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1952
The Lepidopterists' News
43
REMARKABLE OBSERVATIONS BY YOUNG JAPANESE LEPIDOPTERISTS
As a result of the transition of general interests from mere collecting to life-history observation, there have been many excellent reports by younger Japanese butterfly hobbyists. I will introduce herewith some of their remarkable observations.
1) FOUR CONSECUTIVE GENERATIONS OF POLYGON1A C-AUREUM REARED BY THE AID OF THE RICHARD TECHNIQUE.
Ikuo Hayano, a medical student in Yokohama, applied the Richard Technique (Lep. News, vol. 2: p. 74) to the securing of eggs of P. c-aureum (Linne) in July 1950 and got the second generation in August, the 3rd in September, and the 4th in November. The November adults are now hibernating in a cage and probably will produce spring broods. Among many notable results obtained, the most interesting is that the wing patterns of the broods are not uniform. "Forma aest." occurs side by side with "forma autumn ". This reminds us of Frohawk's observation in form hutcbinsoni of P. c-album and de Niceville's experiment on forms of Melanitis leda. Mr. Hayano is trying to find the elements which affect the wing patterns and the biological differences, if any, such as in mating or hibernating.
2) POSITION OF ANTENNAE IN HIBERNATING EUREMA HECABE AS AFFECTED BY WEATHER AND TEMPERATURE.
Masayuki Takeda, a junior high student in Tochi-gi-ken, observed in the winters of 1948-50 the life of hibernating E. hecabe (Linne). Among many valuable observations, the most noteworthy is that the antennae of wintering hecabe are exclusively sensitive to weather and temperature. For instance, in December the position of the antennae at night (10-11 p.m.) is affected by weather and temperature at that specific time, while in January the same is affected by weather and highest temperature of preceding day time (10 a. m.-2 p.m.). For example, the antennal position at December nights are as follows-
a) Exposed, parallel with the costal margin of folded wings, if weather is fine and temperature stands at above 8° C.
b) Club-parts only exposed out of folded wings, if fine and between 5°-8° C, cloudy and above 4° C. or rainy and above 5° C.
c) Concealed completely between folded wings in $ 9 and club-parts half exposed in £ $ , if fine and below 5° C, cloudy and below 4° C, rainy and below 5° C. or snowy (or with heavy wind) at any degree.
3) DISCOVERY OF TRUE ANT-GUEST LARVA NYPHANDA FUSCA.
Fumiaki Nagayama, an assistant of a veterinary laboratory in Tokyo, found the long-sought-for larvae of N. fusca Brem. & Grey in July 1948 In co-operation with Takeo Ishizawa and the writer, he succeeded in a complete survey of this fascinating symbiosis of caterpillars and ants. The larvae are fed orally by the host-ants by the latter's disgorging of liquid foods. This feeding habit is only comparable to that of the East African lycaenid Euliphyra mirifica Holl. observed by C. O. Farquharson, as far as I know. A detailed account of my notes on Nyphanda has been sent to Mr. A. H. Clark in Washington with some figures and photographs. The Australian Pseudodipsas myr7necophila and African Axiocerses harpax (Fab.) (both lycaenids) have been suspected as excretophagus-myrmecoxenous but not yet confirmed.
Tar® Iwase, 345 Komachi Kamakura, Kanagawa-Ken, Japan
A LIVING SIPHON
I wonder if it is a common practice for moths to convert themselves into living siphons, by drawing up water through the maxillary tube and pumping it straight through the body. I watched a moth, later identified as Venusia cambrica Cort, perform this stunt while perched head down inside a pail partly filled with water. I watched the insect long enough to assure myself that there was no mistake, as to what it was doing, and it: was still going strong when I put a stop to the performance.
RICHARD GUPPY, R. R. I., Marine Drive, Wellington, B. C.