ZYGHNA TRIFOLII, Z. FILIPENDULE, ETC. 61 
Zygena trifolii, Z. filipendulz, ete. 
By G. T. BETHUNE-BAKER, F.L.S., F.Z.S., F.B.S. 
In the Bull. Soc. ent. France, no. 15, p. 262 et seq., M. Chas. 
Oberthiir calls attention to the observations of Dr. Verity on Zyyaena 
filipendulae, 4. stoechadis, Z. angelicae, 4. lonicerae, and Z. trifolii, who 
considers these species merely forms or varieties of one, Z. filipendulae. 
M. Oberthir draws attention specially to 4. trifolii and Z. filipendulae 
as he finds them at Rennes. He says that Z. trifolii appears from 
May 25th to the end of June, and that it is of the form palustris, or of 
a smaller form, according to its locality being more, or less, humid. 
(At this time it is useless to look for 2. filipendulae.) He says Z., tri- 
folvi frequents meadows, whilst 4. filipendulae frequents the borders of 
paths in the woods and the edges of fields, and he says that it does not 
begin to emerge until July 15th, and continues till the middle of 
August. He then goes on to point out that Z. trifolit varies in one 
direction on certain lines, whilst 2. filipendulae varies on other lines in 
another direction, that the six-spotted Z. trifolit is not rare in its var. 
palustris, but is easily differentiated from Z. filipendulae, and that in his 
opinion they are not forms of one species, but are two distinct species 
at Rennes. 
Readers of the Hint. Record may possibly remember that I have paid 
much attention to these two species, as also to 4. lonicerae, both in 
England and on the continent. My experience in Hngland corres- 
ponds closely with that of the famous French observer, only that in 
Devonshire and on the south coast 4. érifolii appears in early July and 
continues all the month. It is especially fond of damp meadows with 
rivulets flowing through, settling on rushes and the stems of “ ragged 
_robin,”’ the heads of which are favourite resting and copulating places. 
I do not think, or at least I cannot recall that I have seen Z. /ilipen- 
dulae in such meadows, but in the broad roads crossing Dartmoor and 
its neighbourhood, with their wide grass “‘sidings’’ on each hand, 
4. filipendulae is quite frequent, though it prefers the edge of the moor 
and the more sheltered portions of the grass paths. Again, as with M. 
Oberthtir, I should date its first appearance at the middle of July. 
I have had a somewhat similar experience with the same species in the 
Isle of Wight.. 
4. lonicerae appears rather later than Z. trifolii, and I cannot 
remember finding these two in the same bitof country. In the Isle of 
Wight 4. jilipendulae was very much commoner than Z. lonicerae 
and 4, trifolii, the latter of which was not infrequent on the edges of 
the cornfields, whilst I found the same habit in Cornwall. 
There is, however, another point to consider. I have preparations 
of the genitalia of all the species, and there is no question of the 
distinctness of these. The clasps and the uncus of Z. lonicerae are 
quite different in shape from those of Z. filipendulae, and the same 
difference applies to 4. trifolii. Of 2. stoechadis I have very little 
personal experience. 
Turning now to my continental observations, I should say that the 
habits of 2. filipendulae and Z. lonicerae differ considerably from those 
obtaining with us. Their habitats are essentially meadows and pastures 
—the mountain sides and the valleys are the localities for both species, 
Aprit 157H, 1918. 
