220 THE ENTOMOLOGIST S RECORD. 
PRACTICAL HINTS. 
Field Work for August and the autumn months. 
By J. W. TUTT, F.E.S. 
1.—In late July and August the nmagines of Mremobia ochroleuca are 
to be found seated in the middle of a flower of Centaurea scabiosa in the 
afternoon. 
2.—The larva of Hecatera dysodea is to be found stretched at full 
length over the blossoms and seed-heads of the garden lettuce durime 
August. 
3.—hLarve of Ptilophora plumiyera buried in a dry sandy soil, after 
three weeks the pups were removed and laid on a perfectly dry surface, 
with a littlemoss thrown over them; they were subject to a high tempera- 
ture during the latter part of summer and autumn, without any 
moisture whatever, yet all emerged well (Gascoyne). 
 4.—The full-grown larvee of “Botys terrealis live in July on Solidago 
virgaurea, they eat the flow ers, often strip the entire spike, spmning a 
sheht web among the flowers, out of which they wriggle when 
disturbed (Newman). 
5.—In July and early August the little Coenobia rufa (despecta) 
flies rapidly through the low herbage i in damp places when quite dusk. 
6.—For collecting, the wind should be south or south-west, dark, 
hght vain, shg¢ht breeze, and the result will be good, but if one point 
to east or north no good; north-west if any w ind, no eood, 1f calm a 
httle may be done ; south or west, still and warm are breeding nights, 
sugar little or no good; north or east, with a lieht wind, little 
good, with a strong wind, no good. No time is good just before rain, 
but sultry weather just before a thunder storm is good, but not after, 
in general entomologise after rain and not before (Harding). 
7.—On the sea coast, beneath the plants of Atriplea littoralis and 
Salsola hali, the larvee of Agrotis ripae may be obtained in large num- 
bers, resting when young on the stems and leaves of the food-plant, 
but afterwards tunnelling under the sand, where they hide during the 
day. They are best obtained from the middle to the end of August, 
when they are nearly full grown, and can generally be found simply 
by passing the fingers through the sand. 
8.—The larvee of Gontodoma limoniella are to be swept from flowers 
of Statice limonium in September, when they use an empty flower for a 
case. When full-fed they bore into the stem, dropping the flower, and 
close the hole with silk. The larvae hybernate in the boring, and in 
May the old stems of S. dimoniwn should be collected for them; they 
pupate in June and the imagines emerge in July (Fletcher). 
9.—In early August seared the Stachys in woods and by hedges 
for larvee of Amblyptilia cosmodactyla and A. acanthodactyla. 
10.—Towards the end of August the larvee of Cucullia asteris are 
frequently very abundant on sea “starwort. 
11.—Towards the end of August the imagines of Ayrotis ayathina 
fly for about three-quarters of an hour at dusk, and can then be netted 
by the aid of a lantern. They do not fly fast and are very quiet in the 
net. 
12.—A @ of Camptogramma fluciata taken in August or Septem- 
ber should be kept for eggs. The larve feed wp well on knot-grass 
and dock, and will emerge in November. 
