178 CATALOGUE OF MOTHS. 



199. A. nitidella, Pab. 



Argyresthia nitidella. Staint. Man., vol. ii., p. 369. 

 ,, ,, Meyr. Hdbk. Brit. Lep., p. 766. 



A yery abundant species everywhere. It is marked so in 

 the *' Manual " for both Newcastle-on-Tyne and Darlington, 

 and is probably abundant by every hawthorn hedge in both 

 counties. Mr. Backhouse, however, is the only collector who 

 marks its occurrence. 



200. A. semitestacella, Curt. 



Argyresthia semitestacella. Staint. Man., vol. ii., p. 369. 

 ,, „ Meyr. Hdbk. Brit. Lep., p. 767. 



Generally common. Occurring both at JS'ewcastle-on-Tyne 

 and Darlington according to the " Manual." Round the latter 

 town Mr. Sang took it in many places, also at Castle Eden Dene 

 and Black Halls. Mr. Gardner has also taken it in Hezleden 

 Dene. Sang's Black Halls record is somewhat curious, for 

 beech, which certainly does not grow at Black Halls, is the only 

 known food plant. Mr. Bankes also took the species both at 

 Castle Eden and at Hawthorn Tower in 1885. 



201. A. spiniella, Zell. 



Argyresthia spiniella. Staint. Man., vol. ii., p. 369. 



„ ,, Meyr. Hdbk. Brit. Lep., p. 766. 



The larva of this species feeds on mountain ash [Pyrus 

 aucuparia)* and the insect is necessarily confined to woods and 

 hilly districts. It is given in the "Manual" as occurring 

 regularly at Darlington, but the captures were made at High 

 Eorce in July and August by Mr. Sang. Mr. Gardner has bred 

 it freely from flower-stems of mountain ash which he collected 

 in Upper Teesdale, and Mr. Backhouse has taken it at Shotley, 

 all in the west of the county. 



*But in Ent. Mo. Mag., xxll., 263 (1886) Sang records a case in which 

 the larvae had "undoubtedly" fed on Prumis padus, and gives the very- 

 strong circumstantial evidence upon which his statement was based. He 

 does not mention the locality, but his words prove conclusively that it was 

 not in the neighbourhood of Darlington. — E. R. B. 



