NEPTICULA INTIMELLA. 341 



NEPTICULA INTIMELLA, 



SYNONYMY. Species : Intimella, Zell., " Linn. Ent.," iii., p. 323 (1848) ; Sta.. 

 "Ins. Brit.," p. 299 -(1854) ; " Man.," ii., p. 432 (1859) ; H.-Sch., " Sys. Bearb.," 

 v., p. 356 (1855) ; Frey, "Linn. Ent.,"xi., p. 393 (1857) ; Nolck., "Lep. Fn. Est.," 

 p. 792 (1871) ; Staud. and Wocke, " Cat.," p. 339 (1871) ; Hein. and Wocke. 

 " Schmett. Deutsch.," p. 7H4 (1877) ; Sorhagen, "Ent. Nach.," xi., p. 280 (1885) ; 

 "Die Kleinschmett. Brandbg.." p. 309 (1886); Meyr., "Handbook," p. 724 (1895). 



ORIGINAL DESCRIPTION. Xepticula intiinella t n. sp. Alls anteriori- 

 bus violaceo-fuscis, macula dorsi medii argentea, ciliis externe canis ; 

 capillis ferrugineis ; antennis cum conchula exalbidis. Ein einzelnes 

 Weibchen, in der Grosse einer kleinen A T . argyropeza und dem Weibchen 

 derselben sehr gleichend. Grundfarbe der Vorderfliigel dunkel violett- 

 braun, auf den Franzen an der Spitze mit dem dunkeln Schuppen- 

 ringe eingefasst. Die specifischen Unterschiede scheinen folgende zu 

 sein : Der Vorderrandfleck fehlt auf den Vorderfliigeln wie jeder 

 andere Fleck ; nur der Innenrandfleck ist vorhanden fast dreieckig, 

 auf dem Rande ruhend an der gewohnlicben Stelle, aber silber- 

 weissglanzend. Gegen den dichten, lebhaft rostgelben Haarschopf auf 

 dem Kopfe stechen die grossen, gelblichweissen, glanzenden Augen- 

 deckel sehr ab. Wahrend bei N. aryyropeza ? nur das Wurzelglied der 

 Fiihler gelblichweiss ist, sind hier die ganzen Fiihler ganz einfarbig 

 blassgelb. An den Beinen sehe ich keine Verschiedenheit. Dieses 

 einzelne Exemplar fing ich bei Glogau ; doch weiss ich nichts Naheres 

 dariiber (Zeller, Linnaea Entonwloyica, iii., p. 323). 



IMAGO. Head reddish-ochreous. Fore- wings 5-6 mm. ; blackish- 

 fuscous ; a shiny yellowish spot on the inner margin just beyond the 

 middle of the wing ; cilia fuscous. Posterior wings and cilia grey. 



COMPARISON OF NEPTICULA INTIMELLA WITH ITS ALLIES. The yel- 

 lowish eye-caps and the slightly yellowish hind tarsi distinguish N. 

 intiinella from X. septeinbrella and N. catharticella. The scaling of the 

 wings also is finer than in N. septembrella, and the fringes are consider- 

 ably darker than in X. catharticella. Finally the spot is placed much 

 nearer to the base of the wing, before the centre of the costa, and 

 is distinctly yellowish, which Herrich-Schiiffer, incorrectly, denies 

 (Frey). 



EGG-LAYING. The egg is laid on the stalk of Salix russelliana, or 

 on the upper surface of the midrib of S. caprea (Wood). 



MINE. The young larva burrows into the stalk or midrib of its 

 food-plant, and, in the latter part of its life extends its mine into the 

 blade ; forming a small blotch projecting from the side of the midrib. 

 Wood observes that the presence of a larva in the leaves of Saliv 

 russelliana is shown by one lateral half of the leaf being yellow or 

 brown, whilst the other remains green. Sorhagen describes the mine 

 as "mixed," running at first in the midrib, then expanding laterally 

 into a brown blotch, which widens gradually. In the blotch-part of 

 the mine the frass lies towards the outside, in two parallel lines, 

 between which the larva rests when not eating. When disturbed it 

 retires into that part of the mine situated in the rib. 



LARVA. The larva is pale yellowish in colour, transparent, 

 posteriorly attenuated, with vivid green intestinal canal from seg- 

 ments 4-10. Head small, light brownish in colour (Sorhagen). 



COCOON. The cocoons (4) examined average 2-8 mm. in length 

 and 2-1 mm. in width. They are oval (almost oblong-oval) in shape, 

 with a distinct lateral rim projecting all round the edge. The colour 



