248 BRITISH LEPIDOPTEKA. 



belongs to Heinemann's group 7, and conies nearest to N. plagicolellu, 

 N. ignobilella, N. distinguenda and N. glutinosae, but differs from them 

 in its narrow band. It appears to come nearest to A T . poterii in its 

 band, but tbe latter appears to be a somewhat smaller insect, the band 

 more golden and situated not quite so far beyond the middle. In N. 

 poterii, too, the basal part of the fore-wings, as far as the band, is much 

 darker, with a purple-violet gloss, and the apex decidedly bluish, a 

 character which does not occur at all in the $ N. tengstromi, and in the 

 $ only slightly (Nolcken). 



Egg-laying. — The eggs are laid on either the upper- or underside 

 of a leaf of Habits chamaemorus (Nolcken). 



Larva. — The larva is pale-yellow in colour ; the head almost as 

 transparent as water, pale brownish, with darker brown sutures and 

 mouth-parts; the venter marked with a series of almond-shaped, 

 brownish-grey lozenges, smaller posteriorly (Nolcken). 



Mine. — The mine is at first fine, thread-like and much contorted, 

 then suddenly changes into a large blotch, bounded by small, exteriorly 

 convex, arcs of a circle ; the frass at first forms a fine, often inter- 

 rupted line, it is then arranged in little heaps, finally, on entering the 

 blotch, separating into grains, which at first lie in the direction of 

 the mine, but afterwards become scattered ; the larva escapes at the 

 upper surface of the leaf (Nolcken). 



Cocoon. — When fresh spun this is of a leather-yellow colour, a tint 

 that is maintained afterwards (Nolcken). 



Food-plant. — Rubas chamaemorus (Wocke). 



Time of appearance. — Nolcken found larvae on August 27th, 

 1867, on Tursa Moor, where, with numerous larvae of N. rubivora, 

 they live on Faibus chamaemorus, often both species in one leaf, although 

 N. tengstromi is much rarer than N. rubivora. In 1866, the larvae had all 

 left the mines by September 7th, and in 1867, by September 5th, so 

 that evidently the middle of August is the proper time for the larvae. 

 [Threlfall has specimens bred in xVpril, 1881, from larvae sent from 

 Braemar, on August 15th, 1880, which he doubtfully refers to this 

 species.] 



Localities. — ? Perthshire : Hills south of Loch Rannoch (Carrington). 



Distribution. — ? Norway : Bossekop (Wocke) ; Bussia : St. 

 Petersburg (Erschoff), Livonia, Tursa Moor (Nolcken). 

 nepticula poterii, Stainton. 



Synonymy. — Species : Poterii, Sta., " Ent. Weekly Int.," ii., p. 116 (July 11th, 

 1857) ; " Ent. Ann.," 1858 (pubd. December 19th, 1857. teste, " Ent. W. Int.," hi., 

 p. 95), p. 96; " Man.," ii., p. 435 (1859) ; "Nat. Hist. Tin.," vii., p. 242, pi. xi., 

 fig. 3 (1862); H.-Schaffer, " Sys. Bearb.," v., p. 350 (1855) ; Hein., "Wien. Ent. 

 Monats.," vi., p. 304 (1862) ; Hein. and Sta., " Zool.," 1863, p. 8371 ; Frey, " Linn. 

 Ent.,"xi., p. 414 (1857); Staud. and Wocke, "Cat.," p. 337 (1871); Meyrick, 

 " Handbook," etc., p. 718 (1895). 



Original description. — Nepticula poterii. — Having bred the 

 Nepticula from Poterium sanguisorba, I find it is a new species, with 

 brownish anterior wings (violet at the tip), with a broad pale fascia ; 

 it is somewhat intermediate between N. plagicolella and N. micro- 

 theriella. I propose for it the above name (Stainton, Ent. Weekly 

 Intelligencer, vol. ii., p. 116). This was followed up by a more 

 technical diagnosis and description, as follows : " Alis anticis fusco- 

 aureis, fascia latiuscula recta dilute aurea apicem purpureum versus ; 

 capillis ferrugiheis. Exp. al. 21in. Head ferruginous. Antennae 



