THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 141 



Lithosia ruhricollis. — On June 13th, while collecting 

 insects for my friend Mr. Wells, I entered a fir plantation on 

 the Coombe hills, and was surprised to see Rubricollis in 

 profusion flying round the tops of larch firs. Although both 

 spruce and Scotch firs grew intermixed with the larches, the 

 insects took no notice of either of the latter, but what 

 appeared most strange was that they only flew during the 

 hottest sunshine, viz., from 12 till 2 p.m. ; after which 

 scarcely any were to be seen on wing. On the two following 

 days I again visited the copse, and still saw them in great 

 plenty between the hours stated, but could not catch them 

 by beating after 2 p.m., as my net-handle was not suflSciently 

 long for me to reach them when on wing, except when 

 a stray specimen condescended to visit the branches of a 

 smaller and younger tree : they flew only round the topmost 

 branches. This habit of flying only during the hottest sun- 

 shine seems not only entirely at variance with the habits of 

 the rest of the Lithosiidge, but appears also not to be noticed 

 by the authorities I have at hand, — those of Newman and 

 Stainton : the latter gentleman gives June as the time of 

 appearance, while the former says August; perhaps there are 

 two broods, or, otherwise, a succession of " hatchings." I 

 have never bred Rubricollis, and never saw it in plenty but 

 at one other locality, and that was also in a small plantation 

 of larch firs. Have the larvae ever been reared by any 

 English entomologist, and, if so, at what season were they 

 taken, and on what species of lichen were they fed ? Or, on 

 the other hand, have we only the authority of Ochsenheimer 

 for what they are like, and on what they feed? The fact of 

 their being taken at "light" may have suggested the idea 

 that they were evening flyers. From the manner of flight of 

 the insects I should certainly have supposed that they were 

 depositing eggs on the younger shoots of the topmost 

 branches of the larch firs, as they occasionally alighted 

 apparently for that purpose, and took no notice of — or rather 

 never pitched on — the other species of fir. I am fully aware 

 that this is no certain rule to go by: e.g., the lordly Iris 

 frequents the topmost branches of oak trees, but the larva) 

 never feed on oak. Eggs of Rubricollis laid in the store-box 

 remain of a beautiful pea-green colour. — Henry Reeks; East 

 Woodhay, Jane 22, 1872. 



