A HISTORY OF CORNWALL 



Triphaena fimbria is scarce except in the extreme east of the county. T. ianthina is generally 

 distributed and fairly common. T. interjecta is scarcer and more local than the previous species, 

 but commoner at Scilly. T, baja comes frequently to sugar in most of the Cornish woods. 

 T. rubricosa is common at Godolphin, but evidently rare and local elsewhere. T. prasina has been 

 occasionally taken at sugar about Antony and Liskeard. Heliothis armigtra is rare, but has been 

 taken several times along the south coast, and was obtained by Allen at Millook in 1905. H. pel- 

 tigera is usually scarce and local, but in some seasons, like 1893 and 1898, fairly plentiful at places 

 in the south. H. dipsacea was taken by Mr. White near Trefusis Wood in July, 1 840. There is 

 no further record till 1902, when a specimen was taken at Manaccan. The larvae of Ochria 

 ochracea are often abundant in foxglove stems. In the mature state it is generally distributed. 

 Nonagria arundinis was obtained by Reading at St. Germans more than forty years ago. This was 

 the only county record till last year, when two specimens were taken at Marazion. The variable 

 Luperina testacea is common throughout the county and at Scilly. A single specimen of the rare 

 Spodoptera exigua was taken by Baily at Paul. Rusina tenebrosa is sparingly distributed along the 

 south from the Tamar to the Lizard. Amphipyra pyramided is local but not uncommon at sugar in 

 some districts. A. tragopogonis is more generally distributed than the last, and has been taken from 

 Cotehele to Scilly. Caradrina pyralina has been captured on more than one occasion near Lost- 

 withiel. C. diffinis is very rare, and has been taken only at Heligan near Mevagissey. C. affnis 

 has occurred at Antony, Maker, Looe, and Mevagissey. C. trapezina is frequently found in the 

 east of the county, but is rare elsewhere. C. umbra has been obtained only at Whitsand cliffs, at 

 Cremyll, and at Falmouth. C. micacca is rare but very widespread ; it is at times fairly common 

 about Penzance. C.fulva has been taken near the Land's End on two separate occasions. C. 

 quadripunctata is general throughout the county. C. morpheus is widely distributed but by no 

 means common. C. aliines is represented by four or five specimens all taken singly and in distant 

 localities. C. taraxaci is fairly common in the east, but somewhat scarce in the west. C, trigram- 

 mica has been taken sparingly from the Tamar to Bodmin. C. matura has been obtained several 

 times near the Land's End and at Scilly. Stilbia anomala was captured by J. C. Dale at the Land's 

 End. Hadena meticulosa is abundant, H. lucipara fairly common, and H. maura somewhat scarce 

 all over the county. H. scabriuscula has been taken once near Launceston. H. adusta was found 

 by Reading at Antony and St. Cleer, and by the Marquands at Penzance. H. gemma is widely 

 distributed but scarce. H. polyodon, H. /ithoxy/ea, and H. rurea are common almost all over the 

 county, the first-named in places abundant. A single example of the rare H. sublustris was taken 

 near Launceston in June, 1901. H. scolopacina has been twice obtained lately at Newquay. H. 

 hepatica is common at sugar throughout the eastern districts, but is scarce elsewhere. H.furva was 

 twice secured by Reading at Whitsand Bay East. H. abjecta was captured by Tellam at Endellion 

 and was recorded by A. H. Jenkin. H. sordida and H. basilinea are scarce, but occur in most 

 districts. Three specimens of H. unanimis were found near Looe in June, 1905. H. didyma is 

 everywhere common. H. nictitans occurs near Probus. H. strigilis and H. bicoloria are common, 

 H. literosa and H. fasduncula somewhat scarce throughout the county. Metachrostts perla is very 

 local but not uncommon among lichens and moss on old hedgebanks. M. mura/is is more widely 

 spread, and about Plymouth and at Scilly often plentiful. Mama orion is rare, but was taken at 

 West Looe in 1856 and at Helford in 1899. Acronycta leponna appears to be confined to the 

 extreme south-east of the county, where it is in some seasons not uncommon. The scarce and 

 beautiful A. alni has twice been taken in the larval state, namely, by A. H. Jenkin in 1886 and 

 by Baily at Paul in 1893. A. tridens occurs sparingly in gardens about Liskeard and Penzance. 

 A, pit is one of our commonest moths. A. megacephala is not uncommon in the south-east and 

 has been recorded from Liskeard and Bodmin. A. aceris was obtained by J. S. Dell at Mount 

 Edgcumbe and Saltash. Five specimens were taken at Whitsand Bay East in June 1 904. A. ligustri 

 is rare and apparently limited to the east of the county, where examples have been occasionally 

 captured during the last five years. A. rumlcis with its striking larva is common in woods every- 

 where. A. menyanthidis and Arsilonche albovenosa were recorded by Marquand from West Cornwall 

 and are both very unexpected casuals. 



PLUSIADAE 



Aethla tarsipennalis and A. nemoralis are widespread but local, and the latter is scarce. Herminta 

 barbalis occurs about Liskeard and probably elsewhere, but has been confounded with A. tarsipennalis. 

 Hypenodes costistrigalis has been taken sparingly both by the Marquands and by Baily about 

 Penzance. H. alblstrigalis was reported by Jenner Fust and has been twice taken at sugar near 

 Kilkhampton. Bomolocha fontis was recorded by Tellam from Bodmin. Hypena rostra/is was not 

 uncommon in 1904 near St. Germans, and has also been captured at Bodmin. H. proboscidalis is 

 abundant among coarse road-side herbage. A solitary specimen of Aventia flexula was obtained 

 near Doublebois in July, 1902. Ophtusa pastinum is also represented by a single male taken near 

 Boscastle in July, 1903. The sluggish Scoliopteryx libatrix is not uncommon throughout the 



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