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1962
Journal of the Lepidopterists' Society
201
ESPECIALLY FOR FIELD COLLECTORS
(Under the supervision of Fred T. Thorne, 1360 Merritt Dr., El Cajon, Calif., U.S.A.)
COLLECTING EURISTRYMON POLINGI (LYC^NID^) IN TEXAS by W. J. Reinthal and Roy O. Kendall
The purpose of this article is to relate some significant observations by the authors on their first encounter with Euristrymon (="Strymon") polingi Barnes & Benjamin.
It was about 6:30 Sunday morning, 5 June 1960, when Dr. W. J. Reinthal arrived at San Antonio, Texas, from Knoxville, Tennessee, to join Roy O. and Mrs. Conway A. Kendall for a few days of collecting in far west Texas. The group got off to a good start as the breakfast guests of Mr. and Mrs. Roy W. Quillin. Mrs. (Ellen Schulz) Quillin is a noted author, lecturer, and Director Emeritus of the Witte Memorial Museum, and her botanical advice has helped us before, with Lepidoptera life history studies.
During the ten days that followed we collected from Laredo to El Paso, following more or less the Rio Grande River. We parted company on the evening of 15 June at El Paso. Dr. Reinthal went on by train to Tucson, Arizona, to search for Asterocampa in Madera Canyon. The Kendalls headed back to San Antonio collecting along the way.
It was unusually dry in most of the area collected. Early May rains had not come to the Davis Mountains area where we spent seven full days. Some widely scattered thunder-showers did occur, however, during our stay there. These rains washed out roads in Madero Canyon, Jeff Davis County, where we had expected to collect. Except in Big Aguja Canyon and low places near streams or dry creek beds the vegetation was practically dormant. General collecting was fairly good not withstanding the generally dry period.
One of the highlights of the trip occurred about mid-day on 12 June. As we rounded a curve on Scenic Loop (Texas Highway 166) about 36 miles from Fort Davis we decided to stop, get a drink of water, and look around a few minutes before proceeding on in search of more promising habitates. Elevation at this spot was 6,500 feet. It is located in H. O. Canyon between Bear Mountain, 5,446 feet on the west and Sawtooth Mountain 7,718 feet on the east. Dr. Reinthal and Mrs. Kendall each took a side of the road and started collecting down the mountain. Roy
202 Reinthal & Kendall: Euristrymon Vol.16: no.3
Kendall took the high road, staying near the automobile and water jug. The movement of an insect in a Catsclaw bush, Acacia greggii A. Gray, about 40 feet away caught his attention. As he approached the flowering shrub, the lepidopteron moved deep into the foliage, where it fed on the blossoms. After a bit of impatient waiting, the insect came to the surface and was promptly taken. After a quick examination in the killing jar, it was announced, somewhat boisterously, that "Strymon" polingi had been taken. The other two members hurriedly retraced their steps to have a look at the prize. This was the first time any one of the group had seen E. polingi, and while there was some chance that our determination was incorrect, we launched an intensive search for other specimens. Now that we knew where to look, the insect was found in good numbers. A major problem was keeping our nets free of the Catsclaw. Two hours later, nets ripped and torn, we returned to the tourist court in Alpine.
While the authors inventoried their catch, made field notes, and cared for livestock, Mrs. Kendall mended nets. At eleven o'clock she was still finding holes. We would strongly recommend a couple of extra nets for those who would collect in the Catsclaw. The inventory disclosed that 28 E. polingi had been taken by the Kendalls and 17 by Dr. Reinthal. This same evening H. A. Freeman joined the party and confirmed our determination. The four of us returned the following morning to the "spot" and found E. polingi still flying but in fewer numbers than the previous day. The general condition of these specimens was good to excellent.
On the first day, It was observed that when disturbed this insect would often alight on Quercus grisea Liebm., growing nearby. It was then noted that other like insects were flying and courting about these Oaks. One of us (WJR) had placed four females in two screened cages on both Q. grisea and Q. emoryi fresh twigs, placed in water, but no eggs were laid on the leaves or branches (no rough bark was placed in the cages) in the following four days; the females were fed every day but they died on the fifth day. Four females were kept alive by the other of us (ROK) in the hope that eggs could be obtained. A few short pieces of Q. grisea branches having rough bark, together with the females, were placed in a cardboard container covered with a piece of window screen. Cotton soaked in sugared water was placed on top of the screen for feeding. After the return home and as the pieces of Oak were about to be discarded, it was discovered that a few eggs had been carefully tucked into the crevices of the bark. A separate paper will be prepared on the immatures of E. polingi when more information is available. At the time of this writing, December 1961, the eggs had not hatched.
1962
Journal of the Lepidopterists' Society
203
Other Lepidoptera flying at this location included: Euptychia rubricata Edwards, E. dorothea Nabokov, Callophrys xami Reakirt, Atlides halesus Cramer, Strymon melinus Hubner, Leptotes marinus Reakirt, Hemiargus isola Reakirt, Papilio p. asterius Cramer, Nathalis idle Bdv., Pyrgus communis Grote, Erynnis funeralis Scudder & Burgess, Oarisma edwardsii Barnes, Hesperia viridis Edwards, and Atalopedes campestris Boisduval.
Vegetation at this elevation includes a number of different grasses, herbaceous plants, shrubs and trees. Most conspicuous are: Pinus cembroides Zucc, Juniperus deppeana Steud., Quercus grisea Liebm., Q. emoryi Torr., Acacia greggii Gray, Fouquieria splendens Engelm., Opuntia imbricata (Haworth) DC, Opuntia engelmannii Salm-Dyck, and Chilopsis linearis (Cav.) Sweet.
We would like to add the following remarks for general information. As to exact systematic value and geographic distribution of polingi, it is felt that these are not yet exactly known and understood. Clench places polingi, favonius, and Ontario (with autolycus as a subspecies) in a separate genus Euristrymon to which also the palearctic pruni belongs. In a letter to one of the present authors he explains that in his opinion polingi is a good species, apparently very closely related to Ontario, autolycus, and favonius. The food plants of all these are chiefly the oaks, and the three last forms probably should be considered as subspecies.
However, it is not known that autolycus occurs in the Davis Mts., which are inhabited by polingi. Should autolycus and polingi occur together, they certainly should be considered as two different species. Should they not occur in the same area, and polingi replaces autolycus in western Texas, a possibility exists that polingi after all is no more than a subspecies of autolycus.
E. polingi so far is known only from the Davis Mts. area. According to H. A. Freeman it first was found around a ranch north of Alpine. It has been collected by Freeman in June as fairly common, flying around the oaks (Quercus grisea and Q. emoryi) on top of Mt. Locke in the Davis Mts. Thus the locality described in this article proves that the species may be rather widely, but locally, distributed in the Davis Mts. area. Further investigation may even show a wider occurrence in western Texas.
(W. I. R.) 4039 Kingston Pike, Knoxville, Tenn., U. S. A. (R. O. K.) 135 Vaughan PL, San Antonio 1, Texas, U. S. A.