254 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



TORTRIX DONELANA, Sp. nOV. 



Imago. — The expanse of the wings varies from 17 to 20 mm. The costa 

 of the fore wing is well arched at the base, and then runs straight to the 

 tip, which is rather pointed. The hind margin is very slightly convex, 

 except at the anal angle. The ground colour of the fore wings is yellowish 

 brown, with a bronzy appearance, which in certain lights gives them an 

 olive-green sheen. Near the tip of the fore wing is a brown costal spot, and 

 an oblique irregular brown band crosses the wing from the middle of the costa 

 to the anal angle. A few thin, brown, curved lines run from the costa 

 towards the inner margin, between the oblique band and the hind margin, 

 towards which their convexity is directed. The distinctness of all these 

 brown markings varies greatly, as the fore wings of one of my specimens 

 appear almost unicolorous yellowish brown, with a bronzy lustre, much 

 resembling T. viburnana. The hind wings have the hind margins decidedly 

 concave below the tip ; their upper surface is dark grey. The fringe is 

 silvery white. Beneath, the fore wings are blackish, aud the hind wings 

 whitish grey. The labial palps are of moderate length, and, together with 

 the head and thorax, are covered with brown scales, those on the thorax 

 being darkest. The abdomen is short, hardly reaching the anal angle of the 

 hind wing. It is clothed with dark grey scales, and the anal tuft is light 

 yellow. 



Larva. — The larva is of the ordinary Tortrix type. It is olive-green 

 dorsally, yellow laterally, and yellowish green ventrally, with dorsal and 

 lateral rows of yellowish white spots, from which spring blackish hairs. Its 

 length is 11 or 12 mm. The head and the posterior part of the last 

 abdominal segment are yellowish brown, marked with black. 



Pupa. — The pupa is brownish black. Each of 'the abdominal segments 

 (except the first and the last) is provided with two half rings of spines, by 

 means of which the pupa can move in its cocoon. 



Habitat. — Tuam, Co. Galway, Ireland. 



Time of appearance. — Larva : April to July. Pupa : June and July. 

 Imago : July and August. 



Food-plants. — Scotch fir and larch. 



Habits. — The larva feeds on the pine-shoots, which it seems to almost 

 divest of their leaves. Mr. Donelan writes ; — " The caterpillar appears in 

 two or three different ways. It fastens together two shoots, and forms a 

 nest of web ; when disturbed it creeps out at the top, and, falling to the 

 ground, tries to hide in the heath, &c. ; or some of the pine leaves are 

 fastened together on a single shoot, and the nest of web is formed within. 

 Sometimes a few of the caterpillars are found on the shoots without any 

 covering; this generally happens later in the season than the former." The 

 cocoon in which the pupa is contained appears to be formed by the closing 

 up of the web in which the larva had slieltered. The cocoon is surrounded 

 by a mass of scale-leaves. 



It seems very strange that this apparently unnoticed insect should have 

 made its appearance in such numbers as to force attention by its damage to 

 plantations. Mr. Donelan, who has had considerable experience of pine- 

 woods, says it is the worst pest he has seen in Ireland. Equally strange is 

 its occurrence in such a remote district of the British Isles as Co. Galway. 



Mr. Donelan tells me that the young trees on which the larvse were 

 found came from Scotland, and may have been originally imported from the 

 Continent. Hence, if the identification of T. donelana with Herrich- 



