Local Microlepidoptera

LOCAL MICROLEPIDOPTERA b y ALASDAIR ASTON.

663 Dioryctria fusca, Haw., the Brown Knot-horn, a sparse species, flew to Stowmarket light, 22.viii.1959. 682 Euzophera neophanes Durr., the Daldinia Knot-horn, seems only to have been taken in in Suffolk once before 25th August, 1959, when a fine specimen flew to light at Thelnetham Fen. The larva feeds on globular black fungus (Daldinia) that grows on dead stems of gorse and birch.

Consequently the moth is found where there has been a fire, as in the case of Thelnetham and possibly as at Shipmeadow before 1935. It is very local in Britain generally, Suffolk being its Northern limit, and this is the third occasion on which it has been found near a marsh. 694 Galleria mellonella L. (cereana, L.).

Formerly a serious pest in hives before modern improvements, this, the Honeycomb, is now very rare, particularly in Suffolk where 1 cannot find a record later than 1919. To Stowmarket light in 1959cametwofemales and a male on August 1 Ith, and one female on August 18th. 720 Acentropus niveus, O l . Several at light Aldeburgh, 8.viii.l959 and Stowmarket, 21.viii.1959. 738 Nomophila noctuella, Schiff. Light Aldeburgh, 8.viii.l959, Stowmarket, 16.viii.1959. 745 Rhodaria cespitalis, Schiff. Aldeburgh, 8.viii.l959 and April, 1960 Shingle Street. 827APhalonia dubitana, Hb. light Aldeburgh, 8.viii.l959. 834 Euxanthis angustana, H端b. Staverton at light, 8.viii.l959. 887 Peronea latifasciana, Haw. The Broad-Barred Button at light, Staverton, 23.viii.58, Aldeburgh, 8.viii.59, Stowmarket, 23.viii.59. 891 Peronea shepherdana, Steph. Thelnetham, 25.viii.59,4th occasion in Suffolk. 892 Peronea ferrugana, Schiff. Stowmarket light, 2, 3.ix.59. 903 Evetria purdeyi, Durr. Stowmarket light, 22.viii.59. 905 Ancylis lundana, Fab. Fairly frequent species, 21.viii.5, light Stowmarket. 938 Eucosma aemulana, Schlag.

Saltmarsh Bell light, Aldeburgh, 8.viii.59. 944 Eucosma ramella, L. Grey Double-crescent Bell light, Aldeburgh, 8.viii.l959.

965 Lathronympha hypericana, H端bn. Yellow Striped-edge Bell Stowmarket light, 10.viii.29, a St. John's Wort species. 968 Polyckrosis dubitana, Steph. (littoralis Westw.) the Shore Doubtful Marble came to light at Stowmarket, 11.viii.59. 990 Argyroploce purpurana, Haw. About thirty specimens flew to light at Stowmarket during August, 1959 : previously only about five single specimens had been seen in Suffolk. 1076 Mniophaga affinis, Haw. Dark Brindled-brown Groundling feeds in moss on walls and came to light at Stowmarket, 19.viii.58,9, 10.viii.59. 1086 Gelechia mulinella Zell. Cloudy-streaked Groundling among gorse, light Staverton, 8.viii.l959. 1158 Borkhausenia unitella, H端b. Golden Brown Tubic eats dead wood and came to light Stowmarket, lO.viii.59. 1192 Depressariayeatiana, Fab. Yeates's Fiat Body at light, Barton Broad, Nfk., 15.viii.59. It feeds on Wild Carrot. 1193 Depressaria hypericella, H端bn. Greater

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I OCAL MICROLEPIDOPTERA

Purple Flat-body feeds on St. John's Wort and flew to Stowmarket light, 16.viii.59. There seem to have been only two previous records in Suffolk. 1252 Argyresthia goedartella L. The Greeklettered Argent at light Stowmarket, 9.viii.59. 1262 Argyresthia nitidella, Fab. Cream-coloured Argent feeds in shoots of hawthorn and came to light at Stowmarket, 10.viii.59. 1263 Argyresthia albistria, Haw. The Purple White-streak Argent on blackthorn came to light Stowmarket, 10.viii.59. 1267 Swammerdamia heroldella, Hübn. The Birch Ermel at light Stowmarket, lO.viii.

59—" by no means a common species." 1276 Hyponomeuta cognatella, Hübn. Allied Ermel at light Stowmarket, 9.viii.59.

1360 Lithocolletis corylifoliella, Haw. The Hawthorn Red Midget feeds, in fact, upon several trees and flew to Stowmarket light, 10.viii.59. 1363 Lithocolletis geniculella Rag. The Sycamore Porcelain Midget at Stowmarket light, August 1959. 1372 Ornix betulae, Staint. The Separated Slender off birch to light at Staverton, 8.viii.59. 1382 Epermenia illigerella Hübn. The Large Lancewingto light at Stowmarket, 8.viii.59. and Thelnetham light, 25.viii.59, an umbel species. Only twice recorded in Suffolk previously. 1403 Lyonetia clerkella, L., Clerck's Snowy Bentwing to Stowmarket light, 9.viii.59. 1411 Bucculatrix ulmella, Zell.

Red and White Bentwing on oak to Stowmarket light, 10.viii.59.

1429 Tinea pallescentella Staint. T h e Large Pale Clothes at light near Ipswich Docks, 24.viii.59. Mr. Wakely generously identified the specimens.

LEPIDOPTERA REARING 1959-60. by

S.

NOTES.

BEAUFOY.

(Apatura iris, L.).

In August, 1959, two ova were found on sallow in a wood in Suffolk. T h e resulting larvae were kept on cut twigs of sallow for a few weeks and were then transferred to a small sallow sapling growing in the garden. They were protected from predators by netting. In previous years larvae have started to hibernate in October, but this year, no doubt owing to the continuing hot weather one of the two larvae continued to feed and grow. On lOth October it moulted for the last time. On 19th October, as the weather turned much colder, the larva was brought indoors, where it continued to feed. It pupated on 6th November, and a male, rather smaller than usual, emergedonöth December. The second larva hibernated in the normal manner, started to eat again at the beginning of April, 1960, and resulted in a male emerging on 20th June.

PURPLE EMPEROR