LEPIDOPTERA IN EAST SUFFOLK, 1905. 

 By Eev. a. p. Waller, B.A. 



I HAVE headed my notes " Lepidoptera in East Suffolk," but 

 in reality my observations, with few exceptions, have been con- 

 fined to a small district situated near Woodbridge, and in close 

 proximity to the tidal waters of the Piiver Deben. The past 

 season in this restricted locality, which I have now worked 

 regularly for six years, and on and off for a much longer period, 

 has been marked by the entire absence of many species I usually 

 expect to see, and by the occurrence of several insects which are 

 quite new to me. Additions to my local list were Hepialus 

 si/lvanus, Euchelia jacohcece (imagines and larvfe), Biston hirtaria, 

 Noctiia haia, Tethea suhtusa, Cleora lichenaria, Chesias rufata (1), 

 Herminia cribralis, Schoenohius mucronellus, &c. The absentees 

 included Vanessa pohjchloros (always uncertain as to numbers, 

 but generally occurring), Thccla riihi (sometimes abundant), 

 Mamestra anceps, Apamea hasilinea, A. gemina, Grammesia tri- 

 grammica, Agrotis saucia, Noctiia /estiva, Aplecta advena (often 

 plentiful). Mania typica, &c. I have seen neither Colias edusa 

 nor Sjyhinx convolvuli, and I do not remember noticing Vanessa 

 cardid, whilst only one pupa of Acherontia atropos has been 

 brought to me from the potato fields. 



Eeferring to my diary, I see the first note I have is the 

 appearance, on March 1st, of Hyhernia rupicapraria and H. mar- 

 ginaria at light. Later in the month the common Tgenio- 

 campids came freely to sugar. I had no sallows within a mile 

 or more of my house and so, one evening, having procured a 

 bundle of sallow-bloom, I placed it about my garden. Moths 

 came to this in some plenty, whilst the sugar, which the previous 

 night had been well tenanted, was entirely deserted. Atmospheric 

 conditions may have had something to do with it, as the night was 

 colder, and the sugar-patches more exposed to the wind ; but the 

 preference for the sallow was certainly very interesting to notice. 



Nothing of much note occurred in April. A few larvae of 

 Ellopia fasciaria and Thera Jirmata, with numerous T. variata, 

 were beaten from Scotch fir, and a score or more Cirrhoedia xeram- 

 pelina from ash. On April 12th I boxed a fine specimen of Nola 

 cristidalis from a tree-trunk, a much earlier date than I have 

 taken it before. During May I did very little collecting, but at 

 the latter end of the month I noticed Eupoecilia vectisana flying 

 freely amongst armeria on the saltings ; and I secured a single 

 example of Epichnopterijx reticella, which species I first recorded 

 for this county in 1903. This insect seems to be extending its 

 range northward, for I hear that it has been taken this year 

 near Southwold. June in the early days was not very eventful, 

 with the exception of seeing Eiichelia jacobcece, Adela degeerella, 



