Entomological Botany* 5011 



Lampronia praelatella is one of the most interesting feeders on this 

 plant; none can see, for the first time, the habit of the larva, without 

 a feeling of astonishment at the endless diversity of instinct in these 

 little creatures. The larva constructs a flattened case, not exactly in 

 the form of the figure 8, because not so attenuated in the middle, but 

 very like a fiddle without a handle : in this case it creeps about slug- 

 gishly on the leaves of the plant, and when it finds a piece to its taste, 

 instead of eating it in situ, it cuts off a large piece and walks away 

 with it; it then attaches its case to the under side of the leaf, 

 and pulls the loose piece of leaf alongside of it, so that the larva 

 and case become completely concealed between the growing leaf 

 and the piece it has cut off for its own private eating; perhaps as the 

 piece thus taken in for store becomes a little withered before it is all 

 eaten, this caterpillar may belong to that class of epicures who like 

 their food a little high. When, during cold weather, their appetites 

 are not so great, they content themselves with slowly nibbling the edges 

 of the leaf, without laying in a private hoard. Whether Lampronia 

 Luzella feeds in any similar way is to us at present a mystery, nor 

 have we any clew to its food-plant. 



The wood strawberry is mined by a Nepticula, I believe Aurella, 

 and also by a Dipterous larva. 



Rubus Idaus. Raspberry. 



Though best known as a denizen of our gardens, " the wild raspberry 

 grows plentifully in mountainous woods and thickets, especially in the 

 North," and it is in its native haunts that it ought to be most closely 

 examined by the energetic collectors of the North. 



Speyer cites as feeding on the raspberry, Argynnis Daphne, 

 A. Paphia, Trochilium Hylmforme, Saturnia Carpini, Callimorpha 

 Hera, Cerastis Vaccinii, Scopelosoma satellitia, Calocampa vetusta, 

 C. exoleta, Zerene albicillata, Polypogon tarsicrinalis, P. barbalis, 

 Scopula prunalis, Sericoris Urticana, and Notocelia Udmanniana : 

 those species, the names of which are printed in Italics, are not yet 

 reputed British ; though I am aware that C. Hera has recently been 

 taken at Newhaven, and has lodged a claim for admission to our lists, 

 which claim will probably come on for hearing at the next meeting of 

 the Entomological Society. Of Trochilium Hylseiforme the larva feeds 

 in the roots of Rubus Idseus in winter and spring, and, as the species 

 is extremely probable to occur here, this suggestion may be of use. 



Among the Tineina larvae feeding on this plant one of the most im- 

 portant is Lampronia Rubiella ; the natural history of this species was 



