LEPIDOPTERA IN PENINSULAR ITALY DURING THE YEAR 1920. 223 
not at all so simple a matter as it would appear; and to establish with 
absolute certainty, which sex of a pair is flying, is often.a difficult 
matter, and one not to be done at a glance. This is perhaps why 
there still remain so large a number of species of whose habits we are 
in ignorance. 
Lepidoptera in Peninsular Italy during the year 1920. 
By O. QUERCI. 
From the month of March till October of 1920 my family and I 
have uninterruptedly collected Lepidoptera in Italy. The emergence 
of the species has been so different from that of the preceding years 
that I think it would be useful to note the phenomena observed with a 
view to furnish data concerning the influence of the season on .the 
development of insects. 
The winter of 1919-20 began with excessive cold, but after some 
days the weather became fine and the climate very mild. In the 
month of March vegetation in the country was in full progress, and 
I made an excursion into the Tuscan Maremma to see if, with such a 
favourable season, there would be a precocious emergence of insects to 
be collected at the beginning. 
On the 25th of March I left Florence on a bicycle in order to be 
able to stop at localities which seemed promising, and I visited all the 
uncultivated spots on the coast of the Tyrrhenian Sea, from Cecina 
to Follonica, but 1 only saw examples of Leptosia. sinapis and 
Coenonympha pamphilus. 
Seeing that it was useless to continue my journey, I returned to 
Florence and began to examine the hills near the city, but though the 
weather was beautiful, the Lepidoptera didn’t begin to emerge till the 
second half of April, and continued (not very abundantly) in May, 
and disappeared completely at the beginning of June. After the 
winter rains no water had fallen, the plants were dried up at their 
birth, and the life of insects was evidently impossible under such 
conditions. 
The species collected in the environs of Florence, from April 17th 
to June 3rd, are the following : — 
Nisoniades tages, .Lu., race clarens, Caradja, I., gen. tages, L.—An 
abundant emergence on April 17th, after which all the specimens were 
spoilt. The females which, in preceding years, were very scarce, were 
instead very abundant. 
Hrynnis altheae, Hb., race australiformis, Vrty., I. gen. aliheae, Hb. 
—Always scarce, only four specimens this year. 
Hrynnis lavatherae, Ksp., race australior, Vrty.—One sole specimen. 
Hesperia onopordi, Ramb., race fulvotincta, Vrty., I. gen. onopordi, 
Ramb.—Hven scarcer than in the preceding years; only five 
specimens. 
Hesperia armoricanus, Obthr., race fulvoinspersa, Vrty., I. gen. 
armoricanus, Obthr _—The males emerged from the lst to the 22nd of 
May ; only one female collected on April 28th. 
Hesperia malvoides, Klw. and Kdw., race pseudomalvae, Vrty., I. gen. 
pseudomalvae, Vrty.——Kmerged from April 28th to May 8th; scarce. 
Hesperia sidae, Esp., race occidentalis, Vrty.—HKmerged in excep- 
tional number during the month of May. 
