R45 
NOTES ON LEPIDOPTERA IN THE 
WILSDEN DISTRICT IN 1906. 
ROSSE BUTTERFIELD. 
From the end of June to the end of the season I worked with 
the object of ascertaining what changes had taken place in the 
local lepidopterous fauna during recent years. 
The latter part of June and the whole of July and August 
were very favourable months. September was characterised by 
a copious amount of sunshine, but a prevailing north-east wind 
militated against successful collecting. October, on the whole, 
was fairly good, while November was a very wet month. 
The predominating entomological features of the year were 
the abnormal abundance of Acronycta pst, Neuronia popularts, 
Amphipyra tragopogonts, and Dasypolia templi. N. popularis 
swarmed around the gas lamps on suitable nights from August 
rgth to the first week in September. Hitherto only one or two 
isolated examples of this species have been recorded for this 
district. D. ¢empli appeared as early as the second week in 
September. On the night of the 18th October, the lamps in the 
immediate suburbs of Bradford attracted an unprecedented 
number of males of this species. This moth is, I believe, one 
of the commonest Noctuz within the city boundary. It is, 
however, a very capricious insect, and although the night in 
question was dark, damp, and overcast, such conditions were 
accompanied by a cold northerly wind. 
In addition to the foregoing, Hugonia alniaria, Venusia 
cambrica, and Melanippe galiata deserve special mention as 
being unusually common, and in a _ lesser degree Noctua 
elareosa. 
Putting out of the question certain moths which formerly 
occurred, but which appear to have disappeared, Apamea 
basilinea and Hadena oleracea, which are usually common, were 
characterised rather by their absence, as also was the first 
brood of Melanippe fluctuata. 
In June, July, and September sugar failed as an attraction 
to insects. Xylophasia monoglypha on some nights appeared in 
numbers, the type greatly preponderating. A few Orthosia 
suspecta and a single Mana literosa were all worthy of mention 
which came to sugar in those months. The flowers of the Rag- 
wort and Ivy proved an absolute failure, although both flowered 
freely. Ragwort is the chief attraction to Noctua dahli, yet in 
1907 May 1. 
