1892. J 



THE BRITISH NATURALIST. 



Ill 



Cavan, whilst Mr. Reid has bred it in Aberdeenshire. It also occurs 

 at Garelochhead and Glasgow (in litt.J. Writing of the habitat of the 

 Welsh form Mr. Gregson says: — "The plant destroyed by this 

 insect grows on ground where only sheep and goats can travel on the 

 ledges of the rocks, and were it not kept in check by the larvae, would 

 soon cover the ground with a plant I have never seen eaten by any 

 animal" ("Entomologist," Vol. III., p. 186). Staudinger and 

 Wocke give the range of plagiodoctylus as " Alps; Germany (South) ; 

 Gaul; Hungarian Mts," and of serotinus as "Central and Northern 

 Europe (except polar region) ; Castilia; Naxos" ^"Catalog," p. 343). 



Time of Appearance, &c. — I have found this species fairly 

 abundant in the first week of June, and more rarely during the 

 second week of the same month. I have never met with it during 

 the time that elapses between this and the last week in July when it 

 begins to become common again, becoming, generally, most abundant 

 about the second week in August, although I have found it until the 

 first week in September. Relating to the time of appearance of this 

 species Mr. Porritt writes: — " What a long time this species continues 

 on the wing! In an old rough field, overgrown with Scabiosa, 

 adjoining Lepton Great Wood, near here, I have taken it this year 

 continually from June 12th until to-day, October 14th. In July it 

 was in great abundance, and has gradually decreased in numbers 

 since. I only took it in fine condition early in the season, or should 

 have thought the late specimens belonged to a second brood" 

 ("Entom." XV., p. 262). Although this was the experience of Mr. 

 Porritt, I believe in our more southern English localities the 

 species is always distinctly double-brooded, thus differing from 

 its ally zophodactylus, which continues to emerge from July to October. 

 The species may be disturbed from the herbage during the day 

 but it flies actively just before dusk. Stainton m the " Manual " 

 gives "July" for bipuntidactylus, and "June and July" for 

 plagiodactyliis. 



Mimceseoptihis zophodactylns, Dup. — This species although similar 

 to the last is readily recognised by its white costa. 



Synonymy — Zophodactylns, Dup. XL, p. 618; 114,4; Loewii, ZeW. 

 "Isis," 1847, 38 and 904, "Linn. Ent. Zeit.", VI., 364; H.-S., V., 

 p. 375; Sta. "Man." II., p. 442; Tutt " Ent." XXII., pp. 104-105. 

 Var. hodgkinsoni, Greg. "E.M.M.," IV., pp. 178-179. There appears 

 to have been little doubt about the synonymy of this species, due 

 perhaps to the small amount of variability it exhibits. The species 

 was for many years known in Britain as loeivii but is now generally 

 called by its correct name zophodactylns. Mr. Barrett says : — "M. 

 loewii seems to be correctly changed to zophodactylns, Dup. I am 

 quite of Dr. Jordan's opinion that hodgkinsoni is merely a sligb.t 



