SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



263 



LEPIDOPTERA IN SUFFOLK. 



By Claude A. Pyett. 



*TPHE records of past years afford conclusive 

 evidence that the county of Suffolk is 

 eminently suited for enabling one to pursue the 

 study of Entomology, and I have endeavoured to 

 compress into this Paper some observations upon 

 the principal captures of Lepidoptera which I 

 observed during 1895, one of the most productive 

 seasons in my experience. The almost Arctic 

 weather of the opening months of the year induced 

 one to wonder whether such abnormal meteoro- 

 logical conditions would have a diminishing effect 

 in the number of insects ; but from what I have 

 already observed, it will be understood that there 

 were no grounds for this apprehension. 



In January, search after the pupae of Trachea 

 piniperda, at their favourite haunt in the woods five 

 miles to the south of Ipswich, resulted in only an 

 empty pupa-case being turned up, and like success 

 attended my efforts to secure the imago of Nyssia 

 hispidaria, but this species is evidently of inter- 

 mittent occurrence, for, as far as I know, only one, 

 a female, was taken. Tree trunks were, however, 

 thickly populated with Diurnea fagella, many of 

 which exhibited melanic influence. During March 

 a forcible demonstration in favour of the theory 

 that moths possess auricular powers was afforded 

 in the case of Hybemia leucophcearia. This species 

 also abounded on oak trunks, but though I exer- 

 cised great caution in approaching them, I only 

 effected the capture of about a dozen specimens, as 

 they almost invariably took to flight when within a 

 few yards of them, and it seemed to me that the 

 cracking of a decayed twig was sufficient to warn 

 them of my approach. The sallows, on April 17th, 

 produced nothing of any rarity beyond Tceniocampa 

 rubricosa. 



During May Brephos parthenias, Euclidia mi, and 

 Melanippe hastata occurred somewhat sparingly on 

 the wing, whilst one fine Eurymenc dolobraria was 

 disturbed by the beating-stick. This was the month 

 for micros, and, among many others, I netted 

 swarms of Adela viridella, also A. degcerella, Nemo- 

 phora schwarziella, Harpella geaffrella, Roxana arcnella, 

 Micropteryx sparmannella, Gracilaria sivederella , etc. 

 At rest on palings, I secured Tephrosia punctulata, 

 Bapta temerata, Dasycera sulphurella, and Elachista 

 cerussella ; Xylocampa areola, and Amphidasys strataria 

 (female) were taken off trunks. One advance speci- 

 men of Dipterygia scabriuscula visited sugar on May 

 22nd, accompanied by Hadena thalassina and several 

 Gonoptem libatrix. The town electric light and 

 lamps, to the alluring powers of which the success 

 of the season must be largely attributed (for I re- 

 corded no fewer than 200 species) attracted Sphinx 



ligustri and others of the hawk-moths, including 

 several Smerinthus ocellatus, Dicranura bifida (3), 

 D. vinula, Notodonta dictoea, N . ziczac, Hadena adusta 

 (2) and Amphidasys betularia, var. doubledayaria ; 

 whilst at lamps I took Tceniocampa gracilis (2), 

 Cucullia umbratica, Eupithecia nanata, etc. At dusk, 

 in the town suburbs, I netted several Ligdia 

 adustata and Conchylis smeathmanniana (new to the 

 Suffolk list of Lepidoptera). 



Throughout June Eupithecia subciliata were freely 

 disturbed from maple, its food- plant ; and from wild 

 clematis Phibalapteryx tersata and T. vitalbata (both 

 plentiful). Others taken at dusk were Chcerocampa 

 elpenor and Leucania conigera (attracted by flowers of 

 water bedstraw), Mamestra anceps, Eupithecia castigata, 

 Melanippe rivata, Xanthosetia zcegana, etc. From 

 May day-collecting proved very discouraging, it 

 being no uncommon incident to return home with 

 nothing of any worth, and I attributed this to the 

 almost leafless condition of the woods about that 

 time, but mostly noticeable during June, when 

 hazel-bushes could be seen absolutely bereft of 

 foliage owing to the ravages of the larvae of the 

 autumnal insects, amongst them being represen- 

 tatives of the genus Hybernia, Cheimatobia, Cosmia 

 (trapezina), etc. However, on June 9th, I was 

 rewarded by taking Chesias obliquaria and Macaria 

 notata. 



I found the country hedgerows nearer town to 

 be more productive during July, beating several 

 Coremia quadrifasciaria, mostly worn specimens, 

 unfortunately ; Cidaria fidvata, from dog-rose ; 

 Elachista nigrella (female) flying in afternoon ; 

 several Argyresthia gasdartella, under a wall-ledge; 

 a few Apamea unanimis at sugar, with one Depres- 

 saria liturella; and at dusk Hyponomeuta plumbellus 

 and Platyptilia bertrami (only once previously 

 recorded for the county). The light list was con- 

 siderably augmented during June and July, and I 

 mention a few of the captures: Orgyia pudibunda, 

 two males of Lasiocampa quercifolia, Platypteryx 

 jalcula, 'Acronycta aceris, Leucania phragmitidis, 

 Dianthcecia carpophaga, Eupithecia fraxinata (2), E. 

 succenturiata (3) , Acidalia trigeminata, Acentropus niveus 

 (female), and Tinea tapetzella. Amongst the 

 numerous micro-lepidoptera was Tinea pallesceutella 

 —one of the many additions to the Suffolk list 

 during the year ; whilst I confirmed the supposi- 

 tion that Spilonota roborana occurs, this insect 

 having been unrecorded hitherto. 



August was somewhat of a blank month, the 

 greater part of it being spent at Yoxford, "the 

 Garden of Suffolk," on a holiday, which I had 

 intended should be free from entomological 



