The Macro- Lcpidoptera of the Londonderry District. 2 1 



S 1' II I N G U S . 



Acherontia atropos, Linn.— Several specimens of the " Death's 



Head" have been found here, l)ut we have never l)een so fortunate 

 as to take one. Mr. Mihie secured a fine one at Hallycastle, Co. 

 Antrim. 



Smerlnthus populi, Linn.— Very abundant. We have met witli 

 some very beautiful varieties. 



IVIacroglossa stellatarum, Linn.— Occurs in most localities, more 

 abundant on the coast. We took the larvie, feeding on Galium, on 



Magilligan sandhills. 



Zygaena filipendulae, Linn.— Very common on the shores of Lough 

 Swilly. W'e took a strange variety, having six spots on one wing, 

 and only five on the other. 



We never saw any Sesiidis in the Londonderry district. 



B O ]M B Y C E vS . 



Nola confusalis, Herr-Schaif.— One specimen. 

 Nudaria mundana, Linn.— Common. 

 Euchelia jacobaeae, Linn. — Common. 



Nemeophila plantaginis, Linn.— Generally distributed, but not 



common. 



Arctia caia, Linn. — Common. 



Spilosoma fuliginosa, Linn.— Common. We found the larvae swarm- 

 ing on the Magilligan sandhills. 



S. lutoricipcda, Esp. ) ^j 



^ ' ^ i^ I Very common. 



S. mcnthastri, Esp. ) 



Hepialus hectus, Linn. — Common in the wooded localities. 



H. velleda, Hiib. — Common, but seemed to be abundant only in alter- 

 nate years, during some seasons, hardly a specimen appeared. 



H. humuli, Linn. — Very common. 



Orgyla antiqua, Linn. — Fairly common. 



Eriogastcr lanestris, Linn. — Larvae very abundant on the stunted 



blackthorn on Magilligan sandhills. W^e found much difficulty in 

 rearing the larvae, and only succeeded in bringing out a few imagines. 

 Probably they missed the fresh sea-air of their original home. I 

 believe E. lanestris sometimes remains as long as six or seven years in 

 the pupal state, although three years was the longest period with us. 



Poecilocampa populi, Linn. — Two specimens. Mr. Milne has taken 

 the larv^. 



Bombyx rubi, Linn. — Common 



B. quercus, var. callunas, Palmer.— Common. We found the larvce 

 in thousands on the Innishowen moorlands. Unfortunately a large 

 proportion of them were attacked by ichneumons. 



Odoncstis potatoria, Linn.— Common. 



Saturn ia pavonia, Linn. — Common. 



Drepana laccrtinaria, Linn.— Pretty common at Buncrana. We 

 found the larvae in some numbers in the young birch woods. 



Dicranura vinula, Linn. — Common. 



D. bifida, Hiib. — One specimen. 



D. furcula, Linn.— Rare. 



