INSECTS 



scarce. The Buff Tip (Pbaleria bucephala) is found everywhere and often 

 in superabundance. The Chocolate Tip (Pygcera curtula) occurs freely in 

 the larva state on aspen, and the Small Chocolate Tip (P. pigra] abounds 

 on aspen and sallow. The Buff Arches (Thyatira derasa) and the Peach 

 Blossom (T. batis) occur generally among brambles, but are not usually 

 found in large numbers. The Figure of Eighty (Cymatophora octogesima) 

 is scarce but cannot be considered local, as nobody acquainted with its 

 habits need despair of finding it in any part of the county where poplars 

 abound. The Poplar Lutestring (C. or) is of general occurrence among 

 aspens, especially in woods. The Lesser Satin Lutestring (C. duplaris) 

 may be found flying among birches at dusk in June. The Lesser Lute- 

 string (Asphalia diluta) comes freely to ' sugar ' in the autumn. The 

 Yellow Horned (A. Jia-vicornis) is to be looked for on birch twigs and 

 stems on mild days in March, but though very widely distributed, it 

 seems to be less common in Essex than in some other counties. The 

 Frosted Green (A. ridens), being attached to the oak, occurs in all the 

 well wooded districts, but is not nearly so common in our county as in 

 the New Forest. 



NOCTUM 

 BRYOPHILID^ 

 Bryophila perla is generally common on old walls. 



BOMBYCOID^: 



Moma orion is widely distributed in oak woods, especially near 

 Colchester and in the Tendring Hundred. Demas coryll is fairly com- 

 mon among birch and beech. Acronycta tridens and A. psi are generally 

 distributed, the former being the scarcer, but both have been much less 

 common since 1893 than they were previously. A. leporina is far from 

 common. It was formerly found occasionally near Colchester, and has 

 more recently occurred at Brentwood and Epping. A. aceris was a 

 common Colchester insect some years ago, but gradually decreased in 

 numbers and at last entirely disappeared. Larva? were always to be 

 found on two old sycamores that formerly stood in the Abbey Field, and 

 it was after their removal that the period of scarcity set in. It still 

 occurs in several localities in south Essex. A. megacephala is generally 

 common about poplars. A. alni is very rare, but has occurred at 

 Colchester and Wormingford. A. ligustri is scarce at Alresford and 

 Colchester, but doubtless has a wide distribution among ash and privet. 

 A. rumicis and Diloba cceruleocephala abound everywhere. 



LEUCANIIDjE 



Leucania conigera during the recent period of extreme agricultural 

 depression swarmed at thistle flowers, which then abounded in some of 

 the forsaken fields, but since these have again come under the plough 

 the insect has been much less numerous. L. vitellina is unique for 

 the county, and has only recently obtained a place in our list, a single 

 specimen having been taken by the Rev. W. Claxton at Navestock in 



149 



