British Species of the Genus Micropteryx. 29 



smooth ; but never having seen the species alive, I cannot verify 

 this statement.) Posterior wings pale grey, the apical half tinted 

 with purple. The larvae, which I have no doubt are case- bearers, 

 most probably feed on the Ranunculaceae. 



This species was taken last summer in considerable plenty near 

 Warrington, by Mr. Nicholas Cooke, and also near Huddersfield, 

 by Messrs. Inchbald and Dunning, from whom I received several 

 pairs taken in copula, which enabled me to ascertain the specific 

 distinction between this and aruncella $ . 



This distinction consists in the purple at the base of the wing, 

 extending to the inner margin in callhella, whereas in aruncella 

 it never reaches the inner margin. Callhella has also (when dead) 

 a more sulfated appearance. 



Mr. Bentley first direeted the attention of the Entomologists 

 of this country to the existence in this genus of two very closely 

 allied species, which were distinguished by one having the ante- 

 rior wings sulcated, and the other having them smooth, but 

 unfortunately he named the present species afresh as sulcatella, 

 and applied the name callhella to the ? aruncella. It is true he 

 alludes to the sexes of his callhella, but in this there must have 

 been some mistake, and in his description of sulcatella he says, 

 head of the male black; this is only the case when the luteous 

 hairs have been rubbed off, which, as Treitschke mentions, is very 

 frequently the case. 



Haworth's callhella is, I have no doubt, our species, from the 

 particular mention of the " basi laete purpureae ;" his var. /3 

 " absque purpureo" may be aruncella $ , the callhella of Bentley. 

 The Linnaean insect frequenting the Caltha is, I have no doubt, 

 also the present species, as aruncella shows no particular predi- 

 lection for the Ranunculaceae, whereas our species most decidedly 

 is extremely partial to them, though found also on other flowers 

 in their vicinity. 



In Duponcbel's figures of this genus there is a continuous 

 error of the antennae being represented much too long ; this is 

 important, as the extreme shortness of the antennae is a peculiarity 

 of the group ; and in some species the relative lengths of the 

 antennae furnish distinctive characters. 



Sp. 2. * Aruncella, Scopoli. (Plate III. fig. 5, 6.) 

 Capillis ferrugineis ; $ alls anticis aureo-brunneis, basi ad costam 

 purpureo, macula argented transversalc ante, fascidque redd 

 argented pone medium, et post hanc maculd parvd argented 



* See Remarks at page 40. 



