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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
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REMINGTON: 1952 Central Season
Vol.7, nos.3-4
harrisii, Lethe portlandia, Pieris napi, and he saw Danaus plexippus at Blind River. Both Arnhold and WREN took nice series of Lycaena epixanthe at Mer Bleue Marshes near Ottawa. Wren also took Polygonia faunus, Limen-itis arthemis, Pieris napi, Feniseca tarquinius, Vanessa atalanta. He saw thousands of larvae of Nymphalis antiopa on willows.
Earl G. Bailey of St. Catharines found 1952 to be a good collecting year, with all the common species occurring on schedule. He reports fully on the increase in abundance of the European Skipper, Adopaea lineola, which he says "flew in mass quantities in their special favorite haunts". He was able to collect from 243 to over 400 specimens daily in an area not exceeding 1000 square feet between June 15 and July 6. This is the species which Bailey has taken in four previous years, but was misidentified and reported in the 1950 summary as Atrytone arogos. In company with RONALD LEUSCHNER he also collected within an hour over 170 specimens of Strymon liparops at Rockway, near St. Catharines on the Niagara Peninsula. This species was feeding on White Sweet Clover and was so intent on the feast that it could be collected by being merely tapped off the bloom by hand into a cyanide jar. This was a notable concentration of a rather rare species.
MINNESOTA
Arnhold collected here in June, August, September, and October. No Lepidoptera seen around Albert Lea in May as weather was cold and rainy. Near Rushford he caught one Danaus plexippus on June 3, male, fresh, and saw Colias philodice and Epargyreus clarus. On June 6 Vanessa cardui and Colias philodice were plentiful at Twin Lakes. Pieris rapae was common here in August. Clover and alfalfa fields were swarming with Colias philodice on August 7 at Twin Lakes. In September he saw Pyrgus communis and Pieris rapae at Twin Lakes and on October 31, Colias eurytheme was still flying there. Severe defoliation of deciduous trees by Forest Tent Caterpillars was reported from northern Minnesota.
SAM M. Cox of Duluth was unable to collect personally, but sent some reports put out by the State Entomologist's office on the current outbreak of the Forest Tent Caterpillar, with maps. These show the infestation covered almost the entire upper half of the state in 1952, an alarming increase over 1951. Eleven million acres of land were infested and the prediction for 1953 is much heavier. Property owners are advised to spray with DDT.
WISCONSIN
Four collectors reported from this state. Sieker found the spring wet and cool with little collecting until the middle of June around Madison. No Euchloe olympia were seen this year, but he saw about a dozen Glaucopsyche lygdamus in May. No Sphingids were found until late June in Door County. Then Ceratomia undulosa was common at light. Also present were C. amyntor, Paonias excaecata, P. myops, Sphinx kalmiae, Smerinthus cerisyi, S. geminatus. Best catch in Sphingids was Sphinx canadensis, the first in ten years, and one S. vancouverensis. Of the butterflies, Lycaena thoe, L. dione, Strymon acadica were seen in June in Door County. Limenitis arthemis was the most common in several years. Colias interior reappeared after several years'
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REMINGTON: 1952 Central Season Vol.7, nos.3-4
Papilio glaucus, P. marcellus, P. philenor, Pieris rapae, Colias philodice, Antho-caris genutia, Anaea andria, Euptychia gemma. One exception to the general scarcity was the large number of Erynnis brizo and E. juvenalis which were seen clustered around damp spots in a dry branch on April 9. MERRITT counted 67 Erynnis and 2 Papilio glaucus around one such spot and 45 Erynnis around another. Only one specimen of Incisalia henrici was seen this spring. Merritt was pleased to find Incisalia niphon still present in a small tract of pine although the area was swept by a ground fire in 1951. Vanessa cardui appeared sparingly from June 12 on, the first since 1947. In the late summer the season appeared normal. Eurema lisa, Nathalis iole, Lycaena thoe, and Hylephila phyleus were common. Junonia coenia was more abundant around Louisville than he has ever seen it. A rarity taken in Louisville this fall was Atlides halesus, the first seen since 1948. The latest seasonal record made by Merritt was a specimen of Colias eury-theme flying south very fast on December 7.
Edward Welling sent a record of finding Lagoa crispat a on June 27 at Covington.
Contributors: F. R. Arnhold; E.G. Bailey; Ralph Beebe; S. M. Cox; H. V. Daly; L. W. Griewisch; J. B. Hayes; R. W. Hodges; Vonta P. Hynes; R. Leuschner; J. R. Merritt; J. H. Newman; M. C. Nielsen; L. S. Phillips; P. S. Remington; Wm. Sieker; Edward Voss; W. H. Wagner, Jr.; E. C. Welling; H. E. Woodcock; G. R. Wren; F. N. Young; S. E. Ziemer.
5570 Etzel Avenue, St. Louis 12, Mo., U.S.A.
6. SOUTHEAST — FLORIDA TO LOUISIANA, NORTH TO
ARKANSAS AND MARYLAND
by Ralph L. Chermock
In the southeastern region, the winter of 1951 to 1952 was comparatively mild, followed by a warm, somewhat early spring. As a result, the spring flights of butterflies were above normal. However, the summer was characterized by a prolonged drought, coupled with above-normal temperatures. In many areas, this weather persisted into the autumn months. As a result, butterflies were comparatively rare during this period. In some areas, the autumn flights were nearly normal.
VIRGINIA S. S. NiCOLAY collected in the vicinity of Washington, D. C, on April 14, and found the following species on wing: Incisalia henrici; I. niphon; Strymon melinus; Lyccenopsis pseudargiolus; Anthocaris genutia; Papilio glaucus; Erynnis juvenalis and E. brizo. This was followed by a period of drought and unusual heat for this time of year, which depleted their numbers. However, Mitoura gryneus, Papilio polyxenes, and P. glaucus apparently were unaffected by the unusual climate. A long rainy period closed the spring flights. During the first week of June, Poanes zabulon, Polites peckius, P. verna, and P. manataaqua were the only abundant species; Speyeria cybele