THE BRITISH NATURALIST. [November 



Synonymy. — Parvidactyla, Haw. " Lep. Brit.," p. 480 Parvi- 

 dactylus, Wocke, "Cat.," p. 343; Sta. "Man," II., p. 441. 

 Microdactylus, St. "111.," IV., 377; Wood, 1652. Obscurus Z., "Isis," 

 1841, 793, PI. IV., 25-6, "Linn. Ent.," VI., 354; Dup. IV., 88, 11; 

 Tgstr. Bidr. 155, Anm. 199; H.-S. 17, V., p. 372; Frey 4I0. 



This species was uniformly known as obscums on the Continent, 

 prior to the publication of Drs. Staudmger and Wocke's "Catalog," 

 since then, Haworth's prior name has been generally adopted. 



Imago. — The anterior wings are divided into two lobes, and have 

 the tips of the lobes somewiiat acute. The colour is dark brown and 

 there are two, almost white, narrow, clearly defined fascia; across the 

 lobes, the hind wdngs are composed of three plumules also dark brown, 

 the black tuft on the third plumule being large and well-defined and 

 situate near the tip. 



Haworth's diagnosis of this species is as follows: — ^ Alucita 

 small plume) nana, alis patentibus fuscis, striga punctisque albis : 

 anticis bifidis, posticis tripartitis. Expansio alarum 6-6^ hn." 

 Haworth then adds: — "This is the smallest of the • Plume ' moths; 

 and it is also one of the rarest. Its characters are almost the same 

 as in the two preceding articles ( didactyla — ^ distans) and lietevodactyla j, 

 yet its diminutive size, as a species, renders it very distinct." (" Lepi- 

 doptera Britannica," p. 480. Stainton's diagnosis is: — "7"'. F.-w. 

 brownish, with two white streaks across the lobes; third feather of 

 h.-w. with a black tuft nearly at the tip" ("Manual," II., p. 441). 

 Comparing it with the allied species, Mr. C. G. Barrett writes; — 

 Parvidadyla is considerably smaller, of the colour of pilosellce, and 

 with oblique fasciae, but these are narrow, bright, and sharply defined, 

 the costal margin is much less arched, though hardly so blunt as the 

 hieracii. The dark tuft on the third feather of hind-wing is large, and 

 placed nearly at the tip." i^" Entomologist's Monchly Magazine," Vol. 

 XXV., p. 431). 



Larva. — Stainton writes — "The larva on Hieraciujii pilosella in 

 May" ("Manual," II., p. 441), but Mr. C. Barrett writes :—" I do 

 not think that 0. pavvidactyla has anything to do with H. pilosella '' 

 {in litt). Dr. Jordan, however, mentions H. pilosella as its food plant 

 in the "Entomologist's Monthly Magazine," Vol. VI., p. 151. Mr. 

 South writes : — " The larva feeds on thyme, but it is rather slow 

 work searching for this little fellow^" 1" Entomologist," Vol. XIV. 



