53 



LEPIDOPTERA AT LIGHT AT IPSWICH. 

 By Claude A. Pyett. 



A REVIEW of the past season, through the means of a carefully 

 kept diary, shows that it has been exceptionally productive of 

 Lepidoptera, especially as regards collecting at light. The year 

 has been remarkable from the fact that usually common species, 

 such as Mamestra brassiccB and Rumia luteolata, have been scarce, 

 and in some instances, for example Agrotis segetum^ I have not 

 seen a single specimen. Melanippe fliictuata was the only insect 

 that maintained its proverbial frequency in these parts ; Noctua 

 c-nigrum, which I referred to last year as a pest, being com- 

 paratively uncommon. A few species occurred plentifully, M. 

 persicarice being the most conspicuous. 



That the season has been successful is proved by my having 

 taken no fewer than 199 species, made up as follows : Diurni, 1 ; 

 Sphinges, 3 ; Nocturni, 11; Drepanulidse, 2 ; Pseudo-Bombyces, 

 6 ; Noctuae, 66 ; Geometrse, 62 ; and Micros, 48. Dealing 

 with the latter separately, Pionea forjicalis, Cramhus hortuellas, 

 and C. tristellus swarmed, but with these exceptions none of the 

 others abounded. On the whole, the best Macro taken for the 

 county is Leucania phragmitidis, of which I took two specimens 

 in one night with Dianthoecia carpophaga, likewise an apparently 

 scarce insect in this locality. Among the Micros, Spilonota robo- 

 rana and Ephestia ? passulella are new to the Suffolk list, whilst 

 I have to record the capture of Tinea pallescentella for the first 

 time this year in the county. Several specimens of Dicranura 

 bifida and Smerinthus ocellatus occurred ; of the former I took 

 four. One Amphidasys betularia of the true var. doubledayaria 

 form fell to my lot. 



The autumn season was a decided contrast to 1894, insects 

 being noticeably scarce, althougli the weather was not unfavour- 

 able. Of the few species recorded, Xanthia gilvago was present 

 in unusual numbers, also Eugonia fuscantaria, but I only secured 

 one E. alniaria {tiliaria), the commonest of the 1894 " thorns." 

 It is remarkable, bearing in mind the central situation of the two 

 electric arc lamps in the town, that this illuminant should be 

 occasionally visited by such insects as Hepialus humuli and 

 Acentropus niveus. An Ipswich entomologist, in the November 

 issue (Entom. xxviii. 314), comments on the superiority of the 

 electric light over gas as a means of attracting insects, but my 

 experience has been the reverse. To bear this out, it would have 

 been interesting to tabulate the insects taken respectively at the 

 two sources of light ; but as this would occupy so great space, I 

 have instead carefully summarised the relative differences. Thus, 

 of Lepidoptera taken, 66 species occurred at both illuminants, 

 whilst 81 were captured through the medium of lamps, and 52 

 only at electric light. The introduction of the brilliant incan- 



