160 CATALOGUE OF MOTHS. 



the insect under notice was taken by him at Darlington and at 

 Seaton Carew. 



146. G. obsoletella, F.R. 



Gelechia obsoletella. Staint. Man., vol. ii., p. 340. 

 „ „ Meyr. Hdbk. Brit. Lep., p. 591, 



Somewhat similar to the last in choice of localities, but I have 

 no knowledge of its occurrence away from the coast in this 

 country, though it occurs inland on the Continent. Mr. Sang 

 notes its capture by himself near Darlington and at Seaton 

 Carew, but Mr. Bankes believes that the species met with was 

 atriplicella (which he certainly obtained in plenty, although, 

 be it noted, it is never mentioned in his diary, and could not be 

 so generally common as to prompt such omission) by the name 

 ^^ obsoletella,''^ and he so far failed to find any evidence of the 

 capture by Sang of the true obsoletella, which is decidedly local 

 and seems confined in Britain to the coast. Its occurrence near 

 Darlington would therefore, in any ease, be highly improbable. 

 If Sang ever met with the true obsoletella at Seaton Carew or 

 elsewhere, it is obvious that he must have mistaken it for a 

 pale variety of the genuine atriplicella, for his diary only con- 

 tains the one name obsoletella, which refers mainly, if not 

 entirely, to atriplicella. Mr. Gardner has met with the true 

 obsoletella at Greatham, his specimens having been verified by 

 Mr. Bankes. 



147. G. plantaginella, Stain. 



Gelechia plantaginella. Sta., Ent. Mo. Mag., xix., p. 253. 

 „ ,, Meyr. Hdbk. Brit. Lep., p. 591. 



Rather a common species, and much of a coast species, the 

 larvae feeding usually on Plantago coronopus or maritima, 

 though occasionally on P. lanceolata. Mr. Gardner found it 

 very abundant at Greatham, and Mr. Bankes informs us that 

 Sang, whilst living at Darlington, certainly met with the large 

 dark saltmarsh form of the insect commonly in our district, 

 and that he has little doubt but that some of Sang's entries 

 about instabilella refer in reality to plantaginella. 



