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90
Vol.7, nos.3-4
4. GREAT PLAINS—TEXAS AND EASTERN PLAINS OF ROCKY MOUNTAIN STATES TO SASKATCHEWAN AND MANITOBA
by H. A. Freeman
The only report from Canada was received from C. S. Quelch, who indicated that climatic conditions were about normal for that part of the country and that Lepidoptera were about normal as to appearances. William H. Howe reported the best collecting season in a long time, due to the fine collecting weather that prevailed over eastern Kansas during most of the summer. In the southern part of Area 4 conditions were far below normal due to the rather peculiar weather that we had here in Texas. The spring was wet and cold and then the rains stopped entirely; this resulted in one of the driest years we have ever experienced here. I have never seen such poor collecting in the Dallas area, or in the southwestern part of the state, or down along the lower Rio Grande Valley.
NORTH
QUELCH reported from Transcona, Manitoba, as follows: The winter temperatures were normal but there was very little snow. April was an exceptionally warm, dry month, and I was taking noctuids and geometrids at the light in good numbers by April 22. May was cool and dry, and the moths ceased flying in any numbers till the middle of June, when they were again in fair numbers except Saturniidae which did not come to the light. Hyalophora cecropia, Automeris io, Anisota stigma, and Antheraea polyphemus were present in good numbers in 1949 but had been getting more scarce during 1950-51. This spring I took only one Saturniidae, a male A. polyphemus. Butterflies were still scarce on the whole much as in 1951, with a few exceptions: Vanessa cardui appeared in swarms on June 3, mostly worn specimens; no fresh ones appeared later in the season. Pieris occidentalis was present in good numbers around August 1. Oeneis macouni I found fairly common in the sand lands June 1 and 8. Colias eurytheme and all Speyeria were more plentiful than in 1951, although still not at all abundant. Strymon edwardsii was abundant locally. Lycaenopsis pseudargiolus var. "marginata" was in fair numbers near the Winnipeg River at Lee River Falls and also at Transcona. Forms that were better than during 1951 but still scarce were Glaucopsyche lygdamus, Pieris napi, Boloria toddi, Vanessa milberti. Many usually common species were still very scarce or entirely absent, including Papilio glaucus, P. polyxenes, Plebeius melissa, P. scudderi, all Erynnis, Phyciodes nycteis, all Strymon except S. edwardsii. On the whole collecting was better than during 1951.
MIDDLE
William H. Howe, Kansas City, Kansas, submitted the following report from that section of the country.
1953
The Lepidopterists' News
91
We have just experienced the best collecting season in many years here in eastern Kansas. The long, hot summer undoubtedly contributed greatly to the excellent collecting. Spring was very warm and dry and June was extremely hot and dry, but July, August, and September were cooler and had normal rainfall.
It was an excellent season for swallowtails. Papilio glaums, P. marcellus, and P. cresphontes were very numerous at Baldwin Hill in the last two weeks of July and the first week in August as they frequented the purple Ironweed blossoms. I have never seen P. marcellus so common as they were this summer at Baldwin Hill. In the last two weeks of June we collected P. philenor, P. marcellus, and P. polyxenes on the Butterfly Weed which bloomed luxuriantly in Mear's Park in Franklin County. Excellent flights of Anthocaris genutia were observed at the park in early May. Papilio marcellus and f. "telamonides" was abundant at Baldwin Hill by May 5, as was P. glaucus and P. polyxenes. Incisalia henrici was observed April 21 in Wyandotte County. Speyeria cybele and S. idalia were both substantially reduced from last year. Eurema nicippe, E. mexicana, Nathalis iole, and Zerene caesonia were all present this year but not very commonly. Exceedingly abundant was Phoebis sennae and Eurema lisa. Greatly reduced in eastern Kansas this year was Danaus plexippus.
We had the best season of all with our bait and chemical traps. Traps baited with fermented bananas, beer, sugar, and molasses brought in a large quantity of Limenitis astyanax, L. archippus, Aster o camp a celtis, A. clyton, Libytheana bachmanii, Polygonia interrogationis, Vanessa atalanta, V. vir giniensis, Anaea andria, Megisto eurytus, Cercyonis alope, and a few Lethe portlandia and Nymphalis antiopa. One rarity entered the traps on July 16, a fresh male specimen of Neonympha gemma which substantiates the new state record set for it by HOFFMAN in 1946.
In Kansas City, Kansas, Agraulis vanillae was unusually abundant throughout August and early September. I secured an abundance of the spiny, salmon colored caterpillars which, incidentally, had to be searched for after the sun had set; there was never one to be found in daylight hours on the Passion Vines.
We report an unusually good season for moths also with some rarities received. A tropical moth, Erebus odor a, was caught on August 15 in Ottawa in unusually good condition. A perfect male Aellopus titan was collected by Mrs. W. D. BANCROFT on June 25 in Ottawa, which was the sphinx rarity for the season. The hot summer may have been conducive to these unique captures. Sphingidae taken in traps were: Sphecodina abbotii, Am-phion nessus, Ampeloeca myron, and Xylophanes tersa. Others caught this year were Sphinx chersis, P achy sphinx modesta, Ceratomia kansensis (Kansas City, Kans.), Pholus pandorus, P. achemon, Hemaris diffinis, H. thysbe (Kansas City, Kans.), Isogramma hageni, Paonias excaecatus, and Smerinthus ja-maicensis. Among the Ceratocampidae Adelocephala bicolor was rather abundant, but A. quadrilineata was seemingly absent.
Catocalinae responded well to the bait traps, the following species being attracted: Catocala ivalshii, C. insolabilis, C. angusi, C. car a, C. innubens, C. illecta, C. epione, C. amatrix, C. agrippina, C. grynea, C. whitneyi, C.
92
FREEMAN: 1952 Great Plains Season Vol.7, nos.3-4
titania, C. jacquenetta, C. maestosa, C. consors, C. neogama, C. piatrix, C. arnica, C. abbreviatella, C. nuptialis, and Euparthenos nubilis. Two scarce Underwings which were collected at Baldwin Hill last year, Catocala nebulosa and C. palaogama, were not observed this year, nor was C. parta or C. muliercula.
The rare butterfly catch for the year was a single male specimen of Chlosyne lacinia adjutrix, collected by James Hoffman on August 6 in Ottawa, Kansas.
Information received from Don B. Stallings, Caldwell, Kansas, suggests that collecting in the southern part of Kansas was below par due to the absence of rain during the most of the summer.
SOUTH
During February I collected a number of larvae of Megathymus yuccae in Yucca arkansana in Dallas, Cedar Hill, and De Soto, all in Dallas Co., most of which hatched during March. This was the first year that I had been able to locate larvae of that insect in this area even though I had collected adults for a number of years. Two specimens of Euchloe olympia were collected in Dallas during March; these were the first that I had taken of this species in that area. Incisalia henrici appeared on the wing but was very rare as compared with past seasons. Other spring fliers normally present were scarce or absent.
Two collecting trips were made to Tyler during March with the hopes of getting specimens of Incisalia hadros but weather conditions were very poor for butterflies and no specimens were observed of that species. Five Megathymus yuccae, in the larval stage, were dug out of the roots of Yucca louisianensis in Tyler State Park. While returning from Tyler I stopped at Canton and found one larva of M. yuccae in the roots of a Yucca freemanii and it eventually hatched into a fine female specimen. There were no specimens of Hesperia metea in their usual place in Tyler State Park and the Papilio species such as P. polyxenes, P. philenor, and P. glaucus were conspicuous by their absence.
Summer collecting around Dallas was very poor, as the drought had set in and continued into the winter months. There were no specimens of Cogia outis in their usual place near Vickery and the usual number of Amblyscirtes were practically absent. Few Swallowtails were in evidence; only once in a while would you see a specimen of P. cresphontes.
From August 8 to 10 I was in the Alpine—Ft. Davis area and found the vegetation there greener than I had ever seen it before. There were several species in evidence that had previously been rather scarce, namely Minois meadii, Amblyscirtes aenus, and a few specimens of Strymon polingi which is the first evidence that this species is double brooded. On the 10th I went to the Chisos Mountains and found three larvae of Megathymus chisosensis and some larvae of M. mariae. The year before I had looked for M. mariae larvae in that area but had not been able to locate any. The three specimens of M. chisosensis emerged in September and October. Lepidoptera in general were scarce in the Big Bend section of Texas.
1953
The Lepidopterists' News
93
During August I collected around New Braunfels for a day on my way to the south part of Texas and found little on the wing. There were no specimens of Lephelisca rawsoni to be found, although a small series of L. australis was collected. I again visited the spot east of San Antonio to get more larvae of Megathymus smithi and found more there than last year. Around Laredo a few larvae of M. yuccae were dug out of the roots of a Yucca that I believe to be constricta. Near Mission another colony of M. smithi was discovered. Collecting in the Rio Grande Valley was somewhat below normal as the dry weather had also bothered that part of the state. Three or four more colonies of M. smithi were found between Kingsville and San Antonio, indicating that this species is fairly abundant in local areas.
The fall months failed to bring out the usual species around Dallas. The fall rains did not start in until November and by that time all of the flowers were gone and thus it was not possible to collect things that I have usually collected here.
Edward C. Welling, Euclid, Ohio, dropped me a note that he had some records from the Ft. Worth area for the past season. Among the butterflies he found Asterocampa celtis, A. clyton, and Thorybes pylades. Moths reported were Plusiodonta compressipalpis, Drasteria erechtea, and Cirrhobolina mexicana. All specimens were collected during June.
Contributors: H. V. Daly; H. A. Freeman; W. H. Howe; L. H. Hulbirt; C. S. Quelch; W.J. Reinthal; D. B. Stallings; E. C. Welling.
1335 Overhill Drive, Garland, Texas, U.S.A.
5. CENTRAL — MISSOURI TO WEST VIRGINIA, NORTH TO ONTARIO
by P. S. Remington
Considering the concentration of Society members in this zone, the total of 23 reporting on their season's observations is not impressive and is less than the number for last year. However, a few members reported in great detail. The zone coordinator earnestly urges all active collectors to keep a field record during the year and to send it in at the end of the collecting season in order that the Season Summary may gain in value to future students of Lepidoptera as the years continue.
Reports vary as to kind of year 1952 was. In the northern states after a severe winter the season started normally with the usual succession of species, but then a long dry spell set in which reduced collecting in some areas. In the south, the year seemed to be about as usual, although even there a prolonged hot spell existed in June and July. Several collectors reported the best year they have ever seen, both as to numbers of species and quantities.
ONTARIO
Although many members of the Society undoubtedly attended the Annual Meeting at Ottawa in July, only 2 members, F. R. Arnhold and G. R. WREN, reported on the collecting there. At Espanola on June 30 Arnhold caught
Colias interior, Limenitis arthemis, Speyeria atlantis, Boloria selene, Melitaea