LASIOCAMPA QUERCUS. 



others still feeding, in July. That the New Forest heaths are common 



ground for those forms of the species with the combined callunae 



and querc&s habits is clear from Fowler's note that "larvae occur on the 



heaths and in the lanes, about an inch long in April, are fullfed in June, 



producing, in some cases, imagines in late July and August, whilst 



in other cases the pupae go over the winter and the imagines emerge 



the following June." On several occasions, he adds, fullfed larvae 



have been found in late August, which have pupated in due course, 



and produced imagines during the following June. 



In concluding our notes on this form, we may mention that 



Newman describes {Ent., ii., pp. 137 — 139) fully the superficial 



differences between the larvae of L. quercus and L. var callunae, 



the differences in their habits, &c, and then gives {lac. ell., pp. 



140 — 141) the following table, many of the characters mentioned 



in which, our own account shows to have no real specific value. 



L. var. callunae. 



Imago appears in May. 



Takes two years to come to maturity. 



Larva feeds only on ling. 



The young larva has a dorsal series of 

 triangles only. 



Cocoon larger and browner. 

 The wing nervures are darker than the 

 pale band. 



The direction of the lower extremity of 

 the band is towards the anal angle of 

 both wings. 



Males umber-brown in colour. 

 Imagines larger than L. quercus. 



L. quercus. . 



Imago appears in July. 



Takes one year to come to maturity. 



Larva feeds on whitethorn, blackthorn 



and broom. 

 The young larva has a dorsal series of 



lozenge-shaped markings, white and 



orange. 

 Cocoon smaller and yellower. 

 The wing nervures in passing through 



the pale band of the wings assume 



its colour. 

 The lower extremity of the transverse 



bands of fore- and hindwings has a 



direction towards the abdomen, more 



especially marked in hindwings. 

 Males of a ferruginous -brown colour. 

 Imagines smaller than var. callunae. 



Mrs. Battersby quotes {Ent., xx., pp. 109 — no) Doubleday 



as giving the following differences between the two forms : 



L. quercus. 



The white spot on the upper wings (pre- 

 sumably) of the $ to be seen only on. 

 the upper surface. 



The transverse band on the upper wings 

 turns inwards and on the under wings 

 forms nearly a semicircle. 



L. var. calluitae. 



The white spot on the upper wings of 

 the c? to be seen on the under as well 

 as on the upper surface. 



The transverse band on the lower 

 margin of the upper wings turns out- 

 ward, and on the under wings turns 

 downward to the anal angle. 



We suspect Mrs. Battersby is referring here to the quotation 

 already noted (anted, pp. 80 — 81). Doubleday also mentioned that 

 he considered the form figured by Newman (British Moths, p. 43) 

 to be the typical form of callunae. Many entomologists have disposed 

 of the assumed differences tabulated above, and it is now well known that 

 few of them, indeed, are always quite constant even in the same brood. 

 There is sufficient general difference in appearance and habit to 

 give us, in Britain, two good local races, but there can be no 

 doubt that differentiation has not yet reached that point at which 

 we consider the variant forms to be species. 



g. var. lapponica, Fuchs, " Stett. Ent. Zeit.," xli., p. 123 (1880). ? Quercus, 

 Zett., "Ins. Lapp.," p. 925 (1840). ? Spartii, Lampa, "Ent. Tids.," vi., p. 41 

 (1885). — As var. lapponica, I received, in the autumn of 1879, from Herr Kricbeldorff, 

 a ? , which, although of the same size as local specimens (38mm.) , differs in the 



