13 
LEPIDOPTERA IN THE NEIGHBOURHOOD OF 
YORK, 1893. 
WILLIAM HEWETT, 
fon. Sec. ses rate pecan hate ok York and District 2 saeedapent 
Soc ee and on Fa cs. for the E ee 
tion of pos Yorkshire ae Unio 
THE season which is now rapidly drawing to a close, and which will 
long be remembered meteorologically on account of the marvellous 
weather experienced, has not been equally memorable for quantity 
or quality of Lepidoptera noticed. 
Many generally common insects have been either very rare or else 
entirely conspicuous by their absence, and the only species which 
have been more than usually common at York this season are the 
following :—/ieris brassicae, P. rape, Vanessa urtice, V. atalanta, 
Acherontia atropos, Sphinx convolvuli, Macroglossa stellatarum, 
rthosia suspecta, Anchocelis litura, Phlogophora meticulosa, Hadena 
protea, Asthena sylvata, Venusiacambricaria, Lobophora lobulata, Collix 
sparsata, Lomaspilis marginata, Thera variata, and Diurnea fagella, 
whilst of those which have not occurred in anything like their usual 
numbers, the following amongst many others may be quoted :— 
Zygena lonicere, Lithosia mesomella, Arctia lubricipeda, Acronycta 
leporina, Noctua festiva, N. rubi, Agrotis porphyrea, Taentocampa 
populeti, T. leucographa, Epione vespertaria, Aspilates strigilaria, 
Lupithecia strat Acidalia immutata, Hypsipetes edutata, Phiba- 
lapteryx lignata, 
Of those species ere have entirely failed to put in an appearance 
and which we generally take each season in some numbers are 
Nudaria senex, Hydrelia unca, Plusia festuce, and Miana arcuosa. 
My first outing took place on the 14th February in quest of the 
variety fuscata of Hybernia progemmaria, of which I took six; my 
last on the 3rd November, when sugar produced but a few 
Scopelosoma satellitia and Cerastis vaccinit, 
Hybernia aurantiaria, H. defoliaria, Cheimatobia boreata, and 
C. brumata, were very scarce, whilst Oporadbia dilutaria and Himera 
pennaria were not seen. I have noticed the gradual diminution in 
point of numbers of these species for the past ten years; each year 
they become scarcer in this neighbourhood ; why, I know not. 
worst outing produced five moths, my best 253 ; _ this 
season I have set considerably more than 3,000 specim 
Early appearances.—Owing to the almost sea weather, 
instances - early spree have been far too numerous to mention 
Jan. 1894. 
