1887.] 275 



OCCUREENCE IN DORSETSHIRE OF BUTALIS SICCELLA, ZELLER, 



A SPECIES NEW TO BRITAIN. 



BY E. R. BA.NKES, M.A., F.E.S. 



I have mucTi pleasure in recording the addition to the British list 

 of this obscure but interesting little Butalis, which I was fortunate 

 enough to meet with near Weymouth in the end of June of last year 

 (1886). Not long previously, Mr. C. W. Dale happened to mention 

 that some years ago he had taken B. variella in that locality, where- 

 upon, although he had no doubt about the identity of the species, I 

 determined to investigate the matter, for I knew that Erica cinerea, 

 upon which we find the larva of B. variella in this district, did not 

 grow in the neighbourhood. Accordingly, towards the end of June, I 

 went down, accompanied by Mr. Dale, to search for the insect, and 

 was fortunate in meeting with specimens of a Butalis, which struck 

 me at once as being very different from the typical B. variella, and 

 which have lately been identified by Mr. H. T. Stainton as B. siccella, 

 Zeller. 



This species is described by Professor Zeller in the " Linnaea 

 Entomologiea," x, 257, and it may be interesting to quote the remarks 

 he there makes about it, as compared with the closely allied B. variella. 



" Although very variable, this species appears to be specifically distinguished 

 from variella by the anal tuft of the male, -which is stouter, and has the appearance 

 of being cut off straight behind (' den starkern, hinten grade abgeschnittenen 

 Afterbusch '). The more obtuse form of the fore-wings, and the blackish upper 

 surface of the abdomen, must also be considered as affording additional points of 

 distinction. 



" Siccella is, as a rule, smaller than variella, yet, especially in the female sex, it 

 does attain to the size of the smallest specimens of the latter 



" Fore-wings shorter than in variella, and, owing to the greater density of the 

 fringes, appearing less sharply pointed ; the ground-colour darker, yellowish-brown, 

 the white scales being sparingly scattered over the surface : the quantity of these 

 scales varies greatly, but does not cause tlie ground-colour to appear paler : these 

 scales accumulate at the apex, and here generally form a whitish spot — sometimes, 

 however, they are entirely absent. 



" The fold is black ; beyond the middle lies a white dot composed of a few 

 scales ; between this and the base there is generally another dot, variable in size, 

 and sometimes larger than the former. At the extremity of the fold there are only 

 scattered white scales, which do not form a spot. 



" At Grlogau siccella is not rare in sandy Scotch-fir woods in June. It flies in the 

 sunshine, frequenting flowers, and, in company with cicadella, visits those of Jasione 

 montana. I have also taken it on the flowers of Potentilla argentea " 



Von Heinemann considers B. siccella as only a variety of 

 B. variella ; but Snellen, writing at a later date, keeps them separate, 

 and there can be but little doubt that they are really distinct. 



