CATALOGUE OF MOTHS. 99 



ASPHALIA, Hub. 



5. Asphalia diluta, W. Y. Lessee Ltjtestbing. 



Cymatoj^hora diluta. Staint. Man., vol. i., p 175. 

 ,, „ IS'ewm. Brit. Moths, p. 240. 



Asphalia ,, Barr. Lep. Brit. Is., vol. iii., p. 204. 



Polyploca ,, Meyr. Hdbk. Brit. Lep., p. 291. 



Laeva. Buck., vol. iv., pi. liv., fig. 5. 

 Though this is generally a common species, it has been re- 

 corded but from few places in our district. Mr. Henderson met 

 with it at Jesmond, the only I^Torthumberland record. Further 

 up the Tyne on the Durham side Mr. Hedworth met with it very 

 abundantly about Thornley, and took several specimens of a 

 beautiful variety with three or more dark bands, and which I 

 have elsewhere named nuhilata. This form is figured in New- 

 man's British Moths, p. 240, from a specimen in the collection 

 of the late Mr. Bond. Newman states it is a species not given 

 to variation. The only additional record that I have is that Mr. 

 Maddison met with it in the Durham district. 



6. A. flavicornis, Linn. Yellow Horned. 



Cymatophora Jlavicornis. Staint. Man., vol. i , p. 176. 

 ,, „ Newm. Brit. Moths, p. 242. 



Asphalia ,, Barr.Lep. Brit. Is.,vol.iii.,p.207. 



Polyploca ,, Meyr. Hdbk. Brit. Lep., p. 291. 



Laeva. Buck., vol.iv., pi. Iv., fig. 1 ; O.Wils., pl.xxxi.,fig. 1. 



I have no doubt this species occurs in most parts of both 

 counties where there is plenty of Birch, but, perhaps from the 

 early appearance of the imago, perhaps from the difficulty of 

 finding the larva until you learn its habits, it has been seldom 

 recorded. Mr. Bolam found the larva ''not uncommonly on 

 Birch at Kyloe and Newham Bog." On 12th March, 1896, he 

 * ' watched a female flying in the sunshine at Kyloe, busily 

 engaged in depositing her eggs on the outer shoots of a Birch 

 tree. She laid her eggs singly, resting just a moment and curl- 

 ing her body round so as generally to place them on the under- 



