TORTRICES TAKEN IN SOUTH ESSEX. 189 



which seems to be the favourite food of the larva, which, however, 

 feeds upon a variety of other trees and plauts, 



Pcedisca bilunnna, Haw. — Very common at rest on birch trunks, 

 but not always easily seen on occount of its whitish colour matching 

 so closely the bark of the tree. 



P. oppressana, Tr. — Very local on Populns mgra trunks. I have 

 only met with it, as far as Essex is concerned, near Loughton. 



P. corticana, Hb. — -Very abundant almost everywhere amongst oaks ; 

 varying from greenish to almost coal-black. 



P. profundana, Fb. — Much less common ; may be occasionally 

 beaten from oak, wliitethorn, &c., at Loughton, but I have not taken 

 it elsewhere. 



P. opthalmicana, Hb. — Local, but fairly common where aspen 

 shrubs grow freely. May be beaten from them towards the end of 

 September. Ongar Park Woods, near Ingatestone, and near St. Osyth. 



P. occultana, Dougl. — Probably found in most plantations where 

 larch grows freely, but I have only met with it near Brentwood, 

 where the larva is in some seasons not at all rare. 



P. solandriana, L. — Distributed throughout wherever birch shrubs 

 are found ; some of the numerous vars. are very pretty. 



P. semifitscana , St. — Usually considered a common insect, but I 

 have only met with a few larvae on sallow near Thames Haven ; it 

 must surely be found in many other places in the county. 



P. sordidana, Hb. — Common where it occurs, more especially in the 

 larva state, on alders. WM.rley. Wanstead, Harold Wood, Witham, &c. 



Ephippiphora bimaculana, Don. — Local, and never very common 

 amongst birch shrubs. Near Brentwood, Wanstead Park, and rarely 

 at Loughton. 



E. pfiugiana, Haw. — Generally common, especially in the larva 

 state, in thistle stems. Varies much in size, some of my specimens 

 being no larger than the next species, circiana, Zell., which I have 

 not taken in S. Essex. 



E. inopiana, Haw. — Very local. I have only found it in two or 

 three places. On the roadside between Stamford Rivers and Epping, 

 and more commonly in a boggy place near East Horndon, always 

 amongst Inula dysenterica, in the roots of which the larva passes 

 the winter. 



E. hrunnichiaua. Frol. — ^Distributed throughout amongst Tm^silago 

 farfara, in the roots of which the larva may be found in the autumn 

 and early winter. I have bred specimens of a creamy white colour, 

 with scarcely any markings on the upper wings. 



E. fceneana, Haw.— May generally be found in the larva state in 

 the winter in the old gnarled roots of Artemisia vulgaris; the imago 

 not so often seen. Laindon, Lea Bridge, Fobbing, and Pitsea. 



E. signatana, Dougl. — Mr. Machin used to beat this insect rarely 

 from blackthorn (its food-plant) and oak at Chingford, but I have 

 searched for it there many times in vain. 



E. trigeminana , St.— Usually to be found in waste places and on 

 railway banks wherever its food-plant, Senecio jacoba;a, grows. The 

 larva feeds on the roots, and may be dug up freely in the late autumn. 

 When bred, the female especially is a very pretty insect. 



E. tetragonana, St. — Local, and rather scarce. My own series 



