NEPTICULA ULMIVORA. 257 



NEPTICULA ULMIVORA, Fologne. 

 Synonymy. — Species: Ulmivora, Fologne, "Ent. Weekly Intell.," vol. viii., 

 p. 92 (June, 1860) ; " Ann. Soc. Belg.," 1800, p. 112 ; Sta., " Ent. Weekly Intell.," 

 ix., p. 13 (Oct. 1860) ; Tompkins, "Ent. Weekly Intell.," ix.,p. 187(1861) ; Hein., 

 " Wien. Monats.," 1862, p. 264 ; Sta., " Nat. Hist. Tin.," vii.. p. 150 (1862) ; " Ent. 

 Ann.," 1862, p. 114; Hein. and Sta., " Zool.," xxi., p. 8364 (1863); Staud. and 

 Wocke, " Cat.," p. 337 (1871) ; Nolcken, " Lep. Fauna Est.," p. 769 (1871) ; Hein. 

 and Wocke, " Schmett. Deutsch.," p. 744 (1877) ; Snellen, " De Vlinders," etc., 

 p. 986 (1882) ; Warren, " Ent. Mo. Mag.," xx., p. 188 (1884) ; Sorhagen, " Die 

 Kleinschmett. Brandbg.," p. 305 (1886); Milliere, "Nat. Sic," v., p. 204 (1886); 

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



Original description. — I bred, lately, from elm larvae similar to 

 those which I sent you last autumn, a species which I presume to be 

 N. ulmivora. It is very brilliant, of the size of N. marginicolella. 

 The basal portion of the anterior wings is bronzy till close to the 

 silvery fascia, but with a reddish tint, as in Bohemannia quadrimacu- 

 lella. The costa is slightly purplish, and the silvery fascia, placed far 

 beyond the middle of the wing, expands towards the inner margin ; 

 the apex of the wing is violet. The head is black, the antennae are 

 whitish at the base, then black to the middle, with the tips white. 

 The last character does not occur in A T . marginicolella " (Fologne, 

 Entom. Weekly Intelligencer, vol. viii., p. 92). 



Imago. — Head black. Anterior wings narrow, 4-5 mm. in expanse ; 

 bright coppery in colour, redder towards the costa, and to a slight 

 extent towards the silvery fascia ; beyond the latter the wing is 

 brownish-black ; apex purple. The fascia beyond the middle rather 

 oblique, broad silvery (with a slight golden tinge), and highly metallic ; 

 cilia near the apex, with pale grey tips, near the anal angle blackish. 

 Posterior wings and cilia pale grey. 



Comparison of N. ulmivora with N. gratiosella. — This species 

 is very like N. gratiosella, but is distinguished by the bright coppery 

 colour of the costa of the anterior wings, by the pale grey cilia and 

 hind-wings, and by the whitish-grey middle tibial. It may also be 

 further distinguished from the remaining black -headed species of the 

 group, by the silvery fascia not being bordered with dark towards the 

 base (Heinemann). 



Egg-laying. — The egg is laid on the underside of a leaf, against 

 the midrib or a lateral one. 



Mine. — The mine is very different from that of N. viscerella. It 

 commences as a slender track containing a linear thread of excrement, 

 which does not occupy the whole width of the mine (Stainton). 

 Fologne writes : " The caterpillar of this species mines the leaves of 

 elm, like that of N. marginicolella, making long galleries, which are 

 whitish when small." Frey says it " forms circular and visceriform 

 tracks in leaves of Ulmus campestris." 



Larva. — The larva can always be distinguished from that of N. 

 viscerella by its blue-green colour (Warren). Fologne says the larva 

 is green, like that of N. viscerella, but that the latter is easily dis- 

 tinguished by the twisted gallery it makes. Fletcher, too, states that 

 he cannot separate the larva from that of N. viscerella. Wood writes : 

 " Larva greenish-blue. Head very pale, with mouth-parts dark. 

 Abdominal canal dark brown, cephalic ganglia and cord invisible. 

 Legs unusually long. Ventral side directed upwards in mine " (in litt.). 

 Nolcken describes the larva as " very glossy, deep green, frequently 

 bluish-green in colour ; its head almost transparent, very pale brown, 



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