THE SEASON OF 1912 IN ABERTILLERY. 175 



•r^ata and a single Am/erona prnnaria, together with a good many 

 Tortrices and other micros. 



Dusking, which was fairly successful, gave most of the Geometers 

 I have just mentioned, with the addition of Ourapteri/x sambucaria, 

 Hijdricniiena impliiviata and a single Leptinneria [Acidalia) stritjilaria 

 taken on July 6th, which was probably the best capture of the holiday. 

 Several evenings after this were spent in the Warren in the hopes of L. 

 stiic/ilaria turning up again, but without success. A few common 

 Noctnae were taken at dusk, but nothing worthy of mention except 

 Pjirrhia [Charadea) umbra of which I netted four rather worn 

 examples. The weed-grown sides of a small stagnant pond was a 

 rather productive hunting ground at dusk, Lencania pallens was very 

 common here, but even this insect was exceeded in numbers by the 

 beautiful Alncita {Aci/itilia) pentadacUjla, which were flying gently, in 

 scores, over the weeds like animated snowfiakes, in company with 

 several Schoenohius forficellits and Catacly^ita lemnata. 



On the night of July 10th I took my first Tapinostola bondii, which 

 was found at rest, about midnight, on a grass stem. The next night I 

 again visited this particular spot just at dusk. I was fortunate enough 

 to find T. bundii about in fair numbers, but unfortunately rather passe, 

 a dozen fair examples were taken. This very local insect, to get which 

 was one of my objects in visiting Folkestone, is confined to an extremely 

 restricted area, the exact localitj^ I do not intend to divulge. The time 

 of flight is of very short duration, before 8.30 p.m. not a single example 

 is to be seen, they appear on the wing all at once, and the flight is 

 quite over by 8.50 p.m. The moth can then be seen at rest on grass 

 stems, etc. A few of the local Stenia punctalis and a nice varied series 

 of Miana hicoloria were taken at the same time. 



Sugar was tried on several nights, with good results as far as 

 numbers went, although I was not fortunate enough to take any of 

 the local coast insects I had hoped to get. The best night I had at 

 sugar was July 6th, a hot close night with thunder about, insects were 

 on the sugar in extraordinary numbers. I took the following species 

 at sugar on this and other nights, Leucania pallens, L. iuipura and 

 L. litharm/ria, Axijlis putris, Xi/lophasia litJioxylea, (abundant), X. 

 subltistris (common), A', rtirea (common). A', monoi/li/pha (abundant), 

 Mamestra brassicae (common), Apamea secalis (octdea), Miana strigilis 

 (common), Caradrina )iiorpJieHs and C. ahines, Aijrotis exclaniationis 

 (abundant), Triphaejia pro7iuba (abundant) and T. orbona, Nuctua 

 plecta (common), Hecatera serena, Phlof/ophora meticiilosa (abundant), 

 Hadena oleracea (abundant), and Plitsia (jamnrn. There is nothing very 

 striking in this short list, but it was well worth the trouble taken, as 

 it was a wonderfully interesting and, to me, uncommon sight to see 

 such a large number of insects at sugar. 



Collecting round the gas lamps at night was rather disappointing, 

 although insects of a common order were plentiful enough, nothing 

 really good was seen. Knpithecia obluiKjata was very common at 

 light; this species together with two or three common CraDibi were 

 seen on almost every lamp. Brijophila peiia was not so plentiful as 

 I expected to find it. I was particularly anxious to obtain the local 

 form ab. suffusa, but only succeeded in takmg two examples of this 

 dark variety, intermediate forms were more plentiful. The other 

 insects seen at light were not of any particular interest. 



