5400 Entomological Botany. 



the ' Entomologist's Annual' for 1857. The mine of a Nepticula 

 larva has been noticed^ but the larva itself has not been met with. 



Epilobium. Willow Herb. 



Speyer mentions as feeding generally on this genus Macroglossa 

 (Enothercd (one of the loveliest of the Sphingina, but which up to the 

 present time has not made its debut in Great Britain), Hypercompa 

 Hera (so common in the Channel Islands), Spilosoma lubricipeda, 

 and the equally omnivorous Sericoris urticana. Laverna conturba- 

 tella, which he also mentions, I reserve for more special consideration 

 under Epilobium angustifolium. 



Epilobium hirsutum. Great Willow Herb. 



This is quite an ornamental plant along many a river-bank and 

 marshy place, in the months of July and August. Then its large rose- 

 coloured flowers are very conspicuous, though the plant does rather 

 suffer from a superabundant foliage. 



Speyer mentions as feeding on this species Chaerocampa Elpenor 

 and porcellus, and Nsenia typica (which, when' juvenile and grega- 

 rious, often completely skeletonizes the leaves of a plant). In the 

 genus of Tineina, Laverna, two species at least are very abundant here 

 on this plant : I allude to Laverna ochraceella, of which the larva 

 bores in the stems in May, quitting the stem when full-fed, in order 

 to form its cocoon inside the cuticle of one of the lower leaves ; and 

 L. Epilobiella, a number of the larvae of which may be found on the 

 head of almost every plant in July, they feeding externally on the 

 young buds and tender leaves. 



There is a singular partiality on the part of the larvae of the genus 

 Laverna for the various species of Epilobium ; and E. hirsutum, 

 being the most plentiful and the most extensively distributed, seems 

 to be most largely patronized. Mr. T. Wilkinson has bred L. pro- 

 pinquella from either hirsutum or alsinifolium : Herr Schmid has bred 

 L. lacteella and Raschkiella from E. hirsutum, and it is known to be 

 one of the favourite plants of Anybia langiella. 



But how monstrous is the difference in the mode of feeding exhi- 

 bited in the genus Laverna ! Whilst ochraceella bores the lower 

 part of the stem, Epilobiella feeds externally, on the young buds, &c, 

 at the summit ; then conturbatella rolls together several of the heart- 

 leaves ; Raschkiella makes a long, slender mine ; and Anybia langiella 

 (which Frey unites, not unwisely, to the genus Laverna) makes large 



