58 LEPIDOFTERA. 



genital flap seems to show abundant modifications in the in- 

 sects, which we have now under consideration. 



Whether amongst the other allied species of Sciaphila : 

 fragosana, Zell. ; chnjscuithemana, Dup., and ijasivana, 

 Hlib., any diiferences of more importance occur in the form 

 of the genital flaps, I could not ascertain from the want ©f 

 materials, but I hardly fancy it from the previous investiga- 

 tions. Sc. cupressivorana $ has quite the same form of the 

 genital flaps as in Sc. communana. 



Natural History. 



The natural history of the SciaphilcB furnishes us with 

 many peculiarities ; and first of all, as mentioned in the 

 preliminary observations, the extraordinarily polyphagous 

 habits of the larvae are to be noticed: it is true it is generally 

 low plants and especially Dicotyledons, but these of all pos- 

 sible orders serve as food for the larvae of this gee us. On 

 trees and bushes we seldom notice the larva? of Sciaphila ; 

 once I found the larva of Minusculana on hawthorn, and 

 once that of Wahlhomiana on a smooth-leaved willow, but 

 in each case it was on very low bushes. Amongst the Mono- 

 cotyledons I have only once found Sciaphila-lsiVY^e, on 

 grasses (Po« nemoralis and Bracliypodiuiii), and once on an 

 Iris {Iris pseudacorus). Amongst the Gymnospermece, the 

 cypress is frequented by the larva? of Sc. cupressivorana 

 (Mann). 



It is extremely probable that the eggs are deposited at the 

 beginning of spring by hybernated females on the unfoldiog 

 leaves of low plants; since in early spring we find the very 

 characteristic first traces on the tender leaves, which are only 

 just unfolded, whereas we never see any such traces in the 

 autumn. In accordance too with this, we read that Herr 

 Mann beat the imago of Minusculana in March from dry 



