Yorkshire Naturalists' Union : Annual Report, 1920. 41 



ENTOMOLOGICAL SECTION. 



Xepidoptera.— Mr. B. Morley writes : — The past season has been 

 -one of the worst on record. During the mid-season months, especially, 

 scarcely a moth or butterfly was to be seen. Even the three species of 

 -white butterflies have been rare in the West Riding. There was, however, 

 a great abundance of spring moths in January, which month, strange 

 to say, was more prolific than any succeeding month. The Rev. CD. 

 Ash found a colony of Nonagria arundineta Schmidt, in Lower Wharfedale, 

 where both the type form and the melanic variety dissoluta occurred. Mr. 

 Ash also reports two specimens of Agrotis praecox from an inland locality 

 near Holme-on-Spalding Moor. On May 14th, near Staithes, Mr. T. 

 Ashton Lofthouse took two specimens of Anesychia funetella, of which 

 there is only one previous Yorkshire record. Near Skelmanthorpe I 

 have taken Heliacea ienebraia, Apamea lencostigma and Peronea aspersana 

 new to the local list. Plusia moneta has extended its range to Meltham, 

 Grassington, Driffield and Scarborough. Acherontia atropos has also 

 been taken at Meltham. Mr. W. E. L. Wattam bred specimens of 

 Cucullia verbasci from larvae found at Newsome, and also noted many 

 larvae at Kirkham Abbey in July. Mr. G. T. Porritt noted the latter 

 species at Huddersfield again, near which town he also found the larvae 

 •of Sciaphila sinuana abundantly. An immigration in spring of Vanessa 

 atalanta, V. cardiii and Plusia gamma occurred, but the Vanessids have 

 only been scarce in comparison with what was expected, while gamma, 

 on the other hand, produced an exceptionally numerous autumn brood. 

 Mr. Porritt took a pretty variety of Melanippe hastata in Honley Wood, 

 near Huddersfield, where the species was fairly common. Abraxas 

 grossulariata seems to have practically disappeared from the gardens of 

 .the West Riding during the past two years. 



Mr. H. H. Corbett adds : — A very mild winter was remarkable for 

 the abundance of some species and the early appearance of others. From 

 November to January Hybernia defoliaria was extremely plentiful and 

 varied. It was no uncommon sight to see thirty or forty females on the 

 trunk of one tree. Himera pennaria was also remarkably abundant ; 

 on one occasion I counted sixteen females on one oak trunk. On the other 

 hand, Hybernia aurantiaria and Cheimatobia brum-ata were quite scarce, 

 and those that did put in an appearance were usually dwarfed. Phigalia 

 pedaria appeared on December 9th, 1919, and by the new year was abund- 

 ant. Asphalia flavicornis appeared on March 4th and was fairly common, 

 while Epigyaphia avellanella was extremely rare. Mild weather con- 

 tinuing until the middle of April the young larvae of the ' winter ' moths 

 came out in countless numbers, and there was every appearance of a 

 caterpillar plague. A series of frosts, gales and heavy rains in May 

 withered young leaves and destroyed millions of larvae. From that time, 

 throughout the year, collecting has been a hopeless quest. The only 

 species that I have seen in normal numbers are Plusia gamma, Toririx 

 viridana and Pyrameis atalanta. 



Notwithstanding the bad season, I have had the good fortune to add 

 two species and one variety to the County list. These are Carpocapsa 

 splendana of which I took one at Doncaster in August ; Adela nifiniirella 

 var. maciilata, one at Askern in June ; and Oxyptilits teucrii that I found 

 fairly common at Hatfield. 



Coleoptera. — Dr. W. J. Fordham writes : — The general experience 

 of the Committee has been that the past season has been one of the worst 

 on record. The number of species observed, and even beetles which 

 are usually accounted extremely abundant, have appeared in much 

 depleted numbers. There are a few unexplained exceptions to the above 

 generalisation, and a full accoimt will appear as usual in The Naturalist 

 when the material acquired has been fully worked out and verified. A 

 few additions have been made to the County list, not the least interesting 



1921 Jan. 1 



