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SATYRID^E. — Erebia oeme, r. comm.; Melanargia galathea, v. comm.; Hipparchia fagi, rare; Brintesia circe, comm.; Aphantopus hyperanthus, comm.; Lopinga achine, comm.; Maniola jurtina, comm.; Coenonympha arcania, comm.; C. pamphilus, v. comm.
NYMPHALID^. — Aglais urticce, r. comm.; Inachis io, 1 spec; Melitcea diamina, comm.; M. britomartis, rather rare; M. athalia, comm.; M. parthenoides, not rare; M. phoebe, a few; M. didyma, r. comm.; Mesoacidalia charlotta, comm.
LYC^NID^E. — Strymon ilicis, r. comm.; Palceochrysophanus hippothoe, v. comm.; Heodes virgaurece, 1 spec; Cupido minimus, a few; C. sebrus, a few; Aricia agestis, comm.; Eumedonia chiton, a few; Cyaniris semiargus, r. comm.; Polyommatus icarus, v. comm.; Lysandra escheri, 1 spec; L. bellargus, r. comm.; L. argester, 1 spec.
HESPERIID^E. — Adopcea lineola, r. comm.; A. silvester, comm.; Thymelicus actceon, comm.; Ochlodes venata, comm.
The total number of species is 37, but the day before I found at nearly the same place another 4 species:
Dira mcera, several; Pieris rapce, 1 spec; Melitcea deione, 1 spec; Coenonympha tullia, many.
A thorough search of the territory, including the tops of the mountains, could not have failed to reveal another half a dozen species which are bound to high altitudes.
T. W. LANGER, Royal Library, Copenhagen, DENMARK
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NOTES ON COLLECTING LEPIDOPTERA IN SOUTHERN FLORIDA1
by Frank N. Young
If you are planning a collecting trip to Florida try to travel by automobile if you possibly can. Stop off at Merritt's Island and explore the pine flatwoods and sandy barrens along the way. The northern area of the state produces many interesting insects. The rare Atrytone berryi is found in the pine flatwoods, and Me gay thymus cofaqui sometimes hovers about clumps of yucca (March-April).
At Fort Myers, Okeechobee, or West Palm Beach the Sabalian Biotic District, which covers most of northern Florida, blends with the subtropical region. The characteristic cabbage palms, saw palmettos, and live oaks give way in part to trees, shrubs, grasses, and herbs of more tropical affinities. Many Florida species never even stray as far north as the Ohio; but in the subtropical areas species after species traces back to the Neotropics, and it seems that collectors are turning up new records for the United States every day.
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'These notes are intended primarily for the use of the amateur, not the professional entomologist. It is assumed that A. B. KLOTS' invaluable Field Guide to the Butterflies will be available, and it is suggested that road maps be supplemented with county maps in areas where you plan to collect intensively. Excellent county maps can be obtained from the State Highway Commission, Tallahassee, Florida, or at various surveyors' offices in the larger towns. See the appendix for notes on camping, poisonous snakes, mosquitoes, etc.
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The subtropical region in Florida is variously delimited by different authorities. Some place its northern edge as far north as the valley of the Kissimmee River. Others mark it more conservatively as south of a line extending from about Naples to southern Palm Beach County. None of this area, except the lower Florida Keys, is frost free, but the coastal districts approach tropical conditions during most of the year. The best time for collecting, in my experience, is from April through August. May, June, and July are probably the best months. True, some hardy species, such as Heliconius charitonius, overwinter, but even they are gradually depleted by cold and drought. December, January, and February are generally poor, although you will probably find something of interest on the wing throughout the year. It is hard to find a time when every possible species will be flying, but you should find from 25 to 50 interesting butterflies in a two-week period during any of the spring or summer months.
THE NORTHERN AND CENTRAL EVERGLADES: If you drive down U. S. Highway 1 you will not only be in the most thickly populated part of south Florida, but will miss the Everglades entirely. Therefore, I suggest that you take either U. S. 27 or U. S. 41. On either of these routes you will pass through portions of the true Everglades still in nearly natural condition.
U. S. 27 crosses the northern Everglades between Belle Glade and Miami. Here the sawgrass marsh is the principal vegetational type, and you will find the best collecting along the edges of the road or on the limestone spoil banks of the canals. The latter are often grown up with dense stands of the white flowered Spanish Needle (Bidens leucantha) and seem to concentrate large numbers of skippers and other butterflies. The wild figs which line the canals attract Marpesia petreus thetys, and the edges of the canals may produce numbers of Anartia jathrophce guantanamo whose larvae feed on water purslane (Isnardia sp.). Clumps of willows nearly always attract a few Limenitis archippus floridensis, and the roadside weeds may swarm with its model, Danaus gilippus berenice. Papilio palamedes may also be abundant here since its larvae feed on magnolias in the Bay Tree hammocks of the Everglades. (June, excellent; July, good; August, fair; December, poor.)2
U. S. 41, east from Fort Myers, passes through somewhat different country. Mainly it is the complex flatwoods, gladeland, hammocks., and cypress swamps along the southern edge of the Big Cypress. Again the roadsides and spoil banks will probably be the most productive collecting places. At Monroe Station, about 50 miles southeast of Naples, I suggest that you turn south and follow Florida "Highway" 94. This is a rough road, but perfectly safe even in the wettest weather, and it leads through some of the wildest of the central Everglades. After the road turns back to the east the area to the north is outside the Everglades National Park, and there are many tropical
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2Dates in parentheses at end of paragraphs indicate times at which the writer has collected in the areas mentioned. They may help to predict the success you can expect.
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hardwood hammocks in which the brilliant tree snails rival the butterflies. The area is often referred to as "Pinecrest." The edges of some of the hammocks can be reached from the roadside and offer good collecting. Papilio cresphontes, P. palamedes, P. troilus ilioneus, P. glaucus australis, Limenitis, Danaus, Heliconius, Marpesia, Agraulis vanillce nigrior, Asterocampa clyton flora, Appias drusilla neumoegenii, Ascia monuste, and a variety of lycsenids and skippers may be expected. (January, poor; August, fair.)
The marl prairies in the "Pinecrest" area are particularly interesting for the day-flying moths of the family Amatidse. The wasp-like Syntomeida ipomoea is sometimes found on the flowers of the Buttonbush, and Cosmo soma and others fly among the grasses and herbs. Among the butterflies, Euptychia areolata and Lephelisca virginiensis are often common, but the open glades are much poorer in species than the edges of the hammocks. (January, fair; July, excellent; August-September, fair.)
East of the "Pinecrest" area to Miami, the highway crosses another portion of the Everglades similar to that along U. S. 27. Here again the fig trees, roadside weedbeds, and canal edges may prove interesting.
MIAMI AND VICINITY: There were formerly many fine collecting places within or close to the city of Miami, but the human population has increased so rapidly in recent years that it is now difficult to find even a small patch of natural vegetation. However, some tropical species, especially those whose larvae feed on introduced plants, are commoner in the city than anywhere else. Phoebis philea, for example, is most abundant around plantings of the Golden Shower Tree and seldom occurs in hammocks or pinelands far from houses. Papilio polydamas lucayus, although less strictly urbanized, is rare away from the cultivated Pipe Vine (Aristo lochia). The skipper, As bolus capucinus is nearly always found near plantings of Coconut or Royal Palms. It did not become common around Miami until after World War II, but in places its larvae are now important economic pests. (March-July, excellent; August-October, fair; November-February, poor.)
Vacant lots, grown up with stands of Bidens and other weeds, may be worth looking over. Strymon columella is nearly always abundant on the flowers of Bidens. Eurema messalina subsp.?, Anteos mcerula, and Hypolimnas misippus are species which seem to have been taken only in such situations around Miami. (March-July, good; August-February, fair to poor.)
BRICKELL HAMMOCK: The large hammock which formerly extended for more than a mile south from the Miami River is now nearly destroyed, but patches still remain where some collecting can be done.
Simpson Park, at the corner of south Miami Avenue and 14th Road, contains a portion of the original hammock through which trails have been cut. Metamorpha stelenes, which now seems to be an established migrant, was abundant there in June of 1947. Eunica tatila tatilista and E. monima may also be encountered along the trails. Alarpesia, Heliconius, Papilio cresphontes, Phoebis agarithe maxima, Appias, Ascia, Polygonus lividus savigny, and Pyrgus syrictus are abundant at almost any time of the year. (March-July, excellent; August, fair; December, poor.)
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Those who, like the writer, prefer to swing their net without worrying about the feelings of park superintendents, may find collecting places in the fragments of hammock on private property in other places. Recent clearings, if they can be found, are often extremely productive. The parkway on Brickell Avenue, just south of the approaches to the Rickenbacker Causeway, is one of my favorite spots. A typical hour's catch in June in this area in 1947 included: Papilio polydamas lucayus, P. cresphontes, P. palamedes, P. troilus ilioneus, Hemiargus thomasi, Lep totes cassius the onus, Strymon m-album, S. cecrops, S. melinus, Appias, Ascia, Phoebis agarithe maxima, P. philea, P. statira jloridensis, Agraulis, Heliconius, Marpesia, Polygonus, and others. (March-July, fair to excellent; August, good; September, fair; December-January, poor to fair.)
Papilio aristodemus ponceanus, P. andrcemon bonhotei, Lycorella ceres, and Marpesia chiron are rarities which have been taken or may be expected in Brickell Hammock.
The limestone bluffs and bay shore along Brickell Hammock are interesting collecting places if you can get to them. The Buttonwood Mangrove, when in bloom in June and July, attracts many insects including Strymon mcesites and S. martialis (See Young, Ent, News 48: 80-81; 1938). The Black Mangrove, which also blooms in June and July, may attract Kricogonia lyside, but this species seems to be commoner on the islands across the bay (See Young, Ent. News 49: 115; 1939). Ancea floridalis, Danaus gilippus berenice, Phyciodes frisia, Hemiargus thomasi, and Agraulis are more abundant along the bluffs than elsewhere. Here also may be found the day-flying moth Composia fidellisima vagrans, and the Red Mangroves attract Phocides batabano and several interesting moths. (June-August, excellent to fair.)
The larvae of Phoebis statira jloridensis feed on the large bean vine, Ecastophyllum ecastophyllum, which forms great jungle-like tangles behind the dunes along beaches or on the bayshore. There used to be a stand of this plant at the western end of what is now the Rickenbacker Causeway, and P. statira was nearly always found about it from March to August. Similar stands of the plant are found north along the coast and can often be recognized by the bright yellow males of statira which hover over them.
The Brickell Hammock area is an excellent collecting place for moths. Several rare species have been found at light or feeding on flowers in the evening. Beds of the common periwinkle and the flowers of the male papaya attract many sphinx moths, including the giant Cocytius antceus. (June-August, fair to excellent.)
PINELANDS AND HAMMOCKS SOUTH OF MIAMI: U. S. Highway 1 turns inland in Brickell Hammock, and more interesting country can be reached by continuing on into Coconut Grove and picking up the Old Cutler Road (also called Ingraham Highway).
Matheson Hammock about five miles south of Coconut Grove is part of a county park. The hammock is mostly west of the highway, and numerous trails offer collecting similar to that in Brickell Hammock. East of the road is an extensive area of mangroves and salt marsh situations. The zone in
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which the coastal marshes reach the rocky ridge is often productive of species not found commonly elsewhere. (July, good.)
Chapman Field, a plant introduction garden of the U. S. Department of Agriculture may be explored with profit. It is about four miles south of Matheson Hammock park, and contains extensive plantings of exotic trees and other plants. (August, fair.)
Still farther south along Old Cutler Road, the hammock along Black Creek used to be worth a stop, but it was being partly cleared in the Summer of 1955 and will probably soon be gone entirely. (June-July, good.)
All along the Old Cutler Road, fairly extensive areas of the rocky pine-lands in natural condition may be encountered. These will probably disappear in a few years if the trend toward "rock farming" does not change. The pinelands are not as rich in species as the hammocks, but several interesting butterflies are characteristic. Eumceus atala florida was formerly abundant, but it is now nearly or quite extinct in Florida. Records of its reoccurrence would be worth a published note. The wild croton plants often attract Strymon acis bartrami, one of the prettiest of the hairstreaks. Hemiargus ceraunus antibubastus and Eurema daira daira form jucunda are also characteristics, often being found at the flowers of the sensitive briar. Papilio marcellus is common in the spring in areas where the Dwarf Pawpaw, Pityothamnus spp., grows.
The pinelands are often interrupted by marl prairies, now mostly under cultivation, which formed the drainways of the Everglades. They offer collecting similar to that found at "Pinecrest." (June-August, fair to excellent.)
AREA WEST OF GOULDS: The Old Cutler Road joins U. S. 1 at Goulds. West of here along Silver Palm Drive are many good Pineland and marl prairie situations. North of Silver Palm Drive, Kingman Road runs through hammocks which are good collecting places. Continuing west, you should turn south on Krome Avenue. Just east of this road on Bauer Drive are interesting oak hammocks, and Timb's Hammock is just to the east but now hard to get into. (January, fair to poor; March-July, excellent.)
HOMESTEAD AND FLORIDA CITY: Continuing on through Homestead, you will end up in Florida City. This area has never been particularly interesting to me, but Mrs. Marguerite S. Forsyth, who lived there for many years, found many unusual species. Hammocks, pinelands, and marl prairies in the vicinity are similar to those already mentioned.
PINELANDS EAST OF EVERGLADES NATIONAL PARK: Continuing from Florida City toward the Everglades National Park, you will pass through some fine pineland of a different type from that farther north. Much of this area is being destroyed by the "rock farms," but oak hammocks, sinkholes in the pinelands, and the edges of borrow pits may offer different types of habitats. Eurema neda should be looked for here. According to Klots it prefers the shrubby borders of hammocks and does not fly in the open as does the common lisa. (July, excellent; August-September, fair.)
ROYAL PALM HAMMOCK: The old Royal Palm Hammock is now within the Everglades Park. Before attempting to collect, one must obtain clearance from the park authorities in Homestead. Collecting is allowed
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for teaching or museum purposes, but most collectors, like the writer, do not qualify.
The hammock has many fine "jungle trails" along which species similar to those noted for Brickell Hammock can be found. Among the rarities to look for is Dicethria clymena, the "88" butterfly, collected there in 1944 by P. G. Howes. This is probably the only authentic record for this species in the United States. Another interesting species is Eurema nisa perimede (determined by W. D. Field) which was collected in the hammock by Mrs. C. N. Grimshawe in December, 1946. It closely resembles neda, but differs in lacking the black border of the hind wing, the border being replaced by small black spots at the juncture of the veins with the margin. (March-August, fair to excellent.)
LONG PINE KEY: At the western edge of Royal Palm Hammock, a rock road turns northwest and leads onto Long Pine Key. This was one of the Everglades Keys which were islands before the drainage of the Everglades. Most of the area along the road is outside the park, and hammock edges, pinelands, and deep marshy sloughs are possible collecting places. It was in the pinelands on this island that Eumceus atala jlorida was last found about 1935. Euptychia areolata is often abundant in the damper pinelands, and Limenitis archippus floridensis is nearly always abundant. Syntomeida ipomoea may also be found at flowers of the Buttonbush along the edges of the marl prairies. (January, fair; June-July, excellent; November-December, poor.)
CAPE SABLE REGION: Returning toward Royal Palm Hammock, the southwest fork of the road leads to Cape Sable. All of the Cape is now within the park. Collecting on the salty marl prairie near Flamingo used to be very good. Brephidium pseuofea, Precis lavinia zonalis, and many other butterflies and skippers are abundant. I have seen literally clouds of Ascia monuste over the prairie, and P. /. zonalis guards its little territory as jealously as does our familiar coenia. (June-July, good.)
KEY LARGO: In order to continue on to the Florida Keys, you will have to return to Florida City and follow U. S. 1. The first large island, about 21 miles southeast of Florida City, is Key Largo. There is generally good collecting almost anywhere along the road here, but I suggest that you get away from the traffic by turning north on the old highway and going to the north end of the island. The roadsides through the great Key Largo hammock probably offer the richest collecting place for Lepidoptera in Florida. Dry as julia nudeola (March-June?) is one species which you should find in abundance. Composia fidellisima vagrans sometimes almost swarms along with other day-flying moths. Many West Indian skippers and other butterflies have been recorded only from this area in Florida. (March-July, fair to excellent; August, fair; September-February, poor to good.)
UPPER AND LOWER MATECUMBE KEY: Going on down U. S. 1, you will cross a series of keys. Most of them are labelled by roadsigns so that you can locate yourself easily. Lower Matecumbe lies just north of the first long "overseas" bridge. The hammock on the north end of the island
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is in fairly natural condition, and you will probably want to stop here to look for Papilio aristodemus ponceanus. Don't worry about Klots' admonition on conservation too much. You will probably be happy if you SEE even one specimen. Brephidium pseudofea is common in the salt flats on both Upper and Lower Matecumbe, and many other things will be found on Bidens and other flowers. Danaus eresimus is a rarity which should be looked for on the Keys. Marston Bates suggests that the way to find it is to capture every Danaus gilippus-llke butterfly possible and examine them carefully before letting them go. (June-July, good.)
KEY VACA: Key Vaca in the Middle Keys is now so built up that collecting places are becoming scarce. Recent clearings are productive if they can be found. Metamorpha stelenes is occasionally found, probably as a stray from the Bahamas. Eurema daira palmira occurs on Key Vaca, and the true elathea may also turn up someday. (July-August, good.)
BIG PINE KEY: Big Pine, the largest of the Lower Keys, is my favorite collecting place, but it is not particularly enticing to the lepidopterist. The peculiar pinelands are productive of some interesting things, however, and Bahaman and West Indian species may be expected. The island formerly had several well-developed hammock systems, but these have been all but destroyed by recurrent fires. Little Pine Key, which can only be reached by boat, probably shows the conditions which formerly prevailed on Big Pine, No Name, and the other large keys. It is so densely grown up with palms, hammock, and other plants that it is all but impossible to walk across it. The wonderful cactus growths along the southern point of Big Pine are interesting, and the beach hammock association here might harbor unsuspected prizes. (June-July, good; August-September, fair.)
KEY WEST: Key West itself is not very good for collecting since there is practically no open ground, but just to the north the botanical garden and edges of the golf course on Stock Island are good to fair. There is also a new road which runs across the outer edge of Boca Chica, the Saddlebunch Keys, and Sugarloaf where hammock, salt marsh, and other conditions may be encountered. A number of rare strays have been recorded from Key West and vicinity, but in general the collecting is inferior to that to be found farther north. Papilio aristodemus ponceanus has been recorded from Key West, in fact the late Austin Clark informed me that John W. Cadbury, 3rd, checked the specimen in the Philadelphia Academy, and it proves to be the specimen figured by Holland (PL LXX) and labelled "Papilio ponceanus Schaus, typical from Miami, Florida." If there were not a specimen in the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard, collected in Coconut Grove by G. B. Fairchild and his sister, this in my mind would throw doubt on the occurrence of ponceanus on the mainland. (June-July, good; September, fair.)
On returning to Miami, you may want to go north by way of U. S. Highway 1. Most of the area along this road is urbanized, but collecting places can be reached by turning off either to the east or west.
PINELANDS BETWEEN MIAMI AND DANIA: The pinelands north of Miami between U. S. 1 and U. S. 441 used to be grown up with extremely
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dense stands of the saw palmetto. Many fragments of this association can still be found. In the late spring and summer, the Tar Flower (Befaria racemosa) puts up flower heads above the palmettos, and many butterflies are attracted to them. Some of the more open areas are the best of collecting places for skippers. (March-August, excellent; December, poor.)
COASTAL AREA NORTH OF MIAMI BEACH: It is almost hopeless to try to collect on the Miami Beach peninsula, but by driving north along Florida AlA the open beach and natural dunes can be reached in places. Stands of Ecastophyllum ecastophyllum often grow between the dunes and the mangroves along the bayshore, and should be examined for Phoebis statira floridensis. Eurema lisa sometimes appears in migratory swarms similar to those observed in the Bahamas. Migrations of Ascia monuste and Agraulis vanillce nigrior may also be observed in this area from March through May. (See Erik Tetens Nielsen & Astrid Tetens Nielsen, American Mus. Novitates, No. 1471, 1950, for an interesting account of migration in Ascia.) (July, excellent.)
FORT LAUDERDALE AND VICINITY: Marston Bates collected around Fort Lauderdale for a number of years, and recorded many interesting species. West of the city, and along U. S. 441, are pinelands and hammocks where northern and tropical plants intermingle. Papilio palamedes and other species may be more abundant here than farther south. Isoparce cupressi, the cypress sphinx, may be found rarely around cypress ponds or swamps. East of Fort Lauderdale, Florida Highway AlA parallels the Atlantic beach for some distance. Hammocks and dunes may be good collecting places. (July, good; August-September, fair.)
At West Palm Beach, U. S. 441 turns inland to Belle Glade and crosses the great Loxahatchee Slough of the northern Everglades. Here as along other roads through the Everglades, the roadside weedbeds will probably be the best collecting spots.
And so we say goodbye to the land of the Everglades. In the words of the Seminoles, "Wa lox-ee-ojus!" Good hunting!
APPENDIX: SOME GENERAL HINTS
Camping: Camping in southern Florida is somewhat difficult, but throughout the northern part of the state many excellent campsites are available. A list of state parks with camping facilities can be obtained from the Florida Board of Parks and Historical Monuments at Tallahassee, Florida. In many areas, however, campsites on unposted ground can be found almost anywhere. I usually take an Army Surplus jungle hammock with a light blanket for summer camping, and a light sleeping bag with mosquito net and frame and a tarapaulin for winter. Tourist courts are, of course, everywhere, and summer rates are usually reasonable.
Poisonous Snakes: The dangers from rattlesnakes and other poisonous serpents is greatly over-rated, but it pays to look where you are walking. A snake bite kit may be comforting to play with while you are getting to
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the nearest hospital in case you are bitten. Stop off at Ross Allen's Reptile Institute at Silver Springs if you want to be sure to see Florida rattlesnakes.
Mosquitoes: On the Florida Keys, Cape Sable, and in other southern areas mosquitos are often very bad during the summer months. Repellents, such as 612 or dimethyl pthalate, should be used freely. Oil of citronella is practically useless. Mosquito-borne diseases are not important in Florida today. Sandflies may be annoying in places, but can be inhibited with 612. An aerosol bomb to spray the inside of your mosquito net or tent if you are camping is highly desirable.
Mites and Venomous and Urticating Arthropods: The liberal application of 612 or benzyl benzoate to ankles and pants legs, cuffs, neckbands and other openings in the clothing will usually prevent the unpleasant effects produced by "red bugs" or "chiggers." Urticating caterpillars and venomous arthropods are not very common. Spirits of ammonia or household ammonia is useful in reducing pain from bites of scorpions, wasps, bees, etc. Ammonia is particularly valuable in relieving the itching and pain of stings of the little fire ants which are bad in some areas.
Hints on Collecting: The best seasons for collecting in Florida are, unfortunately, the wettest, and you must protect your specimens from molds and ants. A convenient method of drying specimens is to place them in cigar boxes which can be suspended above your car motor until thoroughly dried. Specimens put into tight containers without drying are usually cov-vered with mold and ruined in a few days. Naphthalene flakes seem to be somewhat more effective in inhibiting molds than paradichlorobenzene, but the latter gives better protection against ants. Cyanide bottles often get very damp and ruin many specimens, so that I prefer to kill butterflies with xylol carried in a small vial. They can then be immediately placed in small drug envelopes and stored in cigar boxes. This obviates much tedious sorting in the evening also. Nets should be as large and as sturdy as you can make them. They will take a terrific beating in the dense vegetation. An extension handle is often needed to reach some of the high-flying species.
Baiting: Baiting and sugaring are not as effective in south Florida as in many northern states, but a mixture of molasses, rum, and bananas often attracts swarms of the giant noctuid, Erebus odora.
A Word of Caution: If you cannot come to Florida yourself and are contemplating buying specimens for your collection, be sure that you are dealing with reliable people. In former years some unscrupulous persons made a practice of selling South American and West Indian species as being from Florida. Be wary of anything marked "Chokoloskee, Florida." Chokoloskee is an island south of the town of Everglade, near the western edge of the Everglades National Park. It is a fair collecting place, but hardly worth the expense of a visit. Similar conditions can be found at many places along the west coast from Naples south.
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Dept of Zoology, Indiana University, Bloomington, Ind., U. S. A.
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