THE LEPIDOPTERA OF TICINO PIOTTA. 125 



The Lepidoptera of Ticino — Piotta. 



By J. W. TUTT, F.E.S. 



Still the fine weather held for us, and, on the morning of August 

 4th, we determined to walk down the valley, the Valle Leventina, and 

 so soon as we left the town behind, and passed through the well-known 

 natural archway, sport began. The path lay well above the river, 

 which here passed through a large alder carr, down to which flowery 

 slopes formed an ideal ground for butterflies, but, above the road, the 

 slopes present a marvellous stretch, possibly continuous for 4000ft. 

 elevation, up past Brugnasco, to the summits around Piora, and 

 perhaps this is why one seems to be able to collect so many insects on 

 the slopes here, and why a mixture of somewhat high and low forms 

 occurs together. The descent, too, as one walked down the valley, 

 appeared to be noticeable, for the hot sun streamed down in glorious 

 fashion, making one feel more decidedly than for a long time past 

 that this world of ours was a splendid place to live in. Some people 

 like wet, and cold, and east wands, and other things that they call 

 " bracing," etc. I don't. 



At first there was nothing very special. Ac/riades cnrydon was in 

 numbers, Paniassiiis apollo abiindant, a few Melananjia galathea, and 

 an occasional Krehia aethiops and MeUtaea did;/ in a, but a bend in the 

 road was sufiicient to bring the fauna of the district into view, not, 

 perhaps, a really great variety of species, but an abundance of specimens 

 of the species there. MeUtaea athalia (or at any rate the insect we 

 think such) with MeUtaea didi/ina, Mclanaiy/ia (/alathea, Erehia aethiops, 

 Parnasaiiis apnUo and Aviinnnis anlaia, were on every flower-head, their 

 wings down in the hot sun, and the M. didipna looking like coppers 

 as they flew from flower to flower, and vying with Heodes vir<jaureae the 

 (? sof which were also common. A corner gave Pleheins argim and Aricia 

 astrarche in abundance, whilst a large dark heavy blue hurrying up the 

 bankside disclosed Ltjcaena avion. The insect here was exceedingly 

 swift and active, and the Parnassius apollo seemed particularly large 

 and white. Arifi/nnin niobe, too, was frequent, and so were worn 

 Brenthis amathiisia. Afilais urticae appeared to be the only Vanessid, 

 until a lovely freshly-emerged Poli/i/onia c-albiim was netted from a sca- 

 bious bloom, and, on the wall at the bottom of the bank, two or three empty 

 pupa-cases of this species were observed. This road-side wall was 

 ■covered at its edge with Galium, on which was an abundance of larvje of 

 Sesia stellatariim of various sizes. Some of the smallest were selected 

 but every one turned out to be ichneumoned. On the wall also two or 

 three empty Melitseid pupa- cases were noticed, and a few unemerged 

 •ones of Ai/lais urticae. The bank below led down to a flat (consider- 

 ably grazed) through which the river flowed, whilst, at its lower end, 

 this flat was filled with a dense alder carr, on the borders of which 

 Kupatoriiun and other flowers loved of insects abounded. This was a 

 spot beyond which one need not go for many an hour, if one were so 

 disposed, for here, with nothing special, the British fauna had con- 

 gregated. A large ? Papilio uiacJuion flew busily along the bank a 

 foot or two above the ground, now and again hesitating, almost settling, 

 and going on again ; one feels satisfied that she is busy egg-laying 

 when a suitable spot shall have been detected ; A/xiria rrataeiii was in 

 ^ibundance, but going over, the $ s too transparent in the centre of the 

 June 15th, 1908. 



