JUN 4 1960 



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JOURNAL OF VARIATION. 



Vol. XII. No. 5. May 15th, 1900. 



Phorodesma smaragdaria, Fabricius. 



By Eev. C. E. N. burrows. 

 For a great many years in my early entomological life, I kept the 

 label belonging to Phorodesma smarcu/daria amongst those of the 

 " unobtainables," kept because it seemed silly to throw such things 

 away, but put aside in case they might turn up useful some day. It 

 Avas not, however, until I got into the marsh country, and found 

 myself residing at Eainham, that I began to have hopes of success. 

 Thomas Eedle had told me the food -plant years before, and one of my 

 first excursions to my river-frontage was in quest of Arteinisia maritima, 

 but there was not a root to be found, and I found myself disappointed. 

 Of course everybody knows that the larva is exceptionally difficult to 

 find, and that the imago is but rarely taken except by those who know 

 the exact locality, the time of year, and the habits of the insect. The 

 beginner Avants an introduction. My own experience teaches me that 

 without a friend with knowledge, the collector may entirely fail to see 

 even a trace of the larva, where it is actually in fairly large numbers. 

 I have spent hours on the river- wall searching the Artemisia most 

 careftilly, without success, and then, just when I had to leave, got 

 " my eye in " and made a bag. In 1893 I made the acquaintance so 

 long desired. Mr. Whittle, of Southend, gave me the introduction. 

 He took me to Canvey Island, and showed me, in the exact place I had 

 so often searched, the larva feeding. Since that time I have had no 

 more difficulty, and have generally managed to find enough for myself, 

 and for friends. The hfe-history of the species given by Mr. Ehsha 

 in his paper, read before the Entomological Society of London, October 

 6th, 1886, and published in the Transactions, pp. 465-8, for that year, 

 is so complete, and so entirely bears out my observations, except in 

 one or two points, that I refrain from entering into this subject, simply 

 recommending any one who wishes to know more about it, to read that 

 most interesting paper. 



With us the larva appears to be found only upon Artemisia maritima, 

 and on the saltings of the Essex coast. In the original description by 

 G. Koch [Stettiner entomoloijische Zeitnng, xii., p. 265 (1851)] it is said 

 to have been discovered by Herr Verwalter Muhlig, feeding upon 

 Achillea millefolium., in the town woods of Frankfort-on-the-Main, and 

 in confinement, to have eaten Poterium sangaisorha. Such complete 

 divergence in habitat and food-plant seems to be very extraordinary, 

 and so far as I have been able to learn, has never been explained. I 



