226 [October, 



the scutellum black, and the head itself more coarsely and more irre- 

 gularly punctate. Z. scutellaris is attached to Populun nigra, and 

 should occur in England. Z. ftaoicollis I have only seen on Populus 

 tremula. 



Horsell: Augud 2Stk, 1905. 



OCOUERENCE OF ARGYRESTHIA ILLUMINATELLA, Zull., 

 IN BRITAIN. 



BY E. MEYKICK, B.A.., E.U S. 



Two Specimens of this insect were recently sent uie for determi- 

 nation by Mr. Alfred Sieh of Chiswick, who (in company with his 

 brother, Mr. Leonard Sich) took them in the middle of June near 

 Hailsham, in Sussex. It does not seem to have been authentically 

 recorded from Britain before, so far as I know ; earlier records were 

 based on the species now known as atmoriella. The unicolorous 

 species of Argyresthia present difficulties which are probably not yet 

 fully understood ; and therefore when visiting Merton Hall, I took 

 the opportunity to compare these specimens with Lord Walsingham's 

 continental material, and to get his opinion on them. Lord Walsing- 

 ham and Mr. J. H. Durrant both agreed with me that they were 

 referab'e to the true illuminatella, and their identity may therefore 

 be taken as established. 



The species is markedly smaller and more yellowish than atmori- 

 ella, but is especially distinguished from it by the much paler hind- 

 wings ; ahnoriella feeds on larch, illuminatella on pine (species 

 doubtful, or perhaps more than one). Ocnerostoma piniariella, which 

 might be confused with it, is abundantly distinct structurally by the 

 reduced neuration and shorter palpi, and is greyer. Mr. Sich reports 

 that the specimens were beaten from Pinus (spe. ies not ascertained) 

 in a wood which also included larch and other trees ; the insect was 

 common, but was regarded at the time as being O. piniariella, from 

 which, on subsequent examination, he found it to be distinct. 1 hope 

 that the discoverer will now complete his interesting record by finding 

 the larva and correctly identifyini; the food-plant. 



1 may add that the description in my '" Handbook " is drawn 

 from the true illuminatella (not from atmoriella, to which Staudinger 

 in his Catalogue refers it), but the localities cited are erroneous. 



Thornhanger, Marlborough : 

 August 15th, 1905. 



