NEPTICULA REGIELLA. 228 



and black in the blotch, whereas the dejecta of A', it/nobilella are black 

 in both gallery and blotch. (8) The head of the larva of X. reyiella is 

 pale brown, with the cephalic ganglia dark brown, and far more con- 

 spicuous than the head ; on the other hand, the head of the larva of 

 X. iynobilella is blackish, overpowering the ganglia, which are of a 

 paler colour (Wood). 



COCOON. The cocoons examined (6) average 2-2 mm. in length 

 and 1-6 mm. in width. In outline, the cocoon is ovate, the upper 

 surface rising gradually from the edges to form a well-marked dome, 

 the apex of which is rather nearer the broader end, and slightly 

 flattened. The cocoon is of a red-brown tint, bright, and approach- 

 ing plum colour. What appears to the naked eye to be a broad 

 lateral flange, is a surrounding belt of yellow ochreous flossy silk, 

 similar scattered threads being seen .over the remainder of the surface. 

 In some, this forms a coating sufficiently dense to hide the bright red- 

 brown cocoon beneath, and one would surmise that, when freshly 

 spun, the cocoon is surrounded by this loose silken covering. The 

 older cocoons fade considerably, and to a great extent lose the bright 

 red colour of the newer ones. [Described, June 16th, 1898, from 

 cocoons sent by Dr. Wood.] The cocoon is spun on the surface of the 

 ground. 



FOOD-PLANT. Crataegus osyacantha. 



TIME OF APPEARANCE. The species is double -brooded (Wood). 

 Stainton found imagines on June 23rd, 1852, on Dartford Heath 

 fence, and it was bred by Edleston in June, 1856, from mines collected 

 in September, 1855. Walsingham records imagines at Darenth Wood, 

 May 9th, 1868. Frey records imagines, in copula, found nr. Ziirich on 

 August 13th, 1855. Sang collected mines on October 2nd, 1878, at 

 Darlington. Nolcken found larvae on September 8th and the following 

 days, at Pichtendahl. 



LOCALITIES. CHESHIRE: Bowdon (Edleston). DORSET: Bloxworth (Cam- 

 bridge). DURHAM: Darlington (Sang). HEREFORD: Tarrington (Wood). KENT: 

 Dartford Heath (Stainton), Darenth Wood (Walsingham). LANCASHIRE : Man- 

 chester (Edleston). Preston (Hodgkinson). SUSSEX: Arundel Park (Fletcher). 

 YORKS: Scarborough (Wilson), York (Porritt, List). 



DISTRIBUTION. France : Nohaut, Indre (Sand). Germany : Fried- 

 land, Brunswick, Hanover, Silesia (Sorhagen), Alsace (Peyerimhoff), 

 Alt Damm (Hering). Russia: Pichtendahl (Nolcken). Switzerland: 

 Ziirich (Frey). 



NEPTICULA TORMINALIS, Wood. 



SYNONYMY. Species : Torminalis, Wood, "Ent. Mo. Mag.," xxvi., pp. 209-210 

 (1890) ; Meyrick, " Handbook." etc., p. 716 (1895). 



ORIGINAL DESCRIPTION. Al. exp. 2 lin. Inner half of forewing 

 pale golden-brown, followed by a broad, straight, brassy fascia, ill- 

 defined on its inner edge ; apex of wing purple. Head black, with 

 white eye-caps. Antennae half as long as fore-wings, just reaching, 

 when the insect is at rest, to the commencement of the fasciae (Wood, 

 Ent. Monthly Magazine, xxvi., p. 209). 



IMAGO. Head black. Anterior wings 5-6 mm. ; golden-brown 

 from base to fascia; latter broad, straight and brassy ; apex of wing 

 purple ; cilia fuscous. Posterior wings concolorous, fuscous. 



COMPARISON OF N. TORMINALIS WITH N. REGIELLA. X. tonninalis 

 is very like X. retfiella, so much so, indeed, that it has been necessary to 

 use almost the very terms in which the latter has been described in the 



