NOTES ON THE DISTRIBUTION, ETC., OF ACIDALIA IBIMORATA. 9 



gested was an extraordinary variety of Strcnia dathrata" (Proc. Knt 

 Soc. Londo)!, 1868, p. xxxviii). In the Knt. Mo. Mat/., xxiv,, 

 p. 133, Mr. J. H. A. Jenner announced the capture of two specimens 

 of the same species, on June 27th, 1887, by Mr. C. A. Morris, 

 on some heathy ground, near Lewes. A month later (Nov., 

 1887) this same note was duplicated in the Knhniiolntiist, and a figure 

 of the species given. On Nov. 2nd, 1887, Mr. S. Stevens again 

 exhibited, at a meeting of the Ent. Soc. of London, the " Desvignes " 

 specimen, when Mr. .J. .Jenner Weir stated that Desvignes was a friend 

 and correspondent of Mr. Hopley, who formerly lived at Lewes, and 

 that probably Mr. Stevens' specimen came from that district. In 

 1888, the species was again recorded by Mr. .Jenner, from Lewes, and 

 during this, and following years, the species has been taken in more or 

 less abundance in the neighbourhood of that town. 



In his original note on the species, Mr. Jenner mentioned that the 

 species somewhat resembled the female of Fidonia atomaria ; Guence 

 and Berce places it in Strenia, and to this genus, until this year, I 

 have been inclined to refer* it. Staudinger places it in Aridalia. 



Guenee (vol. x., p. 11) says that it inhabits " Pres bas, champs de 

 prairies artificiclles de I'AUemagne, de la Suisse, des Basses Alpes, etc., 

 en mais, puis en aoiit. Ne se trouve pas ordinairement aux environs 

 de Paris. Cependant elle a ete prise, autour de Compiegne." In 

 England, I believe, it has only been taken in June and July, and 

 Jenner says that its food-plant is Callnua rulf/aris, and it has been 

 among this plant that the Lewes specimens have been captured. He 

 further says that it is readily disturbed from the herbage by day, and 

 apparently does not fly at dusk. Jordan pointed out (/*/"« ^ Mo. Ma;/., 

 XXV., p. 75) that the habits of the imago were much like those of 

 Strenia dat/trata, that, in the beginning of July, 1888, he saw dozens 

 flitting over a large patch of lucerne, between S. Nicholas and Zermatt. 

 He further remarks that the larva cannot be very particular about its 

 food-plant, for Frey gives " i^/iVrt, and other low plants," and adds 

 that he has frequently taken the moth where there was no Erica to be 

 found within many miles. I saw it in great abundance near Aix-les- 

 Bains, last July (second brood, I should say), not flying among, but easily 

 disturbed from, the herbage in the daytime. Its habits somewhat 

 resemble Strenia, but are much more like those of AcidaUaornata. 



As to its distribution, I have already quoted Guenee. Berce 

 {Faiinc Ent. Franf:aise) gives, " Basses- Alpes, Auvergne, Alsace, and 

 Burgoyne." It occurs in Holland (Snellen) ; Staudinger gives : 

 " Central and north Europe (except polar region and England) ; central 

 and north Italy, Bulgaria, south-east Russia, Bithynia, north-east 

 Siberia." I have taken it at 7,000 feet elevation in the Dauphinc 

 Alps (Le Lautaret), August, 1896. I found it in great abundance 

 near Aix-les-Bains, July 24th-27th, 1897, and the following week, 

 more sparingly, at St. Michel de Maurienne. 



Two years ago, I happened to mention to Mr. W. E. Nicholson 

 that I thought the insect really was a Strenia, but he sent me larvae, 

 and told me he thought Staudinger had correctly placed it — in Acidalia. 

 Last summer I obtained eggs, and expected to find the insect a Fidoniid. 

 I examined these eggs side by side with those of S. datJirata, and 

 found that, whilst the latter had a distinct Fidoniid egg, the former was 

 an Acidaliid, belonging to that section of the latter group, with longi- 



