A HISTORY OF ESSEX 



September, 1900. L. turca does not seem to occur in north Essex, but is 

 found in the Epping district, and Mr. Raynor says it is periodically 

 common at Brentwood. L. lithargyria occurs freely everywhere. L. 

 obsoleta is scarce and local, but has been taken in the Southend district by 

 Mr. Whittle and others, and at Rainham and Mucking by Mr. Burrows. 

 L,. littoralis is found by Mr. Mathew at Dovercourt, and occurs sparingly 

 at Clacton-on-Sea. L. impudens (pudorina, Hb.) has been taken by Mr. 

 Whittle near Southend. L. comma sometimes comes pretty freely to 

 ' sugar.' L. straminea is not common, but occurs generally on the coast 

 and probably elsewhere among reeds. Mr. Cansdale used to find it at 

 Witham. L. impura and L. pallens are generally common. L. favico/or, 

 a comparatively recent addition to the British list, was discovered by 

 Mr. Mathew at Dovercourt, and a single specimen has been taken by 

 Mr. Whittle at Great Wakering. These are the only captures at present 

 recorded. Calamia phragmitidis is of general occurrence among reeds, in 

 the stems of which its larvae feed. Senta maritima (u/v<z, Hb.) is scarce 

 and local, but is included in Mr. Howard Vaughan's Leigh list, has 

 been taken near Alresford, and Mr. Burrows reports it from Mucking, 

 where it seems to occur more freely than elsewhere in the county. 

 Ccenobia rufa (despecta, Tr.) occurs in the Harwich district, and is also 

 found at Epping and Hainault. Taplnostola fufoa occurs in swampy 

 meadows among rushes in the Colchester and Southend districts, and 

 probably has an extensive range. Nonagria arundinis (typhce, Hb.) is of 

 general occurrence among Typba latifolia and T. angustifolia, N. gemini- 

 puncta is found among reeds at Alresford, Harwich, Mucking and 

 Witham, and doubtless at many other places. N. neurica is generally 

 scarce and local, but has been found at Benfleet by Mr. Whittle, near 

 Harwich by Mr. Mathew, and at Rainham and Mucking by Mr. 

 Burrows. Calamia lutosa has a wide distribution among reeds and is not 

 uncommon in some coast localities. 



APAMEID^: 



Gortyna ochracea (Jtavago, Esp.) is found in all directions, its larvae 

 feeding in the stems of thistles and many other plants. A very fine form, 

 differing materially from all other British specimens, has been found on 

 the coast between Harwich and Walton-on-the-Naze. Hydraecia nictitans 

 is of general occurrence and is extremely variable, especially the coast 

 forms, which are generally larger and paler than those found inland. H. 

 micacea may often be seen at suburban gas lamps, and its larvae and pupa? 

 may sometimes be found by ' raking ' at the roots of maritime plants. 

 Axylia putris, Xylophasia rurea, X. lithoxylea and X. monoglypba (polyodon, 

 L.) are of general occurrence and as a rule common. X. hepatica is 

 somewhat scarcer and more local. X. scolopacina has been found in the 

 Harwich district and occasionally occurs at Colchester, but is decidedly 

 scarce. Dipterygia scabriuscula (pinastri, L.) is generally distributed and 

 comes rather freely to 'sugar.' Aporophyla australis was once bred from a 

 larva found on the St. Osyth coast. Neuria reticulata (saponaria, Esp.) 



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