Three Additions to the Suffolk Lepidoptera

ABERRATIONS 414 and two D.falcataria L., several Pheosia tremula Clerck geminipuncta Haw., Cerepteryx graminis L., Cerura Notodonta dromedarius L. From August 2Ist, I collected at Stowmarket, where catches were unimpressive apart from one female Galleria mellonell on 21st, with 58 other species, the best night until 3Ist, when I collected on Mr. Peter Rudge's farm at Hepworth. Among a vast conclave of mainly agricultural moths were one or two aberrations of Amathes c-nigrum but the micros were more e In September Vanessa atalanta L., has been very prevalent second brood Celastrina argiolus L. persisted until August Back in London, a local inhabitant handed me a large Sphingid pupa found in his back-garden when it was a " rieh brown " Caterpilar. It reminds one of Deilephila elpenor L., but w keep me guessing tili next season, which one prays will be drier

THREE ADDITIONS TO THE SUFFOLK LEPIDOPTERA. b y ALASDAIR

ASTON.

Acrolepia assectella, Zell., the Leek Smudge (Heslop 2096 first noted in Britain from East Sussex during 1942, probably having been imported (Danreuther Ent. 79, 1946), and was next recorded in August, 1943, by G. C. Johnson who found larvae and pupae on leeks in the Bexhill District. Thirdly, in the same year, 1943, October brought material on leeks, onions, and garlic from Eastbourne (H. Stringer, B.M., Proc. R. Ent. Soc. Lond.

Ser. C9, No. 1). In 1945 it was known from Dover, Portsmouth

ADDITIONS TO SUFFOLK LEPIDOPTERA

415

(Ent. 78, 1945, p.55) and from Isle of Wight, Kent, Essex, N.E. Norfolk and Norwich (Danreuther Ent. 79, 1946, p.97). It was recorded from East Grinstead and Cambridgeshire in 1950 (Danreuther Ent. 83, 1950, p.130). By 1951 it was scarce in South Coast allotments only (Danreuther Ent. 84, 1951, p.104) but Mr. E. A. Ellis added a note to the effect that it had spread to Great Yarmouth and Norwich in 1944 from Sussex but that it had since died out in Norfolk and Suffolk.

In fact, no exact Suffolk record existed for this agricultural pest from the continent until a specimen flew to Stowmarket light on August lOth, 1959. The smallish specimen was identified by Mr. Wakely and confirmed by Mr. Bradley. The Genus Acrolepia is small, being mostly at home around the Mediterranean. The present rather unwelcome addition is the 1558th Suffolk lepidopteron (1395B 1937 Supp.) and can be expected by growers of leeks, onions, shallots and garlic.* Coleophora fuscocuprella, H.S. (fuscociliella, Staint.) a specimen of the Brown-copper Case settled on the sheet at Staverton on August 8th, 1959, when Mr. Chipperfield and I were there. A local species of bronze appearance, it feeds in a globular case on Hazel and is known up to Westmorland. It is a small species of 9-10 mm. and is Suffolk's 1559th moth (1286B 1937 Memoir), identified by Mr. Wakely.

Blastodacna atra, Haw., (vinolentella, Meyr. non. H.S.) feeds on apple and is distinct from Blastodacna hellerella, Dup. (atra, Meyr. non Haw.) which feeds on berries of hawthorn. The species recorded by Morley in the S.N.S. Moth Memoir as common on hawthorn must be B. hellerella which is equivalent to the atra of Meyrick and not as he prints to the atra of Haworth (p.174, species 1135). This error was recently perpetuated by Mr. L. T. Ford who, like Morley, followed Meyrick. Meyrick, unknown to himself, had sorted out the two species according to food plant, and the position is made clear in Heslop.

I recently took a specimen of the Apple Black Cosmet, B. atra, Haw. new to Suffolk, on August 1 Ith, 1959, when it flew to light at Stowmarket. Meyrick supposes it to be local and uncommon. Mr. Wakely kindly identified the specimen. The species feeds in shoots of apple, has a wingspan of 11-13 mm. and is Suffolk's 1560th lepidopteron. In four days, August 8-1 Ith, 1959, five moths were added to the Suffolk list.

* Gardeners please note.

Editor.