‘19 
PLUSIA MONETA (TREIT.) IN BRITAIN. 
(Rend December 17th, 1912, by CHARLES NICHOLSON.) 
The following summary of the life-history of this species and of 
its appearance in Britain has been compiled from published records 
and unpublished observations made by myself and others. 
The genus Plusia has representatives throughout the world and 
comprises some hundreds of species, of which about 40 are European, 
and of these eight were recognised as British prior to the year 1890, 
ignoring two or three species recorded only occasionally. In 1890 the 
subject of these notes established itself in this country and so added 
another beautiful and interesting member to the galaxy of eight 
already referred to. Plusia means “ rich,” and, in a sense, is an 
excellent name for the genus, for nearly all the moths are of elegant 
shape and their anterior wings are generally ornamented with 
metallic patches or letter-like markings, and rich marblings and 
shadings. 
The Plusiids appear to have strong emigratory instincts and seem, 
on the whole, to be a very restless lot. Several species show a tendency 
to emigrate steadily in a westerly direction and moneta has made itself 
very conspicuous in this respect. In a note in the “ Essex Naturalist ” 
for 1905 (p. 273), Mr. Wm. Cole says: “ it is one of the most remarkable 
instances of a species spreading across Europe in a southern migration. 
In about 50 years it has spread from Russia .... to England.” 
Mr. A. Hoffmann writes 1 that it was known to be common in S. and 
S.E. Germany, but was not recorded from the N.W. until 1875, when 
it commenced to invade that district and in 1882 had reached Holland. 
According to Duponchel, however, it was known in Normandy previous- 
to 1829, and was taken regularly every year at Falaise. Kirby states' 2 3 
that it frequents mountainous districts chiefly. Its first recorded 
appearance in Britain seems to have been in 1857, when two specimens 
were taken in Kent and remained unidentified and unrecorded by their 
captor until 1893 s ; but its historic invasion of this country took place 
in 1890, when its arrival was made known by the capture of a 
specimen by a schoolboy at Dover on June 25th. 
On July 1st it was taken at Tunbridge Wells, and on the following 
day at Emsworth, Hants, and Reading. In August, 1891, there is a 
record for Cambridge; in July, 1892, it reached Harrow, in Middlesex, 
and Alton in N. Hants. ; in 1893 the first Essex capture was made 
by our member, the late Mr. Charles Oldham, and it also reached 
Christchurch; in 1894 it was reported from Norwich; in 1896 at 
Bournemouth ; in 1897 at Salisbury; in 1900 at Pyrton, in Oxfordshire. 
In 1902 we hear of it at Monmouth; in 1903 at Earl’s Barton, Northants; 
in 1904 near Worcester, and at Uppingham in Rutland; in 1906 in 
Cheshire and in 1909 in N. Lines. It seems, therefore, to have spread 
over practically the whole of Southern England in 19 years, but I 
1 Ent. Mo. Mag., 1891, p. 21. 
2 European Butts, and Moths., 1889, p. 261. 
3 Ent. Record, iv., p. 228. 
xxii.-xxiii. 
