278 



FOREST ENTOMOLOGY. 



Genus Argyresthia. 



Stainton 1 gives the following characters for this genus viz., 

 " Imago, head rough ; the face smooth ; no maxillary palpi ; labial 

 palpi rather short, the terminal joint blunt or slightly pointed ; fore 

 wings elongate ; hind wings lanceolate, with long fringes. 



" The insects of the genus Argyresthia are distinguished by their 

 position in repose, as the hind pair of legs are laid alongside the body, 

 which is elevated at a considerable angle, the insect's head being 



almost in contact with the sub- 

 stance on which it rests." 



Argyresthia l^evigatella 

 (H. Sch.) 



In all probability this is a 

 forest insect which has escaped 

 attention for a considerable time. 

 The first record of it in this coun- 

 try is given by Dr Somerville and 

 Mr John Bennett so recently as 

 July 1907. 2 The insect was not 

 difficult to determine, from its 

 damage to the larch, as a very 



Fig. 266. Tops of you7ig larch-trees ; injured by g 00( J finm re is given by Nusslill : 

 larvce of Argyresthia lsevigatella. J 



and though not hitherto recorded 

 in this country, it is just possible that it may have been overlooked, 

 owing to the close resemblance of the damage accruing from the pine- 

 weevil (Hylobius abietis). At all events, I now find the creature 

 fairly common in Northumberland, and that I mistook the injuries 

 as suggested. The larval action is that the leading shoot is killed, as 

 shown in fig. 266. 



Dr R. S. MacDougall gives the following description of the insect : 3 



"Moth. The moth is very small, measuring only 4 to 5 millimetres 



(less than one-fifth of an inch) in length and 10 to 12 millimetres in 



spread of wings. The fore wings are silver-grey and silky, with a 



1 Manual of Butterflies and Moths. 



2 Quarterly Journal of Forestry, vol. i., No. 3. 



3 Journal of the Board of Agriculture, vol. xiv., No. 7. 



