8390 



Insects. 



sometimes of the same hue as the male, and sometimes tinged with 

 gray over the whole [of the upper wings. I have seen some speci- 

 mens of L. arideola of the same hue, but then the costa always 

 remains a pale yellow. It also varies much in size. Very small spe- 

 cimens are occasionally met with, especially in England. 



T see no difference between English specimens (I have eighteen 

 before me) and our own : however, in some of the English specimens 

 the dark tint of the lower wings extends further than in continental 

 ones. 



I believe I have found the larva of this little Lithosia : they are of 

 a gray earthy colour, almost without markings ; but I cannot obtain 

 the perfect insect from them. These larva? are found under stones, 

 and in dry and stony or sandy woods. The imago seldom quits these 

 localities, and remains almost always on the ground. Mr. Double- 

 day tells me that it is taken on the sea-coast of the county of Kent, in 

 a locality where he believes the lichen fusco-ater abounds, and 

 probably serves as food for the larva. 



It is not easy to decide by M. Boisduval's figure and description 

 whether his male L. vitellina belongs to the present species or to L. 

 pallifrons ; and although the name of " vitellina" may be a little an- 

 terior to that of " pygmaeola," I have thought it right to adopt the 

 latter, which leaves no confusion. (Concerning the female of M. 

 Boisduval's L. vitellina, it is very certain that it belongs to neither). 



Finally, I observe that, notwithstanding the differences that I have 

 pointed out under my remarks on L. pallifrons, and notwithstanding 

 also the shape of the fore wings, and the colour of the thorax, entirely 

 pale in L. pallifrons, whilst it is always more or less stained with gray 

 in L. pygmseola, these two species seem sometimes to be united by 

 the occurrence of intermediate individuals. It will be wise, then, to 

 await the discovery of the larva state before defining with certainty 

 the distinctions between the two. 



Sp. 7. Lithosia palleola. [No British example]. 

 Sp. 8. Lithosia Beckeri. [No British example.] 

 Sp. 9. Lithosia arideola. [No British example]. 

 Sp. 10. Lithosia caniola. 

 Hb. 220 ; Och. iv. p. 196 ; Goclart, v. p. 18 (in not.) ; Bdv. Icon. 

 p. 99, pi. 57, f. 6 ; Dap. Suppl. p. 22, pi. 2, fig. 1, a, b. ; 

 Herr.-Sch. p. 160. 

 Alas anticae albo-grisea:, sericeas, fimbria concolori, vitta costali albi- 

 diore, costa tenuissime fulva, versus medium convexa ; subtus 



