Zy<J BRITISH LEPIDOPTERA. 



Cat. Tin.," p. 29 (1849) ; "Ins. Brit.," p. 303 (1854) ; " Man.," ii., p. 435 (1859) ; 

 "Nat. Hist. Tin.," vii., p. 212, pi. x., fig. 2 (1862); H.-Sch., " Sys. Bearb.," 

 fig. 834 (1853), v., p. 353 (1855) ; Frey, " Die Tineen," etc., p. 386 (1856); " Linn. 

 Ent.," xi., p. 421 (1857) ; Heyden, " Stett. Ent. Zeit.," 1861, p. 41 ; Staud. and Wocke, 

 "Cat.," p 338 (1871); Nolck., " Lep. Fn. Estl.," p. 780 (1871); Hein. and 

 Woeke, " Schmett. Deutsch.," p. 754 (1877) ; Sand, " Cat. Lep. Auvergne," p. 201 

 (1879) ; Erschoif, " Trudy Euss. Ent. Soc," xii., p. 221 (1881) ; Bang-Haas, " N. H. 

 Tids.," xiii., p. 217 (1881) ; Wallgrn., " Ent. Tids.," ii., pp. 128-9 (1881) ; Peyer., 

 "Cat. Lep. Alsace," 2nd Ed., ii., p. 164(1882); Snellen, " De Vlinders," p. 996 

 (1882) ; Sorhagen, " Die Kleinschmett. Brandbg.," p. 307 (1886) ; Hering, " Stett. 

 Ent. Zeit.," lii., p. 221 (1891) ; Meyr., " Handbook," etc., p. 731 (1895). 



Original description. — 7. Argentipedella, Z. (inucidella, Tr. ?). 

 Grosse der vorigen (N. lemniacella) ; die Vorderfliigel zugerundet, etwas 

 gliinzend, braun, nach hinten violett ; eine schrage, weissliche Binde 

 hinter der Mitte ; die Kopfhaare schwarz oder rostgelb ; die Augen- 

 deckel weisslich. 5 Ex. bei Glog'au und am Spitzberge im Mai und 

 Juni in Gebiiscb (Zeller, Isis, 1839, p. 215). Tbis was followed (Linn. 

 Ent., iii., p. 316) by tbe following diagnosis : " Alis anterioribus 

 fuscis, violaceo-nitidulis, fascia paulo post medium alba ; capillis $ 

 nigris, $ ferrugineis ; concbula antennarum exalbida majore." 



Imago. — Head dark fuscous (female reddisb). Anterior wings 

 6-7 mm. ; black, with a violet gloss towards the apex ; a rather broad, 

 oblique, dull whitish transverse fascia, somewhat attenuated or 

 interrupted in the, centre ; cilia grey, with tips whitish. Posterior 

 wings grey, with paler cilia. 



Egg-laying. — The egg is laid on the undersurface of a birch leaf, 

 and very frequently near one of the lateral ribs. 



Mine. — Stainton says : " The mine is irregular in form, but tbe 

 commencement is always of a peculiar dark-brown colour and remains 

 conspicuous, the remainder of tbe blotch being of a pale greenish- 

 brown. The excrement is scattered irregularly in the mine, and does 

 not form a definite track." Heyden writes: "Tbe larva makes a 

 more or less rounded black-brown blotch, with paler edges. The 

 central portion, filled up with the excrement of the larva, serves for 

 its abode, and the pale margins are the places where it feeds on the 

 parenchyma. Sometimes a number of these blotch-mines may be 

 found in one leaf. I have often found the mines in countless num- 

 bers." Wood notes : " The blotch made by this species is peculiar, 

 inasmuch as it exhibits no sign of having originated from a 

 gallery like the blotches made by other species. It is more or less 

 circular in shape, with a central black spot, under which the larva 

 lies curled up a large part of its time, only coming out to eat at 

 intervals, and is, in consequence, a long time feeding up, in all which 

 particulars the habits are rather those of a Tischeria than of a Nepticula" 



Larva. — Length 2^ lines. Pale greenish in colour, the dorsal 

 vessel bright green. The head and prothorax light brown, the mouth 

 and two lines receding from it reddish-brown. There is a medio- 

 ventral row of dark reddish oblong spots (Stainton). The larva 

 appears to be a very sluggish feeder ; it is seldom to be seen feeding 

 and usually lies hidden beneath the dark central portion of the mine. 

 It mines with the venter uppermost (Wood). Heyden describes the 

 larva as follows : " Eaupe glanzend, glatt, weisslichgriin, mit einer 

 Langsreihe schwarzer Fleckchen auf der Bauchseite. Kopf honiggelb 

 mit etwas dunkleren Eilndern. Nackenschild mit zweilappigem 

 braunem Fleck." [Also described in comparison with N. wool- 

 hopiella, vide, p. 292.] 



