1886. J 67 



The unusual scarcity of large Lepidoptera. — We are apt to fancy that a hard 

 winter is good for insect life ; but somehow the period of prolonged cold this year 

 from the early days of January to past the middle of March docs not seem to have 

 had a beneficial effect. 



The cold spring that followed the prolonged winter had the furtlier effect of 

 retarding the appearance of many species. When Anthocharis cardamines first 

 made its appearance in this locality I am quite unable to record, not having seen a 

 single specimen. On June 5th I saw the first specimens of Chri/nopJianus Phlceas, 

 and also Caenonympha Pamphiliis. Not a single "blue" has yet been seen by me. 

 Hipparchia Janira appeared with the very hot weather of July 4th to 7th. 



All the fields about tliis neighbourhood have been unusually full of sorrell, so 

 as to look quite red ; I am very curious to know whether that feature of the land- 

 scape will be followed by the same pi'ofusion of Chrysophanus Phlceas, which occurred 

 some twenty years ago, when I counted 300 of the butterfly one morning on one 

 long border of geraniums against a wall. The Geometric spiders had then an 

 unusual feast of butterflies, for the specimens of Phlaas got entangled by dozens in 

 the spiders' webs, where they might be seen hanging like " ropes " of onions. I 

 always look back on that as one of the most extraordinary entomological sights I 

 ever saw, and regret much that I did not make any record of the date of such an 

 occurrence. 



Arctia Caja must have been getting scarcer here for some time, but certainly this 

 year I have not seen a single larva ; formerly it used to be so very common. Of 

 Spilosoma meiithrastri I have only seen a single specimen, though of lubricepeda I 

 have seen a fair proportion. The larva of the latter species regularly eats my ferns 

 to bare mid-ribs every September, and last autumn I noticed for the first time larvae 

 of Euplexia lucipara also devastating the ferns. 



I may here remark that the most striking character of the larva of lucipara had 

 escaped my notice, till I had the larva actually before me. I allude to the Uoo 

 conspicuous, slightly raised, small white spots on the hack of the twelfth segment. 

 They are visible enough in Hiibner's figure, when you know you have to look for 

 them. 



Most of my correspondents complain of the scarcity of Lepidoptera this season ; 

 but perhaps some may have been exceptionally fortunate, and may be able to record 

 a different experience. — H. T. Stainton, Mountsfield, Lewisliam : July \Oth, 1886. 



Description of the larva of Pcedisca bilunaria. — Although I have been exam- 

 ining birch catkins for a few yeai-s past, I have not chanced to meet with the larva of 

 this species until the present spring, when it occurred in almost all the gatherings of 

 catkins -which I made. It is full-fed later than any of the five species which I have 

 at present found feeding in birch catkins ; the larvae were full-fed this year about the 

 end of April : the first began to make its cocoon on the 2oth, but did not pupate 

 until about a week later, and emerged on the 3i'd of June. In colour, the larva is 

 yellowish-white, with the head blackish-brown, as is also the second segment and the 

 front legs. It is rather swollen and slightly flattened about the central segments. 

 Head and anal segments small ; spiracles distinct, but not large, with two smaller 

 spots above each, which are rather more forward than the spii-acle : dorsal line 



