1 84 THE MOTHS OF THE BRITISH ISLES. 



and southern counties, and in some of the midland. Rare 

 in Wales, Cheshire, Lancashire, and York. Only doubtfully 

 recorded from Scotland. In Ireland it is widely distributed, 

 and, according to Kane, not uncommon where it occurs. 



The Northern Footman {Liihosia sericea). 



Gregson named and described this insect in i860, and in the 

 following year Guenee described it as L. molybdcola. It seems 

 to be peculiar to England; and only occurs on the mosses 

 of Lancashire and Cheshire. The fore wings are somewhat 

 narrower and darker in colour than those of the Scarce Foot- 

 man ; and the hind wings are suffused, to a greater or lesser 

 extent, with dark grey. Some entomologists maintain that 

 this is probably only a small form of Z. complana. According 

 to Mr. Pierce it cannot be specifically separated from that 

 species or from L. PygincEola by the genitalia, the usual test 

 in such matters. Prout, however, has stated that Speyer, in 

 1867, pointed out structural differences, not only in the shape 

 of the wings, but also in the size of the costal tuft of scales on 

 the underside of the fore wings. It should be added that 

 there does not seem to be any material difference between 

 the caterpillar of complana and that of sericea. Anyway, the 

 question of form or species may here be left open. The fact 

 of the Northern, or Gregson's, Footman being an exclusive 

 British production invests the insect with an importance greatly 

 above that attaching to the majority of our moths. The moth 

 is depicted on Plate 97, Fig. 8. 



The Pigmy Footman {Lithosia lutarella). 



Ochreous white, sometimes tinged with greyish, or with 

 yellowish ; hind wings clouded with greyish on the front area. 

 Female almost always smaller than the male. The fore wings 



