A HISTORY OF NOTTINGHAMSHIRE 



the Ragwort flowers by day, while in other years it is scarce. Cerigo matura is widely distributed 

 but not very common. Luperina testacea is common, but L. capitil seems to be almost confined to 

 Sherwood Forest, where it is of frequent occurrence. Mamestra sordida is widely distributed, and 

 by no means rare. M. albicolon formerly occurred in Sherwood Forest, but has not been seen of 

 late years. M. furva, recorded by Sterland as having been taken on one occasion in Sherwood 

 Forest, remained unconfirmed for many years, but in 1891 was taken by the Rev. E. G. Alderson 

 at Sparken Hill near Worksop, and again on 30 June, 1894, by Miss E. M. Alderson in the garden 

 at Park House, Worksop. M. brassicae, the well-known Cabbage Moth, is of course very common 

 everywhere ; the vars. unico/or, Tutt, and albidilinea, Haw., have also occurred. M. persicariae is 

 common in some parts of the county, but appears to be absent from others. Apamea basilinea, 

 A. gemina, and A. didyma are common. Several specimens of A. connexa were taken between 

 Worksop and Edwinstowe in 1885 and 1886 by Mr. J. R. Hardy and others. A. unanimis has 

 occurred at Chilwell and in Sherwood Forest, and A. leucostigma var. fibrosa is reported by both 

 Sterland and Brameld from Sherwood Forest, but has not been seen for many years. Miana 

 strigi/is is abundant ; M. fasciuncu/a and M . arcuosa pretty common ; but M. /iterosa, formerly common 

 in Sherwood Forest, does not appear to have been taken lately ; and the same may be said of 

 M. bicolaria, formerly reported ' common ' in the Forest and at Nottingham. 



CARADRINIDAE 



Grammesia trigrammica is moderately common. Stilbia anoma/a, recorded by Sterland, was 

 again taken in Clumber Park by Miss Alderson on 23 August, 1895. Caradrina morpkeus, 

 C. taraxaciy and C. quadripunctata all occur with greater or less frequency, and C. a/sines was 

 captured at Shireoaks near Worksop in July, 1900, by Mr. J. T. Houghton. Rusina tenebrosa is 

 frequent, especially in the northern parts of the county. 



NOCTUIDAE 



The genus Agrotis is well represented. A. vestigia/is, generally a coast insect, has been taken 

 in Sherwood Forest, and Mr. Daws captured one at Mansfield at ' sugar ' on 1 1 July, 1894. A. suffusa 

 and A. saucia are frequent, A. segetum very common, A. exclamationis abundant, A. corticea and 

 A. nigricans not uncommon, A. tritici frequent, and the Rev. W. Becher reports having taken 

 A, aquilma at Edwinstowe and Wellow. A. obelisca has occurred in Sherwood Forest, according to 

 Sterland and Brameld, but possibly one of the allied species may have been mistaken for it. 

 A. agathina is stated by Barrett (Brit. Lepid. iii, 362) to be 'rare in Nottinghamshire,' but I have 

 no details of its occurrence. A. strigula has been taken frequently at Mansfield and in Sherwood 

 Forest, and twice at Shireoaks in 1900. A. praecox is said by Sterland to have been taken on one 

 occasion in Sherwood Forest, but this is probably a mistake ; the Rev. A. Thornley has however 

 seen an undoubted specimen taken at Marnham in the Trent Valley by the Rev. E. Cunningham. 

 A. obscura occurs rarely in Sherwood Forest, and has been taken several times recently by 

 Mr. Thornley at 'sugar' in the vicarage garden at South Leverton. The genus Noctua is also well 

 represented in Nottinghamshire, N. glareosa occurring sparingly at Mansfield, but sometimes plenti- 

 fully in Sherwood Forest ; N. augur, N. p/ecta, N. c-nigrum, N. brunnea, N. festiva, N. dahlii, 

 N. rubi, N. umbrosa, N. baia, and N. xanthographa all occur in various localities, and are most of 

 them common. N. triangulum is rare, but has been taken in Sherwood Forest by Miss Alderson, 

 and at Chilwell by Mr. D. H. Pearson. N. castanea, var. neg/ecta, stated by Sterland to be ' not 

 uncommon ' in Sherwood Forest, is not reported by any other collector. All the species of 

 Trlphaena are found with us. T. ianthina and T. interjecta are widely distributed but not very 

 common, the latter indeed being scarce ; T. fimbrta is frequent in Sherwood Forest and about 

 Mansfield ; T. orbona (subsequa), first recorded by Sterland, has more recently been taken at sugar in 

 Sherwood Forest on several occasions by Mr. J. R. Hardy ; T. comes is fairly common, and 

 T. pronuba is everywhere abundant. 



AMPHIPYRIDAE 



Amphipyra pyramidea is fairly plentiful at 'sugar 'in Sherwood Forest, and has been taken 

 occasionally at Mansfield. A. tragopoginis is common, and Mania typica fairly so, while M. maura is 

 not rare. 



ORTHOSIIDAE 



Panolis piniperda occurs frequently in Scots-pine woods in Sherwood Forest, at Berry Hill, 

 Mansfield, and at Langford Moor. Pachnobia leucographa formerly occurred, but very rarely, in 

 Sherwood Forest, but has not been taken recently ; P. rubricosa, once frequent in the same locality, 

 was again taken in 1899, 1900, and 1901, also in April, 1902,31 South Leverton (Thornley). 



114 



