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306
Journal of the Lepidopterists' Society
NOTES ON A BRIEF COLLECTING TRIP TO NEGROS, PHILIPPINES
A Yuletide collecting trip to the hydro-electric plant site on the island of Negros, Philippines, occasioned a four-day observation of mountain satyrids and a few nymphalids under continuously bad weather. The water power plant is located on a well-forested mountain with elevations from one thousand to three thousand feet. Deep gorges and densely forested sharp slopes are characteristic of this area, but there are good trails into the forest running in many directions from the main road. These trails have been found rich in many species of nymphalids and forest satyrids.
Several days prior to our visit, the roadsides were cleared of tall ferns and grasses. One species of grass, with stiff stems as large as pencils, secreted a sap which had fermented after a few days. This was found to attract nearly ten species of satyrs, several of Neptis as well as three amathusiids. So, despite the rains and fogs during our four days of collecting, we were able to pick a good number of these visitors to the stumps of the grass. I was especially interested in the two species of Ptychandra and three of mountain amathusiids, a Discophora, an Amathusia, and a Clerome. Since this species of grass is common in the area and also on several islands, the discovery will help in future expeditions to increase the catch of these types of forest butterflies. I have not as yet determined the number of days before the exuded sap begins attracting the insect visitors.
We had no chance to observe the "bait" during sunny days because we never saw the sun during our stay. Our cold nights were spent around the posts of mercury-vapor lamps to collect the numerous sphinx moths and many smaller species, as well as some three species of Antheraea, one of a long-tailed Luna Moth, and an interesting mountain species of Attacus. The use of mercury-vapor lamps at logging and mining areas in mountainous areas makes such places rich collecting grounds for moths of all kinds, including several huge beetles. Because of the findings at Negros, a formal expedition to the place is being planned for the coming hot season in the Philippines, to determine if the dry season is a better collecting time in the rain forest of Negros island. Negros has a seven-thousand foot volcano named Kanla-on with a dense forest surrounding it. The lowlands are well adapted to sugar-cane, the main crop of this province.
Julian N. Jumalon, Dept. of Biology, University of San Carlos, Cebu City, Philippines.
THE FEEDING HABITS OF OENEIS JUTTA REDUCTA
A recent paper by Masters and Sorensen (1969, /. Lep. Soc. 23: 155-161) discussed the habits of several species of Oeneis. They mentioned, quoting from Eff in Brown (1957, Colorado Butterflies), that Oeneis jutta reducta McDunnough ". . . in spite of the multitude of flowers nearby never visited any." The conclusion was that this species is not a flower feeder. I have collected this insect at six locations in four counties in Wyoming. In two of these areas, it was found to be an avid flower feeder. The habitats vary from exceedingly dry lodgepole pine forests, far removed from moist areas, to the borders of willow bogs such as described by Masters and Sorensen,
The first specimens taken on flowers were collected along the Doubletop Mountain Trail, Bridger Wilderness Area, Sublette Co., Wyoming on 22 July, 1969. I took four specimens and saw others on flowers in a boggy meadow at the forest's edge. On the same date, other members of the collecting party (D. R. Groothuis, J. D. Eff, and P. J. Conway) collected additional flower-feeding specimens. The insects exhibited a preference for yellow flowers although some were seen feeding upon white ones. The