NEPTICULA DULCELLA. 239 



texture so delicate, that the cocoons have collapsed, even one from which 

 the pupa is still projecting. There are only a few loose strands of flossy 

 silk attached to the outer edge. [^Described June 15th, 1898, under a 

 two-thirds lens, from cocoons sent by Dr. Wood.] Wood says : " The 

 chief peculiarity in the cocoons of N. dulcella seems to me to be their 

 rounded form, the outline being almost circular." 



Pupa. — The pupa-skin projects for some distance from the cocoon ; 

 it is perfectly transparent, with some grey linear markings along the 

 edges of the thoracic segments. The thoracic segments seem dis- 

 proportionately large for the size of the papa, the mesothorax 

 especially so. 



Food-plant. — Fragaria vesca (Heinemann). 



Time of appearance. — Imagines, in confinement, appeared in 

 March, from mines of the preceding autumn (Heinemann). 



Localities. —Hereford : Tarrington (Wood). Lancashire : Preston 

 (Threlfall teste Stainton). ? Sussex: Worthing (Fletcher). 



Distribution.— Brunswick (Heinemann i. 



nepticula gei, Wocke (? var. N. fragariella). 



Synonymy. - Species : Gei, Wocke, "Cat.," p. 336(1871); Eppelshm., " Stett. 

 Ent. Zeit.," li., pp. 229-235 (1890). ? Fragariella (teste, Wocke and Eppelsheira). 



Original description. — Fragariellae similis. Alis ant. dimidia 

 parte basali nitidissimis aureis, ceterum fuscis parum violaceo suffusis, 

 fascia parumobliqua postmedium argentea vel pallida aurea nitidissima, 

 capillis ferrugineis, conchulis par vis flavescentibus. Exp. al. ant. 

 4f mm. Larva bis quotannis in foliis Gei rivalis" (Wocke, Catalog, 

 etc., p. 336). 



Imago. — Head variable, orange in $ , orange-fuscous in 2 ; base of 

 antenna? whitish, apex of antennas ringed with white. Anterior wings 

 6 mm. ; basal third brilliant bronzy-purplish, especially on costa ; outer 

 two-thirds violet-purple ; a bright metallic golden band, widest along 

 inner margin, passes through purple area ; extreme apex somewhat 

 bluish ; cilia dark grey, blackish at apex. Posterior wings pale grey, 

 shiny ; cilia at base of inner margin, pale grey, on upper margin and 

 round the apex darker. Thorax bronzy-purple ; abdomen bronzy-green. 

 [Described June 20th, 1898, from imagines bred from Sussex larva;, 

 feeding in Geum.] 



Variation. — Ab. semicolorella , Epp., Stett. Ent. Zeit., lii., p. 351. — Alis ant. 

 in primis § rufo-aureis, in ultimis f violaceis, fascia argentea deficiente, conchulis 

 minimis nigris. This aberration is so striking, that it deserves a distinct name. 

 The pale silvery-golden band is entirely wanting, and there is no indication even 

 of it, its place being occupied by the same colour as the outer part of the wing, 

 so that the basal two-fifths is unicolorous reddish-golden, the outer three-fifths 

 unicolorous dark violet-purple, the insect, therefore, having an altogether unfamiliar 

 appearance, and one would probably have described it as a distinct species had it 

 been caught. The eye-caps are exceedingly small, and black in colour ; the head- 

 hairs also black. There appear to be no other differences from typical N. gei. 

 Two exactly similar females of this form were bred in February of this year, with 

 a number of normally coloured and marked N. gei, from the autumn mines of 

 Geum. urbanvm, so that its specific identity is placed beyond doubt. 



Egg. — The egg appears to be usually laid on the upperside, but 

 sometimes also on the underside, of a leaf of Geum urbanum. It is of 

 the usual oval shape for this genus, length : breadth : : about 3 : 2, 

 and about 1-6 mm. in length. The shell is quite transparent, slightly 

 iridescent, and almost filled with the black frass of the young larva. 

 There appears to be no definite choice exercised as to the position of 



