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18
Fifth Annual Meetings
Vol.9: no.l
The program of the afternoon session, with Dr. DiAKONOFF presiding, was as follows, again each paper being followed by extended comment:
7. "Some Observations on the Hesperiidae of the St. Louis Area".
P. S. Remington, St. Louis, Missouri.
8. "The Northern Insect Survey and Notes on Arctic Colias".
T. N. FREEMAN, Systematic Entomology, Science Service, Ottawa, Canada.
9. "The Sphingidas of Jamaica and Related Forms of the Antilles".
MARGARET M. Cary, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
10. "Remarks on the Zoogeography of Cocytia".
HARRY K. CLENCH, Carnegie Museum, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
11. "Foodplant Specificity in Sibling Species, Especially in Mitoura gryneus".
C. L. REMINGTON and ROGER W. PEASE, Jr., Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut.
12. "A Suggested Program for Attracting Young People to the Study of Lepidoptera.
C. W. STAFFORD, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
13. "Method of Making Plastic Mounts for Lepidoptera."
OTTO ACKERMANN, Irwin, Pennsylvania.
The Lepidopterists' Banquet was held Wednesday evening in the Museum dining hall, followed by a beautifully illustrated talk by Lloyd M. Martin of the Los Angeles County Museum on Lepidoptera collecting in the Southwest. Dr. REMINGTON then showed a few Kodachrome slides, particularly of Lepidoptera eggs. The meeting resumed the friendly conversations begun at the Smoker.
Thursday was allotted to informal visiting and study among the great collections of Lepidoptera in the Museum.
The following members from 3 nations and 5 U.S.A. states attended the Pittsburgh meetings: Richard Acetta, Otto Ackermann, R. A. Anderson, John Bauer, Margaret M. Cary, H. K. Clench, A. Diakonoff, B. W. Dixon, George Ehle, T. N. Freeman, J. A. Malcolm, Jr., William Malcolm, Arnold Mallis, L. M. Martin, W. B. Mergott, Mr. and Mrs. C. G. Merker, F. W. Preston, June D. Preston, C. L. Remington, P. S. Remington, L. J. Sanford, C. W. Stafford, G. E. Wallace.
Respectfully submitted, P. Sheldon Remington
Secretary pro tern.
MINUTES OF THE FIRST PACIFIC SLOPE MEETINGS OF THE LEPIDOPTERISTS' SOCIETY
The meetings were held Saturday, Sept. 4, and Monday, Sept. 6, 1954 (Labor Day). at the California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco, Calif., U.S.A. Through arrangements kindly made by HUGH B. LEECH of the Academy, a large, very adequate auditorium in Simpson African Hall was available for the meetings both days.
On Sept. 4, the time from 9:00 a.m. to 10:15 a.m. was spent in registration of members and guests. The first order of business was the unanimous election of LLOYD M. MARTIN to preside over the meetings. It was decided a secretary was needed, and ROBERT L. LANGSTON was elected. With the officers for the meetings selected, Mr. MARTIN informally welcomed the members and introduced the first speaker. HUGH B. LEECH, Curator of Aquatic Coleoptera, California Academy of Sciences, gave the formal welcome. The Presidential Address and a paper on New Guinea Insect Fauna by President A. DiAKONOFF of the Netherlands were read by FRED T. THORNE. The paper included biology and coloring and revealed that black and white predominated in most insect orders on New Guinea.
1955
The Lepidopterists' News
J9
"The California Academy of Sciences and Its Insect Collections" were discussed by Mr. LEECH. He gave a brief history of the Academy in San Francisco since its inception. At 11:30 a.m. WILLIAM HOVANITZ gave a talk entitled "Studies in the Genus Colias." It was supplemented with colored slides of the various species concerned and. their intermediates in interbreeding populations. Numerous maps of their distribution were also shown. An invitation was extended by Dr. HOVANITZ to meet informally in the evening at his home in Oakland.
At 2 p.m., following a congenial luncheon, Mr. Thorne read in the absence of Tar6 IWASE of Japan, his paper entitled "Japanese Butterfly Fauna Compared with that of California." At 2:30 p.m. J. W. TlLDEN took the floor to read another paper in absentia. He at first asked the group to express their opinion on the number and types of papers to be submitted in the future, and then read "Collecting on Vancouver Island" by RICHARD GUPPY. As certain points were brought out in the paper, the meeting turned informally to a lively discussion of some very local insects — Plebeius pheres and Glaucopsyche xerces and their association with sand dunes, lupine, ants, etc. At 3:00 p.m. W. H. LANGE of the University of California at Davis spoke on "Aquatic Pyralidae of Western North America." He had on display an aquarium with larvse and pupa? of two species of Nymphulinae, one on rocks, the other on water plants. Slides of the insects also accompanied the talk.
At 4:00 p.m. Mr. MARTIN adjourned the meeting to the Entomology Department of the Museum. Mr. LEECH had various items on display for the lepidopterists, including the Dog-face Butterfly (Zerene) collection of Mrs. RlDDELL and the specimens figured in Wright's Butterflies of the West Coast. The Academy's collection was also available for inspection by the members. However, time was at a minimum as a full evening had also been planned. Upon leaving, a group picture was taken by Thomas W. Davies.
Members and guests met for dinner at Alioto's on Fishermans Wharf. The majority then went across the bay to Oakland and the new home of Dr. and Mrs. HOVANITZ. In addition to informal discussions and refreshments, the main event was the showing of colored slides by the host. Dr. HOVANITZ narrated with the pictures of many collecting areas for his studies on Colias. Many Colias species are circumpolar in distribution, and the slides illustrated much of the inaccessible country in Alaska, Northern Canada, and Greenland — areas above timberline, tundra, at glacier's edge, in fact wherever their foodplants may get a foothold. Another series was shown for the Colias taken in Northern Europe and the Alps.
An interest had been shown among those in attendance for a group collecting trip. It was decided that on Sunday, Sept. 5, those interested would meet at Antioch (Contra Costa County) for the express purpose of collecting Apodemia mormo langei. Lange's Metal-mark was taken in fair numbers by everyone, but also as an unexpected bonus, about a dozen Ochlodes yuma were collected by the group. Other Lepidoptera were present, the most common being Danaus plexippus, Brephidium exilis, Erynnis tristis, Hylephila phylceus, Ochlodes sylvanoides, and Lerodea eufala.
The meetings of Monday, Sept. 6, were called to order by Mr. MARTIN at 9:45 a.m. DONALD PATTERSON was elected chairman of the day. Dr. TlLDEN read in the absence of GERHARD HESSELBARTH of Germany his paper, "A Rearing Cage for Lepidoptera." A cage of plywood top and bottom with nylon netting for sides, collapsible for field use, was circulated among the group. The paper told of various modifications for this and other cages depending upon the use for which intended. Several letters were read from people who were unable to attend, including E. M. KlNCH, CHARLES HiLL, H. A. FREEMAN, and F. MARTIN Brown. At 10:15 a.m. a paper entitled "Ccenonympha of the West Coast of the United States" by WILLIAM N. BURDICK was read by Dr. LANGE. The paper caused a lively discussion pertaining to synonomy, geographical and seasonal races. C. Don MACNEILL, University of California, Berkeley, spoke on "Speculations Concerning Territoriality in the Hesperiidas" — the phenomenon of the adult males establishing a definite or indefinite area, patrolling it, and investigating all
20
First Pacific Meetings
Vol.9: no.l
intruders. It developed into a rather long informal discussion on antagonism, limits of territories, and egg fertility in relation to the flight period of the male. "The Breeding of Theclini (Zephyrus) — How can their Eggs be Collected in Winter?" by TAKESHI KUZUYA of Japan was read in his absence by Mr. LANGSTON. The paper described collecting methods not often used in the U. S. A., and their advantages for certain breeding purposes. With very little discussion, the meetings were adjourned at 12:30 for lunch.
The afternoon session was called to order by Mr. Patterson at 2:00 p.m. John HARVILLE of San Jose State College gave a very interesting and informative talk on "Population Dynamics in the California Oak Moth." Pbryganidia californica becomes a serious economic pest every fourth or fifth year. It is kept under control in other seasons by an interacting complex of environment, parasites, predators and disease. One point he stressed is the extreme local nature of the moth — an oak tree will be completely defoliated, whereas one fifty feet away may almost escape infestation. The talk was accompanied by a display of the life stages of the moth and the parasite - predator complex. At 2:45 p.m. Mr. MacNeill read J. P. Knudsen'S paper "Interspecific Hybrids in Papilio machaon," illustrated with slides. JOHN C. DOWNEY of the University of California, Davis, then took the floor for a treatise on "Subspeciation in Western Flebeius icarioides/' On display were photographs, a map of the distribution of the "races" concerned, and wings mounted on permanent microscope slides for critical examination of venation, scales, and wing pattern. As no constant genitalic differences were found within the Plebeius icarioides complex, considerable discussion followed, pro and con, as to whether coloring and wing pattern can be used as taxonomic characters.
The business meeting was convened at 4:15 p.m. Mr. PATTERSON opened a discussion of the meetings for 1955. It was moved that the meetings be held near a large population center (preferably southern California) to insure adequate attendance. With opinions split between Los Angeles and San Diego, it was brought up to a vote. The majority decided that the Second Pacific Slope Meetings of the Lepidopterists' Society will be held in San Diego, California, on Labor Day weekend, 1955.
It was moved, seconded, and passed that the California Academy of Sciences be thanked formally by the Society for its wonderful hospitality, with letters of thanks to Dr. Robert C. Miller, Director of the Academy, and to Mr. H. B. Leech of the Entomology Department.
It was recommended that Mr. LANGSTON, as Secretary, send letters to the authors of papers submitted in absentia, thanking them for their splendid cooperation in the program, even though not present.
Before adjournment Dr. TlLDEN requested those present to list the Ochlodes yuma taken at Antioch the previous day and any other records of this species.
It was moved, seconded, and passed that a Program Committee be elected for the 1955 Pacific Slope Meetings. Dr. HovANITZ was nominated and unanimously elected as Program Chairman, with powers to appoint his assistants.
With no more old or new business, the meeting was adjourned at 4:45 p.m.
A total of $9.50 was received in registration fees. This sum was turned over to Mr. THORNE, which almost exactly covered the costs of envelopes, postage, and the mimeographed programs.
The following members and guests registered for the meetings: D. L. Baber, L. P. Coy, R. D. Cuyler, T. W. Davies, J. C. Downey, W. A. Hammer, J. Harville, W. Hovanitz, W. H. Lange, R. L. Langston, D. D. Linsdale, C. D. MacNiell, L. M. Martin, P. A. Opler, D. Patterson, W. Patterson, J. A. Powell, F. T. Thorne, J. W. Tilden, R. N. Wittman.
Respectfully submitted, Robert L. Langston, Secretary pro tern.