country by Mr. Thompson, of Stoney Stratford, who found larvæ in a sack of rice-cones. These specimens were supposed to be Myelois ceratonia, and were so recorded; but some of them were sent to Mr. C. G. Barrett, who at once identified them as kühniella. Most of the European writers have insisted on this flour-pest being an American importation; but American entomologists deny this, and say that, although the insect may have been known in America previous to the year 1889, it was not until that year that it appeared there in any numbers. Prof. Riley, in Insect Life' (vol. ii., No. 6), gives a most interesting digest of the European literature on the subject, together with an account of all that was known of the species in America at the time of writing. An exhaustive life-history is given by Mr. James Fletcher in the 'Report of the Entom. Soc. of Ontario, 1889.' EUZOPHERA OBLITELLA, Zell. (Pl. III. fig. 2.) BRIT. REF.: Euzophera oblitella, Blackburn, Entom. xii. p. 16; Blackburn and Stainton, Ent. Mo. Mag. xv. p. 187; Ragonot, E. M. M. xxii. p. 31; Warren, E. M. M. xxiii. p. 233; South, Syn. List, p. 40. "Front wings greyish, dusted with darker, both lines black, the first preceded, the second followed, by a pale band; nearly midway between the two is a conspicuous black spot. Hind wings pearly grey, gradually darkening to the hind margin."-(Blackburn.) The above description does not quite agree with the continental example of E. oblitella, now figured. Introduced by Mr. Blackburn, January, 1879. BRITISH LOCALITY.-Isle of Wight (S. W. coast). DISTRIBUTION.-S. W. Germany; Hungary; S. Russia; S. France; Andalusia; Sicily; Asia; N. America. 66 Note. The first recorded capture of this species in Britain is that of Mr. Blackburn, who took a specimen in the autumn of 1876, on the south-west coast of the Isle of Wight. Mr. Warren, writing in 1887, says that he obtained an example of E. oblitella, between Yarmouth and Freshwater, some thirteen or fourteen years since," i. e., in 1873 or 1874. M. Ragonot observes that this species has been described by Walker as Nephopteryx propriella, and by Clemens as N. undulatella. He adds that E. oblitella is a very variable insect, and that the larva appears to be unknown. EPHESTIA ROXBURGHII. BRIT. REF.: Ephestia roxburghii, Gregson, Entom. vi. p. 318; Ragonot, Expanse, 7-9 lines. "Fore wings broad, costa rounded, colour pale brownish grey, median space entirely suffused with blackish brown, in which the discal spots are hardly perceptible. First line oblique, greyish, hardly paler than the ground colour. Second line slender, pale grey, parallel to the hind margin, slightly sinuous, followed on the costa by a dark streak. Cilia pale brownish grey, preceded by an indistinct dark line. Hind wings brownish grey, cilia paler. Head, thorax, and palpi brownish grey; antennæ pale brown, not annulated. Palpi recurved, ascending."-(Ragonot.) Introduced by Mr. C. S. Gregson, February, 1873. Note.-M. Ragonot considers E. roxburghii to be a good species, and says that it has considerable resemblance to Cryptoblabes bistriga, but, apart from the different coloration, the neuration is very distinct. He adds, "roxburghii has not yet been bred," and this probably means that the larva is unknown, because Mr. Gregson-referring to the specimens shown to him by Mr. Roxburgh, who discovered the speciessays, "They fed upon débris of old Lepidoptera, &c., in a neglected drawer. How the eggs came there is not known; but it is suspected they were introduced with dried fruits." PHYCIS ADORNATELLA var. SUBORNATELLA, Dup. BRIT. REF.: Phycis subornatella, Knaggs, Entom. Ann. 1867, p. 141; Barrett, Ent. Mo. Mag. xvi. p. 162, xxvi. p. 20; Richardson, op. cit. p. 139. In this variety the white of the fore wings is paler, a whitish fascia precedes the first line, and the second line is less distinctly angulated. Note.-All entomologists, whose series of Phycis adornatella comprised detachments from various localities, have been greatly perplexed when they attempted to determine some of the specimens comprised in such series. These examples would possess the special characters which would make them appear to be referable to subornatella; but, at the same time, their general characters made it apparent that they were not specifically distinct from adornatella. To further complicate the matter, examples would also be found which varied from the type of adornatella in the direction of subornatella, but could not be satisfactorily placed with the latter. Now that those who formerly upheld subornatella as a distinct species have withdrawn their support, the insect quietly falls into its proper place as a form of a very variable species, and the British entomologist will henceforth be spared considerable anxiety and much uncertainty attending the "filling up" a series of subornatella. It is also satisfactory to find that there is a disposition on the part of entomologists to adopt Hübner's T. dilutella (fig. 69) as the type of the species. Thus, after wandering about for twenty-three years, we get back to the name given in the 'Manual.' NEPHOPTERYX SPLENDIDELLA, Herr.-Sch. BRIT. REF.: Nephopteryx splendidella, Stainton, Buckler, and Wood, Ent. Mo. Mag. xxiv. p. 269. Nephopteryx sylvestrella, Ragonot, E. M. M. xxii. p. 52. Dioryctria splendidella, Ragonot, E. M. M. xxiv. p. 224. Larger than N. abietella (= decuriella, Hübn.), “with a large patch of reddish brown before the first line."-(Ragonot.) Introduced by Mr. Stainton, May, 1888. Note. This species has probably been in some British collections for many years past, mixed up with N. abietella. Mr. Stainton (1. c.) publishes extracts from the note-books of the late Mr. Buckler, in which (under the name of Phycis abietella) this larva is described, and its curious habits fully set forth. In August, 1874, Mr. Buckler received from Dr. Wood a spruce fir cone, containing a larva of N. splendidella, but this did not attain the imago condition. From a large larva, received on September 7th, 1877, Mr. Buckler bred a moth on June 14th, 1878. Between the years 1874 and 1879, Mr. Buckler appears to have had several infested spruce cones sent to him by Dr. Wood, but he observed that only the largest larvæ became moths, and he inclined to the view that the smaller larvæ, received late in the autumn, were not full grown, and required another year to become mature. This, however, they failed to do in confinement. M. Ragonot says, "The larva is pinkish white, changing to greenish, without any lines; the head is reddish brown, the second segment brown-black, ordinary spots very distinct. It lives in the trunks of old firs, under the bark, causing abundant exudations of resin." NEPHOPTERYX GENISTELLA, Dup. (Pl. IV. fig. 5.) BRIT. REF. : Phycis davisellus, Newman, Entom. v. p. 445; Moore, op. cit. vi. p. 199; Doubleday, op. cit. vii. p. 112; List, Suppl. p. 2; Moncreaff, Entom. vii. p. 132 (larva); Vaughan, Proc. Ent. Soc. 1873; Blackburn, Ent. Mo. Mag. xiv. p. 159. Pempelia albariella, Knaggs, Ent. Mo. Mag. viii. p. 163; Phycis (?) davisellus, Buckler, E. M. M. x. p. 89 (larva). M. xi. p. 211; South, Syn. List, p. 21; Leech, Brit. Pempelia genistella, Weston, Entom. x. p. 119; Dale, E. M. M. "Fore wings fuscous greyish, whitish along the inner margin, especially towards the base of the wing; before the first line is a patch, somewhat circular in shape, composed of a cluster of raised black scales; first line blackish, bordered internally with ochreous brown, angulated, starting obliquely from the junction of the basal and middle thirds of the costa; in the space between the first and second lines are three whitish streaks, the lower two being interrupted in the middle by the ground colour, so as to form four short whitish dashes; the upper extends along the discal cell, becoming slightly dilated at the disc, where a small black dot, composed of raised scales, is conspicuous; above this dot, and about midway between it and the costa, is another minute dot; the second line is blackish, irregularly sinuous, and bordered with ochreous brown towards the apical margin; towards the apex is a whitish patch. Hind wings shining fuscous grey, dusky marginal line double."-(Abridged from description by Dr. Knaggs.) Introduced by Mr. Newman under the name of Phycis davisellus, November, 1871. BRITISH LOCALITIES.-Isle of Wight; Portsea; Isle of Purbeck. DISTRIBUTION.-South France; Andalusia. Note.-Mr. Moncreaff says that the eggs "are laid in July and August on young shoots of Ulex campestris, and as soon as the larvæ emerge they spin a thick network of silk round the branch, and under this feed until the approach of winter, when each forms for itself a close cocoon or tunnel of silk in which to hybernate. In early spring the larvæ lengthen these cases, and extend, as they increase in size, the silken web, feeding on the young buds and blossoms beneath it." CATEREMNA TEREBRELLA, Zinck. (Pl. III. fig. 12.) BRIT. REF.: Cateremna terebrella, Walsingham, Ent. Mo. Mag. xxiii. p. 82. Epischnia terebrella, Barrett, E. M. M. xxv. p. 399. Expanse, 8 lines. "Antennæ brownish fuscous. Head and palpi greyish fuscous, the base of the haustellum white. Thorax and fore wings brownish fuscous, interspersed with whitish scales, the most conspicuous marking being an oblique narrow fascia about one-third from the base of the wing, tending outwards to the dorsal margin; this fascia is angulated outwards on the fold and inwards below it. Commencing about the middle of the costa is a conspicuous white patch, which reaches half across the wing, and contains two fuscous spots, the one at its lower edge, the other immediately above it. Below this patch a few white scales are scattered across the wing towards the dorsal margin. Beyond, but separated from it by a brownish fuscous interspace, less wide than that following the first fascia, is a narrow, waved, white, transverse streak, angulated inwards below the costa, the angle pointing to the upper spot in the white patch, angulated outwards slightly above the middle, and again inwards immediately above the anal angle. Along the apical margin is a row of six or seven brownish fuscous spots, separated by whitish scales. Fringes grey. On the under side of the fore wings a pale costal spot indicates the upper end of the white waved outer line. Hind wings shining grey. Abdomen slightly darker than the hind wings, and tuft pale ochreous."(Walsingham.) Introduced by Lord Walsingham, September, 1886. BRITISH LOCALITIES.-Thetford and Lynn, Norfolk. DISTRIBUTION.-Germany; Gallicia; North-western Russia. Lord Walsingham, in bringing forward the species (E. M. M. xxiii. p. 84), says that he bred Cateremna terebrella in July from cones of Abies douglasii, which he had collected during the same month from a tree growing on his estate. A detailed description of the larva is given in the article referred to, from which the following particulars are quoted:-"Semitransparent, greyish white, with some pale brown spots, each bearing a single hair. Head pale brown; plate on second segment slightly paler than the head." Note. The specimen figured was kindly lent for the purpose by Lord Walsingham. PEMPELIA OBDUCTELLA, Fisch. (Pl. III. fig. 8.) BRIT. REF.: Pempelia obductella, Button, Entom. v. p. 222; Meek, Ent. Mo. Mag. vii. p. 85; Knaggs, Ent. Ann. 1871, p. 89; Bond, Proc. Ent. Soc., November, 1870; Ragonot, E. M. M. xxii. p. 54; South, Syn. List, p. 40. Phycis obductella, Doubl. List, Suppl. p. 2. Allied to species of the Ornatella group, "but may be readily recognized by the dark chestnut-brown anterior wings, which are only paler along the costa and on the inner margin, and by the second transverse line, which ceases far below the costa, and is broadly interrupted near the inner margin."-(Knaggs.) Introduced by Mr. Meek, September, 1870. DISTRIBUTION.-Central and Southern Europe; South-eastern Russia. Note.-In bringing forward this species as an addition to the British list, Mr. Meek says, "Several specimens have been captured by Mr. Button, of Gravesend, this season.' Dr. Knaggs, referring to these same specimens, says that they were taken by Mr. Button near Gravesend. Mr. Button himself records Pempelia obductella, and his note reads, "Norfolk. A few among Origanum." According to Mr. Doubleday the larva is dull green, with longitudinal black stripes, and feeds upon various species of mint, especially Mentha arvensis. |