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1968
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Journal of the Lepidopterists' Society
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179
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BIOLOGICAL NOTES ON THREE PYRGINAE IN NEW YORK (HESPERIIDAE)
Arthur M. Shapiro
Dept. of Entomology and Limnology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York
Thorybes batiiyllus (Smith)
This species is recorded definitely from New York only on the coastal plain (Staten I., Long I., Forbes 1928) and has not been recorded from Ithaca, and there are no central New York specimens in the Cornell collections. One was taken and another seen on June 20, 1967, on Mt. Pleasant, a hill east of the city of Ithaca, Tompkins Co., in company with numerous T. pylades (Scudder). On July 4, despite cloudy weather, both species were abundant on the south slope of nearby Turkey Hill, and ten bathyllus were collected. Another was taken at the Turkey Hill locality on July 10. Diligent searching failed to produce any evidence of a second brood of either species.
Females of both species were ovipositing on the two July dates on Desmodium rotundifolium (Michx.) DC, a common plant of dry old fields on the oak-chestnut soils south and east of Ithaca, often associated with redroot, Ceanothus americanus L. and deerberry, Vaccinium stamineum L. Erynnis martialis (Scudder) was common at the Turkey Hill site with the Thorybes and appeared to be associated with the Ceanothus.
Forbes (1960) suggests that T. bathyllus has greatly increased in abundance in Massachusetts in recent years, implying a northward range expansion. It was more numerous on Turkey Hill than I have seen it in southeastern Pennsylvania, where it is bivoltine (Shapiro, 1966).
Pyrgus communis (Grote)
On June 17, 1967, a female of this species was observed "skipping" around low weeds behind a construction site on the Cornell University campus, apparently seeking an oviposition site. She returned repeatedly to a plant of Chenopodium album L. about three inches tall, ignoring many other plant species (Lepidium, Setaria, Ambrosia), and finally laid an egg near the tip of one of the small leaves near the top of the plant. The plant was potted and brought indoors where the egg hatched June 23, but the larva refused to feed and died within 48 hours. P. communis oviposits commonly on Malva moschata L. and M. neglecta Wallr. (M. rotundifolia auct.) and all stages are easily found and reared on these plants. Several attempts were made to induce newly hatched
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180
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Shapiro: Pyrginae biologies
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Vol. 22, no. 3
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larvae from eggs laid on Malva, and older larvae, to feed on Chenopo-dium, but it was always rejected. The "mistake" by the June 17 female is of special interest as a number of other Pyrginae, including the genus Pholisora, routinely feed on Chenopodiaceae.
P. communis is abundant throughout the southern Finger Lakes region of New York, occurring in disturbed "dump-heap" habitats and in fallow fields. It has also been reared locally on garden hollyhock (Althaea). It appears to be at least partially triple-brooded (June 1— October 17).
Pholisora catullus (Fabricius)
Larvae of this species were taken from Celosia argentea var. cristata (L.) Ktze. (cockscomb, Amaranthaceae) and Chenopodium paganum Reich. (Chenopodiaceae) at Ithaca. The larvae from Celosia accepted Amaranthus hybridus L. (pigweed) and fed to maturity on it. Two larvae from C. paganum refused to accept Atriplex patula L. (Chenopodiaceae).
Literature Cited
Forbes, W. T. M. 1928. Lepidoptera. in W. D. Leonard, ed., List of the Insects of New York. Cornell Univ. Agric. Expt. Sta., Mem. 101, pp. 532-686 ["1926"]. 1960. The Lepidoptera of New York and Neighboring States. Part IV. Cornell Univ. Agric. Expt. Sta., Mem. 371, 188 pp.
Shapiro, A. M. 1966. Butterflies of the Delaware Valley. American Ent. Soc; Philadelphia; 79 pp.
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VARIATIONS OF CERCYONIS PEGALA PEGALA (SATYRIDAE)
IN NEW JERSEY
Joseph Muller
R. D. 1, Lebanon, New Jersey
I found Mather's article on Cercyonis pegala pegala (Fabricius) in the Journal (1966, vol. 20, p. 186) interesting, and believe it would be advisable to publish a somewhat similar diagnosis of Cercyonis specimens from New Jersey.
All specimens herein mentioned were caught on the southern coastal plain of New Jersey from Cape May, the most southern tip of New Jersey, (situated about as far south as Washington, D. C), north to Chatsworth (Burlington County). The localities and collecting data are given below and the variations described.
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