Page:VCH Norfolk 1.djvu/179

 INSECTS Calocampa vetusta, Hb. Thetford, Cawston ; scarce Cucullia verbasci, Linn. Probably wherever in the county Verbascum thapsus and V. pulverulentum are found ; rarely seen except in the larva state — scrophularias, Sch. Excessively rare, but a few specimens have been reared by Dr. F. D. Wheeler from larvae found at Bramerton, and by the Rev. H. Williams from some found near Croxtoriy upon Verbascum — lychnitis, Ramb. Found by Dr. W. M. Crowfoot at Aldehy ; rare — asteris, Sch. Stephens stated that this species occurred in Norfolk, but gave no locality. I took it sparingly at King's Lynn^ and also found its larva feeding on Aster tripolium in salt marshes — chamomillae, Sch. Norwich, one speci- men ; several more obtained at Cromer by Mr. W. H. Thornthwaite — umbratica, Linn. Norwich, Tarmouth, Broome, Merton, Thetford, Lynn, Horn- ing; not very common Plusia chryson, Esp. (orichalcea, Stn.). Curtis (British Entomology) says that this species was taken at Hethersett. I know of no more recent capture in the county ; yet it is constantly obtained in Cam- bridgeshire — chrysitis, Linn. Generally common — moneta, Fab. This beautiful and most interesting species was discovered in the south of England — evidently then a migrant from the Continent — in the year 1870. From that time it has gradually spread and increased in numbers and in area of distribution, and in June, 1894, a specimen was captured at Sprowston, Norwich, by Mr. Eric Tillett. The following year another was taken in the same place by Mr. B. C. Tillett, and subsequently others, at Norwich, by Messrs. Hinde and Pit- man — festucas, Linn. In fens and wet meadows generally, flying before sunset at the flowers of Lythrum salicaria and Iris pseudacorus — iota, Linn. Widely distributed, but not common — pulchrina. Haw. (v — aureum, Gn.). Nor- wich, Denton, Aldehy, Hingham, Cawston, Sparham, Foxley ; scarce Habrostola urtica, Hb. Generally distributed — triplasia, Linn. Thetford, Cawston, Hemsby, Horning ; scarce Chariclea marginata, Fab. Caistor, Cromer, Sparham, Whitwell, Foxley, Merton ; scarce Heliothis armigera, Hub. Cromer, Holkham, Yarmouth ; rare — peltigera, Sch. One taken at Cromer in 1875, and three more in 1884 » ^^ — dipsacea, Linn. Yarmouth, Denton, Mer- ton, Thetford, Brandon, Barton Bendish, Lynn ; most frequent upon the ' Breck- sand,' where it flies about fields of Onobrychis, Anthyllis, and other cul- tivated Papilionaceous plants. Also reared from larvae found on Linaria, Daucus, and other flowers — scutosa, Schl. Two specimens were ob- tained at ' light ' at Cromer by Mr. W. H. Thornthwaite in 1875. One of these is in my possession. Another, in the collection of Dr. Mason, is labelled sunshine, 24th June, 1880, near Attle- burgh.'' The insect is excessively rare with us Heliodes arbuti, Fab. Croxton, Denton, Broome, Cawston ; rather common near Lynn Acontia luctuosa, Sch. Merton, Thetford, Brandon ; confined, in this county, to the ' Breck ' district, where it fre- quents fields of sainfoin and trifolium Hydrelia argentula, Esp. Curtis [British Entomology) says, ' Taken at the end of June among reeds and rushes in bogs in Norfolk by Mr. Haworth.' A similar statement is made by Wood {Index Entomologicus), and by Westwood {British Moths and their Transforma- tions). But Mr. Haworth did not himself mention this in the Lepidoptera Britannica, whence it seems probable that his captures of this species were subsequent to the publication of his great work. In a copy thereof, which formerly belonged to Mr. N. A. Vigors, is this statement in his own handwriting : ' A pair were given to me by Mr. Haworth which were taken in Norfolk.'' The locality in Norfolk is understood to have been Beachamwell, but I can find no evidence of the exist- ence of this species there since the time of Haworth — quite early in the present century. But I find that speci- mens were taken at Stoke Ferry by Mr. W. T. Cross of Ely within the last four years. Elsewhere it is an extraordinarily local species, but it is common in one of the Cambridgeshire fens Hydrelia uncana, Linn. Aldeby, Merton, M7
 * Captured by A. Coburn, flying in the