38 BRITISH BUTTERFLIES AND MOTHS 



are all water-frequenting insects ; the larvae feeding 

 below the surface of the water on aquatic plants, such 

 as duck-weed, water-aloe, water-lily, and pond-weed. 

 The perfect insects maybe found flying over the surface 

 of ponds and sluggish streams towards evening. Many 

 of this family frequent weedy hedgebanks or open places 

 in woods, and are readily started from their places of 

 repose by the approach of the collector. The Nettle- 

 tap (Simaethis Fabridana) abounds among stinging- 

 nettles, flying freely in the daytime, with a peculiar, 

 mazy flight. 



In the Crambideous section of the Pyralidina, the 

 species of the genus Eudorea rest in the daytime, on 

 the trunks of trees or palings ; Aphomia colonella, of 

 which the larva occurs in the nests of humble-bees, flies 

 freely at dusk ; most of the Knot-horns (Phycid&) also 

 fly at dusk, though some may be readily started from 

 the herbage in the daytime : the night-flying species 

 come very readily to light. The species of the genus 

 Crambus occur amongst grass or moss ; one pretty 

 species (G.falsellus) being partial to the moss which 

 grows on walls or old thatched roofs, and the perfect 

 being often found flying over such localities at dusk. 

 Nearly all the genus fly very readily in the daytime ; we 

 see them start up at our feet as we walk across a field ; 

 they fly a few yards before us, and settle again on a grass 

 stem, to be again disturbed by us in our progress, but 

 most of the species fly more continuously at dusk, and 

 that they fly long after dark is shown by the number 

 that are attracted by light on a still summer's night. 

 The species of the genus Chilo occur in marshy places 

 and the edges of ponds, all feeding, in the larva state, 

 on aquatic plants. 



