May, 18112. 1 117 



OUR RUSH-FEEDINa COLEOFRORM. 

 BY JOHIS" H. WOOD, M.B. 



One result of the investigation I recently undertook into the 

 organs of oviposition in the Lepido^tera has been the light incidentally 

 thrown upon an obscure group of the ColeopliorcB, in which, from the 

 similarity of the species, great confusion exists as to their true number 

 and limits. "When the " Manual " was written, nearly 35 years ago, 

 only two rush-feeding ColeophorcB {inurinipennella and ccBspititielld) 

 were included. Since then adjanctella and ohtusella, both exclusively 

 coast insects, have been added ; but the inland species have remained 

 much in statu quo, although it has been known for some time in certain 

 quarters that at least one unrecognised species, if not more, was hidden 

 away under one or other of the old names, and only wanted to be 

 eliminated. I had worked at the inland species myself, as opportunity 

 offered, for several years, but so slow had progress been, that when I 

 began in the spring of 1890 to catch any moth that came in my way 

 for the purpose of examining its tail end, I had only succeeded in 

 marking off one undoubtedly distinct species. 



Now, one of the earliest insects I examined in that investigation 

 was the Coleophora that flies in May among Luzida campestris, and 

 which Mr. Stainton assures me is the true murinipennella. Shortly 

 afterwards, wanting again to refer to this type of ovipositor, and mu- 

 rinipennella being over, I had to turn for a substitute to its near ally, 

 C(Bspititiella. I found, as was to have been expected, an organ of 

 precisely similar pattern, but differing in the details of one important 

 part, namely, the lower end of the genital canal where it opens ex- 

 ternally on the under-side of the 8th segment. The difference was so 

 marked, that it struck me at once that here might be the clue to the 

 secrets of the entire group ; and so magical has the effect of this line 

 of enquiry been in bringing into their proper order and importance 

 the fragmentary observations and half -formed opinions that had been 

 slowly accreting in the past, that I am now able to break up the muri- 

 nipennella and ccEspititiella of our collections into five good and 

 distinct species. I would not, however, have it to be supposed that 

 we must subject these delicate insects to mutilation and disfigurement 

 before we can satisfactorily determine them. The superficial differ- 

 encies may not, perhaps, be quite apparent enough, except to a practised 

 eye, to allow us to capture them as carelessly as we do the generality 

 of species, but by noting the time of year, the nature of the lo- 

 cality, and the kind of rush present, there need be little doubt as to 



