NEW BRITISH SPECIES IN 1855. 35 



fined dark fascia before the middle, and dark rather trian- 

 gular spot at the anal angle ; two dark spots on the costa 

 before the apex are very distinct; cilia pale yellowish, varied 

 with fuscous. Posterior wings greyish, darkest towards the 

 hinder margin, mottled with white ; cilia whitish. The female 

 is larger and paler than the male. 



The addition of this new species to our Fauna was the 

 reward of Mr. Harding's perseverance; he having detected 

 the larva in the summer of 1854 (see Enigma No. 14, Ent. 

 Annual, 1855, 1st Edition, p. 63; 2nd Edition, p. 86), and 

 systematically followed up his problem to solution. 



Mr. Harding has furnished me with the following in- 

 teresting notes of the habits of the insect: — "The moths 

 make their appearance the end of May and beginning of 

 June. The males are much more rare than the females, but 

 both are very local and far from common. They rest on the 

 lower leaves of the Eryngium maritimum, the plant on which 

 the larva feeds, or on the sand under the plant ; when dis- 

 turbed, their flight is short, seldom more than three or four 

 yards, alighting on the sand, or on some neighbouring plant 

 of Eryngium. The female deposits her eggs on the top or 

 heart of the plant — seldom more than one in a plant ; the 

 larva? are hatched in about twelve or fourteen days, and begin 

 to work down the stem to the first joint, where they open a 

 hole to work out their excrement ; then work down again to 

 the next joint, where they make a hole as at the first joint. 

 Finally, they work down the stem to the root, where they 

 change to a red-brown pupa in autumn (I believe in the autumn, 

 but am not quite certain when the change takes place); the 

 pupa works up the dead stem of the plant to the top in May, 

 and then the perfect insect makes its escape. They remain 

 in the imago state for about three weeks." 



The larva is yellowish white, with black spots. 



Mr. Harding met with this species, on the coast near 

 Deal. 



