DISAPPEAUANOE OF LKPIDOPTKRA, RTO. 231 



and West Wickham (ride, IiifeU.,vo\.\.). T have heard of no captures 

 lately. jUplntlin dllnfti, fonnorly !i swarming species, seems to have 

 Ijecome scarcer the last few years. Acronycta (Cnspidia) tridnis, once 

 common in the larval state, has not been so noticed for years, and the 

 same remark applies to Acronycta ( Viminia) rumicis. Tapinosfola fnlra, 

 once swarminc^ locally, is now extinct. Chortodes arcnosa, wliicli used 

 to swarm locally, is now only represented by an occasional specimen. 

 Cocnohia rnfa is extinct, thou<i;h it also used to swarm locally. Apamea 

 nnanimis was formerly common on the marshes ; I have only seen two in 

 the last ten years. Agrotin tritici, common at heather l)lossoni, I have 

 not seen for years. A. (ujathina, formerly excessively abundant in 

 the larval state on heaths in spring, is now scarce. Noctua c-ni<jrnm, 

 formerly an abundant insect, is now scarce. N. wahrosa, once locally abun- 

 dant, is now extinct. Pachnobia rvhricosa, which was one of the commonest 

 visitors to the sallows, is now one of the rarest. Dyschorisfd fissipimcta 

 (njjsdon), excessively abundant at sugar and among willows at dusk, 

 is no longer common. Xanthia fulva(jo abundant at honey-dew on 

 sallows in the autumn, is now scarce. X. anrago, locally not uncom- 

 mon, is now extinct. Cirrhoedia xerampelma used to be captured in 

 small numbers at the street lamps, but none have been seen during 

 the last ten years. Plastenis retusa, formerly not at all scarce in the 

 larval state, has quite disappeared. Aplecta adoena (occasionally com- 

 mon) is never observed now. Calocaiapa velusta and C. exoleta, never very 

 common, are apparently gone. CucnlUa verbasci, formerly common in the 

 larval state, is now conspicuousl}^ absent. Erastria faaciana, once locally 

 common, is now extinct. Habrostola tripartita, formerly common, is now 

 apparently extinct. Mania maura, once very abundant, is now uncom- 

 mon. Frothymia viridaria (aenea) has quite disappeared, though it 

 used to be common. 



I have only selected a few of the most conspicuous examples amonc 

 the PvRALiuES and Crambi. Eirnla .sericealis, once a swarming insect 

 in every lane, is now far from common. Pyralis costalis {fiinbrialis) 

 abundant at light, &c., is now scarce. Ennychia octoniaculalis, once 

 locally common, is now extinct. Scopula ferrugalis very common 

 at light, is now rarely seen. Botys pandalis, common in all our 

 home woods, is now seldom seen. EbuJea sambucalis used to be 

 abundant in every garden, it is now scarce. Perinephele lancealis, once 

 locally common, is now extinct. Paraponyx stratiotalis, once a pest at 

 light, is now rare. Crambus falseUus was common in gardens and on 

 palings in their vicinity, but I have not seen one for many years. Clu'Io 

 })hra(jmitellns from being locally common has become rare. Aphomia 

 sociella, formerly common in every lane, is now much less common. 



It will be seen that, roughly speaking, of 100 species affected, about 

 40 liave actually become extinct, 20 rare, and 40 tliat were formerly 

 abundant are now not common. Curiously enough the Tortrices 

 seem to have Ijeen (piitc unaffected. Whether this arises from the fact 

 that less attention was paid to them in ])ast times than at present, I 

 cannot say. The district is singularly rich in Tortuices, and although 

 I know of very many more species occurring in our home district than 

 I did thirty or thirty-five years ago, I can only call to mind a single 

 species {Catoptria albersaua) that seems to have l)ecome rarer, and 

 perhaps it may have been overlooked. 



