NOTE ON THE INSTABILELLA GROUP OF THE GENUS 



LIT A. 



BY NELSON M. RICHARDSON, B.A., F.E.S. 



The two species of Lita here figured complete the little group of the 

 five closely allied species which occur in this country, and which are all 

 found on the Chesil Beach. Their full life-histories are given in 

 Vols. xxix. and xxx. of the Entomologist's Monthly Magazine by Mr. 

 Eustace R. Bankes and myself. Figures shewing the life-history of the 

 other three species, sucedella, Richardson ; ocellatella, Stainton ; and 

 plantaginella, Stainton ; are given on the plate at p. 59 of Proc.,Vol. XV., 

 and accounts of them in the accompanying paper at p. 64., &c. 



EXPLANATION OF PLATE. 



I. Lita (Gelechid) instabilella, Douglas. 1. Imago; la. Larva, both 

 much magnified ; 16. Shoot of Atriplex portulacoides shewing 

 mine of larva, which eats out the green fleshy interior substance 

 of the leaf, in April. 



[See Proc. XV., 65. Ent. Monthly Mag., XXIX., 243, 247, 



&C. XXX., 80.] 



2. Lita (Gelechia) salicornice, Hering. 2. Imago; 2a. Larva, both 

 much magnified ; 26. Two small plants of Salicornia hcrbacea 

 (Common Marsh Samphire or Glasswort) growing near each other 

 and spun together by a larva. Frequently only one plant is spun 

 up and generally more or less distorted. Though the larva of 

 this moth has been known for years, I had been quite unable to 

 obtain it for figuring until Mr. Eustace R. Bankes found it in the 

 I. of Wight on July 24th, 1896, feeding on Salicornia, apparently 

 its favourite food-plant, and kindly sent me specimens. Shortly 

 afterwards I discovered it not uncommonly on the same plant on 

 the Chesil Beach, where I had once taken a few specimens of the 

 imago and often searched unavailingly for the larva. It would 

 therefore appear as if 1896 had been a specially favourable year 

 for this species around Weymouth, but Mr. Bankes failed to find 

 more than one imago and one larva in Purbeck, where it always 

 seems unaccountably scarce. 



[See Proc. XV., 65. Ent. Monthly Mag. XXX., 80.] 



The figures of the genus Lita on both plates are from Dorset 

 specimens. 



3. Coleophora adjunctella, Hodgkinson. 3. Imago ; 3a. Larva ; 36. 

 Case of larva, all much magnified. The larva and case figured 

 were found by me at Radipole, on the shore of the backwater. 3c. 

 Spray of Juncus Gerardi (Mud Rush), with case of larva attached 

 (nat. size). This species also occurs in Purbeck, where it is 

 apparently much commoner than at Weymouth. 



[See Ent. Monthly Mag., XVIII., 189 ; XXII., 9, 68 ; XXIV., 15 ; 

 XXVIIL, 284; xxxi., 130; for full information as to life- 

 history, &c. 



