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128
Journal of the Lepidopterists' Society
NEW RECORDS OF LEPIDOPTERA FROM MEXICO (SPHINGIDAE, SATURNIIDAE)
Since Hoffman's catalogue of Mexican Sphingoidea and Saturnioidea (1942, Anal. Inst. Biol. (Mexico) 13: 213-256), several other species have been recorded from Mexico (Vazquez, 1965, Anal. Inst. Biol. Univ. Nac. Auton. Mexico 26(1-2): 203-213; Vazquez & Beutelspacher, 1967, Anal. Inst. Biol. Univ. Nac. Auton. Mexico 38, Ser. Zoo. (1): 75-77; Beutelspacher & de la Maza, 1973, J. Lepid. Soc. 27: 303-304). We recently found two additional species of Sphingidae, Eumorpha phorbas (Cr.) and Xylophanes zurcheri (Drc.); and two Saturniidae, atheroma collaris Rothsch. and Sphingicampa bicolor (Harr.). The systematic arrangement is according to Hodges (1971, in R. B. Dominick et al. The moths of America north of Mexico, fasc. 21, Sphingoidea) and Ferguson (1971-72, in R. B. Dominick et al. The moths of America north of Mexico, fasc. 20.2, Bombycoidea, Saturniidae).
Sphingidae
Eumorpha phorbas (Cr.). The previously known geographic distribution for this species is Venezuela, Surinam, Para and Trinidad (Draudt, 1920). In Mexico the species was collected at the following localities: 1 $, 1 $, Dos Amates, Veracruz, May 1969; 1 $, Colonia, Teniaco, Veracruz, Sept. 1969; and 1 $, Bonampak, Chiapas, May 1970. All specimens were collected by Dr. Tarsicio Escalante and are in his collection.
E. phorbas should be inserted after E. fasciata (Sulzer) in Hoffman's catalogue.
Xylophanes zurcheri (Dree.). Druce (1886, Page 301, pi. 46 in Godman & Salvin, Biologia Centrali-Americana, Insecta. Leipdoptera, Heterocera, 2) and Draudt (1929, in A. Seitz. Die Gross-Schmetterlinge der Erde, 6) gave Costa Rica as the only locality. In Mexico the species was collected at Puerto Eligio, Oaxaca Istmo de Tehuantepec, 25 & 29 Sept. and 10 & 11 Oct. 1961 by Escalante.
In Hoffman (1942), X. zurcheri should follow X. juanita R. & J.
Saturniidae
Citheronia collaris Rothsch. Draudt (1929, in A. Seitz. Die Gross-Schmetterlinge der Erde, 6) registered this species only from Ecuador and Colombia. The localities for Mexico include: 1 $, Los Tuxtlas area, Veracruz, 18 June 1963 and 1 $, Dos Amates, Catemaco, Veracruz, 23 April 1968, collected by Sr. Roberto de la Maza and deposited in his collection; and 1 $, Estacion de Biologia Tropical "Los Tuxtlas," Veracruz, 15 March 1969, collected by Dr. Carlos R. Beutelspacher and deposited in the Entomological Collection of the Instituto de Biologia, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico.
This species should be placed after C. beledonon Dyar in Hoffman's catalogue.
Sphingicampa bicolor (Harr.). According to Ferguson (1971-72) this species occurs in Canada and the U.S.A. Reported for the first time from Mexico are 5 $ $, El Barrial, Nuevo Leon, 10 Sept. 1971, collected by de la Maza and deposited in his collection.
This species should precede the entry of S. heiligbrodti in Hoffman's catalogue.
S. hubbardi (Dyar). Dyar ("1902" [1903], Bull. U.S. Natl. Mus. 52: 76) described hubbardi as a subspecies of Syssphinx heiligbrodti (Harv.), but Ferguson (1971-72) recognized it as a species and transferred it to the genus Sphingicampa. Ferguson also published the first records of its occurrence in Mexico. The record of the capture of a male in San Luis Potosi, 20 June 1964 by de la Maza is offered to supplement Ferguson's information.
In Hoffman's catalogue this species must be situated after heiligbrodti Harv.
Volume 29, Number 2
129
Acknowledgment
We express our thanks to Dr. Tarsicio Escalante for allowing us to study his material.
Carlos R. Beutelspacher B., Institute de Biologia, Apdo. Postal 70-153, Mexico 20, D. F., Mexico.
Roberto de la Maza Jr., Nicolas San Juan 1707, Mexico 12, D. F., Mexico.
NOTES ON SOME SKIPPERS (HESPERIIDAE) FROM SOUTHEASTERN GEORGIA
On the morning of 18 May 1974, I stopped to collect for about 30 minutes along U.S. Route 82 in Atkinson Co., Georgia, two mi. E of Pearson. I was compelled to stop by the sight of a skipper collector's delight: profusely blooming Pickerel Weed (Pontederia cordata Linn.) lining both sides of the highway in shallow drainage ditches. I collected only nine butterflies (six species) because others were too far over the water for me to reach dry-shod. I later checked on the status of knowledge of each species in Lucien Harris Jr.'s Butterflies of Georgia (1972). I found that the five skipper species were new county records, and that some were considered rather rare. I present here a list of these species and comments from Harris (1972) as well as my own:
1. Oligoria maculata (Edwards), Twin-spot Skipper. Harris (p. 38) states that it is "not usually common." My two specimens were a bit worn, but were taken within date ranges given by Harris.
2. Euphyes dion alabamae (Lindsey), Alabama Skipper. My fairly fresh pair adds a sixth county to the list for Georgia; Harris (p. 49) indicates that alabamae "occurs widely in the Coastal Region."
3. Euphyes berryi (Bell), Berry's Skipper. The capture of two males was the prize of this collection because I had never collected it before, and also because this locality extends the known range in Georgia somewhat to the south and west (Bryan, Screven, and Effingham comprise the previously known range in Georgia). Harris (p. 50) refers to it as "rare and local."
4. Poanes aaroni hotoardi (Skinner), Aaron's Skipper. I took one male in good condition, and saw others. Harris (p. 56) gives no Coastal Region records, listing it only from Augusta in Richmond Co. Furthermore, this capture is the first from Georgia representing the May brood (the Augusta specimens were taken in August).
5. Atrytone delaware delaware (Edwards), Delaware Skipper. According to Harris (p. 65), delaware "occurs widely but locally in Georgia, and is generally rare." I took a fresh male.
The only other butterfly collected was Phyciodes phaon (Edwards), netted on the shoulder of the highway rather than amid the Pickerel Weed blossoms.
This collection information bears out the fact that some butterfly species are listed as rare in publications largely because no one has collected in the right places at the right times to justify any other conclusion. I am surprised that more people have neglected southeastern Georgia—the land of John Abbot—in their collecting plans. I expect to give the area more attention in the future.
Charles V. Covell, Jr., Department of Biology, University of Louisville, Kentucky 40208.