NOTfiS ON COLLECTING, ETC. 151 



^g^OTES ON COLLECTING, Etc. 



Some Stray Entomological Notes of 1895. 



By W. H. BIDING, M.D., F.E.S. 



The protracted frost during- the early months of the year caused 

 a scarcity of most hybernating larvM". Those of Tri/pliacnaorbona were 

 an exception, and could have been taken in large numbers by shaking 

 hawthorns and elms in the hedges. Some Avhich I bred, produced many 

 varieties — several dark ones marbled and shaded Avith grays and browns 

 like Scotch forms, besides the red ochreous var. and the pale one with 

 reddish-brown stigmata. The perfect insect, oddly enough, rarely 

 turned up at sugar. I did not come across half a dozen, whilst T. 

 pronuba, the larvtB of which could only be found here and there, was a 

 perfect pest at sweets later on, and variable as usual. We searched 

 in vain for the pale larvae of JJoariiiia rcpimdata, as two years ago I 

 bred two var. aiurrrsaria from some feeding on hawthorn, neither was 

 the perfect insect to be found in the summer. In May and early June 

 there was no difficulty in choosing the pick of the larvae falling to 

 the beating stick, though usually much selection is needed if we would 

 not overstock our cages. To find a larva on elm (except a few of 

 Cah/nniia trapes in a) was a hopeless task and provoking, as I hoped to 

 breed a large number of C ajjini^, and some V. diffiiiis, thinking I 

 might find amongst them < '. pi/raluia. FAqiithccia rectantinlata larvas 

 were rather plentiful in apple orchards, a practised eye soon resting on 

 petals of blossom spun together where the variable larva was pretty 

 sure to be found snugly ensconced, though weevil grubs mostly fall to 

 the lot of the novice till he is able to recognise their less tidy work. 



Sugar was rather more productive than usual in early June, but 

 the best m^QQiii\\'QXQ Aplcrta aihriui, (Traiiniicsiatrii/raiinnica var. bilinea, 

 and some rather dark forms of Xi/laphasia lirpatica. Later on, it failed 

 to attract, save T. pnmuba, and in July, searching night after night, I 

 could only get together 15 ('. pijralina. The manuals give August as 

 the " time of appearance " for the latter, but this does not accord with 

 my experience. I take it the first week in July and throughout the 

 month, the insect getting more or less worn towards the end. Once, 

 in 1891, two fresh specimens were taken on August 2nd, but none 

 after that date, though well searched for. I find it here only in apple 

 orchards, and have a strong suspicion that it may turn out to be an 

 apple-feeder, but unfortunately we cannot very well beat our neigh- 

 bour's future cider crop, and so must try and solve the question some 

 other way. A few elms may, it is true, be scattered here and there on 

 the outskirts, but the insects do not seem to frequent the sugared trees 

 on the outside more than those in the centre of the orchard, and they 

 are also the very first insects to rush to the sweets at early dusk, before 

 a Noctuid can be seen flying. During the same month I netted, either 

 in damp lanes or round the sugar, or boxed oft" it, some 80 or more of 

 Hi/prnodi'x albistrif/alis, but, as usual, about one in ten only were fine 

 specimens. In the lanes the moth flies low, and drops into the grass 

 or thick herbage, wriggling about in it, and so loses its scales. Can 

 no one give a clue to its food plant? I hope to have a good 

 search for it next year, as, being tolerably abundant in a few 

 localities, it seems strange that entomologists, both in this country and 



