A HISTORY OF NOTTINGHAMSHIRE 



APATURIDAE 



The Purple Emperor (Apatura iris) is now rare, but has been seen and taken many times in 

 various parts of Sherwood Forest. It has also occurred in woods near Newark and Southwell, and at 

 Thieves Wood near Mansfield Mr. Daws has seen it on several occasions up to 1895. 



SATYRIDAE 



Another rare species is the Marbled White (Melanargia galatea\ the last specimens of which, as 

 far as I can learn, were captured near Bingham about 1890. It was formerly common in one or two 

 places near Tuxford, and also at Warsop and Mansfield, but has apparently died out in all these 

 places. The Wood Argus (Pararge egeria) occurs sparingly near Mansfield, and has been taken in 

 the Birklands, also near Carlton-in-Lindrick, and at Widmerpool. The Wall Butterfly (Pararge 

 megaerd) has almost disappeared from some districts where it was formerly plentiful, but still occurs 

 rather commonly in the Mansfield district, and I have lately seen it in some numbers in the lanes 

 about Wigsley and Thorney. The Grayling (Satyrut semele) used to be very abundant on sandy 

 ground at Thieves Wood, but has not been seen lately (Daws). The Meadow Brown (Epinephele 

 ianira) is abundant nearly everywhere, and the Gatekeeper (E. tithonus) occurs in profusion in many 

 places, but is quite absent from some districts and rare in others. The Ringlet (E. hyperanthes) is 

 also locally common in damp lanes and woods, but like many other butterflies has disappeared from 

 some districts where it was formerly common. 'About 1882 this species simply swarmed in the 

 grass ridings of Clumber and Welbeck Parks ; since that time it has entirely disappeared from the 

 neighbourhood' (Miss Alderson). The Small Heath (Coenonympha pamphilus) is very common and 

 universally distributed. 



LYCAENIDAE 



Three of the Hairstreaks occur in Nottinghamshire. Thecla w-album is taken sparingly in 

 Sherwood Forest and elsewhere in the north, and is locally abundant in the south of the county. 

 Barrett's statement, ' very rare in Nottinghamshire ' (British Lepidoptera, vol. i, p. 47), is certainly 

 very far from the truth. The Purple Hairstreak (Thecla quercus) is much less common, but occurs 

 in Sherwood Forest, in a wood near Mansfield, and in certain woods in the east of the county, in 

 one of which I have recently seen it flying in considerable numbers round the tops of the oak trees. 

 The Green Hairstreak (Thecla rubi) also occurs in Sherwood Forest and in woods near Mansfield and 

 Newark, but in only one place have I seen it in any quantity. The Small Copper (Polyommatus 

 phloeas) is very common, especially in the dry Triassic sandstone area of the central and northern 

 parts of the county, and may be seen from the beginning of May until well into October. Some 

 beautiful varieties have been taken, including the aberration schmidtii. Among the ' Blues ' 

 Lycaena argon used to be common not very many years ago in Clumber Park, and has also been 

 taken sparingly in one or two places near Mansfield. It is now apparently very rare. The Common 

 Blue (L. icarus) is widely distributed and abundant in many places, occurring throughout the summer 

 from early in May until sometimes the end of October. The Holly Blue (L. argiolui) is said by 

 Sterland to be not uncommon in Sherwood Forest. It certainly is not so now, since no later observer 

 has seen it, although holly bushes are abundant in parts of Sherwood. 



HESPERIIDAE 



Of the Skippers, Syrichthus ma/vae, the Grizzled Skipper, occurs rather commonly at Bunny and 

 about Cotgrave and Widmerpool. It is also found sparingly about Newark, Southwell, Newstead, and 

 Wellow. The Dingy Skipper (Nisoniades tages] is fairly common in the Mansfield district (Daws), 

 and occurs rarely in Sherwood Forest. The Small Skipper (Hesperia thaumas) is widely distributed, 

 often occurring abundantly in the south of the county, but rather more sparingly in the north. I 

 know of only a single capture of Hesperia lineola in Nottinghamshire, that by Mr. J. N. Young in 

 1880 at Clumber, as recorded by Barrett (Brit. Lepid. i, 282). The Large Skipper (Hesperia 

 sylvanus) is locally abundant in woods and lanes in the south of the county, and also near Retford 

 and Mansfield. In Sherwood Forest and about Worksop, and elsewhere on the Bunter sandstone, 

 it is much less common. It appears to be at least partially doubled-brooded, occurring from about 

 I June until the middle of August. 



HETEROCERA 



Moths 



SPHINGES 

 SPHINGIDAE 



The Death's Head Moth (Acherontia atropos) is very irregular in its appearance, some years being 

 quite common or even abundant, in others almost absent. In 1899 and 1900 it was common 



no 



