180 [August, 



DESCRIPTION OF A NEW VARIKTY OF APLECTA NEBULOSA, 

 HuFN., FROM DELAMERE FOREST, CHESHIRE. 



BY J. ARKLE. 



Aplecta nkbulosa, Hufii., var. thompsoki, vnr. nov. 



The iippei' wings are black. There is an inrlistinct, and slightly blacker, 

 median fascia or transverse band. The upper and widest part of this band 

 embraces the discoidal cell, in wliich the discoidai spots (orbicular and reniform) 

 appear faintly as smoky-black markings, paler than the rest of the wing area. The 

 outer margins are white, and include, in addition to the cilia, the areas of black 

 crescentic spots which appear in tlie tyi)ical form of the insect from Delamere 

 Forpst. These white margins arc consequently scalloped interiorly. The costal 

 margins have three white spots near the apical angle. 



The lower wings are smoky-black, paler towards the base. The uervures are 

 black. The outer margins are white as in the upper wings. 



The head and thorax are black. The abdomen smoky-black with darker 

 dorsal crests, and darker posteriorly. The anal tuft is white. The anterior and 

 lateral crests of the thorax are black, pointed behind and well developed. The 

 latter have long, broad, interior white patches. 



The front legs are black, the hind legs smoky-black with white spots. 



This strikinj^ variety is very diffcront from the var. robsoni, Tutt, 

 which is without the white markings and decorations. In giving a 

 name to this aberration I prefer a personal to a hical one, as the form 

 is pretty sure to turn up, as others have done in other districts than 

 Delamere Forest. For example, T have it on good authority that the 

 variety robsoni occurs in at least three districts in Yorkshire. I 

 have, therefore, much pleasure in giving the name tJiompsoni to this 

 remarkable example of melanism, in recognition of the labours on its 

 behalf of my friend Mr. Thompson, of Chester. 



2, G-eorge Street, Chester : 

 July \Mh, 1904. 



The genus OtiorrhyncliuH, Oenn., in the Isle of Man.— The following notes 

 summarize my experience with Otiorrhynchus in the Isle of Man during the last 

 two and a half years : — 



O, blandus, Gyll. : this species I have taken sparingly each year in several 

 localities ; most of the specimens have occurred from the end of March to the end 

 of May, and a few again in September, chiefly under stones on the hillsides at an 

 elevation of 300 to 400 feet. My note as to its apparent absence from high alti- 

 tudes in the Island (Ent. Mo. Mag., 1902, p. 219) is corroborated by Mr. B.Tomlin's 

 visit to the summit of Snaefell (2000 feet), on May 27th, 1904, when he met with 

 no signs of its occurrence. From a faunistic point of view its occurrence in Man is 

 of interest, seeing that it is common in Ireland and Scotland, but absent from 

 England and Wales. 



