124 The Irish Naturalist. May, 1902. 



The Butterflies and Moths of Co. Cork. 



The Entomogist for December and January last contains an interesting 

 list of Lepidoptera (A List of the Lepidoptera of County Cork. By C. 

 Donovan, M.D., F.E-S., Capt. LIVI.S., and R.J. F. Donovan. Ento7nologist, 

 xxxiv., 1901, pp. 333-336 ; XXXV., J902, pp. 10-14), collected chiefly in the 

 south-western parts of Co. Cork at various times during the last eighteen 

 years— and not, as the title might imply, a complete list of the species 

 which are known to occur in the largest of our Irish counties. The bulk 

 of these records have already been included in Mr. Kane's recently com- 

 pleted Catalogue of Irish Lepidoptera. Nevertheless, students of this 

 group will find in Messrs. Donovan's List many previously unpublished 

 notes, some of these referring to the life-history of such insects as Sesia 

 viusciformis, B7yophila vmralis^ and others of equal rarity. 



Some twenty-four species of butterflies were obsers^ed, which may be 

 considered the usual average for an Irish county, seeing that only about 

 forty kinds are established denizens of this country. Two species, the 

 Clouded Yellow [Colzas edusa) and the Peacock [Vanessa id), are recorded 

 as common, the former in certain years; these are insects which rarely 

 fall to the net of Northern collectors. The absence of the Brown Hair- 

 streak ( Thecla betulce) from the list is notable, as this species was said to 

 be common in the South and West of Ireland by the late Bdwin Birchall ; 

 but recent work has shown that this statement is an exaggeration. 



Amongst the moths, besides the capture of a large number of rarities, 

 the authors have been successful in making at least three additions to 

 the Irish fauna : the most interesting of these being the fen-frequenting 

 Nonagria sparganii, taken commonly in marshes between the Old Head 

 of Kinsale and Glandore. Also Laphygma exigtia and Sterrha sacraria ; 

 single examples of both of these were captured in the vicinity of Timo- 

 league. Captain Donovan is to be congratulated on the discovery of a fresh 

 locality for the Hill of Howth Moth (^Dianthcccia Barrettii)^ specimens of 

 which were taken at Courtmacsherry, thus extending the known range 

 of the local species in Ireland — the previous records being Howth and 

 the coast of Waterford. Of interest also is the occurrence of what the 

 authors consider to have been a recent immigration of the Mullein Moth 

 Cnadlia verbasci), first noticed in the summer of 1901. The caterpillar 

 of this species is of a bluish-white ground-colour, with yellow and black 

 markings, and being strikingly conspicuous on its food-plants, and the 

 authors think they could hardly have overlooked it in previous years, 

 It occurred plentifully on Scroplmlaria and Verbasciim. 



A short list of " Microlepidoptera " is given, and the waiters promise 

 further researches in this section of the Lepidoptera, a study in which 

 they are certain to be richly rewarded, as it has been much neglected by 

 collectors in this country. 



