160 



Males 



only seen. The female, which has only rudimentary 

 wings was fortunately not observed . It occurs generally throughout 

 the British Isles, also Europe, Asia Minor, N. Africa, N. America. 

 On rose, hawthorn, hazel and many other plants. It has during 

 the last two or three years been a pest in the London parks, 

 defoliating the plane trees. 



TRIFIDAE. 



NOCTUIDAE. 



This family is very extensive, in fact a dominant one in the 

 temperate regions of the northern hemisphere. In the phylogeny 

 ot lepidoptera it takes an extremely high position, melanism also 

 occurring more frequently in species belonging to this family than 

 in any other. There are more than three hundred moths repre- 

 sented m the Noctuidae in Britain alone, and considerably over 

 two thousand m the various portions of the globe. 



Acronycta aceris, L. « The Sycamore." 



Not so common as others of the same genus. To be found 



S1«I2k + ° n i • U tru , nk8 of sycamore and other trees. Generally 

 distributed in England, also Europe and Asia Minor. Larva feeds 

 on sycamore, oak, horse-chestnut, maple and birch. 



Acronycta rumicis, L. « The Knot Grass." 



An C n°ear? in iL ^ i British Isles ' Euro P e > C « Asia > N « Africa ' 

 knowr JV a T l l 8ummer > the very dark specimens formerly 



KrZ™ To.' SakClS P re - onde ^ing. On Polygonum, Sad, 



esoeda^i Ai^ e * tr T ely large geni18 common everywhere, 

 beCen^hV v i- aland ' and often difficult of identification as 

 between the various species. The larvae all feed on Gramineae. 



Leucania lithargyrea, Esp. « The Clay." 

 Common all over Britain. On grasses. 



wo^fd r °elnec?anv A n^ e / 1 very , lar g e genus occurring all over the 

 aS v^nd?JpJ£- V f " ! ^ the nortI ^rn hemisphere. The larvae 



W plan t ZrTrl >T ** th S ip taetes ' often feed W ™ alm08t any 

 emerge bVni.ht Z% 'T?* 1 * 8ubter ^ean in habit and usually 



XcTare aTfim.« ^ 6d / 1 Indllded in this ^ns are many species 



Agrotis segetum, Schiff. 



One extremely dark 8peu 

 the larva was taken by W 



i 



Gate. This is the cateLll^ i- u 01 ^ m hlS garden at the Ll ° n 

 thousands the vount +? Whlch m 80me >' ears attacks in its 

 and most root cro™ n P-' man ^ ola wurzel, carrots, cabbages 

 their number and if" , Q 8 f ings ,, of gas lime appear to diminish 

 fond. The farmer 1 as can™ 'f^ ^ °i which «" ™ k8 are ver >' 

 this particular form of diet r °° k for his P artialit y for 



ti 



