334 BKITISH LEPIDOPTERA. 



Imago. — Head reddish-ochreous. Anterior wings 4-5 mm., pale 

 greyish, irrorated with coarse dark scales ; cilia very pale grey, darker 

 at anal angle. Posterior wings and fringes dark grey. 



Sexual dimorphism. — The fore-wings differ somewhat in shape 

 according to the sex. In the male the wings are rather narrow, 

 whilst those of the female are distinctly broader (Frey). 



Comparison of N. cryptella with its allies. — It cannot be 

 mistaken for any of the foregoing species. Only N. pyymaeella bears 

 any resemblance to it in wing colour, and this similarity is only super- 

 ficial, as the latter has much finer scales, and the head-tuft is paler 

 yellow (Frey). N. cryptella is most nearly allied to N. septembrella 

 and N. pulverosella. From the former it is distinguished by the 

 longer and narrower anterior wings being of a paler colour, and more 

 coarsely scaled, and by the absence of the conspicuous pale spot at the 

 anal angle. From N. pulverosella it is distinguished by the much 

 narrower anterior wings, and the darker colour of the head (Stainton). 

 It is also closely allied to A r . euphorbiella (Durrant). 



Comparison of Nepticula eurema and N. cryptella. — Fletcher 

 writes on the possibility of two species being included in cabinets 

 under the name of N. cryptella as follows : " I obtain, here, on the 

 downs, a form which is unicolorous, or at any rate ' spotless,' 

 reminding one of a small Trifurcula immundella. I take it among 

 Lotus comicuiatiis, and found it also (May 13th, 1893) in a bog 

 among (I doubt not) Lotus major, but I have not been able to 

 find the larva. I have seen several N. cryptella sent out by Sang. 

 These are quite a different looking insect, with two pale opposite spots, 

 which sometimes form a straight fascia. I have only four of the 

 latter form, which I bought at the sale of the Revd. H. Burney's 

 insects, and as they are 2 $ and 2 2 , the difference is not sexual. 

 My series of the unspotted form agrees with the description in the 

 Ent. Annual, 1856, p. 41, where it is compared with N. septembrella, 

 and the absence of a spot particularly noticed. I feel sure we have 

 here two species, and it would appear that both are attached to Lotus " 

 [in lltt., June 27th, 1898). Durrant writes : " In the ' Walsingham ' 

 (British) collection are specimens unicolorous, and with only a dorsal 

 spot, and these appear to be a larger and more elongate species than 

 the remaining specimens, which are generally fasciate, but very rarely 

 with the fascia broken into opposite spots. The unicolorous species is 

 the N. cryptella of Stainton, Frey and Wocke. A good name for the 

 fasciate species would be eurema (the unexpected). I divide the 

 specimens in the collection as follows : (1) N. cryptella, Sta. — About 

 half Lord Walsingham's British specimens (Larva : Lotus comicuiatiis, 

 teste Fletcher). (2) N. eurema, Drnt. MS.— (a) About half Lord 

 Walsingham's British specimens (from Harper's coll., Lot 880, 

 Stevens', May, 1884). (b) Fine specimens bred from Melvish, in 

 Sutherland, by Lord Walsingham, from Lotus comicuiatiis. (c) Several 

 specimens from Hyeres and Le Tryas, bred from Dorycnium hirsutum, 

 by Lord Walsingham. The specimens bred from Dorycnium are 

 variable, some with a fascia, others with opposite spots " {inlitt., June 

 29th, 1898). Bankes notes : (1) 34 specimens from " low undercliff, 

 just above level of beach, of the fasciated form, some might almost 

 equally well be called opposite-spotted." (2) 7 specimens from a 

 "damp meadow, all plain and unspotted." (3) 4 specimens from 



