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1965
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Journal of the Lepidopterists Society
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189
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COLLECTING SPHINGIDS AND OTHER MOTHS ON THE MISSISSIPPI GULF COAST
Robert Taylor and Barbara Taylor
Bellevue, Nebraska, U. S. A.
We were residents of Biloxi, Harrison County, Mississippi from January through September, 1964. During this period we operated a black light at Biloxi and did other collecting, primarily in southern Mississippi. Approximately 60% of the material we collected was taken at Biloxi. Many of the specimens were furnished to Bryant and Katharine Mather of Jackson, Mississippi for study and to yield data for the survey of Mississippi Lepidoptera being conducted by them. References to previous records for Mississippi moths given below are taken from their unpublished records. Our primary interest is in Sphingidae. In this family we took 430 specimens representing the following 24 species (40 species are known from the state):
Herse cingulata Fabr. (46), Phlegethontius sexta Joh. (58), Phlegethon-tius quinquemaculata Haw. (15), Phlegethontius rustica Fabr. (16), Chlaenogramma jasminearum Guer. (4), Dolha hylaeus prini Smith (5), Ceratomia undulosa Walk. (7), Ceratomia catalpae Bdv. (48), Atreides plebia Fabr. (15), Sphinx kalmiae Smith (2), Lapara halicarniae Stkr. (31), Smerinthus geminatus Say (4), Paonias excaecata Smith (1), Paonias my ops Smith (12), Paonias astylus Dru. (4), Cressonia juglandis Smith (1), Epistor lugubris Linn. (1), Hemaris diffinis Bdv. (1), Pholus satellitia pandorus Hbn. (6), Pholus fasciatus Sulz. (9), Ampeloeca myron Cram. (31), Darapsa pholus Cram. (23), Xylophanes tersa Linn. (86), and Celerio lineata Fabr. (4).
The two S. kalmiae were males taken August 9 at Brooklyn, Forrest County and August 15 at Carnes, Forrest County. This species is not known to have been taken previously in Mississippi. Chlaenogramma jasminearum and Paonias astylus are not known to have previously been taken in southern Mississippi and were each previously known from Mississippi by a single specimen taken respectively in 1921 at State College and in 1960 at Jackson.
In other families a few records that seem to be worthy of note are: Citheronia sepulchralis G. & R. previously known from Mississippi by a single specimen taken at Canton in 1963; and the following, none of which are known to have previously been taken in Mississippi: Panthea furcilla centralis McD., Biloxi, April 15; Acronicta brumosa Gn. Biloxi, April-May (7); Euherrichia monetifera Gn., Biloxi, April (2 males);
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190 Ruckes & dos Passos: E. L. Bell Vol. 19, no. 3
Eutelia pulcherrima Grt., Hattiesburg, May; Doryodes spadaria Gn., Biloxi, April; Drasteria graphica Hbn., Biloxi, March-April (4); Schizura apicalis G. & R., Biloxi, April; Cleora manitoba Grossbeck, Biloxi, April (4); Pseudoboarmia buchholzaria Lemmon, Biloxi, April; Glena cogna-taria Hbn., Biloxi, April; and Limacodes rectilinea G. & R., Hattiesburg, May. The species listed above as previously unrecorded from Mississippi were determined by Dr. F. H. Rindge, American Museum of Natural History, New York.
Collecting on the Mississippi Gulf Coast ranged from excellent to disappointing. The specimens of S. kalmiae were taken on poles supporting mercury-vapor lights. Such poles were frequently very productive and on some nights 20-35 specimens of Sphingidae were taken on a single pole.
Our appreciation of the significance of much of what we collected was contributed to greatly by having made the acquaintance of active local collectors. We suggest that others, like ourselves, who may reside temporarily in an area due to military service commitments (or for other reasons) and who collect during such time contact local collectors, both for the visitor's benefit and so that their data may be properly included in the appropriate regional compilations.
Appreciation is expressed to Bryant and Katharine Mather who helped make our collecting in Mississippi so worthwhile and for their assistance in the preparation of this short article.
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ERNEST LAYTON BELL (1876-1964 )*
Ernest L. Bell was born November 21, 1876 in Flushing, Long Island, New York, and lived his entire life of 89 years in that town. As a young man he obtained a position with the First National Bank (now the National City Bank), eventually becoming head of the loan department prior to his retirement after World War II.
From early manhood Ernest Bell had a propensity for collecting, first local Indian lore, then stamps and coins. Coin collecting was his prevailing hobby up to the time of his death. Primarily, however, he was an outdoor man with a bent for studying living things. Before turning his attention to entomology, he collected herpetological specimens extensively. His main interest turned to Lepidoptera, primarily butterflies, in 1919. He ultimately decided to specialize on the Hesperioidea.
1 This obituary is abstracted from a manuscript scheduled for publication in the Journal of the New York Entomological Society and kindly made available by the authors.—Editor
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