174 



THE YOUNG NATURALIST. 



that, as almost nothing is known regarding the insects peculiar to this district, 

 T have felt it my duty to give a detailed account of our experiences in North 

 Knapdale, in search of insects. 



78, Gloucester Street, Kingston, Glasgow. 



SIX MONTHS' WORK AMONG THE 

 TORTRICES AND TINEITES. 



By ALBERT H. WATERS, B.A., F.S.Sc, F.P.N. S., &c. 



SEPTEMBER. 



In September I obtain far more Micro-lepidoptera in the larval than in 

 the imago state, for, although a few stragglers remain over from August, the 

 number of species to be met with now in the perfect state is very much 

 diminished. Of the tortrices, the principal moths which appear this month 

 are Phoxopteryx subarcuana, Leptogramma Scotana and Parisiana (scabrana), 

 Peronea mixtana, P. tristana, P. maccana and hasliana. 



Phoxopteryx subarcuana is a little pale grey moth, we find it occasionally 

 but very sparingly in Cambridgeshire, in May, June, and September. It is 

 the same size as the common Bactra lanceolana, which we find so abundantly 

 among rushes in May, June, August, and September. There are little or no 

 markings on the fore-wings, a faint waved whitish line on the inner margin, 

 and a darker shading towards the costa being about all. It has been regard- 

 ed as a variety of the more generally distributed Phoxopteryx biarcuana, but 

 it is certainly distinct, for not only is the last-named species a larger moth 

 than subarcuana, but it has the costal half of the fore-wings reddish brown, 

 while in subarcuana the wings are of a nearly uniform pale grey colour. 



Leptogramma Parisiana I have never taken, and so am unable to describe. 

 Peronea mixtana is a silvery grey, chocolate streaked tortrix, very common 

 in heathy places. P. tristana is a moth of variable ground colour as regards 

 its fore-wings, but may be recognised, when seen among mealy guelder roses, 

 by a large reddish brown triangular patch on the middle of the costa. P, 

 maccana is a rare Scotch species, with which I am unacquainted. P. hasliana 

 is a very variable tortrix, generally of a purplish shade, and some specimens 

 have half the wing divided longitudinally, greyish purple, and the other half 

 whitish ochreous ; other specimens are glossy purplish brown, with a pale 

 grey blotch near the anal angle. We find it about sallows. 



There are several tortrix larvae to be found in September, as Cnephasia 

 musculana, between united bramble leaves; Catoplria carduana, on thistle 



