February, 18G(!.] 193 



A FEW DAYS AMONG THE MICRO-LEPIDOPTERA OF SOUTH DEVON. 

 BY K. C. K. JOB.DAK, M.D. 



Having a few days whicli I could take as a holiday in the middle 

 of Septembei', I determined to work a little at the lesser Lepidoptera, 

 and the following is a short summary of my work. 



September 20th — early morning. Eoad from Teignmouth to Hal- 

 don. Examined the elm carefully, both Lithocolletis Schrelerella and 

 L. tristrigella were in abundance in the pupa and larva states ; L. tri- 

 fasciella was in profusion on the honeysuckles ; L. emberizcepennella 

 scarce. Viburnum la?itana grows commonly as you approacb Haldon, 

 but L. lantanella did not appear to be very frequent in its leaves, how- 

 ever, several wei'e found ; many also of Peronea tristana were met with, 

 frequently the moth had escaped, but sometimes the pupa still remained 

 well and lively in the curious oblong box constructed for it by the 

 larva. On one of the leaves of this plant I found a Qracilaria cocoon, 

 with the pupa-skin protruding and the moth gone, but careful exami- 

 nation showed that this was no novelty, as a sallow was intertwined 

 amongst the branches, and the cones of G. stigmatella were abundant 

 on its leaves. On the poplar trees at the cemetery were also cones, 

 probably of this same species, and the mines of what at first looked like 

 a large Nepticula, but whicli I suspect was dipterous. 



Morning. Went to the Shaldon Cliffs round the Ness point to 

 search for the Gemiostoma among the Lathyrus sylvestris ; blotches there 

 were in plenty, but the larvse had all escaped, and I could not find the 

 cocoons. The mystery of this little insect must therefore wait in 

 patience for another year. On the Epilohium and Eupatorium leaves 

 were a few larvfe of Coleophora troglodytella feeding, and on the Lotus 

 plants were larvse of Goleophora discordella. The leaves of Silene 

 maritima were also eaten as by a Goleophora, but no larvae could be 

 found. 



The teazle heads abounded with the larvse of Gochylis roseana ; 

 on the sallow were cones of G. stiymatella, and on the wild privet, 

 cones (but none with larvse) probably of Goriscium cuculipennellum ; 

 on the plantain were the young mines of G. tringipennella. 



The Inula flowers were no longer tenanted, Gelechia paupella had 

 taken its flight, and Eupithecia dbsinthiata had buried, but I found a 

 Eupithecia larva, probably of this species, on flowers of G-olden-rod, 

 and another larger one, to me unknown, on flowers of Ghrysanthemum 

 leucanihemum. Golden-rod was searched in vain for Guleophorce, and 

 the Poterium in vain for Nepticulce. 



