NEPTICULA FLETCHERl. 213 



a long oval 2-5 mm. long and only 1-4 mm. wide, whilst those spun up 

 on the level surface of a piece of paper form an oval approaching the 

 circular. They are all, however, decidedly smaller than the cocoons 

 sent by Fletcher as those of the " red-headed " species (anomaldla). 

 The cocoon is dark brown in colour, paler on the bulging rim, which 

 is somewhat thinned out before it gives rise to the dome-like arch, 

 which is strongly developed, shiny, of a somewhat felted appearance, 

 plentifully supplied with loose silken ends, which are, however, much 

 more abundant on the outer rim. In those that are spun up in a 

 narrow cranny the cocoon is of considerable depth ; there is no paler 

 rim, and the upper surface is very plentifully supplied with loose 

 silken fibres. The empty pupa-case projects from the somewhat 

 broader end beneath the rim, which here forms a sort of flange. The 

 pupal skin is transparent, not so delicate-looking as that of some 

 species, and rather grey in tint. [Described June 21st under a two- 

 thirds lens, from cocoons sent by Mr. W. H. B. Fletcher.] 



Food-plant. — Rosa arvensis (Fletcher). Corbett records it as 

 abundant in R. arvensis, at Doncaster, the species in R. canina not 

 occurring. Bankes states that he also breeds it from garden rose. 



Time of appearance. — The insect is double-brooded, the imagines 

 appearing in May and August, from larva? that have fed up in October- 

 November and July respectively. 



Localities. — Probably widely distributed all over the British Islands. 

 Dorset: Corfe Castle (Bankes). Flint: Northop, nr. Mold (Bankes). Hants: 

 New Forest (Fletcher). Lincolnshire: Woods nr. Alford (Fletcher). Sussex: 

 Slindon, Clapham, Porham, Balcombe (Fletcher). Yorkshire : Doncaster 

 (Corbett). 



, NEPTICULA DESPERATELLA, Frey.° 



Synonomy. — Species: Desperatella, Frey, "Die Tineen," etc., p. 374 (1856); 

 " Linn. Ent.," xi., p. 384 (1857) ; Nolcken, " Lep. Fn. Estl.," p. 765 (1871) ; Staud. 

 and Wocke, " Cat.," p. 336 (1871) ; Sand, "Cat. Lep. Auvergne," p. 200 (1879) ; 

 Peyer., "Cat. Lep. Alsace," 2nd Ed., ii., p. 166 (1882); Sorhagen, " Die Klein- 

 schmett. Brandbg.," p. 303 and p. 344 (1886) ; Wood, " Ent. Mo. Mag.," xxiii., pp. 

 188-189 (1887) ; Meyr., " Handbook," etc., p. 716 (1895). 



Original description. — N. desperatella, n. sp. Capillis rufis, 

 antennarum conchula albo-flavido ; alis anter. cupreis, valde nitidis, 

 apice saturate cupreo, ciliis fuscis 2* — 2'" . Der vorigen Art (inimtscu- 

 lella), ebenso den beiden folgenden Spezies (anomalella and tiliae) nahe 

 verwandt; durch die lebhaft rothen Scheitelhaare aber von N. minus- 

 culella auf den ersten Blick zu unterscheiden. Eigenthumlich ist das 

 stark glanzende Kupferbraun der etwas breiten Vorderfliigel, welches in 

 dieser Weise bei keiner anderen mir bekannten Spezies vorkommt. 

 Gesicht und Schopf lebhaft ockerroth. Die massig grossen Augen- 

 deckel sind weisslichgelb (bei manchen Stiicken gelb). Die Fiihler- 

 geisel schwiirzlich. Biickenschild kupferig, Hinterleib grauschwarz ; 

 Beine ebenso, nur die Fussspitze des letzten Paares etwas lichter. 

 Die Vorderfliigel haben, ungewohnlicher Weise stark glanzend, 

 eine lebhafte Kupferfarbe (viel mehr gegen das Rothliche ziehend als 

 bei N. minusculella) . Gegen die Spitze werden sie dunkler, aber ohne 

 jeden violetten Anflug. Die Franzen dunkel braun. Hinterfliigel 

 und ihre Franzen dunkler grau als bei voriger Art (Frey, Die Tineen 

 und Pterophoren der Schiveiz, etc., p. 374). 



* In the Correspondenzblatt, 1860, p. 59, Herrich-Schaffer writes : " N. incojni- 

 teller, spater von Frey als desperatella beschreiben." 



