INSECTS 



occurs sparingly in many places, and has been met with in some numbers 

 by Mr. Burrows at Mucking. Neuroma popularis comes freely to 'light,' 

 and often knocks for admittance at the windows of country houses late in 

 the evening. Cbareeas graminis has the reputation of being extremely 

 injurious in the larva state to pastures, but though common in many 

 parts of the county, the Essex farmers do not appear so far to have traced 

 any extensive ravages home to it. Cerigo matura (cytherea, Fb.) is also a 

 grass feeder, which occasionally comes to ' sugar ' in some numbers, but 

 seems to be commoner in the Maldon and Stanford-le-Hope districts 

 than further north. Luperina testacea and L. cespitis are attracted by 

 'light,' and both may be found at rest on grass culms after dark, the latter 

 being very much scarcer than the former. Mamestra abjecta is a coast 

 species which is found in suitable localities along all the coast line from 

 Southend to the mouth of the Stour, where Mr. Mathew has met with 

 it in some numbers and in great variety. Mr. Burrows has also taken it 

 freely at Mucking and Rainham and Mr. Laver at Tollesbury. M. 

 sordida (ancefs, Hb.) is occasionally common at * sugar.' M. albicolon is 

 sometimes found at Dovercourt and elsewhere on coast sands. One year 

 the larvse were by no means uncommon at St. Osyth, but none have 

 occurred there recently. (M.furva was recorded by the late Mr. Edward 

 Doubleday to have been exceedingly common at Epping in 1832, fre- 

 quenting the flowers of the raspberry, but probably this was an error of 

 determination, as the northern species we now know as furva would not 

 be likely to occur so far south.) M. brassicee and M. persicarice are 

 common garden insects, the former the well known Cabbage Moth 

 being really an 'injurious insect,' which is more than can be said for 

 some other species that are frequently so designated. Apamea basilinea is 

 also common, and is said to be very destructive in corn fields. A. 

 gemina is sometimes plentiful at 'sugar' and flowers, especially those of 

 the common rush. A. unanimis is frequently found in the larva state 

 beside rivers and ditches. A. ophiogramma seems to occur rather freely 

 some seasons in south Essex, but not north of the Maldon district ; it 

 has been found at Brentwood, Rainham, Mucking and Woodford. A. 

 leucostigma (var.forosa, Hb.) has been taken in some numbers and in great 

 variety at rush flowers at Colchester. A. didyma occurs everywhere, 

 often in very great abundance. Miana strigilis, M. fasciunc ula and M. 

 bicoloria (furuncu/a, Tr.) are common generally. M. literosa is scarcer 

 and more local, especially in the north, but has been found in greater 

 numbers on the south coast. M. arcuosa is common at Colchester, and 

 probably occurs in most places among Aira caspitosa. 



CARADRINID^E 



Grammesia trigrammica (tri/inea, Bork.) frequently swarms at ' sugar,' 

 and fine varieties may be met with. Caradrina morpheus, C. a/sines, 

 C. taraxici (blanda, Tr.), C. quadripunctata (cubicularis, Bork.) and Rusina 

 tenebrosa are all more or less common generally, but like other common 

 species they sometimes have their adverse periods. 



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