346 THE ESSEX NATURALIST
reared from an Essex female; I had about 300 young larvae, but gave away
all but 50. I reared these in a cold room and forced the pupae in the linen
cupboard and obtained 41 perfect insects and 4 crippled. They ranged
from one nearly all grey through all stages of grey and black marbling to
three as dark as the darkest Rannoch forms; many were also flushed with
a beautiful pink. Considering the way in which they were reared, I was
very pleased to find the average size considerably larger than wild-taken
Rannoch ones.
On July 29th, Mr. D. More, of Hockley, brought me a live Plusia for
identification, taken at his M.V. light. It proved to be a perfect Plusia
interrogationis L. (Scarce Silver-Y), which, with others taken elsewhere
about the same time, constitutes the first Essex record. The form is
undoubtedly a foreign one, the ground colour of the fore-wings is deep
leaden-grey, quite unlike the silver-grey of our endemic northern race. On
August 27th I found a perfect Heliothis armigera L. (Scarce Bordered
Straw) at the light, and on August 31st a worn Spaelotis ravida Hubn.
(Stout Dart). The only other interesting migrants amongst the macros
were two Nyctosia obstipata Fabr. (Narrow-barred Carpet), one on October
3rd and one on November 6th, but perhaps the two species of micros taken
were the pick of the bag. Of these, two Heterographis oblitella Zell. are
apparently the sixth and seventh recorded British specimens; they are of
the typical form, quite different from the nearly black one I took in 1953—
they came to light on August 31st and September 4th respectively. It seems
extraordinary that of these few British specimens three have come from
my small garden, and in different years; no doubt, however, this moth is
often overlooked. Another very welcome stranger was the very handsome
Phycitid Dioryctria splendidella H.S., five of which came to light on July
10th, 11th, 27th, 29th and August 1st.
Perhaps I should mention the capture, amongst native insects, of
Nonagria sparganii Esp. (Webb's Wainscot) by Mr. D. Down at a light
in Leigh-on-Sea in early September, apparently a great extension in its
local range unless it was a wanderer. These marsh insects, however,
wander a very great deal on warm, misty nights. I took in the garden
at light, two miles from the nearest marsh, Chilodes maritima Tausch.,
Nonagria geminipuncta Haw., Rhizedra lutosa Hubn. and a large number
of Hydraecia paludis Tutt, as well as the first known Essex specimen of
Donacaula mucronellus Schiff. (on July 15th).
Others that appear worth a record are Selenia tetralunaria Hufn. (very
rare in coastal Essex, Eupithecia fraxinata Crewe and E. egenaria H.S.
(arceuthata Frey), a new insect for Essex outside the metropolitan area,
all at light in the garden.