A HISTORY OF SUFFOLK 



rare, being confined to the marshes of the north-west, where Euthemonia russula is common on the 

 heaths. Arctla plantaginis has been found at Bentley, SpUosoma ful'iginosa and S. mend'ica are un- 

 common ; and S. urticae very rare, though it has appeared at Tuddenham, Beccles, and Gorleston. 

 Orgy'ia fascelina and O. gonost'igma are both rare, the latter only once taken, at Bentley ; but Liparis 

 monacha and Demas coryli may be found upon oak-trunks about Ipswich. Trichiura crataegi and 

 Eriogaster lanestris are both rare, for though the latter is said to be common, it does not appear to 

 have been found in the county for a great many years. Bombyx castrensis has often been bred from 

 larvae found in the extensive salt marshes at Aldeburgh ; but B. trifo/ii, which is said by Hele, in 

 his history of Aldeburgh, to have been found in the same locality, is probably a mistake. Endromis 

 versicolor, which used to be found about Ipswich, has not been seen for many years, though Saturma 

 carpinl is widely distributed. All the Hooktips, excepting Platypteryx sicula, which is probably 

 wrongly reported as having been taken at Stowmarket, are found with us ; P. fakula is abundant, and 

 P. lacertula rare, in the Bentley Woods ; and P. ungmcula beaten commonly from beech-trees about 

 Bury St. Edmunds. All the Kittens are rare, and the Lobster moth has only been noticed at 

 West Stow, Holbrook, Bentley, and in 1903 at Needham Market ; but Petasia cassinea is widely 

 distributed. We have also all the British Prominents, though Notodonta cucullina and N. trilophus 

 are very rare, and N. carmelita doubtful ; "N . chaonia and !>!. dictaeoides are occasionally attracted to 

 electric light in Ipswich town ; A'^. dodonea was found not uncommonly by the Rev. Joseph Green. 

 Clostera curtula and reclusa are widely distributed, though not common. 



We next come to the Noctuae, and here we find the lovely Thyatlra bath and T. derasa some- 

 what commonly attracted to ' sugar ' on tree-trunks, and all the British Cymatephorae represented 

 with the single exception of C. Jluctuosa, though C. or and C. flavicornis are scarce. Bryophila 

 glandifera is very rare at Needham and Gorleston, but the handsome Dipthera orion is to be met with 

 annually at Bentley, where it was at one time not rare. Acronycta leporina and A. ligmtri have been 

 taken in many places, but A. alni is confined to but few ; and Simyra venoia has turned up at Lowes- 

 toft, Fritton, and Needham Market. Our list is fairly full in the marsh-loving Leucaniae and 

 Nonagriae. Of the former genus L. extranea has only once occurred at Leiston in August 1878 ; 

 L. obsoleta at Needham Market ; L. litoralis only at Lowestoft and Kessingland ; L.pudorina used to 

 be found at Ipswich alone, but it has recently been discovered by the late Mr. E. G. J. Sparke at 

 Tuddenham ; L. straminea at Ipswich and recently at Hemley and Needham ; and L. phragmitidis 

 should be common, if adequately worked, in the Suffolk Broads. Leucania albipuncta has recently' 

 been added to our list by Mr. Waller, who took it, and both the red and light varieties o( L.Jlavicolor, 

 in the marshes at Hemley. Senta ulvae is another rare species at Ipswich and Lowestoft, and a 

 varied series was secured at Hemley in 1905. Many localities are instanced for Nonagria despecta, 

 both in east and west Suffolk ; and A', lutosa is commonly attracted to light in Ipswich ; but 

 N. neurica is rare at Lakcnheath, Needham, and Lowestoft, and A'^. sparganii has been bred at 

 Hemley. Hydraecia petasitis is certainly not uncommon, near Needham, though rarely seen in the 

 perfect state ; and both Xylophasia sub/ustrls and J!", scolopacina are local and widely distributed. The 

 rare Xylomiges consplcillaris has occurred, it is said, at Ipswich, but has not been seen for a great many 

 years, though Neuria saponariae is very widely distributed. Another recent addition to our list is 

 Aporophyla austraits, several examples of which are recorded from Felixstowe in 1895 by Lord 

 Rendlesham ; it was also seen both there and at Kessingland in 1902. Luperina caespitis is often 

 frequent at s.treet-lamps in Ipswich. Mamestra abjecta, anceps, and albicolon are all uncommon ; 

 the last occurs occasionally in numbers upon the Breck sands of the north-west, as well as upon the 

 east coast. Apamea fibrosa is local ; but A. ophiogramma, which used to be considered a great rarity, 

 has been several times taken recently at light in Ipswich. In Suffolk Agrotis valllgera is by no 

 means confined to the coast, having been taken on the Breck sands, as well as at Needham and 

 Beccles ; A. puta is very common, but A. sauda is local ; A. r'lpae and A. cursoria occur on the coast, 

 and though local are sometimes in plenty, with A. praecox, which is less abundant, and they are also 

 found in the Breck district. A. agath'ma is probably common on the heaths, but A. rav'ida is very 

 rare at Bury and Brandon. All the Triphaenae occur here, the only rare species, T. subsequa, having 

 been met with at Ipswich, Waldringfield, Bury, Brandon, and Tuddenham, though T. fimbria is 

 also somewhat uncommon. 



The writer has taken all the fourteen species of Noctua that occur in Suffolk in the course of 

 a couple of seasons, so perhaps none should be accounted rare : the best are N. neglecta at Brandon 

 and Ipswich; N. rhomboidea, which is scarce at sugar in the Bentley Woods, &c., in east Suffolk; and 

 the generally rare but here locally abundant 'N . Dahlii. Most of the Taeniocampae, except the 

 northern T. opima, are here found more or less commonly, though T. kucographa and T. miniosa are 

 very local, the former having only once been taken near Stowmarket. The generally rare Orthosia 

 iuspecta may be sometimes secured in plenty on sugar near Ipswich, together with 0. maciUnta ; and 



'Cf. Ent.Mo. Mag. 1902, p. 263. 



130 



