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202
ESPECIALLY FOR COLLECTORS
Vol.12: nos.5-6
D—Location in open stand of aspen along road on west side of marsh-bog containing Myrica gale L. Bait applied to 7 aspens and a telephone pole: Cat oca la unijuga, 2.
This was the second attempt to collect Catocala in this area; the first time was two nights before on July 30 at which time I recorded 9 species including C. similis Edw. (taken at location "A"). I was hoping to collect C. ccelebs Grt. in the vicinity of the bogs where its food plant, M. gale, is abundant. On July 31, I collected at bait in Cheboygan County, some 50 miles north, along Elliott Creek and took an immaculate male C. ccelebs.
The evening on August 1 was a "good night" for Catocala collecting, although not the best. Under ideal conditions, probably 15 species of Catocala could have been taken in this area in one evening. The total number of Catocala species recorded from Otsego County is 16.
Collecting at bait in southern Michigan should undoubtedly yield more Catocala species in one evening under ideal conditions, especially because of the greater variety of foodplants. My experiences, however, in Lenawee County (near the Ohio state line) during the past 6 years has resulted in not more than 11 species in one evening collecting at bait. It would be interesting to learn of similar experiences with bait collecting from collectors in other states and countries.
3415 Overlea Drive, Lansing 17, Mich., U. S. A.
MORE ON BUTTERFLY PREDATORS
While collecting butterflies on June 21, 1957, in Alcona County, Michigan, I observed an interesting phenomenon: a large dragonfly, Gomphus fraternus Say, female, (determination by Homer F. Price of Payne, Ohio) capturing a female Erynnis ju-venalis (Fabr.) in flight. I was momentarily standing in a large opening in mixed Scrub Oak — Jack Pine watching the flight of the skipper which was flying rather fast in one direction about 4 feet above the ground. In a split second, the dragonfly appeared from apparently nowhere and engulfed the skipper with its legs and then settled on a sweetfern branch near the ground to feast. I then collected both specimens with my net and cyanide jar. Before the dragonfly could be captured and subdued, it had devoured part of the skipper's head in such a manner that both antennae were missing. There were many dragonflies in this area darting back and forth searching for insects. This was my first experience with a dragonfly capturing a butterfly although it probably is a frequent occurrence.
On August 6, 1957, in Newaygo County, Michigan, I observed a white crab-spider clutching a live Lyccena phlceas americana (Harr.) on the stem of a Helianthus species. The spider was about 6 inches below the large orange blossom, probably because the struggling butterfly had dislodged the spider from its perch on the flower. At any rate, the butterfly succeeded in freeing itself of this predator with little damage (minus a few scales on its forewing).
M. C. Nielsen, 3415 Overlea Drive, Lansing 17, Mich., U. S. A.