The Entomologist's Annual (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1857. Excerpt: ... LEPIDOPTERA. New British Species In 1856. (By The Editor.) The past season has generally been unusually prolific for Lepidoptera. A few of our correspondents have indeed complained of the paucity of "moths at sugar;" hence, as we have no reason to suppose that those thus complaining were themselves to blame, we are actually led to believe, that, whilst in one locality Lepidoptera were abundant, in another they were very scarce. But though we think the season has been an unusually good one, it does not thereby follow that we have an extra crop of novelties. We have no new Sphinx, no new Bombyx, but one new Noctua, and no new Geometra. Were there no MicroLepidoptera, our list of novelties would indeed be a poor one, but, fortunately, in the Tineina the crop of new species is unusually large. This shows that there is yet a mine that will repay working, and we trust, when the Tortricina have been monographed, we shall find novelties there hardly less plentiful. Ten years ago "a new British moth of the family of the Tineidce" was considered a most interesting topic; now ten new species hardly attract so much attention. Much no doubt is yet to be done by learning what species 1857. m H are likely to occur here, and looking for them in the haunts and among the plants which they frequent abroad. When this is done systematically, not in one locality only, but in several, we shall expect to have annually to record the addition of some five or six Noctuc e to our lists. Leucania Vitellina is added this year, but how much longer are we to wait for Leucania L.-Album.? We are strongly disposed to fancy specimens of it must exist unknown in some of the 500 collections of Lepidoptera in the country. The new British species I proceed to notice are as follows: --Leucania V...