Insects. 1227 



Description of the larva of Orthosia opima. — Having seen no description of the larva 

 of the Orthosia opirna in any Entomological work, I beg to inform you that I was for- 

 tunate enough to rear a brood of them this season. The imago is taken in this neigh- 

 bourhood, chiefly on moist grounds feeding on the blossoms of the sallow, from the 

 middle to the end of April. In its early stages the larva is quite green, but having 

 changed its skin several times, gradually becomes darker ; and when fully grown 

 assumes an olive-brownish tint ; down the centre of the back is a broad olive longitu- 

 dinal band. On each side of which is a paler stripe, which is again followed by a 

 brown-olive stripe running along the spiracles ; below this is the ordinary pale yellow- 

 ish-green lateral stripe, deepening to a bright green beneath. The caterpillars were 

 nocturnal feeders, and during the day time remained secreted beneath the leaves of 

 their food. Many larvae I find are carnivorous, but these appear to feed in perfect har- 

 mony ; they attained a somewhat larger size than the caterpillars of the Orthosia 

 instabilis, a brood of which I reared at the same time, and they have all formed cells 

 just beneath the surface of the soil in my breeding-box. I have captured this year a 

 few specimens of Mamestra suasa. The greater bulk that were captured in Doncaster 

 were taken by means of sugar on a row of elms in marshy ground within a few feet of 

 the river-side. On the sallow-blossoms, I took this spring many fine specimens of 

 Orthosia populeti. Fabr.— A. I. Evans ; Hall Gate, Doncaster. 



[Mr. Evans has omitted to inform us on what this larva feeds. — Edward Newman.'] 



Acidalia aversata and A. remutata, varieties of one species. — I have succeeded in prov- 

 ing that Acidalia aversata and A. remutata are but one species. On July 27th, 1844, 

 I took a female aversata which deposited some eggs, these hatched August 3rd follow- 

 ing. Not knowing what they fed on, I put different plants to them, of which they 

 selected Galium verum, on which they fed till about the middle of September, when 

 they had reached about one-third of their size ; they then ceased to feed, and it was 

 evident they would hybernate in the larva state. To have two chances, I kept some in 

 the breeding-cage, and others I exposed to the weather, but under cover : of the latter 

 only one survived the winter, while of the former, seven (I think the whole number) 

 lived. Early in May they began to eat again, and appeared to feed on different kinds 

 of food, but on nothing until it was quite withered. They were full-fed on June 2nd, 

 1845, and, making a web of a few threads on the moss, passed into the pupa state, and 

 the perfect insect appeared June 28th. Of the seven, three were aversata, and four 

 remutata. — William Turner ; Uppingham, Rutlandshire. 



Varieties of Miselia Oxyacanthm. — It is generally understood that there are two 

 very dissimilar varieties of Miselia Oxyacanthae, one a rich brown with darker clouds, 

 and green only on the strigse ; the other, what I may call the common variety ; and for 

 what I know, these varieties may have been proved to be but one species, if not it may 

 interest some entomologists to know that I have bred both varieties from the eggs of 

 the same moth. They were deposited September 28th, 1844, hatched April 10th, 1845, 

 full-fed June 2nd, and the perfect insect appeared September 25th, they fed on crab- 

 tree, black and white thorn. The pupa was enclosed in a hard egg-shaped cocoon 

 under ground. If larva; are made the basis of classification, it is strange that this 

 moth should be in the same genus with Miselia Aprilina, for nothing can be much more 

 unlike than the larvae of the two. I know not the larva of any other of the genus. If 

 such information as I may gain about the private history of moths is likely to do you 

 any service, I will endeavour to communicate it from time to time. — William Turner ; 

 Uppingham, Rutlandshire. 



