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VI. A Contribution to the Life-history of Micropteryx 

 (Eriocephala) ammanella, Hb. By Thomas 

 Algernon Chapman, M.D., F.Z.S. 



[Read February 15tli, 1899.] 



I FOUND specimens of a Micropteryx, that has been named 

 Micropteryx mimanclla, Hb., by Lord Walsingham, per 

 Mr. Tutt, in early April in both 1897 and 1898, flying in 

 several spots in the Esterels at a height of about 500 feet. 

 They flew about and settled on the leaves of various 

 trees— hollies, evergreen oaks, and especially cork-oaks. 

 Their object in doing so was apparently feeding, but on 

 what I could not detect. The oak catkins were not fully 

 open and a brown fungus on the underside of the leaves 

 did not seem likely pabulum. Those I placed on flowers 

 in captivity did not seem to understand them at all, still 

 less deal with them in the business-like way of M. calthclla. 

 One consequence was, that the moths did not increase in 

 bulk in captivity, or live many days. Assuming that the 

 moths do feed like M. calthclla, M. scppella, M. aiLreatella, 

 &c I am for the present quite in the dark as to what 

 their food is. On the steep slopes of the Esterels, where 

 M. ammanclla flew, the ground is usually very and, but I 

 generally found not far off a damper shady place, with a 

 |oo(l deal of coarse moss growing. Unless it fed on this 

 moss, or something else, in these damper spots, it is 

 difficult to understand how it could exist at all, as even 

 these were very dry and parched in comparison with any 

 other Micropteryx {Eriocephala) habitat I know of. 



I olaced about a score of moths in different vessels with 

 porfons of moss brought from the Esterels and some 

 flow !rs. As far as I could see, the flowers were absolutely 

 negi ^cted, and the moths died early, and I thought at first 

 I he d o-ot no eggs. I think, in fact, only some three or 

 four m?ths did lay ; they laid freely enough, but hid their 

 egcrs amongst the moss. They were probably mature and 

 ready to lay when captured; T did not see any moths 

 pairing in my jars, an occurrence of great frequency with 



TRANS. ENT. SOC. LOND. 1899.— PART II. (JUNE) 17 



