900; “my first sparganii was taken at Dungeness in 1902” (H. M. Edelsten, in litt.); 1931 (Morley, Proc. S. Lond. ent. nat. Hist. Soc., 1931-32: 91); larvae and pupae at the ponds and in scattered clumps of Typha in wet spots over the shingle, August 1937 (A. J. L. Bowes); larvae and pupae in Typha on the road to the Hope and Anchor, July 24, 1949 (C.-H.); larvae in T. angustifolia (Edwards & Wakely, Ent. Rec., 70: 93); one in mv. trap, August 20, 1962 (R. E. Scott); 2, at the new lighthouse, September 21, 1963 LEPIDOPTERA OF KENT (205) (C.-H.). Hythe (Tutt, Br. Moths (1896), 164), probably refers to Dungeness (C.-H.). Appledore, pupae and spun-up larvae, August 1, 1962 (S. Wakely). 16. Folkestone Town, ¢, at m.v., September 8, 1958 (A. M. Morley). Sandgate, one, 1961, at light (N. Reay-Jones). VARIATION.—Very variable, particularly the ¢. It appears the type is of frequent occurrence in the ©, but much less so in ¢ specimens. My series of 64 Kentish examples contains the following named abs.:—9® bipunctata Tutt, one, Reculver; 2 obsoleta Tutt, one, Reculver; and several of each of what appear to be the following colour abs.—d rufescens Tutt, Dungeness and Hersden; ¢ rufa Tutt, Broad Oak and Hersden; ¢ nigrostriata Wightman, Dungeness, Hersden, and Whitstable; ¢ roseoradiata Wightman, Hersden. I also havea 3 from Hersden, which closely approaches N. algae in appearance; and another, a @ from Broad Oak, having the reniform broadly semi-colon shaped (CAE. A. J. L. Bowes (Diary) notices certain features apparently distinguish- ing specimens from Dungeness from those from Reculver. He observes the main difference is that ‘““Dungeness specimens have a darker transverse black band on forewings and a tendency to pinkness”’. Turner (Supplement to Tutt’s Br. Noct., 1: 155) described ab. clara, North Kent, two; Richardson (Proc. S. Lond. ent. nat. Hist. Soc., 1953-54: 41) records ab. bipunctata Tutt from Kent; and Morley (loc. cit.) records 3 and @Q ab. rufescens from Kent. The following abs. are in R.C.K.:—¢ unimaculata Dumont, Dungeness, one, Herne Bay, one, E. Kent, one; 2 clara Turner, E. Kent, one; @ bipunctata Tutt, Herne Bay, one; ¢ rosea Wightman, S. Kent, two; 9 obsoleta Tutt, Reculver, one; ¢ roseoradiata Wightman, Dungeness, one, Kent, one; lutea Wightman, East Kent, two; rufescens Tutt, numerous jd and 2 2, Dungeness and Herne Bay; rufa Wightman, j 3, Dungeness and Herne Bay, and one Q, East Kent; nigrostriata Wightman, numerous ¢ ¢ and 9 9, Dungeness. Note:—The locality of these sparganii labelled “Herne Bay”, is Reculver (C.-H.). First Recorp, 1879: At meeting of Royal Horticultural Society on January 14, 1879, “S. Webb showed a moth, Nonagria sparganii, the larva of which... in this country is found to prey on the stems of Irises... ”. “The insect is a new introduction to this country” (Proc. R. hort. Soc., 1879: ci). This is also the first British record. The provenance was sub- sequently given out as “south-east Kent”, but hitherto there has been no authenticated record specifying the locality, which for many years was kept secret. It is therefore of interest to note that H. M. Edelsten wrote mie that Webb first discovered sparganii as new to Britain at the Open Pits (or “Hoppen Pits” as they were known locally), Dungeness, and that he was informed of this by Webb himself (C.-H.). N. typhae Thunb. (arundinis F.): Bulrush Wainscot. Native. Marshes, dykes, ponds; on Typha latifolia. Plentiful in many localities in 2, 4, 15. - Obs.—At Minster (div. 4), August 26, 1919, H. G. Gomm (Diary) records finding four pupae of typhae in a single stem of T. latifolia. Tonge (Proc. _S. Lond. ent. nat. Hist. Soc., 1913-14: 124) observes that at Deal in 1913, most of the larvae were parasitized. 1, Lee Swamp, A. H. Jones took a 9, sitting on a stem of T. latifolia (206) ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 76 15/X1/64 drying its wings, September 12, 1862; eight, August 20-21, 1863 (Fenn, Diary). Lewisham, occurred commonly up to 1877, ground since built over (R. Adkin, in Wool. Surv. (1909)). Brockley, pupae common (West, Ent. Rec., 18: 200). Beckenham, 1948 (de Worms, Lond. Nat., 1955: 33). Lee, one, at light, October 30, 1955 (C. G. Bruce). Foots Cray, in gravel pits (R. G. Chatelain, in litt., 25.xi.1958). 3. Whitstable (P. F. Harris). Broad Oak, pupae abundant in stems of T. latifolia in village pond, August 9, 1955 (C.-H.). Eddington, at light, September 11, 14, 20, 28, 1949 (D. G. Marsh, Diary). 5. Westerham (R. C. Edwards). 6. Pinden, one, August 1953 (de Worms, loc. cit.). Otford, four at m.v.l., 1955 (W. B. L. Manley). 6a. Chattenden, larvae and pupae in stems of T. latifolia, June 26, 1960 (C.-H., Proc. S. Lond. ent. nat. Hist. Soc., 1960: 85). 7. Boxley (A. H. Harbottle). 8. Folkestone* (Ullyett (1880)). Folkestone Warren, August 26, 1932 (J. H. B. Lowe). 10. Shoreham (H. E. Hammond). 11. Edenbridge, pupae plentiful, 1930 (F. D. Greenwood). Tonbridge (H. E. Hammond). Hoads Wood (P. Cue). Frittenden, pupae, 1955 (C.-H.). Headcorn, “bullrush pond in field near main road infested, several pupae shelled out, August 17, 1960” (C. R. Haxby, in I2tt.). 12. Wye; Kennington (Scott (1936)). Vauxhall Lakes, Canterbury, pupae, 1938; Chartham, pupae, 1955 (C.-H.). Wye, two, August 15- September 15, 1953, one, August 31, 1954, one, September 8, 1955; Willes- borough, one, August 21, 1955; Ham Street, September 4, 1954; all at m.v.l. (W. L. Rudland). Ashford Town (P. Cue). Ham Street, in m.v.t., Septem- ber 21, 1957 (R. F. Bretherton); one at light, August 31, 1957, in the village; one at light, September 22, 1962 (de Worms, Entomologist, 91: 152, 96: 58). 13. Tunbridge Wells (M. M. Phipps, in Knipe (1916)). Goudhurst, one at light, 1954 (W. V. D. Bolt). 14. Sandhurst (G. V. Bull). Tenterden, 1960 (C. G. Orpin). 16. Folkestone, one, 1951 (Morley, Ent. Rec., 64: 171). Sandgate, 1961 (N. Reay-Jones). VARIATION.—Ab. fraterna Tr. has the anterior wings suffused with deep reddish-brown and black scales, and in some specimens to such an extent that the insect is almost black in colour. Tutt (Br. Noct., 1: 54) states that in the neighbourhood of Higham, of many bred 1881-83, not more than one in thirty was fraterna. At Higham in 1956, two that I bred were fraterna, the remaining eighteen being more or less typical (C.-H.). A. J. L. Bowes (Diary) records two 9° fraterna bred Reculver, 1934-35; and H. C. Huggins states that on Sheppey, he has found that about one in five are this ab. First RECORD, 1862: Lee, 2, by A. H. Jones (Fenn, Diary). N. geminipuncta Haw.: Twin-spot Wainscot. Native. Marshes, ditches, dykes, riverbanks, swamps; on Phragmites communis. Mainly coastal, but like N. sparganii, appears to have ex- tended its range inland within recent years. 2. Cliffe, larvae very common, July 4, 1874, bred August 4, 1874 (Fenn, Diary). Higham, two, July 29, 1926 (F. T. Grant). Greenhithe (Farn MS.). Rochester district. 1907 (Ovenden, Ent. Rec.. 19: 230). Graves- LEPIDOPTERA OF KENT C20) end (¥.C.H. (1908)); (L. T. Ford). Sittingbourne (H. C. Huggins). Denton Marshes, several bred, 1926 (F. T. Grant). Faversham, pupae common (Robertson, Entomologist, 52: 59); larva, June 27, 1954 (Marsh & Youden, Proc. S. Lond. ent. nat. Hist. Soc., 1954-55: 85). Whitstable district, “larvae common in any reed bed” (P. F. Harris, in litt., xii. 1950). Burham Marsh, Aylesford, three, 1953 (G. A. N. Davis); 1955 (Davis, Bull. K. Fld. Click: 6). 4. Minster, one bred, 1905, in J. P. Barrett coll. (C.-H.). Deal (V.C.H. (1908)). [Reculver] “I once found five pupae between two nodes of one reed-stem” (Edelsten, Entomologist, 42: 323). Reculver, pupae usually abundant; 1936-37 were bumper years; very few, 1938-39; imago seen only once or twice in many evenings (A. J. L. Bowes); pupae abundant in reed-stems in a dyke, August 1-2, 1955 (C.-H.). Sandwich, ten pupae, August 7, 1955; Westbere, pupae fairly plentiful, August 4, 1955 (C.-H.). [ (Westbere (C.-H., Ent. Rec., 57: 10), refers to N. dissoiuta Treits. (q.v.).).]. Ickham, 1954-59, fairly numerous, with several at light most years (D. G. Marsh). Worth, August 3, 1962 (T. W. Harman). 6. Springhead (H. C. Huggins). Otford, one at m.v.l., August 22, 1955 (W. B. L. Manley). 12. Ham Street, one, 1952 (E. J. Hare). Willesborough, two, August 21, 1955; Wye, two, August 10-12, 1953 (W. L. Rudland). Chartham, several pupae, August 5. 1955 (C.-H.). West Ashford, two taken by D. Youngs, 1961; one at light by M. Enfield, October 2, 1962 (M. Singleton). 15. Shirley Moor near Woodchurch (Scott (1936)). Near Dymchurch, August 4, 1933 (de Worms, Entomologist, 67: 103). Dungeness, two, August 22, 1951 (E. H. Wild); one, 1952 (E. J. Hare); Appledore, one, August 11, 1956 (P. Cue). Lydd (Coxey, Proc. S. Lond. ent. nat. Hist. Soc., 1961: 29). 16. Folkestone* (Ullyett (1880)). Folkestone Town, 2, August 22, 1955 (A. M. Morley). VaARIATION.—Of some 100 pupae taken at Reculver in 1955, 40 were parasitized, and 56 produced moths of what I judge to be the following abs.:—rufa Tutt, fifteen; rufa-unipuncta Tutt, eighteen; rufa-obsoleta Tutt, ten; nigropunctata Kroul., five; fusca-unipuncta Tutt, one; unipuncta Tutt, two; obsoleta Tutt, two; nigricans Stgr., one; also, forma typica, two (C.-H.). Davis (Proc. S. Lond. ent. nat. Hist. Soc., 1955: 23) exhibited ab. nigricans Stgr., from Aylesford. : First RECORD, 1880: Folkestone (Ullyett, Rambles of a Naturalist Round Folkestone, 142). N. dissoluta Treits.: Brown-veined Wainscot. Resident. Marshes, fens, ditches, ponds; on Phragmites communis. Note: Since 1950 the species has appeared in many new localities in Kent, and with greater frequency than for many years’. 1. Lee, one, at m.v.]., August 2, 1963 (C. G. Bruce). 2. Cliffe, common, 1906-13 (H. C. Huggins). Higham, riverbank by Shorne Mead Fort, plentiful 1926-27 (Grant, Proc. S. Lond. ent. nat. Hist. Soc., 1927-28: 108); Higham, one, August 30, 1963 (R. G. Chatelain). Ayles- ford, one, 1954 (G. A. N. Davis). . 3. Broad Oak, three at electric light, August 5, 1951 (C.-H.). Herne Bay, one, 1951, two, 1952 (Marsh, Proc. S. Lond. ent. nat. Hist. Soc., 1952-53 : 39), (208) ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 76 15/ X1/64 4. East Kent [Reculver] (see First Record). Reculver, taken by A. U. Battley, later by H. M. Edelsten, who found larvae in 1912 (1. M. Edelsten personal communication; idem, Trans. Cy. Lond. ent. nat. Hist. Soc., 1912-13: 17; idem, Proc. ent. Soc. Lond., 1912: ciii); several “E. Kent” and “Herne Bay” specimens in R.C.K. variously dated 1905, 1907, 1924, are probably from Reculver (C.-H.); one worn <¢, July 21, 1935 (A. J. L. Bowes); 2 formatypica, 3 ab. arundineta Schmidt, bred 1955, from pupae in P. communis (C.-H.). Ham Fen, eight at light, August 6, 1950 (C.-H.). Westbere, two, August 28, 1938 (C.-H.); three, worn, August 10, 1945 (C.-H., Ent. Rec., 57: 10, where it is recorded by me in error as N. geminipuncta). Deal, two, August 19, 1949; Sandwich, one, August 11, 1950, one, August 5, 1955 (G. H. Youden). Ickham, 1954-59, fairly numerous at m.v.1., with occasionally ‘‘a black form” (D. G. Marsh). Near Worth, one, “very dark form’’, on Hemp Agrimony flowers, September 1, 1962 (T. W. Harman). 6. Springhead, common, 1906-13 (H. C. Huggins). 8. Dover, one, August 7, 1951, one, July 31, 1964, both in m.v. trap (G. H. Youden). 11. Frittenden Lake, pupa in stem of P. communis, August 5, from which a ¢ emerged August 6, 1955 (C.-H.). 12. Ham Street, two at m.v.l1., Long Rope, July 31, 1951 (C.-H.); August 3, 1951 (E. W. Classey, fide E. Scott); one, ‘dark form”, taken near a pond at light, September 2, 1962 (M. Singleton). Wye, one, August 13, 1953; one, August 8, 1954 (W. L. Rudland). Potters Corner, West Ashford, a small colony discovered, 1961; six at light, September 15, 1962 (M. Single- ton, M. Enfield, and D. Youngs). Ham Street Village, August 31, 1957 (de Worms, Entomologist, 91: 152). 15. Dungeness, one, at light, August 10, 1936 (J. O. T. Howard, teste A. J. L. Bowes); eight at m.v.l., August 3, 1951 (C.-H.); c. 1952 (E. J. Hare); ¢, at light, July 25, 1952 (Jackson, Entomologist, 86: 2); two, August 3, 1953 (A. Richardson, fide A. M. Morley); one, 1957 (P. Cue); two August 30, 1962 (T. W. Harman). Lydd (Coxey, Proc. S. Lond. ent. nat. Hist. Soc., 1961: 29). Appledore, eight, August 6, 1956 (W. L. Rudland). VARIATION.—In 1912, Edelsten (loc. cit.) observed that 75% of those he had from East Kent were referable to the typical dissoluta Treits., which is a blackish form. Contrary to the usual melanistic trend, however, the type does not appear to have increased since then, and indeed may even have become less numerous. For the records show that less than 50% of Kentish specimens noted as taken or bred during the past 30 years have been typical, and that the majority were referable, broadly speaking, to the brownish variegated ab. arundineta Schmidt (C.-H.). The following are in R.C.K. Typical dissoluta Treits.: E. Kent, several, 1907, Es A. Bowles: Herne Bay, three, July 1905, L. B. Prout: E. Kent, several, bred July 1924, A. J. Wightman; Kent, one, August 16, 1907, H. M. Edelsten. Ab. arundineta Schmidt: E. Kent, several. First ReEcorD, 1905: At meeting on October 3, 1905, L. B. Prout exhibited a series of “Nonagria neurica’ from the East Kent marshes in- cluding the black form known as ‘var. hessiv”’ which is not known to occur in the Norfolk Broads where the species is abundant (Trans. Cy. Lond. ent. nat. Hist. Soc., 1905: 11). ‘Having regard to this, it is noteworthy that the species was recorded as of unusual occurrence in 1953 in Herts. and Surrey (cf. Hnt. Rec., 65: 291, 364), it being snegested that its appearance there might he due to immigration, LEPIDOPTERA OF KENT (209) Coenobia rufa Haw. (despecta Treits.): Small Rufous. Native. Marshes, ditches, fens; foodplant unknown. 1. Lee, in a swampy patch top of Manor Farm Lane, taken by H. T. Stainton before 1862; several, August 11-September 18, 1862; very com- mon, July 22-August 10, 1863; plentiful July 15-24, 1865; 1866; scarce, August 6, 1874; extinct 1885 (Fenn, Diary; idem, Ent. Rec., 6: 231). 2. Sittingbourne (H. C. Huggins). 4. Deal (see First Record); plentiful (Harding, Entomologist, 2: 194); “extremely abundant’, 1881 (Tugwell, Entomologist, 14: 214); 1882, “by the sides of some rushy marsh ditches Nonagria despecta swarmed; one could get six or eight at one sweep of the net” (Tugwell, Entomologist, 15: 205); swarmed by the rushes at the second battery ditch, July 22, 1891, “I must have seen 1000” (Fenn, Diary; idem, Ent. Rec., 2: 203). Reculver, common, July 23, 1935 (A. J. L. Bowes). Sandwich (E. & Y. (1949)). Ham Fen, two at light, August 6, 1950 (C.-H.). 8. Dover, one, 1938 (E. & Y. (1949)). 11. Hoads Wood (Scott (1950)); August 3, 1954 (P. Cue); about five at m.v.l., August 4, 1961 (B. F. Skinner). Sevenoaks Weald, two, at m.v.lL., August 6, 1959, one, July 30, 1960 (E. A. Sadler). 12. Hothfield Bog (Scott (1936)). Ham Street (Scott (1936)); several at m.v.l. at edge of Birchett Wood, end July 1951 (C.-H.). Brook, 1951 (E. Scott). Willesborough, one at light, August 1959 (M. Singleton). 14. Tenterden, 1960 (C. G. Orpin). 15. Dungeness, July 22, 1935 (A. J. L. Bowes); August 4, 1946 (de Worms, Entomologist, 80: 81); several fresh, August 13, 1950 (D. G. Marsh); several at m.v.l., August 3, 1951 (C.-H.); July 27, 1956 (R. F. Bretherton); several, August 18, 1958 (E. C. Pelham-Clinton); 1959 (A. L. Goodson). 16. Folkestone Town, one, August 13, 1953 (A. M. Morley). VARIATION.—Tutt (Br. Noct., 1: 48) says: “I took a very long series at Deal, and found every gradation in colour, from a very deep reddish, to an exceedingly pale greyish-white’”’. He also (loc. cit.) describes ab. pallescens from Deal. FIRST RECORD, 1859: Harding, Ent. week. Int., 6: 124. Chilodes maritima Tausch. (ulvae Hiibn.): Silky Wainscot. Native. Maritime and submaritime reed beds; foodplant unknown. 2. Gravesend, “bred and at sugar and mothing” (Button, Entomologist, 4: 129); a few, July 10, 1869 (Miller & Jones, Ent. mon. Mag., 6: 114); be- tween Shorne Mead and Higham, four, July 4, 1874 (Fenn, Diary) (Cliffe (V.C.H. (1908)), may refer); plentiful, and ab. wismariensis, 1926-27 (Grant & Watson, Proc. S. Lond. ent. nat. Hist. Soc., 1927-28: 106). Greenwich Marshes, three, 1895, C. H. Forsythe (C.-H. coll.). Rochester dist., one, July 1904 (Ovenden, Ent. Rec., 16: 239). Greenhithe (Farn MS.). Sitting- bourne, plentiful, two ab. bipunctata, several abs. nigrostriata and wismariensis (H. C. Huggins); June 26, 30, 1949, six wismariensis, six nigrostriata, among nearly 100 maritima, mostly at light; only two moths, June 20, 1953; four, June 22, 1956 (C.-H.). Kingsferry, Sheppey, four, in- cluding one wismariensis (Morley, Proc. S. Lond. ent. nat. Hist. Soc., 1932- 33: 111). Nagden Marshes, Faversham, one, June 25, 1952 (C.-H.). Dart- _ ford Marshes, one, 1956 (B. K. West). 4. Minster, one, June 3, 1906; two, ab. bipunctata, June 18, 30,, 1904; one, ab. wismariensis, June 16, 1902 (J. P. Barrett coll.). Sandwich, July (210) ENTOMOLOGIST S RECORD, VOL. 76 15/ XI /64 24, 1938, taken by J. O. T. Howard (A. J. L. Bowes). [11. “A doubtful specimen taken on a bog near Shipbourne awaits confirmation” (Knipe (1916)).] 12. Willesborough, ¢, on window of a shed, taken August 1959 (M. Singleton). 15. Dymehurch, five taken, 1933, all ab. nigrostriata (misprinted “nigro- cincta”) (Morley, Proc. S. Lond. ent. nat. Hist. Soc., 1933-34: 50). St. Mary-in-the-Marsh, July 30 (1), 31 (1), August 1 (1), 1948, at car lights (P. Le Masurier). 16. Folkestone, one, June 1951, by A. G. Riddell (Morley, Ent. Rec., 645 7A: VARIATION.—At Sittingbourne, about 1 in 15 is ab. wismariensis Schmidt; apout ain: 20° is @b: wigrostriata, Ster; ang accordine to L.C.2buerins about 1 in 150 is ab. bipunctata Haw. (C.-H.). In R.C.K. are single speci- mens of abs. nigrostriata and bipunctata from Kent, each labelled: “S. Kent 30.6.1934. B. H. Armstrong”. First REcoRp, 1868: Gravesend (Button, Entomologist, 4: 129). CARADRININAE Meristis trigrammica Hufn. (trilinea Schiff.): Treble-line. Native. Woods, chalk downs, etc.; on Centaurea nigra, Cirsium acaule. In all divisions; apparently scarce in 15. “Generally common” (V.C.H. (1908)). The moth seems very occasionally to fly naturally by day. Thus, A. A. Allen states that in Greenwich Park, c. 1926, he observed one hovering for some time at flowers in 2 flower-bed in the afternoon sun. 15. Dungeness, five at m.v.l., June 10-23, 1962, all singletons; none in 1963 (R. E. Scott). There is no record of the feral larva, but at Wye Crown on the night of May 31, 1953, I watched a 9 flying low over the down and deposit several ova on the uppersides of leaves of C. nigra and C. acaule (both det. F. Rose) (C.-H.). VARIATION.—The majority of Kentish specimens are referable to typical trigrammica Hufn.; ab. evidens Thunb., the ochreous form, is frequent and seems to occur everywhere with the type, and some extreme examples that I have of this tend to be rust-coloured; ab. semifuscans Haw. is scarce, I have one only from West Wickham; ab. semifuscans Haw. + evidens Thunb., one, Sandwich, one, Broad Oak; of ab. bilinea Haw. (=obscura Tutt), which appears to favour chalky districts, although not confined to them, I have only once seen myself, West Wickham, 1962, but possess another taken by E. Scott, Westwell, 1953; ab. approximans Haw. is fairly frequent, but as yet I know of no Kentish specimen in which the 2nd and 3rd lines actually touch on the inner margin; ab. renata Lenz, °, Sandwich, June 16, 1950, is the only Kentish example of this known to me (C.-H.). Ab. bilinea Haw. has also been noted as follows :—Sandhurst, one, 1927, one, 1939 (G. V. Bull); Aylesford, one, 1953 (G. A. N. Davis); Otford, eight taken, others seen, 1955-56 (W. B. L. Manley); Folkestone (Morley, Proc. S. Lond. ent. nat. Hist. Soc., 1952-53: 41). Under bilinea Hiibn., Stephens (Haust., 2: 153) and Curtis (Br. Ent., 651) give Birch Wood; probably the references are to bilinea Haw. though, indeed Curtis’s figure is quite clearly this ab. FOR THE ENTOMOLOGIST Apparatus, Books, Cabinets, and Set Specimens Price lists of the above are issued from time to time, so if you would like to receive regular issues please send me a postcard stating your interests L. CHRISTIE 137 Gleneldon Road, Streatham, London, S.W.16, England (Postal business only) Official agent for publications of the Amateur Entomologist’s Society J. J. HILL & SON LTD. ENTOMOLOGICAL CABINET MANUFACTURERS Specialists in Interchangeable Unit Systems, Store Boxes, Insect Cases, Setting Boards, Micro-slide Cabinets, etc. Reconditioned Second-Hand Insect Cabinets available from time to time. 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G. Aimar ©. Sa Rea ee : HELIOTHIS PELTIGERA SCHIFF. Sere BORDERED STRAW) IN WESSEX. } H. SYMES 2... ... 2 aha © Seg a er THE MICROLEPIDOPTERA. B. W. WEDDELL... ... eS ae ate ABISKO REVISITED. Major-General Sir GEORGE JOHNSON, K.C.V.0., CB, aS ae CBB DSO) Si) ce FeO eet TG THE COLEOPTERA OF A SUBURBAN GARDEN. 6-BRACHELYTRA eae) (PART 9). A: Ay (ALLEN: SB -SC. ACR ngs ger re ee ieee eee OBITUARY ¢ oon eee iin ee RN Be, oes goa ete ea NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS . PRE RIS BESD 0 SE Soi ge eg T CURRENT LITERATURE se eee hans GREG eid pee ie ee ne CURRENT NOTES, (2 250iRo 20S ae a ies eee eet ee THE TREASURER’S APPEAL . OLN eters te eo ue SUPPLEMENT—THE BUTTERFLIES AND MOTHS IN KENT: A CRITICAL ees ACCOUNT. PART Il. J. M. CHALMERSHUuNT . 0.00. ss (208) a TO OUR CONTRIBUTORS Deter zi All material for the TEXT of the magazine must be sent to the EDITOR oF at 54 Hayes Lane, Bromley, Kent. ADVERTISEMENTS, EXCHANGES and WANTS to F. W. BYERS, 59 2he 8D Gurney Court Road, St. Albans, Herts. 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PRACTICAL ENTOMOLOGY | e exten . 17s 6d net (ae BUTTERFLIES OF THE BRITISH ISLES © a a 21s net ( FLIES OF THE BRITISH ISLES oh aaa 35s net LAND AND WATER BUGS OF THE BRITISH ISLES" a es 35s net \) | BEETLES OF THE BRITISH ISLES aah oy | } 2 vols each 30s net \ MOTHS OF THE BRITISH ISLES ) | Q- 2 vols each 35s ne ae CATERPILLARS OF BRITISH MOTHS : ie <2 vols each {7s 6d net Bes SPIDERS AND ALLIED ORDERS OF THE BRITISH ISLES” ) 1s 6d net WILD ANIMALS OF THE BRITISH ISLES i od | : Bs, 6 et FREDERICK WARNE & co uD : Lae Bedford oad London we2- eee es en a ST — SG ll NE aaa = | i 271 Holiday at Thorpeness, Suffolk, 1964 By J. M. Cuatmers-Hunt and S. WAKELY It was decided to have a holiday on the Suffolk coast this year, and Thorpeness, near Aldeburgh, seemed an ideal place. Mr. Chipperfield. of Stowmarket, had stayed at a bungalow there in 1963, and we were luckily able to book the same bungalow from 4th to 18th July. We found the bungalow ideally situated on a lovely wild beach covered with maritime flowers and plants and the sea stretching away to the horizon about a hundred yards away. The piping cries of a colony of nesting terns greeted us as soon as we prospected the beach, and several times eggs or young chicks were seen on the shingle. On the other side of the bungalow was the Aldeburgh road bordered by old fen land bordering a large mere. Serious collecting did not begin until Sunday night (5th), when the light trap was used. On examining the trap the next morning we realised we had been lucky in our choice, and many of the species taken exceeded all our expectations. However, more of the Thorpeness captures at m.v. later. On Monday (6th), after a busy morning setting moths taken the previous night, we explored the immediate locality in the car. By the local golf course quantities of Chaerophyllum temulentum (Rough Chervil) was seen in flower, and an examination of the flower heads revealed the presence of larvae of Depressaria chaerophylli Zell. The larvae are a bright green in colour with black longitudinal lines and were found stretched across the umbels in a kind of hammock of thin silk. Care had to be taken as the larvae threw themselves violently out of the web when disturbed. On Tuesday (7th) a visit was paid to Southwold, where larvae of Agonopterix umbellana Steph. were found commonly in webs on gorse. This species was also found on gorse at Thorpeness on the 11th. The temperature had fallen considerably and the numbers in the trap that night were very low. On Wednesday (8th) we spent an hour or two on the beach, where numbers of larvae of Epischnia boisduvaliella Guen. were found in the seed-pods of Lathyrus japonicus (maritimus) (Sea Pea). It was surprising to find that some of the larvae were full grown as one usually looks for the larvae of this species in September. We had arranged to meet Mr. Chipperfield at Stowmarket in the evening, when he joined us in the car for a trip to the Breck. On the way we visited the lane near Bury St. Edmunds famous for its hedge of Berberis vulgaris. Larvae of both Pareulype berberata Schiff. and Rheumaptera cervinalis Scop. were taken here. On a few plants of Artemisia vulgaris growing in the hedge here- abouts a number of the characteristic larval spinnings of Leioptilus lienigianus Zell. were noticed—a local species worth mentioning. Con- tinuing our journey to the Breck, we did some collecting in the vicinity of Barton Mills and gathered a bag of seedheads of Silene otites. An examination of these later disclosed that a fair number of larvae of Anepia irregularis Hufn: were present. A single Pseudopanthera macularia L. was seen here, a very late date for this species. Larvae of Lithostege griseata Schiff. were swept from plants of Flixweed (Descurainia sophia) and Tumbling Mustard (Sisymbrium altissimum). The verges of cornfields 272 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 76 15/ XI1/64 were the places where this plant flourishes. A fairly good specimen of Hyloicus pinastri L. was seen at rest on a pine trunk but left. A freshly- emerged Ellopia fasciaria L. was also observed. We arrived back from this trip about midnight after a very profitable day. Thursday (9th).—Several Heliothis viriplaca Hufn. were seen flying over the beach and imbibing at the flowers of Ononis arvense and Lotus corniculatus, but attempts to net one were futile. This is a most difficult species to catch owing to its erratic flight and speed. In the afternoon we visited Sizewell, a few miles north. The beach and adjoining fen looked very promising, but the only species of note taken were a few Elachista rhynchosporella Stt. which were found among a species of Carex which grew there in profusion. At Thorpeness in the evening sugaring was tried with little success, and we found dusking in the fen more rewarding. Three local species were particularly common—Leucania pudorina Schiff., Lygephila pastinum Treits. and Zanclognatha cribrumalis Hubn. Earlier in the week we had met Dr. Banner who was staying at Aldeburgh. We suggested he should bring his generator along on Friday (10th), and it was tried out in a convenient place on the fen near the bungalow. Mr. Chipperfield had previously shown us a cemented platform in the middle of the fen by the side of the mere, and this relic of the last war made an ideal place on which to run the m.v. light. It was not a good night as the temperature was low, but some fen species were taken. On Saturday evening (11th) Mr. Chipperfield visited us. We showed him where the larvae of Depressaria chaerophylli Zell. occurred and both he and a friend, Mr. Charles Pierce, were able to find numbers of them. Moving on to Aldeburgh, our visitors took two Xanthorhoe quadrifasciata at rest on some old pine trunks. Back at the bungalow later a sheet was used instead of the trap and our visitors were able to take a few species which they wanted on the sheet and on the walls of the porch near the m.v. On Sunday 12th we had arranged to meet Mr. Chipperfield and go on to the Breck again. Earlier in the year, on 24th May, Mr. Uffen had shown us a field north of Thetford where he had taken a few specimens of the very rare Coleophora tricolor Wals. We wanted to introduce Mr. Chipper- field to this field, and after picking him up at his house at Stowmarket made our way to the ground. There were large clumps of Basil Thyme (thought to be the foodplant of the larva) growing in the field and we were soon quartering the ground trying to put up our quarry. The first moth taken was a lovely Scopula rubiginata Hufn—incidentally the only one of this rare species seen on our holiday. Mr. Chipperfield generously gave the specimen to one of us, as he had taken the species previously. A Coleophorid was taken a little later but it proved to be C. versurelia Zell., one of the Chenopodium-feeding species only recognised recently in Britain, and quite an interesting record. The specimen was identified by Mr. Uffen. However, two specimens of C. tricolor were eventually taken. Once again Mr. Chipperfield netted one of these, but insisted we should have it as it was the main object of our long journey. The similarity of this species to C. lixella Zell. is very pronounced. Earlier in the day a visit was made to Lakenheath, where we had been told that Artemisia campestris was to be found, a very local plant which we wished to see. Eventually we found it growing fairly commonly around the many houses built there in recent years by the military authorities. It was disappoint- ‘ -HOLIDAY AT THORPENESS, SUFFOLK, 1964 273 ing to see such a local plant on the way to being exterminated, and it is to be hoped there are other places on the Breck where it will be allowed to survive. Returning to Stowmarket, we were hospitably entertained by Mr. and Mrs. Chipperfield before undertaking the long ride back to Thorpeness. On Tuesday (14th) we went to Southwold to look for larvae of Euxoa cursoria Hufn., which Dr. Banner had said he found there in numbers in the sand under clumps of Ononis arvense. We did not find it as common as Dr. Banner had, but we did eventually find five. During the search a number of larvae were dislodged from the plants and these were thought to be Pyrrhia umbra Hufn. In the evening we visited the fens at Walberswick and took several Chilodes maritima Tausch. as well as Brachmia inornatella Dougl. Mr. Chipperfield joined us on this occasion. On Wednesday (15th) we made a long trip to Barton Broad. Arriving at Barton Turf, we walked about among the thick herbage and quickly found larvae of Agonopterix ciliella Stt., which were quite common in spun shoots of Milk Parsley (Peucedanum palustre). It was not long before one of us spotted a larva of Papilio machaon L. on the same plant. Before we left we had taken eight of these handsome larvae, some full grown and others in the young stage—dark with white middle band. One of these produced a fine imago a few weeks later, but the rest are still pupae. We returned home via the Coleophora tricolor field near Thetford but failed to find any more. On Thursday (16th) we had arranged to meet Dr. Banner, who came over with his generator before dusk. It was a wonderful night with moths swarming at the sheet. We had already taken four Celama trituberculana Bosc. at the bungalow, and Dr. Banner got a nice one at his m.v. which proved to be ab. atomosa Brem. He admitted he would probably not have noticed this rarity had it not been pointed out to him. On Friday (17th) we visited Dunwich in the evening. A visit to the beach was unfruitful so we went along to the cliffs near the coastguard cottages where we had a lovely view of Minsmere Bird Sanctuary. This was the last trip of our holiday as we were returning home the following day. As already mentioned, larvae of Epischnia boisduvaliella were plenti- ful in the seedpods of the Sea Pea at Thorpeness. Some were also noticed at Dunwich and they apparently occur all along the Suffolk coast where the plant grows. We found the larvae always in the pods feeding on the seeds and never on the flowers as is mentioned in several books. To our surprise many of our larvae spun up and emerged a few weeks later. The normal behaviour of the larva is to spin up in the autumn in a round flat cocoon, the larva being coiled “head to tail” in a ring. In the spring the larva leaves this cocoon and spins another elongate cocoon in which it pupates and emerges a few weeks later. A number of the larvae we found spun up in long cocoons, which puzzled us, until the moths emerged. It was noticed, however, that some spun up in the normal round cocoons and these should emerge next year after the change to long cocoons. We can find no reference in literature to a second brood and it would be interesting to find out if July larvae often have a partial second brood in August in this country. _A list was compiled of all the species of lepidoptera seen during our stay in Suffolk. There were nearly 200 “macros” and over 100 “micros”. 274 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 76 15/ XII/64 The publication of this list would take up too much space for this article, but some of the more interesting ones are mentioned in the following paragraphs—all being taken at Thorpeness at m.v. unless otherwise stated. The most exciting was Celama trituberculana Bosc.—the Nola centonalis Hiibn. of our older lists. We feel this species is probably mistaken for a micro by those people who do not bother with the smaller moths. Five > specimens in all were taken—three on 14th, one on the 15th and one on the 16th (Dr. Banner’s specimen at his m.v. by the mere) (antea: 215). Three specimens of Nola albula Schiff. (a much larger insect) also came to m.v. Notodonta dromedarius L. was present on most nights and a single Lophopteryx cucullina Schiff. also appeared. A single male Orgyria antiqua L. was seen, a common enough species, but one would not expect to take such a day-flying species at light. A fine male Dasychira fascelina L. together with Diacrisia sannio L. were both rare captures for Suffolk. Amathes ditrapezium Schiff. and Heliothis viriplaca Hufn. both came to light singly, but Hadena compta Schiff. was represented by three speci- mens. The Wainscots were well in evidence but we were too early in the year for some of the better ones for which the district is noted. Leucania pudorina Schiff. was really common, both in the trap and at rest after dark on the reeds. Arenostola elymi Treits. and Nonagria dissoluta Treits. appeared—one of each—and Chilodes maritima Tausch. was not uncommon in the fen and at m.v. (also at Walberswick). A few aberrations of the latter were taken—bipunctata Haw., wismarensis Schmidt and nigristriata Staud. One Plusia jota L. was taken and P. pulchrina Haw. was one of the commonest species in the trap during the first week, but absent later. Geometra papilionaria L. was seen on one occasion. The local Sterrha ochrata Scop. could be walked up daily on the beach by the bungalow, and as many as twenty were sometimes in the trap. Other local Geometers which appeared singly were Euphyia cuculata Hufn., Cidaria fulvata Forst., and Chesias rufata F. Mysticoptera sexalata Ret. was taken both in the trap and on the fen. Some good Pyralides were taken, including a single Nephopteryx hostilis Steph. This was the handsome form with bright red markings, and proved to be a new addition to the Suffolk list (cf. Ent. Rec., 76: 215). Several male Schoenobius gigantellus Schiff. were taken in the trap and a few females came to m.v. on the fen. Witlesia pallida Steph. was plenti- ful in the fen—also at Walberswick. A worn Nascia cilialis Hiibn. appeared in the trap on the 15th—a particularly interesting record for Suffolk. Homoeosoma nebulella Schiff. appeared once and is apparently rarely seen nowadays. Nyctegretis achatinella Hiibn. was very common on the beach at dusk and came in great numbers to the m.v. One of the Crambidae which we particularly wanted was the very local Pediasia fascelinellus Hiibn., and we were delighted to find one in the trap a few days after our arrival. Their numbers increased nightly until the 17th when there were eight in the trap, bringing our total of this species up to thirty. We failed to find them at rest on the grasses as we had hoped, and it appeared to be a late-comer to light. A single P. aridellus Thunb. appeared on the 16th, much to our surprise as the nearest salterns were beyond Aldeburgh. HADENA BARRETTII DBLD. THE HARD WAY 275 Tortricidae worth special mention which came to light included: Hysterosia inopiana Haw., Phalonia rubigana Treits., P. dipoltella Hubn., Cochylichroa atricapitana Steph., Phtheochroa rugosana Hb., Acleris comariana Zell., A. latifasciana Haw., A. hastiana L., Gypsonoma dealbana Frol., Eucosma expallidana Haw., Lobesia abscissana Dbl., Hedya salicella L., and Celypha purpurana Haw. Some interesting Tineidae taken included Brachmia inornatella Dougl., which was taken among reeds at Walberswick as well as at Thorpeness and proved to be a new addition to the Suffolk list (cf. Ent. Rec., 76: 215). Aristotelia palustrella Dougl. was not uncommon at light. _Chionodes distinctella Zell. was taken at light as well as at sugar. Blastobasis decolorella Woll. had been recorded from Aldeburgh the previous year by Messrs. Aston and Chipperfield, and we were surprised to find examples not only in the trap but also at rest on the reeds or flying after dark. One Agonopterizx cnicella Treits. was taken at flowers of Marram Grass on the beach. A. conterminella Zell. was taken at light and is worth recording for this district. Some small Coleophorids fiying abundantly over Carex before dusk at Walberswick on the 14th have still to be identified. Monopis imella Hiibn. was taken at Thorpeness—a rare species in Suffolk according to Morley (op. cit.). The nomenclature used is that employed by Heslop in his Check List, 1962. The sparrows were a great nuisance at the bungalow and gobbled up all the moths they could find in the porch and on the outside of the trap as soon as it started to get light. Hadena barrettii Dbld. The Hard Way By Major General C. G. Lipscoms, C.B., D.S.O. I am no moth hunter, but when an entomological friend heard that my wife and I were going to Cornwall for the first week of October, he asked me to try to find some Hadena barrettii pupae for him. I asked how one set about this and was told that the larvae feed on the roots of the sea campion and that if one dug up the plant and gave it a shake, the pupae just fell out. It all sounded quite simple, in theory at any rate, and I said I would see what I could do. We planned to make the Head- land Hotel, Coverack, our headquarters; it has a fine situation on the cliffs, with a wild rocky coast-line stretching away on both sides, and we reached it in the early afternoon of October 2nd. The day was hot and sunny, and after depositing our luggage, we began at once to explore our surroundings. It was now that we realized that neither of us really knew what sea campion looked like, but by examining a variety of plants we decided that one that resembled aubretia, but with dead campion-like flower heads, must be the plant we were looking for. But all those we could find were growing in thick grass or scrub, and there was absolutely no question of digging them up with the small hand fork with which I was armed, so We gave it up as a bad job for the time being. , ? 276 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 76 15/ XII /64 The next day we awoke to find the coast almost blotted out by a thick sea mist and the morning weather forecast was not encouraging. Making the best of this indifferent outlook we set off after breakfast for the Lizard, leaving our car near Housel Bay and walking along the cliff top to the lighthouse. In spite of the lack of sun the day was warm and a number of Pyrameis atalanta L., were seen, all flying in an easterly direction along the cliffs. After the long drought the grass and undergrowth were tinder dry; and extensive areas of rough ground had recently been burnt and were still smouldering, and it was difficult to escape the smell of burning. Where the fires had not reached. the larvae of Macrothylacia rubi L. were everywhere to be seen, but many must have been destroyed. We decided that this place offered little hope of anything entomologically interesting and drove on to Kynance Cove for lunch. As we reached the cove, the sun came out and it became really hot. The beauty of being in Cornwall at this time of year is that the beaches and coast are free of trippers and one virtually has the place to oneself. Kynance Cove was no exception to this and we spent the rest of the day enjoying the scenery and sunbathing on the beach, at least my wife sunbathed while I con- scientiously set off with my fork to explore the possibilities of some rough ground at the back of the tea house which was closed. There was plenty of campion here, but although I grubbed about for an hour or so, the best I could find was one old dead root with its centre eaten out. This discovery at least made me feel reasonably certain that I was tackling the right plant. The following day we were again plagued with sea mist but neverthe- less decided to explore the coast further west and after breakfast motored over to Gunwalloe. Here we parked our car on the cliff edge near a disused quarry on the outskirts of the village. As the sky was still over- cast and nothing was seen on the wing, we made our way down to the beach for a walk before lunch. The only other occupant of a fine stretch of sand was a large rubi larva found well below high water mark and heading hard for France. I picked it up and in due course restored it to its more normal habitat. We eventually made our way to Loe Bar, a most attractive place, where the sea and a large expanse of fresh water are only separated by a narrow strip of sand. Here there is a memorial to one hundred members of the crew of H.M.S. Anson, who were drowned when their ship was wrecked on the bar in 1806. We saw it under such peace- ful conditions that it was difficult to imagine the tragedy. = We returned to the car for lunch and I then noticed a large heap «f loose stone and rubble thrown out from the quarry, supporting a good crop of campion. The vegetation on one side of the mound had recently been burnt, but enough plants remained to make a search worth while. After we had eaten our sandwiches I set to work with my fork, and very soon, while loosening the soil under one of the plants, I unearthed a fine pupa. No gold digger could have been more delighted with his find than I was, but in spite of further digging I could find no more, although a rather repulsive white larva from under another plant was probably of this species, but it subsequently failed to pupate. While I was still at my excavations, the sun suddenly broke through. and at once butterflies began to appear; atalanta, phlaeas, and, what I had been particularly hoping to see, a fair number of Colias croceus Foure. I exchanged the fork for a net and went off to see what I could find. The HADENA BARRETTII DBLD. THE HARD WAY 277 majority of the Croceus were very fresh, probably indicating a third brood, and I was delighted to take a fine female of the golden yellow form, chrysothome before the mist came down again. As we drove home we felt that what with one thing and another, it had been quite a successful day. October 5th was a miserable day with cloud and heavy rain, but we awoke the following morning to find the sun streaming into our bedroom. It was a most welcome sight as we had already planned to make an. ex- pedition to Porthcurno on the south coast, a few miles short of Land’s End. On the way we visited Lamorna Cove, a well-known beauty spot, but beyond a few worn Nymphalis cardui L. on some flowers near the car park, nothing of interest was seen. I did, however, notice that sea campion was growing on the cliff side, but much of it was inaccessible and I did not feel inclined to risk my neck in reaching it. Porthcurno is a charming spot and we were particularly anxious to visit the open- air theatre on the cliff top, where a member of the family had taken part, during the summer, in a play put on by Cambridge University. The whole setting is most unusual, occupying as it does, a natural amphi- theatre with the sea, far below, as a back cloth. After exploring the theatre, we walked along the cliffs towards St. Leven in fitful sunshine and I noticed that all the butterflies we had seen at Gunwalloe were again in evidence but in reduced numbers, perhaps as a result of the previous day’s downpour. Just as we were thinking of retracing our steps back to the car for lunch, I spotted a large plant of sea campion growing in a very accessible place. Not having my fork with me I lifted up the foliage and disturbed the soil under it in a rather half-hearted way with my fingers. Suddenly, and rather to my astonishment, a nice brown pupa appeared on the surface, and this encouraged me to return properly equipped after we had lunched. To cut a long story short, I found twelve other pupae in a comparatively short time that afternoon, seven of them under the one big clump of the food plant. The secret, for those who do not already know it, seemed to be to look for plants growing in a position sheltered from the prevailing westerly wind and then to search those that look partly dead. Normally, the larva seems to pupate close to the surface and near to the roots on which it has been feeding. There is, accordingly, no need to pull up the plants wholesale and I found it sufficient just to sift through with my fork, the top inch or so of soil. There was any amount of the food plant in this place, and I have no doubt that if I had had more time to spare. I could have found many more, but then, as I have said, I am no moth man, and I felt I had probably done sufficient damage to the local population as it was. The following day was our last, and although there was a certain amount of sun between heavy rain storms, a cold and relentless gale blew all day and large seas came crashing in on the beaches. Without much hope, we went to Mullion, where years ago the late Clifford Wells used to play golf and always carried a butterfly net in his golf bag when Clouded Yellows were about. But with the weather as it was, both golf and entomology were out of the question and I regretfully came to the conclusion that the season, for butterflies at any rate, was probably’ over. 278 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 76 15/ XII /64 More About Heliothis peltigera Schiff. By H. SYMES The number of H. peltigera that arrived in Dorset this year cannot have been large. In the whole of the summer, only four were recorded at mercury vapour light at Portland, and none were seen by Brigadier Warry at Upwey or by Mr. V. W. Philpott at Wyke Regis. At Dungeness, however, there was a large invasion. This disparity. coupled with a similar one in reverse in 1906, when Mr. Chalmers-Hunt (p. 153 of his Kentish List appended to the February “Record”) mentions only one peltigera as having been taken in Kent, whereas Mr. Parkinson Curtis, in his Dorset List, enumerates two dozen captured and “many others seen’, suggests that the immigrants arriving in Kent and Dorset come from different parts of Europe. Mr. Chalmers-Hunt (loc. cit.) gives much information about the occurrence of peltigera in Kent, mainly at Dungeness, since 1827, and of the numbers bred from larvae. In 1931, Mr. A. M. Morley, from about fifty August larvae, bred seven moths in October, and four in July- August the following year. From twenty larvae found in 1938, Mr. Morley bred eight moths between 23rd and 30th August that year, and three between August and October 1939. In 1947, Dr. H. King’s diary notes that he found ‘two dozen or more” larvae on 3lst August and a “few more” on 38rd September, when he was getting a fresh supply of the foodplant. Six moths emerged on 13th October and three on 14th, and three of them had their hindwings deformed. There is no mention in the diary of any moths emerging the following year. Finally, in 1958, Mr. Chalmers-Hunt bred two moths on 2nd and 4th September from three larvae found on 2nd August. From all these facts it appears that nearly 80 per cent. of the moths that emerged did so in the same year as the larvae were found, and that the number of moths bred was about 32 per cent. of the larvae found. On 5th September 1964, acting on information received, I paid a very short visit to Dungeness, where in rather more than two hours’ search in a very limited area, my wife and I found thirty-two larvae on stinking groundsel (Senecio viscosus). Most of them were in their penultimate in- star, but three had reached the last stage, and went down on 8th September. I have never seen such a profusion of the foodplant, and unless we were particularly lucky in striking a particularly good spot, there must have been hundreds in the locality. Only one had been “stung”, three died, I gave away four, and of the two dozen that com- pleted their growth, three did not go down and failed to pupate properly on the surface. All the others had gone down by 15th September. These larvae showed a considerable range of colour. The majority were of a nondescript dull green (Buckler, XCIX, 2d) but some were of a darker but brighter green, with bold black lines along the back, rather like Buckler’s fig. 2, but a more handsome insect, and two or three were of the pink form (Buckler’s 2b). In the light of the figures given above, I fully expected half the larvae that had gone down to produce moths about the middle of October and was very disappointed when the end of the month arrived without a single moth having emerged. At the “South London” Society’s exhibition on 31st October, a few peltigera that had emerged in October from Dunge- ness larvae were on view, and I was lucky enough to have a talk with A VISIT TO YUGOSLAVIA, 1964 279 Mr. Morley about his experience in breeding the species. He told me that the pupae should be kept dry, and I remembered rather ruefully that in ignorance of this, I had put my breeding cages out in the rain early in the month. But next morning when I had a look at the cages, I found to my surprise and delight that two moths had emerged. They were a good deal smaller than those I bred in July and August, but as far as I could remember, they looked as large as the specimens I had seen the day before. One of them was very dark. More moths emerged on 2nd, 5th, 9th and 13th November: all six had soft olive brown forewings, with hardly a trace of the large dark spot, so conspicuous in the pale form, and they were all perfect specimens. They emerged at almost any hour of the day, such as 9.15 a.m., 4.30 p.m. and 9.15 p.m. In a good year for peltigera at Dungeness, hundreds of larvae must go down and pupate beneath the shingle. I wonder how many, if indeed any, of the pupae can survive a normal English winter. Of the status of this species in Dorset, with a milder climate than Kent, Mr. W. Parlinson Curtis expresses the opinion that it cannot main- tain a continuous foothold in the county, although he thinks it may do so in Devon. But Mr. V. W. Philpott informs me that a few years ago, he discovered a colony of larvae (the pink form) feeding on rest-harrow (Ononis repens) on the southern slopes of the Mendips, and that he con- sidered them to be residents. If so, they must have been a tough lot, but I do not think they could have survived the winter of 1963. 52 Lowther Road, Bournemouth, Hants. A Visit To Yugoslavia, 1964 By Dr. NEvILLE L. BIRKETT For some years I have been attracted by the thought of a holiday visit to Yugoslavia and this year we left England on 13th August with the determination to get our caravan and selves to that country. Having managed the rather long distances involved in getting to Venice -the year before we were full of confidence in our ability this year, especially in view of the acquisition of a new and lighter caravan, of covering the slight extra mileage to Yugoslavia. Papers concerning the lepidoptera to be encountered in Yugoslavia seemed to be rather scarce. Mr. L. G. Higgins kindly drew my attention to two papers published in 1920 which seemed to cover both the time and places I was proposing to visit. Also the more recent papers by Major-General C. G. Lipscomb gave me some idea of the species I was most likely to find. In the event the number of species I actually observed was less than hoped for. The rather indifferent results seem to be accounted for mainly by the fact that my visit was necessarily rather late in the season and the weather in Continental Europe had been very good for some months so that many species I should have seen were probably over by the time I was in the right places. Nevertheless I feel it may be worthwhile and of interest to put on record my experiences collecting in a part of Yugoslavia where, in addition to entomology, an enjoyable holiday can be had. We crossed to Calais on 13th August and then travelled to Bonn in W. Germany where we stayed a couple of nights and during the day saw something of the many interesting sights of the W. German capital. 280 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 76 15/ XII /64 Apart from a few ‘whites’, some Colias croceus Foure. and Vanessa cardui Linn. butterflies were virtually non-existent at Bonn. We left our Rhine- side site on 16th August and travelled up the Rhine valley seeing many of its famous castles and other features of interest. Then after crossing the Rhine we travelled eastwards on the fine autobahn to Nuremberg where a night and more sight-seeing were spent. During our traverse of Germany we saw few butterflies and hopes of getting many species on the holiday suffered a set-back. From Nuremberg we went via Garmisch Partenkirchen and Innsbruck to reach Cortina D’Ampezzo in Italy on 18th. That evening we were treated to a monumental thunder-storm in the middle of which the caravan awning nearly took off. However, the next morning dawned fine and bright with fresh snow on the high peaks around. I went up the Tre Croci Pass, in company with a vast horde of other tourists, in order to do some collecting about the summit of the pass. There were many butterflies about but of few species. Erebia pronoé (Esper) was the dominant species and the only species of the genus noted. I took a fairly good series, many of which are referable to r. tarcenta Frhst. (of which race Tre Croci is the type-locality). One or two specimens of the ab. subalpina Gmppg., with much reduced spotting on the upper surface, were also taken. Lysandra coridon Poda was very common but exhibited little variation of note. Other species seen or taken included :— Coenonympha satyrion Esp., a few worn specimens; Vanessa cardui Linn., Colias australis Vty., Boloria pales Schiff. and Hesperia comma Linn. A poor list in what looked such a good collecting area and on a bright sunny day. We had intended staying a few days at Cortina, which is a most Gelightful centre, but unhappily the weather broke in no uncertain fashion on the 20th so we decided to move on towards our main goal. After a two-night stay near Trieste we actually reached Yugoslavia on 22nd August and took up a caravan pitch on a rather crowded camp site at Medveja—a seaside resort a few miles down the Istrian Peninsula from Opatija. Apart from the popularity of the place—mainly German tourists—this proved a delightful spot with glorious swimming and quite a lot of interesting sight-seeing to be done. In fact the latter severely curtailed time for collecting. Major-General Lipscomb has noted that in Yugoslavia many excellent collecting areas are untouched by human activity. This is very true. The difficulty then is deciding where one will devote one’s time, and that is no easy problem, coupled also with the fact that off the main roads (which are quite good in northern Yugoslavia) there are rough tracks only. Another problem here, which rarely is a factor when collecting in England, was that after about 11 a.m. the temperature was well into the nineties in the shade and all effort became a difficulty! I give below a list of insects taken here with comments regarding variation, etc. Papilio machaon ssp. gorganus Frhst. A few seen about Medveja. Not so common as I should have expected. Pieris brassicae Linn. Common. Pieris rapae Linn. Very common. Many specimens fine and large. I took quite a lot of specimens as I was hoping that some would prove to be the less common species of Pieris. Although both P. manni Mayer and P. ergane H.G. are recorded from Istria I saw no signs of these in svite of careful search. A VISIT TO YUGOSLAVIA, 1964 281 Gonepteryx rhamni Linn. Fairly common. Colias croceus Foure. Generally distributed in the Istrian Peninsula but nowhere really abundant. Leptidea sinapis Linn. Very common everywhere. I did not find any f. erysimmi Bkh. which Major-General Lipscomb took at Rabac. Hipparchia fagi Scop. Common and seen flying about all the roads of the area. Hipparchia semele Linn. Very common but worn. Hipparchia statilinus f. allionia Fab. Frequent throughout the Istrian Peninsula. Brintesia circe Fab. Generally common. Chazara briseis Linn. Not so common as the other large Satyrids but nevertheless quite frequent. The specimens are very fine and large, especially the females, and seem referable to f. magna Steger. Dira maera Linn. Frequent about Medveja. The few specimens I col- lected do not show any marked racial characteristics. Maniola jurtina Linn. Common but mainly worn. They are similar in appearance but smaller than f. hispulla Huibn. and are perhaps referable to ab. rufocincta Fuchs. Coenonympha pamphilus Linn. Common. These have a well-marked broad dark border and seem to be var. marginata Ruhl. Limenitis anonyma Lewis. I caught only one and saw one other. In view of the freshness of the specimen I took perhaps the brood was not fully out at the time of my visit. Vanessa cardui Linn. Generally frequent throughout the area. Polygonia egea Cramer. I only saw and took one specimen. Melitaea didyma f. occidentalis Stgr. A few seen and taken near Plomin. They were apparently just emerging. Argynnis paphia Linn. Abundant throughout Istria. I caught quite a lot of large fritillaries but did not find any of the other large species which might have been expected. Thecla quercus Linn. Abundant and of large size. They were all very worn and I did not get a really fresh specimen. Syntarucus pirithous Linn. One worn specimen only—the species was probably over. Everes alcetas Hftmgg. Common. Polyommatus icarus Rott. Very common but not showing any great variation. Lysandra bellargus Rott. Abundant. I have already noted the ab. suffusa Tutt associated with a scale defect (Birkett, 1964a). Meleageria daphnis Schiff. (meleager Esp.). Two worn females only. Again I think the species must have been nearly over. Erynnis tages Linn. Common and of the usual rather dull form found in warm climates. Reverdinus floccifera Zell. (altheae Hiibn.). One only at Medveja. Pyrgus armoricanus Obth. One male only taken. The small black and white skippers seemed to be very scarce. Hesperia comma Linn. Frequent. I have few observations to make on moths or other insects. The giant blue Carpenter Bees (Xylocopa sp.) and hornets, noted by Lipscomb, I ‘also noticed. After numerous chases and frustrations I caught a moth that was flying in numbers and at great pace among the woods on the 282 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 76 15/ XI1/64 rough hill sides. This proved to be Lasiocampa quercus Linn. It was centainly very common. We left Yugoslavia on 29th August and heard later that the weather then deteriorated. Apart from the collecting we had visited the wonderful caves at Postojna and the Roman remains at Pula and can endorse all that Lipscomb recounts of these places. Perhaps I should note that we were luckier with our meal in Pula! ; Our route home took us again for a few days to the site we were on at Cavallino, near Venice, last year. I revisited my collecting haunts there and found all the species previously noted in good strength. In addition I took a single female Thersamonia dispar Haw. During the rest of our journey back to England, which we reached on 7th September, little collecting was possible due mainly to the weather being cloudy. However, conditions were quite good when we stopped on the summit of the Simplon Pass but there was only one Vanessa cardui seen—not another butterfly. Yugoslavia is a country well worth visiting and a visit in July would, I think, well repay an entomologist with some interesting material. Living in Yugoslavia is cheap, thanks to a good exchange rate, there are plenty of adequate camp sites for those whose circumstances or inclinations lie in that direction, and the natives were most friendly and helpful. REFERENCES Birkett, N. L. (1964a). A Continental Holiday, 1963. Ent. Rec., 76: 102-106, 126-129. (1964b). A Scale Defect in Lysandra bellargus Rott. Ent. Rec., 76: 236. Forster, W. and Wohlfart, T. A. (1955). Die Schmetterlinge Mitteleuropas. Band II. Lipscomb, C. G. (1958). Butterfly Hunting in Yugoslavia. Ent. Rec., 70: 207-211. Lipscomb, C. G. (1959). Yugoslavia Revisited. Ant. Rec., 71: 258-262. Loebel, F. (1920). Beitrag. zur Kentnis der Makrolepidopterenfauna Istriens. Z. ost. Ent. Ver., 5: 9 et seq. Schawarda, K. (1920). Lepidoptera Ausbeute aus der Gegend von Lovrana und vom Monte Maggiore. Z. ost. Ent. Ver., 5: 10 et seq. Polymorphism in N.E. Derbyshire By J. H. Jounson, F.R.E.S. The study of polymorphism in lepidoptera may provide the answer to the central problem in biology at the present time, which is—how exactly does a species originate? If the causes of polymorphism (the word simply means variation of some kind) were understood by the scientist, down to the smallest detail then he would be close to understanding how evolution has happened and where it is leading. The great advantage of studying polymorphism in lepidoptera is that in every acre of the world several examples of the phenomenon may be found without much searching. Every entomologist who uses a light trap must have taken scores of specimens showing polymorphism, transient or balanced or accidental, but very few have bothered to make a record of their captures, and fewer still have had them published in the journals, despite the statement of Dr. E. B. Ford in “Moths”, a work which every moth collector should study, that such activity would be of the greatest value. A few people will no doubt be put off by the word polymorphism because it is too scientific, but the same number will be attracted to it for the same reason, POLYMORPHISM IN N.E. DERBYSHIRE 283 At the end of the last century and the beginning of this one, many entomologists spent their leisure studying the varieties of the Noctuae and the Geometers, and much erudition went into the giving of names and tracing the synonyms of a multitude of varieties and aberrations. Hy. J. Turner, for many years Editor of the Entomologist’s Record, must have spent thousands of hours and pounds searching the literature for portraits and descriptions of moths in Latin and German and possibly Russian. His work, the Supplement to Tutt’s earlier work, “The British Noctuae and their varieties’, is an amazing example of patient compilation of obscure references, and yet the number of people who have even heard of it is tiny, judging by the number of times it is referred to in any entomological journal. Does anyone pay any attention to the naming of varieties of moths to-day? No doubt someone is patiently carrying on the work of Tutt and Turner, but very little use seems to be made of the names of varieties of the commoner species of moths in ecological work, where they should be really valuable. If the study of ecology is to mean anything it should show how the changes in the environment affect the individual species. The great changes in the face of England are changing the plants and the animals that live there, not only are new species coming in from other areas to occupy the new niches which are being formed but the outward appearance of the resident species is changing, very slowly perhaps, but still changing. The selective forces work on the living material, and one variety succeeds in one locality, and another variety of the same species succeeds in another. How far is this the true picture in England to-day? To find out we need records of the actual numbers of varieties and typical forms kept over long periods. TABLE SHOWING POLYMORPHISM IN LEPIDOPTERA IN DERBYSHIRE Species 1960 1961‘ 1962 1963 Average % % % % Jo Allophyes oxycanthae L. Mexia es hs OU OE 9:5 2-9 23-6 Lea he 13-3 US SHC ane 2 ae oe 90-5 97-1 76-4 82-8 86-7 Apamea crenata Hufn. Peeled ene 25-0 13-9 13-6 yet 17-4 Mat aoOpecurus: “12s. 3. 75:0 86-1 86-4 82:9 82:6 Apamea monoglypha Hufn. SEG a Le orik nice 2 hc) A 94-6 89:6 89-7 88-6 90-6 Wise. 0215 6) 0 ee ene 5-4 10-4 10-3 11-4 9-4 Apamea secalis L. Mpaatedhiie ees Se 83-2 85-6 76-2 80-7 81-4 NWarmewrcostgmas = 26.2228 9-9 10-9 19-3 14-8 TS, WASTED COO gee ee ae ene 7:9 aa Dee 4-5 5-9 Procus fasciuncula Haw. Maite ee thee eee Sibel 23-2 20°8 18-0 24:3 Mislenie mr et a! fc. RP as") 58:1 69-6 67-7 73°8 67-3 WEST EL OFT it a ee er 6-8 Mee, D5 8-2 8-4 Sterrha aversata L. Weare ReMULOLO. Ws... se 82-4 83-0 80-4 79:7 81-4 Wie EDeTSa LE NS Oe ipa LiF c3 17-0 19-6 20-3 18-6 Gonodontis bidentata Cl CHCA tat bese. Ete. cere 86-2 75-6 65-9 86-7 78-6 MATA eed i en 13-8 24-4 34-1 ieee 21-4 Biston betularia L. A Mehl Lute. soe a ele 4-0 ZAal| T= Weipa 2-6 Ween hea. ees th. Yh Oy 96-0 97-3 98-3 96-7 97-1 Intermediate hed, 3 284 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 76 15/ XII/64 Between 1959 and 1963 accurate and complete records of the varieties of moths which could be recognised in the nightly catches in my mercury vapour light trap were kept. This is an important point. Some varieties differ so slightly that close scrutiny is necessary to sort out the variety from the typical, and this is not possible for the amateur whose time is limited. He has no time to resort to microscopic technique every morning, enough time is taken up with just counting the catch. The easiest variety to recognise, of course, is the melanic. In the Chesterfield area melanism has been heavy in the past, but seems to be decreasing now. Heavy industry is leaving the district, three more coal mines are due to close down next year, and the furnaces and gas works are so modernised that they could not give off soot and noxious fumes if they tried. It is not possible to state with certainty that melanism is decreasing because no systematic records have been kept in the same place for a sufficient number of years, but the number of melanic specimens seen in one season seems to be smaller now than in the pre-war years. My records extend over only four years, but if anyone is able to carry out a similar survey in the same area in the future my figures should give a useful basis for comparison. Of the many species of moths which exhibit polymorphism in this district I have chosen eight for this little survey. Five are dimorphic and three are trimorphic. All eight are fairly common and are obtained regularly in the light trap in the proper season. Allophyes oxyacanthae L., the Green Brindled Crescent, is included among the industrial melanics by Ford, but only tentatively since Haworth mentioned the melanic form early in the nineteenth century, giving the name Dark Crescent to this species. In this area in some years typical forms are very rare but in 1962 almost a quarter of all the specimens obtained were of the beautiful green form. Judging by the figures obtained in the four years the typical form seems to be on the increase, but it is not so pale or faded looking as the southern typical form. Also no really jet black specimens are ever obtained. Apamea crenata Hufn. (rurea Fab.), the Clouded Bordered Brindle is another of Ford’s doubtful industrial melanics, and the melanic form is extremely rare in this district, but the reddish brown variety which South figures under the name of alopecurus is commoner than the typical form so that polymorphism is still present. Both forms are quite attractive. Apamea monoglypha Hufn. (polyodon L.), the Dark Arches, is the commonest moth in this locality. In ten years over 10,000 specimens were taken in the light trap, showing the complete range of variation from very pale with pretty markings to sooty black without any markings at all. Only the extremely black form referable to var. aethiops Tutt has been counted as melanic, it is quite distinct from the merely very dark typical form. This species is frequently found at rest on tree trunks, and occasionally on brick walls. In both cases the black specimens seem to human eyes to be less conspicuous. On brick walls they are almost invisible at five paces. Sparrows find both forms equally attractive as food, judging by the way they go for them when the contents of the light trap are made available to them. The black form seems to be on the increase in this area. Since 1960 the ratio of melanics has gone up from 5% to 11%. The great abundance of this species in every year shows that it is well adapted to living under industrial and urban conditions. The POLYMORPHISM IN N.E. DERBYSHIRE 285 very similar moth, Polia nebulosa Hufn., the Grey Arches, is a compleie failure under the same conditions, appearing in the trap only once in the same period, although, in Hardwick Wood, less than three miles away, it is almost as common as monoglypha. Although Ford classes nebulosa as an industrial melanic, evidence from this area suggests that it is not a very successful one. Apamea secalis L. (oculea L. didymea Esp.), the Common Rustic is one of the most variable species known in England. Hy. J. Turner named and described scores of aberrations. Many of them are very rare or difficult to identify, so for the purpose of this investigation only three forms have been considered: the typical unexciting brown variety, the melanic form with white reniform mark referable to var. lewcostigma Esp., and the barred form referable to var. rava Haw. and didyma Esp., which is probably the most attractive. These forms are easily separated with only occasional doubtfuls. This is also a very abundant species, its success being due probably to its variability, the melanic form comprising no more than an eighth of the total. Procus fasciuncula Haw., the Middle Barred Minor, is a very special case, which Ford said should be left alone until more was known about it because of the difficulties surrounding it. The melanic form is not mentioned by Tutt or Turner, but there is no doubt that one occurs in this country now, and in this locality at least it is far more abundant than the typical pale form or the reddish variety referable to var. cana Staud. Sterrha aversata L., the Riband Wave, shows a delicate shade of poly- morphism. There are two distinct forms of this species, var. aversata, which has a dark band across the fore wings, and a plain form, var. remutata L., which has no dark band. The difference is very easily seen, but the reason for it is by no means obvious. Until I began to operate the light trap I had never seen a specimen of var. aversata, although the ratio of that form to the typical seems to be in the region of 1:5. Gonodontis bidentata Cl., the Scalloped Hazel, is one of the original industrial melanics, appearing regularly in most of the early works on the subject of melanism. In this locality the proportion of melanics seems to fluctuate, usually common enough but never more numerous than the typical form. The reason for its lack of success may lie in the hiding place of the imagines, usually the underside of a leaf growing near the bottom of a bush in a hedgerow with the wing tips showing outside the edge of the leaf and seemingly part of the growing leaf. This method of camou- flage means that the colour of the top surface of the moth’s wings is not so important, except, perhaps to the creatures which search from below the leaves at the bottom of the bush. Whatever may be the cause, the melanic form of bidentata is not as successful as that of the next species. Biston betularia L., the Peppered Moth, has almost completely assumed the jet black form in this area. The melanic variety carbonaria is usually the only one taken by any collecting method. Very rarely a typical specimen is taken in the mercury vapour light trap, and even more rarely an intermediate one appears. The only typical female which I have obtained in this locality laid a large batch of eggs which all produced melanic imagines, as I had expected, there was little chance that she would have mated with a typical male. The larvae of this species are invariably very dark brown, almost black, and they are not easy to rear. Some disease wipes them out when they are about half grown, 286 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 76 15/XI1/64 at least in captivity; what happens under natural conditions in the field is difficult to find out. Since it is much easier to appreciate the significance of comparative figures when they are side by side, I have tabulated the percentages of the various forms of polymorphic species of moths taken in a mercury vapour light trap of a simple box-type operated in a small garden in a loosely built-up area five miles from the town of Chesterfield in Derby- shire, sometimes described as the centre of industrial England. The value of these figures lies in the possibility of comparison with other localities in the country during the same period or with the same locality at another period, say in twenty or a hundred years’ time. They have some local interest as they stand, but they would be of more value if other collectors in other localities could be persuaded to carry out similar surveys. 1 Berry Street, Hepthorne Lane, Chesterfield. A New Aberration of Xylocampa areola Esp. By Et C. Hueeins, fn. ES. In a note of mine, “Some Aspects of Melanism” (Entomologist, 89: 185-7), I mentioned that on 3rd June 1955 I had taken a striking melanic specimen of Xylocampa areoia Esp. which Mr. A. L. Goodson considered unique, but which I anticipated would recur. On 17th April 1964 I had the good fortune to take another exactly similar specimen; the original one was sitting on the fence of the Westcliff High School for Girls, the second in my mercury vapour light trap in the garden here. On showing these two specimens this year to Mr. Donald Down he told me he had another, captured in 1963 in Westcliff. As this aberration seems to be a recurring one which may possibly become commoner, it appears desirable to describe and name it. Xylocampa areola Esp. ab. nigra-brunnea ab. nov. Forewings deep brownish-grey with the usual black markings showing somewhat darker. Hindwings, including cilia, dark brownish-grey. Thorax and abdomen uniform brownish-grey. Type: female, Westcliff-on-Sea, Sovi.1955, im coll H.C: imesms Paratype: female, Westcliff-on-Sea, 17.iv.1964, in coll. H. C. Huggins. The feature of this aberration is the brown tinge of the ground colour, which is quite different from that of ab. confusa Tutt, in which the ground colour is blackish-grey and lighter, indeed at a short distance ab. nigro- brunnea looks unicolorous. I have taken ab. confusa occasionally in this district for many years. It is quite possible that ab. nigro-brunnea is now commoner here than my captures suggest, as in the past two years I have only occasionally set my trap in the spring. I have to thank Mr. D. S. Fletcher fon, making certain the insect has not previously been described. A COoORRECTION.—In my account of my trip to Madeira, Pyrameis callirhoe (antea 253, line 2 from top) should of course be the Indian red admiral.—C. G. M. pE Worms. 20.xi.1964. ANT RECORDS AND OBSERVATIONS FOR 1964 287 Ant Records and Observations for 1964 By K. E. J. BARRETT The following species have been noted during the past season. Tetramorium caespitum Latr. It occurred abundantly on the Bagshot Sands in Dorset at Gore Heath, with Lasius alienus Forst. at Rempstone Heath, Newton Heath and Warm- well Heath, and with both L. alienus and Tapinoma erraticum Latr. at Wytch Heath and Godlingston Heath. It was also found on the Lower Greensand at Longmoor, Whitehill and Liphook in N. Hants, and at Elstead Common and Tunnel Hill, near Pirbright, in Surrey. Myrmica schencki Em. A few workers were seen in May on earth mounds of Lasius flavus Fab. in a railway cutting near Helmdon, Northants’ This site is 500 ft. above sea-level on the Great Oolite series and some 20 miles north of known sites in Oxfordshire on the Cornbrash formation (Barrett, 1963). This rather subterranean species has a wide but very local distribution in England and Wales and must be often overlooked. Lasius fuliginosus Latr. I have seen this species this year at a railway-crossing near Alderbury, S. Wilts., at Tunnel Hill and Thursley Common, Surrey, and at Clophill, Bedfordshire. I am grateful to Mr. J. Cowley for specimens from Congresbury, N. Somerset. Lasius umbratus Nyl. Coupled winged sexes have been seen in my garden at Windsor, Berks., in two successive years. The mating flights occurred on warm evenings on the Ist August, 1963, and again on the 27th August, 1964. Lasius brunneus Latr. It occurred abundantly at Forest Gate, Windsor, during May in the presence of Leptothorax nylanderi Forst. My wife took a solitary dealated female of the latter species wandering in the grounds of Beaumont College at Old Windsor in July. Formica sanguinea Latr. The distribution of this species has been reviewed recently (Barrett, 1964). I am grateful to Mr. J. Cowley for drawing my attention to a further published locality for N. Somerset (Parnell, 1938) from Steep Holm Island in the British Channel. Specimens have not been traced and this unlikely record might refer to F. cunicularia Latr. which is known to occur nearby on the mainland at Brean Down (Collingwood, 1961) and has been recorded from Lundy Island (Pontin, 1957). I have again failed to confirm the occurrence of F. sanguinea Latr. in N. Somerset (Monkton Combe), E. Sussex and W. Kent. I have seen it this season at Thursley Common and Elstead Common (SU 94), Tunnel Hill and Stony Castle, near Pirbright (SU 95), Surrey, and at Whitehill (SU 73) and Round Hill (SU 83) in N. Hants. Formica exsecta Nyl. Mr. S. C. S. Brown kindly showed me the solitary but flourishing colony in what is now the only Bournemouth locality known for this 288 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 76 15/ XII /64 species (Fraser 1959). Tetramorium caespitum Latr., Tapinoma erraticum Latr. and Formica rufa L. were also present in the area. Formica rufa L. I have been mainly concerned this season with a revision of the dis- tribution of this species in Southern England. Confirmation of published localities (Nelmes, 1938; Yarrow, 1955) and new records obtained during 1964 are listed in Table 1. TABLE 1 Localities recorded for Formica rufa L. during 1964 10 Km Vice-County Locality Square SX 76 S. Devon Buckfastleigh. SX 87 S. Devon Bovey Tracey. SY 78 Dorset Redbridge. SY 79 Dorset Puddleton. SY 88 Dorset East Lulworth. SY 89 Dorset Affpuddle, Bloxworth. SY 98 Dorset East Holme, Rempstone. SY 99 Dorset Gore Heath, Lytchett Minster, Stony Down. SZ 09 Dorset Broadstone. SZ 29 S. Hants Sway. ST 45 N. Somerset Winscombe, Cheddar (J. Cowley). ST 46 N. Somerset Congresbury (J. Cowley). st 75 N. Somerset Hinton Charterhouse (J. Cowley). SU 00 Dorset Colehill. SU 30 S. Hants Brockenhurst, Stockley. SU 73 N. Hants Whitehill. SU 93 Surrey Witley. SU 94 Surrey Thursley Common. TQ O01 W. Sussex Greatham. TQ 06 Surrey Sheerwater. (First taken here by B. Ing, 1956.) TQ 19 Middlesex Stanmore. Tey o22, W. Sussex Crabtree. ie 23 E. Sussex Tilgate. TQ 33 E. Sussex Balcombe. TQ 42 E. Sussex Newick, Piltdown. TQ 45 Surrey Limpsfield Chart. TQ) 53 E. Sussex Broadwater. TQ 55 W. Kent Seal Chart. TQ 62 E. Sussex Brightling. TQ 64 W. Kent Pembury. TQ 73 W. Kent Flimwell. TQ 83 EK. Kent Biddenden. TQ 88 S. Essex Hadleigh (R. Lambourne). TQ 95 E. Kent Stalisfield. ih atm, b 3) E. Kent Challock. SP 93 Bucks. Bow Brickhill. TL 03 Bedford Clophill. I am grateful to Mr. J. Cowley for the records from N. Somerset, to Mr. R. Lambourne for specimens from S. Essex, and to Mr. B. Ing for the Surrey locality. F. rufa was taken at Hinton Charterhouse, N. Somerset, by Mr. J. A. J. Smith in 1952. The locality was visited this season with Mr. J. Cowley and the species is now on the verge of extinction there. Two nests only were present near a felled larch planta- tion. One was a very small nest of chopped bracken and a further stronger colony was present in a hazel stump. A curious nest was seen ANABOLIA BREVIPENNIS (CURTIS) AND IRONOQUIA DUBIA (STEPHENS) 289 in a clearing in the New Forest near Brockenhurst, S. Hants. It was constructed of twigs and was about two feet high with almost vertical sides and resembled an upturned wicker waste-paper basket. F. rufa was not found at the following published localities: Limpley Stoke, N. Somerset; Longleat, S. Wilts.; Glanville’s Wooton and Blandford Forest, Dorset; Harewood Forest, N. Hants.; Ashstead, Reigate and Fel- court Heath, Surrey; Chiddingstone, W. Kent; Bolney, E. Sussex. Formica cunicularia Latr. A colony was present at Warmwell Heath, Dorset. It had constructed a solarium of heather bells above its nest in rather boggy ground. This habit has been observed in similar situations in the New Forest and seems to be a characteristic of this species. REFERENCES Barrett; K: EK. J-, 1963. Myrmica schenchi Em. in Surrey and Oxfordshire. Entomologist, 96: 82. , 1964. Formica sanguinea Latr. in Southern England. Ent. Rec., 76: 107-114. Collingwood, C. A., 1961. New Vice-County Records for British Ants. Ent. Rec., 73: 90-93. Fraser, F. C., 1959. Formica exsecta in the Bournemouth Area. Ent. mon. Mag.., 95: 172. Nelmes, E., 1938. A Survey of the Distribution of the Wood Ant (Formica rufa) in England, Wales and Scotland. J. anim. Ecol., 7: 74-104. Parnell, G. W., 19388. A Survey of Steep Holm. VII Entomology. Proc. Brisiol Nat. Soc., 8: 471-473. Pontin, A. J. 1957. The Formica fusca group (Hym., Formicidae) on Lundy Island. Ent. mon. Mag., 93: 36. Yarrow, I. H. H., 1955. The British Ants allied to Formica rufa L. Trans. Soe. Brit. Ent., 12: 1-48. 129 Smith’s Lane, Windsor, Berks. 17.x.1964. Notes on Anabolia (Phacopteryx) brevipennis (Curtis), and /ronoquia (Caborius) dubia (Stephens), (Trichoptera, Limnephilidae). By ALLAN BRINDLE These two species are amongst the rarest of the British caddis-flies, and the following notes are an attempt to discuss existing records and some aspects of their distribution. These notes result from the capture of a male A. brevipennis by the writer at Hawes Water, Lancashire (v.c. 60) on 9th September, 1964, which prompted some investigation into previous records. I. dubia appears to be the rarer of the two species, and McLachlan (1865) remarks of this species: “The only known specimen is Stephens type, said to have been taken ‘in June, in the vicinity of the metropolis’.” Mosely (1939) comments: “This insect is so rarely seen by collectors that it must be very retiring in its habits. It has been taken in Windsor Forest, and Stephens’ type is said to have been taken near London in June”. The Windsor Forest record appears to consist of two specimens, swept by Donisthorpe from the banks of a small stream, a male on 2nd October, 1931, and a female on 18th September, 1932. To these three records, Crichton and Baker (1959) added a fourth, a male, taken at 290 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 76 15/ XII/64 Wokefield (Millbarn pond), Berkshire, on 2nd October, 1957. Mr. E. C. Pelham-Clinton has informed me (in litt.) that a specimen of I. dubia, a female taken in Suffolk, is at present in Morton’s collection in the Royal Scottish Museum in Edinburgh. He writes that this was originally recorded as A. brevipennis by Morton (1908) and Morton’s label on the specimen reads “Stenophylax/dubius, Steph/ recorded E.M.M./ Vol. XLIV, 1908/ as P. brevipennis/ in error’. It is not known if a correction was published. ; There are thus only five British records of this insect, all in Southern England. Out of the five, four are in the present century and one is very recent. — | There are more records of A. brevipennis, but all published records apparently are dated previous to the present century. McLachlan (1865) remarks of A. brevipennis: “I am only acquainted with four British examples of this singular insect: one in Curtis’ collection, of which I know not the locality: two in my own collection, taken by Mr. Fereday at Scarborough, in September, 1862; and one taken by Mr. B. Cooke, at Bowden, Cheshire”. Mosely (1939) merely states, “a very local species which has been taken in this country in Yorkshire”. The omission of the Cheshire record by Mosely was apparently on account of his distrust of records of specimens which he did not see himself, and evidently he had no opportunity to see the Cheshire specimen. The Cheshire record, and a second one from the same locality was published by Cooke (1882), and these records consisted of two specimens, both taken at Hale Moss, Cheshire, one on 10th June, 1865, and one on 5th June, 1868. These are the only records for the county. Mr. D. E. Kimmins has informed me (in litt.) that there is a male specimen in the McLachlan collection labelled “Norfolk, Norwich and Ranworth Fen, 1871, C. G. Barrett’’. Porritt (1907) wrote of this insect: “One of the rarest of British Trichoptera, there being only about half a dozen specimens known in collections. I have one from York, and the late Mr. Alfred Beaumont possessed two from the same locality, and the late Mr. McLachlan had one from Scarborough”. The latter was evidently an error for two, and this note brings the total of records of A. brevipennis to nine. The York specimen is in Porritt’s collection, now in the Tolson Memoria! Museum, Huddersfield, and Mr. E. W. Aubrook has kindly given the following details from the label on the specimen, which reads, “G. C. Dennis at York/ Probably Askham Bogs/ Given to me by C. G. D., Jany. 1890”. This is apparently the last record published of this species until the recent capture at Hawes Water. The specimens of A. brevipennis listed above may be summarised as follows :— ; 18 2 ie Curtis collection 2. Scarborough 1862 Fereday McLachlan collection 3. Scarborough 1862 Fereday McLachlan collection 4. Hale Moss ; W865 Cooke 5. Hale Moss 1868 Cooke oe 6. Norfolk 1871 Barrett McLachlan collection Ta ORK (previous to 1890) Dennis Porritt collection 8. York ? Beaumont Ayre 9. York (s : Lap Beaumont ANABOLIA BREVIPENNIS (CURTIS) AND IRONOQUIA DUBIA (STEPHENS) 291 The first specimen is presumably in the Curtis collection in Australa, and specimens 2, 3, 6, are now in the British Museum (Natural History). No. 7 is, as mentioned, at Huddersfield. The whereabouts of the other four, however, are unknown. There is one female specimen in the Manchester Museum without locality; this is apparently mounted by a former keeper, the late Mr. H. Britten, but it is most unusual for him to have omitted the locality since he was noted for attention to detail. Mr. Gorton, of Bolton Museum, has informed me (in litt.) that there are three specimens of A. brevipennis in that Museum, but it has not yet been possible to trace their origin. There are thus four specimens whose whereabouts are unknown, and four specimens without localities. Whether a connection can be traced between them is uncertain. Cooke was a prominent member of the Lancashire and Cheshire Entomological Society, and his collection was sold in 1883, but I have not been able to trace its disposal. It is possible that it was retained in Lancashire, and if so, the Bolton specimens may include one or both of the Cheshire specimens collected by Cooke. Mr. A. Beaumont was associated with Mr. J. M. Brown, who was a recorder of Trichoptera for the Yorkshire Naturalists’ Union, and a search through the copies of the Naturalist may give a clue as to the disposal of Beaumont’s specimens. At the present the position is that the four specimens recorded of which the whereabouts are unknown, may repre- sent the four specimens at Bolton and Manchester, but further investigation is necessary to confirm or confute this possibility. It is quite likely that additional specimens of both A. brevipennis and I. dubia have been taken without having been recorded, and their rarity is probably more apparent than real. Both are widely distributed on the Continent, brevipennis having in general a more northerly distribution than dubia, a feature which is reflected in the British records. Mr. Kimmins has shown me a note from O. Nybom in Finland, which was received by Mosely in 1947 (also quoted in Crichton and Baker, 1959), which reports that dubia was found along a small rivulet and a ditch near the home of Nybom. The insects could only be taken at sunset, when they flew over the water in numbers. At other times it was almost impossible to find them. Mosely (1939) states the position clearly when he remarks of dubia, “... it must be very retiring in its habits”. The records, at least of brevipennis, suggest a wide distribution in Britain, and further searches will probably show that both these caddis-flies are local but not rare, the main difficulty is to find out the best time of day, and other circumstances, when the insects can be found most easily. It would, however, seem that a much easier method may be to search for the larvae, and the larvae of both species are known and are described in Lestage (1921). : -He describes the habitat of dubia as more or less static water, such as shaded ponds, or in woodland streams, in which the bed is covered with dead leaves. This agrees closely with the situation in Windsor Forest where Donisthorpe swept his specimens. The larval case is rather dis- tinctive, consisting of pieces of vegetable material arranged rather like tiles on a roof, i.e. imbricated, but the case itself is “‘arched’’, i.e. rather curved longitudinally. The larva itself is the only one in the Limnephilidae to have the abdominal gills divided into about ten branches, most larvae of this family having single or double filamentous gills. The habitat of 292 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 76 15/ XII /64 brevipennis is given as ponds or lakes again with the bed covered with dead leaves, which suggests shaded habitats. The larval case is triangular in section, resembling in this feature those of Limnephilus decipiens and L. nigriceps, but that of brevipennis is said to be uniform in breadth whilst those of the Limnephilus species taper posteriorly. The case is covered with pieces of vegetable material as in the case of dubia. It is hoped to search for the larvae of brevipennis at Hawes Water during the coming year, and also to try to find more adults by using various methods of collecting. It would be most useful if other entomo- logists could, in their light traps, check on the caddis-flies which often enter together with the Lepidoptera. By doing so they would certainly add to our knowledge of the distribution, and the flight period of many of the caddis, and possibly even produce additional records of dubia and brevipennis. I wish to thank my correspondents mentioned for their kindness in supplying details. REFERENCES Cooke. B., 4882.. Neaturatist, 7 = Ait: Crichton, M. I., and Baker, B. R., 1959. Records of Trichoptera from the Reading area, 1957-58. Ent. mon. Mag., 95: 85-87. Lestage, J. A., 1921, in Rousseau, E. Les larves et nymphes aquatiques des Insectes @Europe. Brussels. McLachlan, R., 1865. Trichoptera Britannica, A Monograph of the British species of Caddis-flies. Trans. ent. Soc. Lond., 5 (3): 60-61, 69-70. Morton, K. J., 1908. Ent. mon. Mag., 44: 43. Mosely, M. E., 1939. The British Caddis Flies, pp. 75-76, 78-79. London. Porritt, G. T., 1907. Trichoptera in Victoria County History (Yorkshire). Coleopterous Fauna of Sand-martin (Riparia riparia riparia (L.)) Burrows in Ireland By A. J. M. Ciaassens, M.Sc. The beetles (Coleoptera) recorded in this paper were mostly taken from the burrows of sand-martins, Riparia riparia riparia (L.), but the specimens recorded from Ballycroneen strand (East-Cork) were recovered from the nests of starlings, Sturnus vulgaris vulgaris L. which had occu- pied deserted sand-martins’ burrows. The number of specimens of each species of beetle collected from the different localities is listed. The species not mentioned in Johnson and Halbert’s (1902) list of the Irish Coleoptera have been asterisked. Family CARABIDAE Subfamily HarRPAaLINAE Pristonichus terricola (Herbst), one specimen from Little Island (East- Cork), September 1963, and one specimen from Saleen (East- Cork), December 1963. Abax parallelopipedus (Pi and Mitterpacher), one specimen from Little Island, May 1963. Family STAPHYLINIDAE Subfamily OxyTELINAE Omalium allardi Fairm, three specimens from two nests at Ballycroneen strand, June and July 1964. COLEOPTEROUS FAUNA OF SAND-MARTIN BURROWS IN IRELAND 293 Subfamily STAPHYLININAE Philonthus carbonarius Gyll., one specimen from Little Island, January 1964. *Heterothops nigra, Kraatz, one specimen from Ballycroneen strand, June 1964. *Quedius assimilis Nord.. two specimens from Ballycroneen strand, July 1964. Quedius mesomelinus Fairm, one specimen from Ballycroneen strand, July 1964. Subfamily TacHYPORINAE Tachinus rufipes Degeer, two specimens from Little Island, June 1963. Subfamily ALEOCHARINAE Microglotta nidicola Fairm, five specimens from Little Island, June 1963; one specimen from Saleen, July 1964; 139 specimens and many larvae from Ballinaclash (Wicklow), June 1964, and 349 specimens and many larvae from five nests at Ovens (Mid-Cork), June 1964. *“Crataraea suturalis (Salhb.), one specimen from Ballycroneen strand, June 1964. Atheta palustris Kies, three specimens from Ballycroneen strand, June 1964. *Atheta zosterae Thoms., one specimen from Ballcroneen strand, July 1964. *Atheta nigricornis Thoms., one specimen from Ballcroneen strand. July 1964. Drusilla canaliculata Fairm, one specimen from Saleen, July 1964. Aleochara diversa Sahlb., one specimen from Ballycroneen strand, June 1964 Subfamily PAaEDERINAE *Sunius melanocephalus Fairm, one specimen from Ballycroneen strand, July 1964, and one specimen from Saleen, July 1964. Family CRYPTOPHAGIDAE Cryptophagus saginatus Sturm, four specimens. Cryptophagus distinguendus Sturm, one specimen, both species were taken at Ballycroneen strand, June and July 1964. Family LATHRIDIIDAE Subfamily LaATHRIDIINAE *Lathridius coisimilis Mann., one specimen from Ballyvcroneen strand, July 1964. Dr. J. Balfour Browne, who identified this species noted, that there is still uncertainty about L. cosimilis which might also be L. minutus (L.). Discussion Microglotta nidicola was the only species which was found in large numbers in the nests examined. It was the only beetle of which larvae were found. It is difficult to determine in what ways this beetle bene- fits by its nidicolous existence. Johnson and Halbert (1902) found M. nidicola in sand-martin burrows at Coolmore (Donegal) and Killiney (Dublin). Keer (1930) recorded it from sand-dunes, sand-martin burrows, nests of starlings, herons, Ardea cinerea L., goshawks, Accipter gentilis 294 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 76 15/ XII/64 (L), as well as from the burrows of rabbits, Oryctolagus cuniculus (L.), and from the nests of the ants Lasius fuliginosus Latr. and L. brunneus Latr, The species M. nidicola, C. suturalis, D. canaliculata and C. saginatus have been recorded not only from the nests of birds but also from ants’ nests, decaying matter, under leaves, etc. (Keer, 1930). Faris (1936) recorded that the beetle Astilbus canaliculatus (=D. canaliculata) attacked ants of the species Myrmica sabuleti Meinert in Co. Cavan. Several of the other species have been previously recorded associated with other animals The presence of 13 species (11 Staphylinidae and two Cryptophagidae) in two nests of starlings at Ballycroneen strand is an indication that the beetles must be able to find the nests. The attractant may be decaying matter to feed on, or some beetles may be predatory on woodlice (Isopoda), mites (Acarina). fleas (Siphonaptera), flies (Diptera) and moths (Lepidoptera), or their immature stages, which were all present in these nests. The interesting coleopterous fauna and their ecology in birds’ nests invites further investigation. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Thanks are expressed to Dr. J. Balfour Browne, Principal Scientific Officer, British Museum (Nat. Hist.), Department of Entomology, who kindly identified ali Staphylinidae and Cryptophagidae mentioned in this paper. Thanks are extended to Professor Fergus O’Rourke, Department of Zoology, University College, Cork, under whose supervision the study of nidicoles was undertaken. Department of Zoology, University College, Cork. September 1964. REFERENCES Faris, R. C. (1936). ‘“‘Records for some Bees, Wasps and Ants from Co. Cavan’. Trish Nat. J., & (6): 143-145. Johnson, W. F., and J. N. Halbert. (1902). “A List of Beetles of Ireland’. Proc. R. Irish Acad., 6: 5385-827. Keer, P. M. (1930). “Calwer Keverboek”’. Thieme and Cie Zutphen, Holland. Notes and Observations THE HIBERNATION AND PUPATION OF CossusS cossusS L.—I was greatly interested in Commander Harper’s note on this subject (antea 227). In my youth, my grandfather lived at Stanford-le-Hope, Essex, then a small country village. Cossus was very common there, indeed there was 23 disused saw-pit surrounded by willows near his house where the larvae were so abundant that they could be smelt from the road five yards away. In the autumn of 1902, when I paid one of my usual duty visits, I was told that the gardener had dug up two goat moth caterpillars when ridging the vegetable plot for the winter, and they had been saved for me. When I got home, I emptied the tin and found they had begun to spin cocoons, so I put them back in the tin with more earth and placed them in the garden shed for the winter. Towards the end of April I emptied the tin and found they had spun tough cocoons of earth and silk and I could hear the pupa rattling when I shook these. I accordingly re-buried the cocoons in the earth and in due course two perfect specimens of cossus emerged. NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS 295 As I have already said, cossus was common in the district; "2 BR. N. Burrows used to take one or two at sugar in his garden every year. As cessus is a non-feeder, this seems very strange, but Burrows said these were always females and he thought they mistook the sugar for sap from an injured trunk when looking for somewhere to lay their eggs.—H. C. Huceins, F.R.E.S., 65 Eastwood Boulevard, Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex. 30.x.1964. HIBERNATION AND PupaTION OF Cossus cossus L. (LEP. CossipaE).—In the October issue (antea 226) Commander Harper expresses the belief that those larvae of cossus which leave the tree in the autumn, return for pupation in the spring to one tree or another. As a boy I lived in a private road in Lewes, Sussex, in front of which stretched a long row of well grown black poplars. Some of these trees were riddled by the larvae of this species, and at that time I frequently saw the full fed larvae in the roadway, far from the nearest of these infected trees, and in the summer, from time to time, noted moths on the trunks, and pupa cases protruding, but always thought it odd that I saw so few in comparision with the number of larvae seen in the previous autumn. During the 1914-18 war, a Lewes grocer had a consignment of dried figs of Greek or Turkish origin, condemned as unfit for human consumption, and these were carted to his small walled garden just outside the town. I cannot say at what precise date this was done, but in 1921, upon my return to the town on my demobilisation, he asked me if I was interested in foreign moths, as he was finding large moths on the rotten figs, and had done so for several years. On inspecting his garden, I found it was devoid of trees, and that the figs, stacked against the wall, had formed a solid mass, from which empty pupa cases were extruding, and upon opening this material up with a spade, a great many larvae of cossus were found, of all sizes from very small to full fed. Beyond doubt, these figs had been infested by this species in this country, either before condemnation, or after removal to the garden; I suspect the latter. They had bred in this strange way successfully over a period of years, so despite the obvious adaptation for pupation in a tree, they can do quite well in other surroundings. In the early 1930s, I noted a few oak trees at Pulborough, by the marsh, which were much infested by cossus larvae, and here, as at Lewes, I often found larvae in the roadway in the autumn, far from these or any trees, but rarely found the moth, and never found a protruding pupa case. From these experiences, I must express disbelief in the suggestion that the larvae which leave the trees ever return, but I think it probably true that many larvae remain in the trees to winter, and others pupate in earth or other material at the tree base. On the only occasion when I decided to breed from straying larvae, I put two in a wooden box with both earth and wood, and in the spring discovered that both had eaten their way out through the box, and could not be found at that time, despite a thorough search, but later in the year I found a freshly emerged moth on a cupboard door and the pupa case projecting from one of the floor boards at the cupboard bottom.—A. J. WIGHTMAN, F.R.E.S., 67 The Spinney, Pulborough, ‘Sussex. 25.x.1964. 296 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 76 15/XII/64 EvrRoIs OccuLTA L. In 1964.—I notice two or three references to Furois occulta L. in the October number of the Record. Seven examples of this species came to my trap in Sheffield between 14th and 24th August, so there would appear to have been quite a large immigration. All were of the pale continental form, five males and two females, both of which failed to lay any eggs.—W. Rep, 6 Whirlow Park Road, Sheffield 11. 29.x.1964. ACHERONTIA ATROPOS L. IN SuFFOLK.—During the first two weeks of October 1964, I had the good fortune of having four pupae of Acherontia atropos L. given to me. These had been found in the potato fields around Stowmarket, Suffolk—T. M. Suipp, F.N.D., F.N.D.S., 14 Silverdale Avenue, Stowmarket, Suffolk. 20.x.1964. LITHOPHANE LEAUTIERI AND OTHER NOTABLE RECORDS OF MOTHS AT ARUNDEL.—A male Lithophane leautieri was taken in the mercury vapour light trap on 3rd October 1964, being the first record of this species in the district. The following migrant species were taken in the mercury vapour trap this year: Lithosia quadra, 4 on 17th July, one on 18th July, and one on 19th July; Leucania albipuncta, one on 13th September; Leucania unipuncta, one on 18th September, one on 3rd October and one on 4th October; Leucania l-album, one on 2nd October.—G. HaGGeEtTr, 1 Torton Hii), Arundel, Sussex. 9.xi.1964. THE ISLE OF ARRAN, 1964,—A Postcript.—In the final paragraph of my note on the Isle of Arran (Ent. Rec., 76: 229-30) reference was made to a larva which evaded indentification. On 26th September the mystery was solved as a female Chloroclysta miata L. emerged. This species therefore completes the list of macro lepidoptera found on the island during the period under review.—M. J. LeErEcu, The Cottage, Hallgates, Cropston, Leicestershire. 26.x.1964. ODONTAEUS ARMIGER Sp. (CoL. SCARABAEIDAE) IN NORTHAMPTONSHIRE.— During a visit to Kings Cliffe, Northamptonshire, on 27th July two specimens, a male and female, of this rare beetle flew into m.v. light. Little is known about the early stages but it seems to be associated with dung. From the amount of rabbit droppings present in the area it may be that there is some relationship between the species and this pabulum.— M. J. Leecu, The Cottage, Hallgates, Cropston, Leicestershire. 26.x.1964. AN APPARENT MIGRATION OF RED ADMIRALS.—In view of the phenomenal numbers of Pyrameis atalanta L. in most parts of the British Isles this summer (1964) I have thought it is of special interest to mention that my neighbour, Mr. J. A. G. Coates, tells me that whilst sailing off the coast of South Devon between 20th and 27th August, he saw on several fine days red admirals passing, sometimes two a minute, usually some three feet above the water. He was in Wembury Bay, just south-east of Plymouth Sound, about five miles off shore and says the general direction of the butterflies was north-westerly. He estimates that he must have observed several hundred specimens flying past in this way and that all the gardens along the coast were full of red admirals during the following days.—C. G. M. de Worms, Three Oaks, Woking, Surrey. 9.xi.1964. NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS 297 Wuo Was CoLeEMan?—Dr. R. G. Ainley’s auery in the November Record (Ent. Rec., 76: 254) is answered in the Dict. Nat. Biog. (Second Supp., 1. 382) where an account of William Stephen Coleman (1829-1904) is given.— P. B. M. ALLAN. FOODPLANT OF CUCULLIA VERBASCI Linn.—I can confirm Barrett’s record (Lep. Br. Is., 6: 64) referred to by Mr T. D. Fearnehough at page 267 oi Ent. Rec., 76 (November 1964) of this svecies feeding on Buddleia globosa. Some years ago I found several of its larvae on a shrub of this species growing against the wall of a farmhouse in N.W. Essex. A search of the magazines would probably disclose further records. An entry in my diary under date 11th July 1941 reads: “To-day I placed six C. verbasci larvae, found on 4th July on Verbascum thapsus, on Scrophularia aquatica. They began to eat the new food at once. They are from one-third to half-grown” —P. B. M. ALLAN. APEIRA SYRINGARIA L., A DISPROPORTIONATE RATIO OF THE SEXES.—On 27th July whilst going the rounds of the sugar patches at Kings Cliffe, Northamptonshire, a female Apeira syringaria L. (Lilac Beauty) was netted. Not having a full series of this handsome insect it was decided to keep her for eggs. To aid ovipositing she was, on the following day, enclosed in a sleeve with some privet stems. Ova appeared in plenty and as I had far more than actually required some were given away to a friend. Approximately half of the resulting larvae retained fed un rapidly and pupated. This state of affairs was reproduced with those that were handed on. Emergence commenced in late August and continued through to the first week of September. The ratio of females to males, in both cases, is so unbalanced that it is worth recording. All my pupae emerged; these produced 24 females and one male: of those given away nine females and one male emerged. Why this peculiar state of affairs came about is perplexing. It would be interesting to have comments on this and I should be interested to know if there is any biological reason behind the uneven ratio. The remaining larvae (in both cases) have gone into hibernation and it remains to be seen if the specimens which will result next year will be predominantly of the male sex.—M. J. Lrecu, The Cottage, Hall- gates, Cropston, Leicestershire. 26.x.1964. APATELE LEPORINA L. OVERWINTERING A THIRD TIME.—In a previous note (Ent. Rec., 76: 29) on this species attention was drawn to the fact that in captivity pupae had gone over for a second winter. At the appointed time this year a proportion emerged satisfactorily but some failed to emerge. The remaining pupae are healthy and it now appears as if they are going over for a third winter. Since the time they originally pupated the pupae have been kept indoors.—M. J. LrEEcu, The Cottage, Hallgates, Cropston, Leicestershire. 26.x.1964. Micrant Motus at WESTON-SUPER-MaRE.—The only migrants of interest that I have seen in my moth trap here this vear have been a snecimen of Heliothis peltigera Schiff. on 15th August and two females of Nycterosea obstipata Fab. on 10th and 23rd September respectively.—-C. S. H. Biatuwayt, 27 South Road, Weston-super-Mare. 19.xi.19€4. 298 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 76 15/ XII/64 NYMPHALIS ANTIOPA L. IN CAMBRIDGESHIRE.—It is now sixty years since the last recorded appearance of this occasional migrant in Cambridgeshire. This year (1964) two have been reported to me, both by reliable observers who know the butterfly. There is the possibility that only one butterfly is involved, since antiopa is both long-lived and a strong flyer; there is less than a fortnight between the two observations and the localities are only some two miles apart. The first specimen was seen in Storey’s Way, Cambridge, during the middle of August by Col. R. G. Turner and the second by Mr. and Mrs. Stevens towards the end of the same month, between the villages of Barton and Grantchester.—BRIAN O. C. GARDINER, 18 Chesterton Hall Crescent, Cambridge. 12.xi.1964. NYMPHALIS ANTIOPA L. ON ANGLESEY.—My daughter, Mrs. M. Smith, of Dore, Sheffield, advises me that she saw a specimen of Vanessa antiopa L. at Llandwyn Island, on the south coast of Anglesey in August this year. I was, I am afraid, quite unimpressed at first, thinking that she had made a mistake, but her description of what she saw is exactly that of a Camber- well beauty. She is not a collector, but knows enough about butterflies to recognise something unusual when she sees it.—WILLIAM REID, 6 Whirlow Park Road, Sheffield 11, 19.xi.1964. Current Literature The Scientific Principles of Crop Protection (Fifth Edition). By Hubert Martin. Edward Arnold (Publishers) Ltd. Pp. viii + 376. 90/-. This edition is mentioned by the author in his preface as introducing two new features in crop protection which were not included in the fourth edition. These two advances are the synthesis of new molecules of selective toxicity, which tend to reduce the hazards associated with general pesticides which have aroused some public opposition, and also the advances in applied biology, which has developed into a study of the relationships between host and pest, enabling methods which do not involve the use of toxic chemicals to be applied, thus giving scope for the co-operation of entomologists and mycologists with those engaged in crop protection. The text is divided into sixteen chapters, Chapter I. being a general introduction, and giving an interesting account of man’s outlook on plant diseases back to the days of Pliny and even earlier. Plant resistance is discussed in Chapter II., giving examples of the development of strains resistant to both pathogens and to insect pests, the term insect being used throughout to give the sense of arthropod. On through the chapters, the many different aspects of this subject are dealt with in a thorough, clear, and interesting manner, and there is much of great interest even for one who is not an advanced chemist, the chapters on traps and on biological control being particularly interesting. The index is divided into an Authors index and a Subject index, and there is a very good bibliography at the end of each chapter. The paper is of good quality and the book is strongly bound in linen boards. It is essentially a book for the student and specialist, but it is one which should find a place in the libraries of scientific agricultural and natural history societies. =; SNeAwde LEPIDOPTERA OF KENT (211) The following named abs. are in R.C.K.:—+trilinea Hb., Wye, one; semifuscans Haw., Wye, several; semifuscans Haw. + evidens Thunb., Wye; pallida-linea Tutt (=bilinea Treits.), Chatham, one; approximans Haw., Chatham, one, 1908; approximans Haw. + semifuscans Haw., Ham Street, one, 1948. First REcorpD, 1829: Darenth Wood (Stephens, Haust., 2: 152). Caradrina morpheus Hufn.: Mottled Rustic. Native. Waste places, marshes, gardens, river-banks, etc.; foodplant unrecorded. In all divisions. “Generally common; often abundant” (V.C.H. (1908)). A. R. Kidner (Diary) records finding larvae at Sidcup as follows, but gives no mention of the foodplant:—Several on September 19, 1928, one on September 5, 1930. VARIATION.—Many Kentish specimens have a reddish tint around the stigmata, and thus appear to conform to ab. sepii Huibn., and all those that I have seen have been either this or typical morpheus Hufn. (C.-H.). Tutt (Br. Noct., 1: 147) describes ab. minor, holotype, from Deal. In R.C.K. are the following named abs.:—sepii Hubn., one “Westcombe Park June 1886 Tutt’; obscura Tutt, two, Westcombe Park, 1886, Tutt. Also, typical morpheus Hufn., Sheppey, one, 1924, bred E. A. Cockayne; severai, Westcombe Park, 1892-93, Tutt; one, Wilmington, 1904. First RECORD, 1829: C. sepit Hubn. “A common species in gardens, on the borders of woods and in shady lanes throughout the metropolitan district” (Stephens, Haust., 2: 158). C. alsines Brahm: Uncertain. Native. Cultivated and waste places; on “dock”. Recorded from all divisions, except 10 (from which it is unlikely to be absent). “Generally common; often abundant” (V.C.H. (1908)). A. R. Kidner (Diary) wrote that he found a larva at Sidcup, on May 5, 1917. H. E. Hammond records a single larva found at Tonbridge in 1951, which was feeding on dock. VARIATION.—Stephens describes ab. implexa from Darenth Wood (see First Record). In R.C.K. are ab. elegans Lempke, one, “Tutt Deal 12.vii.90’; ab. rufescens Lempke, several, Chattenden. First RECORD, 1829: C. implexa Steph., Darenth Wood, 1820 (Stephens, Haust., 2: 156). C. blanda Schiff. (taraxaci Hubn.): Rustic. Native. Cultivated and waste places; foodplant unknown. Recorded from all divisions. ‘Generally common; often abundant’ (V.C.H. (1908)). The records indicate that this is generally the most numerous Caradrina in Kent, especially on the coast, and at Sandwich (div. 4) in my experience it almost entirely replaces C. alsines Brahm. The moth normally appears in one generation from ape the end of June to mid August. In 1955, W. L. Rudland took one at Willesborough on October 2, probably representative of a partial second brood; and in 1956, the same recorder noted it on the wing at Wye as early as June 10. There is no record of the discovery in Kent of any of the early stages in nature. (212) ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 76 15/ XII/64 VARIATION.—Tutt (Br. Noct., 1: 149-151) records ab. sordida Haw., from Chattenden Wood. He states that specimens from the coast of Kent are “rarely brown, and often have a distinct purplish tinge, the basal area of the hindwings of the male also being of a very pale grey”, and refers these to ab. blanda Gn. He mentions a “fuscous black form which I have taken at Deal”. In R.C.K. are ab. taraxaci Hiibn., one, “Deal 18.viii.88 Tutt”; ab. redacta Haw., three, Sandwich, one, Dungeness. Also, typical blanda Schiff., Chattenden, one. First REecorRD, 1829: Noctua redacta Haw., near Darenth Wood, “where I have taken it abundantly” (Stephens, Haust., 2: 156). C. ambigua Schiff.: Vine’s Rustic. Suspected immigrant and temporary resident. Waste places, etc.; foodplant unknown. Recorded from all divisions (except 10, 13, 14), though mainly from the east coast. The history of ambigua in Kent shows certain similarities to that of Laphygma exigua Hiibn. (q.v.). Both were of very occasional occurrence prior to about 1935, but have since appeared much more regularly and in far greater numbers. In the case of ambigua, however, the comparative numerical increase and greater regularity of occurrence is more marked, and there are indications that it has for some years now been resident in Kent. 19th Century Occurrence.—1885: Deal, one, August (Tutt, Entomologist, 19: 42). 1886: Deal (Prout, Ent. Rec., 6: 203-204). 1887: Deal, ¢, July (Prout, loc. cit.). 1888: Deal, ¢, July (Prout, loc. cit.). Note: It may be inferred that J. W. Tutt was the captor of all Kentish ambigue taken 1885-88, and that his “numerous ambigua ... dated June or August’, referred to by Prout, were likewise taken by him at Deal during this period. 1917-1928.—1917: West Wickham (div. 1), one taken at sugar, July 21 (Kershaw, Entomologist, 51: 67). 1928: Margate, one, taken August 6 (Huggins, Entomologist, 61: 223). 1934-1939. 1934: Dungeness (Morley, Proc. S. Lond. ent. Nat. Hist. Soc., 1934-35: 50). 1935: Dungeness, several, September 7 (de Worms, Ento- mologist, 69: 157); September 30 (J. H. B. Lowe). Reculver, September 18 (1), 22 (2), 26 (1) (A. J. L. Bowes). 1936: Sandwich, September 6 (A. J. L. Bowes). 1938: Dungeness, August 6 (2), 25 (A. J. L. Bowes); September 2, 3, 4, and 5, fairly numerous on each night at sugar (de Worms, Entomologist, 72 :262). Sandwich, September 6 (A. J. L. Bowes). 1945-1964.—-The records show that except for 1947, the moth has occurred annually during this period, and was particularly plentiful in 1950, 1951, 1952, and 1962. 1945:—Folkestone-Dungeness area, four, August 1-10 (Richardson, Entomologist, 78: 19). Broad Oak, one, August 7; Sandwich, one August 11 (C.-H.). Dungeness, one. September 1 (de Worms, Ento- mologist, 79: 77). Goodnestone (div. 8), September, fairly common at sugar (R. W. Parfitt). 1946: Dungeness, September 18 (1), 27 (1) (A. M. Morley, per Dannreuther, Entomologist, 80: 140). 1948: Deal, June 13 (0), 14 (9), at valerian (C. M. Gummer, per Dannreuther, Entomologist, 82: 107). Dover, August 26 (1), September 11 (2) (G. H. Youden, per Dann- reuther, Entomologist, 82: 107). Ramsgate, August 28 (1) (A. H. Lanfear). Petts Wood (div. 1), one (E. E. Evans). 1949: Dungeness, August 13 (1), LEPIDOPTERA OF KENT (213) 23 (24 at sugar) (A. M. Morley per Rothamsted); September 3 (1), 4 (1), 6 (4) (R. W. Parfitt per Rothamsted). Eddington (div. 3), August 27 (several) (D. G. Marsh, Diary). East Kent [Dungeness], common at sugar, August 27 (G. Haggett per Rothamsted). Deal, September 2 (1) (C. M. Gummer per Rothamsted). Isle of Thanet (Manley, Proc. S. Lond. ent. Nat. Hist. Soc., 1949-50: 38). Pinden (div. 6), two (E. J. Hare). Ham Street, several, September (Scott (1950)). 1950: Dungeness, a few, June 6-7 (E. C. Pelham- Ciinton); August 11 (3) (A. M. Morley per Rothamsted). Sandwich, June 15, August 11 (plentiful both nights) (D. G. Marsh, Diary); June 16 (10); August 26 (plentiful) (C.-H.). Deal and Sandwich, June and September (20) (C. M. Gummer per Rothamsted). Eddington, August 8, 18 (plentiful both nights) (D. G. Marsh, Diary). Cliftonville, plentiful (W. D. Bowden). Pinden, common (E. J. Hare). Folkestone, August 28 (1) (A. M. Morley per Rothamsted). West Wickham (E. Trundell). 1951: Margate. June 20 (1), September 14 (1); Minster (div. 4), July 2 (1) (W. D. Bowden). Bexley, June 24 (1) (A. Heselden). Aylesford (G. A. N. Davis). Eddington, August 3 (1), September 21 (1) (D. G. Marsh). Pinden, common (E. J. Hare). Folkestone (div. 16), 59 in all, with 20 on September 5 (Morley, Ent. Rec., 64: 171). Dover, “has appeared in astonishingly large numbers” (Youden, Entomologist, 84: 261). Brook, September 22 (2) (C. A. W. Duffield, fide E. Scott). West Wickham (E. Trundell). 1952: Folkestone, May 27—June 22 (12), August 6—September 12 (84) (A. M. Morley per Rothamsted). Dungeness, May 31 (several); Broad Oak, June 14 (1) (C.-H)). Dover, May and August, common (G. H. Youden per Rothamsted). Bexley, August 28 (1) (A. Heselden). Abbey Wood (A. J. Showler). Pinden, common (E. J. Hare). Aylesford (G. A. N. Davis). Westerham (div. 5), August 25 (1) (R. C. Edwards). Ham Street, August 9 (1) (A. Richardson per Rothamsted). West Wickham (FE. J. Trundell). 1953: Folkestone and Dover, common at coast in two broods (A. M. Morley & G. H. Youden per Rothamsted). Wye, July 8—October 3 (4); Willesborough, September 11-18 (4) (W. L. Rudland). Aylesford (G. A. N. Davis). West Wickham (E. Trundell). 1954: Sandwich, June 14 (1); Cliftonville, June 17 (1) (CW. D. Bowden). Willesborough, July 12 (1) (W. L. Rudiand). West Wickham (E. Trundell). Dartford Heath, August 28 (1) (C.-H.). 1955: Queensbridge, June 25 (1) (W. D. Bowden). Willesborough, August 4-8 (4), 30 (1) (CW. L. Rudiand). 1956: Willesborough, July 17—September 17 (15); Wye, July 2i1—September 14 (9) (W. L. Rudland). Lydd, September (several) (de Worms, Entomologist, 90: 182). 1957: Folkestone, June 18 (1), September 26 (1) (A. M. Morley per Rothamsted). St. Peters, August 20 (W. D. Bowden). Ham Street, August 31 (de Worms, Entomologist, 91: 152). Dungeness, September 1 (de Worms, loc cit.); six (P. Cue). Ashford, one (P. Cue). 1958: Folkestone, September 18 (1) (Morley, Proc. S. Lond. ent. nat. Hist. Soc., 1959: 43). Lydd-on-Sea (Wakely, Proc. S. Lond. ent. nat. Hist Soc., 1958: 42; idem, Ent. Rec., 71: 93). Shorne (div. 6a), one, September 4 (E. Trundell). 1959: Folkestone, August 26 (1) (A. M. Morley per Rothamsted). Dover, autumn (a few) (G. H. Youden per Rothamsted). 1960: Dover, June 11 (2) (G. H. Youden per Rothamsted). Folkestone, September 1 (1) (A. M. Morley per Rothamsted). Cliffe Marshes, September 3 (R. G. Chatelain). Bromley, six (D. R. M. Long). 1961: Folkestone, two (A. M. Morley per Rothamsted). Westerham (div. 5) (R. C. Edwards). Bromley, 31, with max. (12) on August 30 (D. R. M. Long). 1962: Dungeness, June 11-30 (34), July 13 (5), August 29, 30, October 10 (1), 15 (1) (R. E. Scott). Ham Street, September 12 (1); Lee, September 14 (214) ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 76 15/ XII/64 (1) (C. G. Bruce). Bromley, 83, June 15—October 23 (D. R. M. Long). West Ashford. October 20 (1) (M. Enfield). 1963: Dungeness, June 12— October 11 (13) (R. E. Scott). Lee, September 9 (1) (C. G. Bruce). Brom- ley, 12 (D. R. M. Long). 1964: Bromley, August 28 (1), September 6 (1) (D. R. M. Long). First REcoRD, 1886: Deal (Tutt, Entomologist, 19: 42). Cc. superstes Ochs. (blanda Hubn.): Powdered Rustic. Immigrant. 4. Deal*, two ¢ 6, taken by J. W. Tutt, July 1886 (Tutt, Ent. Rec., 4: 99, 6: 53-54; Prout, Ent. Rec., 6: 203) (in Lond. Nat., 1945: 17, the captor of these superstes is given as A. J. Hodges in error). In R.C.K. are two superstes, labelled: “Deal July 1886 (ex Tutt coll.)” (C.-H.). First Recorp, 1891: Deal (Tutt, British Noctuae and their Varieties, 1: 149). C. clavipalpis Scop. (quadripunctata F.): Pale Mottled Willow. Resident. Gardens, vegetable fields, marshes, waste places, etc.; food- plant unknown. Recorded from all divisions, except 10 (from which it is most unlikely to be absent). “Generally common” (V.C.H. (1908)). The moth seems to appear in a succession of broods, with maximum numbers in September, and has been noted in every month from February to November inclusive. In 1957, Allen (Ent. Rec., 69: 245) recorded its occurrence at Blackheath as early as February 20; and H. D. Stockwell (Diary) observed one ‘on a bedroom window” at Dover in 1900 as late as November 3. ' There is no record of the discovery in Kent of any of the early stages in nature. VARIATION.—Tutt (Br. Noct., 1: 154) records specimens from Deal referable to ab. albina Ev.; and Andrews (Proc. S. Lond. ent. nat. Hist. Soc., 1898: 122) exhibited one from Darenth Wood supposedly this species, which “was very dark, and almost the whole central area of the forewings was Dlack”. In R.C.K. is ab. thunbergi Nordstrom, one, labelled “Deal Tutt ’90”’. FIRST REcoRD, 1829: Birch Wood (Stephens, Haust., 2: 158). Laphygma exigua Hubn.: Small Mottled Willow. Immigrant. Vegetable, clover and lucerne fields, waste places, etc.; foodplant unknown. Recorded from all divisions (except 2, 6a, 10, 14), but has mostly occurred on the east coast. Altogether there are records of over 300 exigua for Kent; of this number, however, only about 20 occurred up to 1937, though in the follow- ing year it is estimated that roughly 170 were noted. None was recorded for the period 1939-44, but since 1945 the moth has appeared fairly regularly, and in 1962, 62 individuals were recorded. There is no record of the discovery of any of the early stages in nature, though in 1938, Bowes (Ent. Rec., 51: 107) made a particular point of searching for the larva, and careful examination of all likely plants failed to reveal it. It is probable, nevertheless, that in certain years, e.g. 1952 and 1963, early immigration was followed by successful breeding in Kent during the summer, giving rise to large numbers of offspring appearing in August and September. EXCHANGES AND WANTS Wanted.—Part 2 of the ‘Record’? for 1930. Can anyone oblige?—B. O. C. Gardiner, 18 Chesterton Hall Crescent, Cambridge. United States Lepidopterist wishes to correspond with collectors in the United Kingdom.—Contact: Phillip Nordin, 4811 34 Ave. So., Minneapolis, Minn. Da UDSzA. Jiri Adam, Fucikova 330, Ostrava-Poruba, CCSR, Czechoslozakia, wishes to establish contact with English Entomologists. He is interested in Lepi- doptera, particularly the genus Zygaena F. (Anthrocera Scop.). Barograph For Sale.—Handsome brass barograph, on mahogany stand, in glass and mahogany showcase, together with charts. Used as an aid to successiul sugaring (cf. Allan, A Moth-Hunter’s Gossip, pp. 110-114). In excellent condition throughout, £8—J. M. Chalmers-Hunt, St. Teresa, Hardcouris Close, West Wickham, Kent. Stud. Lars Axelsson, Jarnvagen, Kungsangen, Sweden, aged 17, interested in Lepidoptera desires to contact any English boy of similar age willing to correspond and exchange specimens. Wanted.—Duplicate large insects, all Orders, any condition, papered or pinned, for dissection, demonstration and free distribution to Extra-Mural and W.E.A. classes. Data not essential.—G. S. Kloet, 4 Devonshire Park Road, Stockport, Cheshire. IMPORTANT To our subscribers We have for disposal either part numbers or complete volumes of old issues dating from 1890/1 up to and including volume 73. If any of our subscribers would care to state their requirements to Mr. F. W Byers, 59 Gurney Court Road, St. Albans, he will then quote the special prices which can be offered for any particular issue. Subscription prices will be paid for clean, unbound copies of the following years : Vol. 36 — 1924 Vol. 51 — 1939 Vol. 55 — 1943 41 — 1929 o2 — 1940 57 — 1945 42 — 1930 53 — 1941 62 — 1950 30 — 1938 54 — 1942 63 — 1951 Please contact: Mr. S. N. A. JACOBS, 54 HAYES LANE, BROMLEY, KENT. y Sn bie ta i hae ie lia i Sei oe accsailiaae Ce anes ore a nenoasaa: ah ‘ae cabal: ‘er and cabs archers Pa ‘a a ARB SENES TBA RE Te petals ene: ‘ | Aare. Paver? igi, eae AU ue) 4 : ts ee 5 b a Bae oT ae mes Pik: Sane doestikon We hwo ‘alii tea hse i es evbe, ci pent isehitos oF egigeb ‘e19tg repack me rioinlasy4 ouiietioxe fie Benikestoo iM aitittiw: - seven NTE OE OTR ORE PTA Lr baihneraiborts ovals | née’ Ag neh ape: Mei hy Te Bee ‘ ‘ ph. Sr i ig e: Bie, mh a Let Pa at pararat cee Sea? i ist ixtie) AO on ; lai as, ot, Des, Nr ERR, Site oe Up te br Na Pe bs 0G EO Caney Reel hig cele Na Tapes aaa ie Tah his er ‘4 4 War tag : a tue 7) per hee me ts aS fees ae! i wi = ed i mh Feri tkone Bf So he ‘ sik Suensi. Seeaces abe fexoqaih “ph vey Py Apes: Meath emake walaibaioh bee binge. bNOG8L: ment aokae’ zotral. & Gc e ph) 02. aenetibtos! edt gigi of ems bhaow bea : Latha et stoner peg Bie, atk , RMIT RY ; RE NRE donut) OF BT % sat 1189. aires. selaniived var to? het dane ne q oe. 29, * Koy he wd A ah ey neg” sO iT Le ONG BOs MON “ re st Ne RT te co Ra ie py A it, wat. fol ey i 2: ihe accel wii aden ee Seat tk, this splerbaag Rw hy. teers thi SPEDE sie oa ae sn eee yy 32 7 ae (at a ae oo ha bi pe ‘ ne ny i te ‘ hh 7 ine ee 3 Js ie y ade: ii: ahs pithy a kee Mes crArE i bOtraw Lia eer nes & ae Sieh Raa tae). eae cubigsh. be ge and: tpeente Hepa 2 rane Dh ae aa LURE. ae aa Ne iy ala, tz pales coats tA, ea pl We Cea ee ay oa ae athe Aeaith, ; ei bats neites ay hee: i tig ‘eae ” 1: ee eneha mae eG oa eg - ay vide 1 FOR THE ENTOMGLOGIST » Apparatus, Books, Cabinets, and Set Specimens Price lists of the above are issued from time to time, so if you would like to receive regular issues please send me a postcard stating your interests L. CHRISTIE 137 Gleneidon Road, Streatham, London, S.W.16, England (Postal business only) Official een for publications of the Amateur Entomologist’s Society J. Jd. HILL & SON LTD. ENTOMOLOGICAL CABINET MANUFACTURERS Specialists in Interchangeable Unit Systems, Store Boxes, Insect Cases, Setting Boards, Micro-slide Cabinets, etc. > Reconditioned Second-Hand Insect Cabinets available from time to time. YEWFIELD ROAD, N.W.10 "Phone Wil 0309 THE MACROLEPIDOPTERA OF THE WORLD A systematic work, in collaboration with the best specialists of all Countries, edited by : Prof. Dr. A. SEITZ Every known butterfly of the whole world is life-like represented in 1‘ 14 colours and described scientifically. There is no similar work in existence English, German and French editions. Vol. 1-4: Fauna palaearctica. Vol. 516: Fauna exotica. Every volume may be had separately. . ~ A. KERNEN, publishers, Stuttgart, Schloss-Str. 80 Bumble, Stingless, and Hive Bees—Selected reprints from Bee World covering a wide field, also books on Anatomy and Dissection, History of Beekeeping and Pollination, full complimentary list from Bee Research Association Publications, 11 Poplar Grove, Maidstone, Kent. ENTOMOLOGIST’S GAZETTE A ap eae eset J OURNAL OF BRITISH ENTOMOLOGY Well illustrated Subseriptien: 42/- per year _ Free Sample Copy sent on request past 353 Hanworth Road, Hampton, Middlesex THE ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD AND JOURNAL OF VARIATION (Founded by J. W. TUTT on 15th April 1890) The following gentlemen act as Honorary Consultants to the magazine: Lepidoptera: Dr. H. B. WitutaMs, Q.C., LL.D., F.R.E.S.; Orthoptera: D. K. McE. Kevan, Ph.D., B.Sc., F.R.E.S.; Coleoptera: A. A. ALLEN, B.Sc.; Diptera: L. PARMENTER, F.R.E.S.; E. C. M. d’Assis-Fonseca, F.R.E.S. CONTENTS wi HOLIDAY AT THORPENESS, SUFFOLK, 1964. J. M. CHALMERS-HUNT and S. WAKELY he a 271 HADENA BARRETTII DBLD. “THE. HARD WAY. ‘Major-General ©. G. LIPSCOMB, C.B., D.S.O. A See Ee ee eee MORE ABOUT HELIOTHIS PELTIGERA ‘Schiff. Hi. ” Syaas Bee - iy k= A VISIT TO YUGOSLAVIA, 1964. Dr. NEVILLE L. BIRKETT ... ae sa) ee POLYMORPHISM IN N.E. DERBYSHIRE. J. H. JOHNSON, F.R.ELS. 5 ja ee A NEW ABERRATION OF XYLOCAMPA AREOLA ESP. H. C. Hucems, F.R.E.S. Ss : Hes nian ANT RECORDS AND OBSERVATIONS FOR 1964. K. E. J. "BARRETT aes aut ee NOTES ON ANABOLIA (PHACOPTERYX) BREVIPENNIS (CURTIS), AND IRONOQUIA (CABORIUS) DUBIA (STEPHENS), (TRICHOPTERA, LIMNEPHILIDAE). ALLAN BRINDLE rs 289 COLEOPTEROUS FAUNA OF SAND-MARTIN (RIPARIA RIPARIA RIPARIA (L.)) BURROWS IN IRELAND. A. J. M. CLAASSENS, M.Sc. ..... 292 NOTHS AND OBSERVATIONS A000 32 Leet See ees Sk a ee CUR BENE. Mua SEA FER 6 oe!) ie ee a rod ee ee Se SUPPLEMENT—THE BUTTERFLIES AND MOTHS IN KENT: A CRITICAL ACCOUNT. PART II. J. M. 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