1887.1 151 



NOTES ON LEPIDOPTERA OCCUREINa IN THE ITALIAN LAKE 



DISTEICT. 



BY ALBERT H. JONES. 



I reached Lugano on the 30th May last. The weather was much 

 warmer than in England, yet such species as Lijccena Argiolus and 

 Thecla riihi were only commencing to emerge, being in the finest 

 jio^^sible condition, their late appearance being probably due to the 

 fact that the weather during the spring round the Italian lakes had 

 been unusually cold. 



It added much to the pleasure of mj visit to have the company 

 for a few days of Mr. Coryndon Matthews, of Ivy Bridge, who was 

 engaged in collecting Dipt era. "We made the first excursion to 

 Monte Salvatore, 2982 ft. high, clothed with wood almost to the 

 summit. Few species of Lepidoptera appeared to be on the wing. 

 Venilia maculata was disturbed out of the undergrowth, and in open 

 spaces occasional specimens occurred of Papilio Podalirius and 

 Machaon, Argynnis Selene and Dia. 



The woods being apparently unproductive, we turned our atten- 

 tion to the meadows. Moths were scarce, but butterflies were fairly 

 numerous, chiefly represented by the genus Melitcea. 



An interesting form of Melitcea Phcehe occurred ; M. Didyma, 

 Aurelia, and Atlinlia were all somewhat plentiful : of the last-named 

 I took two beautiful dark varieties. 



In one particular meadow, which afforded Mr. Matthews an 

 abundant harvest of Diptera, Spilothyrus althecB, in beautiful con- 

 dition, occurred frequently ; here the local Diasemia literalis was to 

 be seen flying in the bright sunshine among the long grass ; Melan- 

 argia Galatea was very abundant on the 3rd of June, nearly all the 

 specimens approaching var. Procida, and resembling on the wing a 

 black butterfly, spotted with white ; the Lyccence were represented by 

 L. Icarus, Bellargus, Sylas, Argiolus, semiargus, and Cyllarus. 



At Stresa, on the South of Lago Maggiore, there was even a 

 greater dearth of Lepidojotera, possibly owing to the excessive heat 

 which prevailed. It seemed strange, as one strolled through the 

 beautiful glades in the chestnut forests, to see only an occasional 

 Neptis Lucilla or Nemeohius Lucina. In the meadows, by the lake 

 side, L. Astrarclie (the form occurring in England), L. Lycidas, a few, 

 and Polyommatics Dorilis and Plilaas were to be found. 



On the 7th of June, I started for an excursion up the Yal 

 Anzasca, the valley leading to the foot of Monte Rosa. The vegeta- 



