February, 1880.] 183 



Sericoris riculana, Scop, {conchana, Hiib.). On June 2l8t, 1878, 

 I found in a marsli a blossoming plant of Orchis maculata, of whicli 

 the upper portion of tbe spike of flowers had withered, and, on ex- 

 amination found that a larva had bored into the stem in the middle of 

 the spike, and was feeding among the flowers, which had been caused 

 to droop. This larva was very active, cylindrical, dirty yellowish- 

 green, spots hardly visible, but with the usual hairs ; head and dorsal 

 plate black, anal plate inconspicuous. It fed up and formed its cocoon 

 within the flower-spike, becoming a light brown pupa, and produced a 

 fine $ S. rivulana on July 24th. Soon afterwards I reared another 

 specimen from a larva in a flower-spike of Genista tincforia. 



Madame Lienig describes the larva as brown, and feeding on alder 

 between united leaves ; but I think there must be an error, either in 

 observation or in species, and I know of no other record of this larva. 

 Hartmaun, in his "Die Kleinschmetterlinge der Umgegend Miinchens," 

 quotes Lienig, and adds the months of the occurrence of the larva 

 (May and June), which Madame Lienig had not mentioned ; but his 

 only personal allusion to the larva is " not found here." 



Sericoris urticana, Hiib. Larva active, cylindrical, except that the 

 extremities are slightly attenuated. Dark liver-colour, without mark- 

 ings or visible dots, but with the usual hairs. Head and both plates 

 jet-black. Found in June, drawing together the terminal leaves of 

 Vaccinium viyrtillus, and eating out the young shoots. Pupa light 

 brown, with dark brown wing-cases, spun up among rubbish. 



I cannot find that any description of this larva has been pub- 

 lished in this country ; but Hofmann gives a very careful description 

 from Treitschke : " somewhat broad and compressed, very active, 

 " chestnut-brown, with small somewhat shining raised dots and light 

 " brown hairs. Head small and flat, dorsal and anal plates shining 

 " black, abdomen paler. In May, polyphagous on bramble, bilberry, 

 " birch and willow, in spun-together leaves. Pupa light or dark 

 "brown." 



It is a very polyphagous larva, but has, I think, a preference for 

 hard-wooded plants, and a most particular liking for Vaccinium. 

 Wilkinson says that it feeds on nettles and Epilolium, but that is not 

 the case in my experience. Mr. Machin tells me that it screws up 

 leaves of birch ; Mr. Dunsmore that he has reared it from honeysuckle ; 

 and Mr. Warren reared a lot of the white northern form from dwarf 

 honeysuckle growing in a wood near Doncaster. Strange to say, when 

 fresh out they were of a leautiful finlc. Those from the moors about 



