172 The Insects of Cambridgeshire 



great variety of colour on the Hills Iload ;m<] at 

 feeding principally on Ptitthmm sativa. 



Laverna decorella, St. occurs rarely at Cambridge, L. atra, 

 Haw., is sometimes abundant ; L.phragmitella, Bent, was former- 

 ly common in the Fens, and L. lacteella, St. has been taken 

 at Wicken by Lord Walsingham ("Fenland" list). There i- a 

 record in the same list of ChrysocUsta schrankella, Hh., taken 

 at Cambridge by Mr Warren. Among the many rare and local 

 species of Elachista occurring in the Fens the writer has taken 

 /'J. gleichenetta, Sta. at Chippenham, E. paludum, Frey., in a 

 bog near the Suffolk border, and E. pollinariella, ZelL, in 

 fair numbers on the Gogmagog Hills. 



Many species of Lithocolletis occur, but none of great local 

 interest, as they belong generally to the higher land and the 

 woods; most of the oak-feeding species may be found near 

 Madingley. Phyllocnistis suffusella, ZelL, and P. saligna, Zell., 

 both occur in plenty, the latter however is very local. Opostega 

 crepusculella, Fisch. is common at Wicken, where the scarce 

 0. auritella, Hb. has also been taken. The same remarks apply 

 to Nepticula as to Lithocolletis, the oak-feeding species being 

 particularly plentiful in one plantation near Madingley of 

 these N. basiguttella, Hein. is rare and it is difficult to obtain 

 specimens, but N. quinquella, Bedell, a very local species, is 

 in some seasons most abundant ; in November 1891 hardly 

 an oak-leaf was free from the mines of the larvae ; the writer 

 counted 73 in one leaf! A visit was paid to the wood in the 

 following May, when the brilliant little moths were to be seen 

 all over the trunks of the oaks, the metallic spots glistening in 

 the bright sunshine, giving to the trees quite a silver-spangled 

 appearance. 



