WICKEX RE-VISITED. THE LEPIDOPTERA OF WICKEN FEN, ETC. 297 



taken on this visit were Lencania pollens, L. iwpura, L. lithargijiia, 

 L. coniijcra (all very common), L. pudorina (in countless numbers), 

 L. straiiiinea, L. cunniia (worn), L. obsoleta, Tapinostola liellmanni, 

 Chortoiles arcKOsa, Melicoia jiaimiiea, Coenobia riifa and Calaiiiia phraij- 

 )iiiti(lis. Although not strictly a " wainscot " Arsilonche venosa might 

 be added, the first specimen of the second-brood occurring on the 25th. 

 There were some early dates for Wicken (which is always rather back- 

 Avard), notably Tapinostola Iwllmanni on July 15th. This is a curious 

 insect. It never appears before 11 p.m., is commonest in the small hours, 

 and always quiet in its movements for a Noctuid. In spite of this it 

 seems always to be worn. The first specimen I took was eery worn, 

 and, although it got fairly common before I left, I scarcely had half-a- 

 dozen really good ones in all. It comes equally to light and treacle, 

 but always late. The best way to get Coenobia riifa is at dusk, when 

 it fiies low through the shorter sedges, and has an agravating way of 

 dropping to the roots. A few came to light later, but not many. (Jalai)iia 

 p/tntiji/iitidis appeared on the 19th and rapidly became abundant. 

 They were especially attached to the reeds and grasses, but a few 

 came to light and treacle ; some lovely rosy forms were among them. 

 A quite good Meliana flannnea surprised me at light on the 22nd, and 

 the same night I took a fresh Scoliopteryx libatri.v at treacle. This is 

 a queer mixture, and a comparison of dates with a hybernated specimen 

 taken at Hailsham on July 1st gives the imago of this latter species 

 a possible life of eleven months. Perhaps the most interesting Noctuid 

 was Cleuceris viurinalis. The first specimen occurred on July 11th, 

 ten days later than at Hailsham, and was so black that I did not 

 recognise it at first. I have always reckoned this a scarce species at 

 ^Vicken, but after the first week, there were three or four on every 

 post and a number at light. I took none on the reeds or grasses, but 

 it was common at late dusk, round the buckthorn bushes — attracted 

 apparently, by a few belated blossoms. It varied from pale whitish- 

 grey to nearly black, but, curiously enough, no others quite as dark as 

 the first one taken. The species is evidently a tasty morsel. There 

 is a long-legged, wainscot-coloured spider which secretes itself 

 under the bark on the treacle posts, and preys on the moths. 

 Its victims, almost without exception, were C. vwiinaliK, even 

 during the first week, when the moth was rare. Later on, it was a 

 veiy common sight to see a specimen hanging in the spider's grip — 

 always seized in the same way — just at the back of the neck, between 

 head and thorax. In all, 77 species of Noctuids were noticed. Besides 

 those mentioned, the more interesting were Xemia reticulata (a few at 

 treacle in the village), Helotropha lencoatiipiia (the first specimen on the 

 26th, my last night), Aijnitis nigricans (in abundance), Hadena sua^a, 

 Aplecta adrena (nearly over), L'uswia afjiuis (common in the last week), 

 Herminia cribralis, sitting about on the reeds abundantly, but getting 

 worn, and Hijpenodes coataestyiijalis and H. albistriyalis both very occa- 

 sionally at treacle. Hi/drelia mica occurred at dusk on the 22nd, and 

 at Chippenham Fen, Ilifiila sericealis, Toxocaiupa pantinHm, and Ay rotis 

 tritici were in great numbers, and one fine Phma urichalcea was netted 

 over hemp agrimony. A notable absentee was Triphaena interjecta, 

 usually so common, but of which I did not see a single specimen. 

 Among the Geometrids, the most conspicuous are the buckthorn- 

 feeders. At dusk, Scutnsia retttlata fiy round all the bushes in clouds, 



