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1956
The Lepidopterists' News
161
TWO NEW RECORDS OF PENNSYLVANIA LEPIDOPTERA1 by Harry K. Clench
1. Mnemonica auricyanea (Walsingham), Eriocraniida?.
On 26 May 1956 Dr. G. E. Wallace, Curator of Insects at the Carnegie Museum, captured a single fresh specimen of this species at the porch light of his home in Gibsonia, about 16 miles north of Pittsburgh (Allegheny Co.). The area about the house is a moderately settled suburban community, largely in lawns, truck gardens, orchards and the like, though with scattered trees of many kinds. Despite the rarity and strong localization of colonies of this species it is odd that it has heretofore eluded capture in an area as well collected as the Pittsburgh district, one of the rather few localities in the country in which "micro" collecting has been practiced both intensively and over a long period. The specimen agrees well with a small series in the museum collection from Rhode Island.
2. Erora Iceta (Edwards), Lycaenidae.
This often sought but seldom captured little butterfly has been taken both north and south of Pennsylvania, so its occurrence here was never seriously in doubt. On 3 May 1956, however, it was no longer a matter of conjecture. In the company of four colleagues from the museum (L. K. Henry, botany; K. C. Parkes, ornithology; N. D. Richmond, herpetology; G. E. Wallace, entomology) I took a single very fresh male while on a preliminary reconnaissance of the museum's newly acquired biological research area, the Powdermill Nature Reserve, located about 4 miles south of Rector, in eastern Westmoreland County.
The capture was made shortly after noon at the bottom of the Powdermill Run valley, very close to the stream itself, in the woods only a few yards from the edge of a large grassy clearing. In the immediate vicinity the forest was composed chiefly of beech, both old trees and young saplings. Underbrush was sparse, composed chiefly of the beech saplings and scattered clumps of rhododendron. Further upstream hemlock and birch (black and yellow) appear in quantity, along with various maples. On one slope of the adjacent valley area maples and beech occur; on the facing slope, largely a variety of oaks. No hazelnut was seen in the vicinity at all.
The specimen was taken on the ground, perched on one of the dead beech leaves that thickly carpet the area, It was very heavy bodied and appeared to have just emerged; it was so sluggish that it absolutely refused to fly up into the net.
The calendar date of capture does not indicate the time as well as is desirable and it is therefore pertinent to give here a few associated seasonal events, to fix the biological— or climatological— date more precisely. In view of the freshness and sluggishness of the specimen, and of its male sex, this would probably represent about the beginning of its spring flight period.
Contribution no. 1, Powdermill Nature Reserve of Carnegie Museum.
162
Vol.10: no.5
Among the butterflies only Lyccenopsis pseudargiolus was seen — throughout the area in moderate numbers (10-15 individuals seen, mostly males), and had been on the wing, apparently, for several days. Among the plants Trillium (both grandiflorum and erectum) were beginning to flower — perhaps 30% of the buds being open; dogwood buds were still tightly closed; Hepatica had nearly finished flowering, though I saw one clump of three flowers in their prime; beech leaf buds were large but still tightly closed.
Section of Insects and Spiders, Carnegie Museum, Pittsburgh 13, Penna., U. S. A.
NOMENCLATURE NOTICE
Notice is hereby given that the possible use by the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature of its Plenary Powers is involved in an application relating to the under-mentioned name included in Part 11 of Volume 12 of the Bulletin of Zoological Nomenclature, which was published on 30th November 1956:
PIERID^ Duponchel, 1832, validation of family-group name (Class Insecta, Order Lepidoptera) (Z.N.[S.]289).
Notice is also given that the possible use by the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature of its Plenary Powers is involved in an application relating to the under-mentioned names included in Part 1 of Volume 13 of the Bulletin of Zoological Nomenclature, which was published on 25th January 1957:
Bithys and Chrysophanus Hiibner, 1818 (generic names of neotropical Theclids), suppression of (Class Insecta, Order Lepidoptera) (Z.N. [S.] 802).
Any specialist who may desire to comment on the foregoing applications is invited to do so in writing to the Secretary to the International Commission (Address: 28 Park Village East, Regent's Park, London, N.W.I, England) as soon as possible. Every such comment should be clearly marked with the Commission's File Number as given in the present Notice, and sent in duplicate.
If received in sufficient time before the commencement by the International Commission of voting on the application in question, comments received in response to the present Notice will be published in the Bulletin of Zoological Nomenclature; com^ ments received too late to be so published will be brought to the attention of the International Commission at the time of the commencement of voting on the application in question.
The period within which comments on the applications covered by the present Notice are receivable is a period of six calendar months calculated from the date of publication of the relevant Part of the Bulletin of Zoological Nomenclature. In consequence any comments should reach the Secretariat of the International Commission at the latest by 30th May and 25th July 1957, respectively.
Francis Hemming
Secretary to the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature