laiti.] 207 



Colour of Stigmellid larvae. — With reo'ard to the colour of larvae of some 

 of the species of the geniis Stiymclla (Nepticula), I believe that it changes 

 when the larva is about to spin its cocoon. On October 1st, 1908, I took two 

 quite green ones off an alder at Barnes, and was lucky enough to breed both 

 the next June. They produced Stigmella alnetella Stt. The larva of this 

 species is described as yellow. On the other hand, that of S. centifoliella Zell. 

 retains its yellow colour to the last. — Alfred Sich, Corney Hoiise, Chiswick, 

 W. : Jidy, 1916. 



A plague of caterpillars — ? Vanessa urticae.- — My note in last month's Ent. 

 Mo. Mag. (p. 186) brings me a letter from Mr. Arthur Home, Aberdeen, in 

 regard to the absence of the larvae of Vanessa urticae in his district this 

 spring. He says : " The same state of matters exists here. Last summer and 

 this one I have been at Muchalls on the Kincardine coast ; V. %irticae swarmed 

 in the larval state last year, all along the sea braes .- this year not one ! We 

 had very mild weather here in early spring, many V. urticae were flying in my 

 garden then ; this was before the nettles were above the groiind, after that 

 we had a long continuation of very cold and wet weather, which must have 

 killed the butterflies." It would be interesting to have similar or contrary 

 experiences, as the case might be, from other districts. — T. A. Chapman, 

 Betula, Eeigate : August, 1916. 



The Rhododendron Tingid (Stephanitis rhododendri Horv.) in Surrey. — Having 

 heard that this Tingid had, comparatively recently, been introduced into the 

 British Isles, I have been on the watch for it in my garden at Caraberley. 

 About the middle of June I noticed a discoloration on the leaves of several of 

 the plants and found, on the under-surface of such leaves, small groups of 

 Tingid larvae. The insects were then quite small. Examples in the nymphal 

 stage were observed towards the middle of July, and imagines were found on 

 the 28th of that month. The larvae wei-e disposed on the foliage of the previous 

 year : the adults have now dispersed themselves over the new foliage, in which 

 they will presumably deposit their eggs. The presence of the larval insects is 

 indicated, on the upper surface of the leaves, by crowded areas of yellowish 

 dots which — in the case of a heavy infection — become more or less confluent. 

 On the under-sui'face the discoloration is of a reddish brown colour, punctuated 

 by blackish spots of viscid liquid excreta. It is noticeable that the few Ehodo- 

 dendrons that have been attacked in my garden are of comparatively small- 

 leaved varieties, and are well-established plants that must have been in position 

 for at least four or five years. None of the younger plants (introduced since I 

 came to the place) have been touched ; nor can I find any signs of attack on 

 my Azaleas.- E. Ernest Green, Way's End, Camberley : August 11th, 1916. 



[Distant (Zoologist, 1910, p. 395) has given figures of the imago and nymph 

 of S. rhododendri Horv. (1905), from specimens found infesting rhododendrons 

 at Pulham, Horvath's type having been found in the same way in Holland. 

 Leptobyrsa explanata Heidemann (Proc. Ent. Soc. Washington, X, pp. 105-108, 

 pi. 4, figs, d, e, f, 1908), from the United States, is certainly the same species. 



