1892.] 



THE BRITISH NATURALIST. 



228 



Habitat— The species appears to occur in almost all suital:)le 

 localities where its food plant occurs. I have found it abundantly in 

 the rides of woods and on chalk-hills, flitting about naturally in the 

 afternoon sunshine, but becoming more active at dusk. It is not 

 very conspicuous as it rests on a grass culm, until disturbed, when it 

 is seen readily enough. It is recorded from England, Ireland and 

 Scotland, and Staudinger and Wocke give " the whole of Europe 

 (except the polar region) and Armenia" ("Catalog," p. 343.) 

 Stainton in his " Manual," p. 442, gives a very long list of localities. 

 It occurs in Dublin, Cork and other Irish localities ; at Garelochhead 

 and on Pitscurrie Moss in Aberdeenshire. I do not know a more northern 

 locality than the latter in Britain. Mr. South writes : — " I have 

 generally found the larva of this species on the plants of speed- 

 well growing on sunny banks, old walls and such localities, and the 

 perfect insect may be readily obtained by beating, or rather stirring, 

 the herbage in these places " (" Entomologist," Vol. XV., p. 148). 



Time of Appearance — Unlike its near congeners, this species is 

 not only single-hooded, but remains on the wing a comparatively 

 short time. July is its usual time but m early seasons, specimens are 

 to be found m the latter part of June whilst in late seasons, as m 

 1888, I have found specimens throughout August, but these are 

 exceptional, and dependent entirely on climatic conditions. 



Oidcematophoyus , Wallengren [CEdematopJiorus , Wocke). 



America is rich in its species of this genus, Europe exceedingly poor. 

 The Palsearctic region only gives four species ^"Entomologist's Monthly 

 Magazine," Vol. XVIII , p. 121), Dr. Staudinger gives only two; while 

 the Nearctic region boasts no less than 10 species. Not one is common 

 to both areas, but Dr. Jordan says that the American grisesceiis is 

 scarcely distinguishable from the Rogenhofevi of the Tyrol, w^hile the 

 American occidentalis is very closely allied to lithodactyln. This latter 

 species is the only member of the genus occurring in Britain. This 

 genus is thus characterised by Wallengren : — " Antennas of both sexes 

 ciliated, with the basal joint very much thickened. Forehead obtuse, 

 wdth the scales not forming a cone. Palpi longer than tlie head, 

 ascending, slender, somewhat rounded, the joint distinct, the last 

 short, blunt. The tibiae of all the legs thickened at the apex, and 

 those of the second pair even thickened in tlie middle. The spines 

 of the posterior tibiae short, of the first pair unequal, of the second 

 pair almost equal. The anterior wings cleft to the third part of their 

 length, the segments somewhat slender, no posterior angle to the 

 anterior segment, that of the posterior segment not well marked. 

 Segments of the inferior wings slender, the middle segment dilated 

 like a spoon, the fringe of the posterior segment, without black scales. 



