The text below is grayed out because it is not intended to be read. It is a necessarily imperfect OCR of the original and is only used by a search engine.
158
Journal of the Lepidopterists' Society
Journal of the Lepidopterists' Society 35(2), 1981, 158
OBSERVATION OF AN AGGREGATION OF EPISCADA HYMENAEA PRITTEV. (ITHOMIIDAE) IN PARAGUAY
A large aggregation of Episcada hymenaea Prittev. was observed at 1630 hr, 50 minutes before sunset on 21 July 1979. The location of the aggregation was a wooded area 90 m above sea level bordering an unnamed stream 0.5 km NNW of the intersection of the railroad with Avenida Meal. Lopez (the principal SW to NE road) in Aregua, Departamento Central, Paraguay. The habitat was a dense forest of shrubby trees 5 to 7 m in height. The temperature was 20°C, the sky was clear, and there was no wind. Thousands of the butterflies rested closely together on the foliage of at least two species of trees over an area approximately 75 x 25 m in extent. Each individual stood in a plane parallel to the surface on which it rested. Within this plane the long axis of the body was as nearly vertical as possible with the anterior above the posterior end. The butterflies could be quietly approached, but flew off when a branch was shaken or when attempts were made to catch them by hand.
Evidence was observed which may reflect on the cause of the aggregation. First of all, the presence of the butterflies on various species of plants suggests that oviposition was not involved. Second, the absence of any pupal exuviae precludes the possibility of a mass emergence. The facts that July is in the middle of the season of abundance of this day-flying species in the Aregua area and that the observation took place at a time of rapidly waning light suggest that the aggregation was the result of the sum of local movements at the end of a period of activity.
The author would like to thank Dr. James G. Sternburg, Department of Entomology, University of Illinois, for identifying the specimens.
Daniel Strickman, Institute* de Ciencias Bdsicas, Universidad Nacional de Asuncion, Asuncion, Paraguay.
Journal of the Lepidopterists' Society 35(2), 1981, 158-159
A LOCALIZED ABERRATION IN SATYRIUM CALANUS FALACER (LYCAENIDAE) IN NEW JERSEY
On the afternoon of 24 June 1980, while collecting near Lakehurst, New Jersey (Ocean County), I captured six aberrant Satyrium calanus falacer (Godart) on which the postmedian band of the ventral forewing was connected to the cell-end bar by horizontal bands. In addition I found several specimens displaying intermediate characteristics. Four of these butterflies are illustrated in Fig. 1.
What is so unique about this catch is that within a two hour period all of these were caught while feeding on the same patch of dogbane (Apocynum). Over the next two weeks I especially sought and failed to find additional aberrant specimens during my collecting in Bergen and Sussex Counties, New Jersey and Rockland County, New York. I returned to Lakehurst on 5 July and collected 247 falacer from various collecting sites near this town. Of these, three were similar to the above; two were col-
Volume 35, Number 2
159
FlG. 1. Aberrant specimens of Satyrium calanus falacer, ventral surface.
lected at this initial site, while the other was caught within 100 yards of this spot. Eight of the specimens are female and one is a male.
I wish to express my thanks to Dr. Clifford D. Ferris for helpful comments in the preparation of this manuscript.
William B. Wright, Jr., 18 Clinton Place, Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey 07675.
Journal of the Lepidopterists' Society 35(2), 1981, 159-160
FRASS-BOUND FIRST INSTAR LARVAE OF CITHERONIA REGALIS (SATURNIIDAE)
During the course of rearing hundreds of larvae of Citheronia regalis (Fabricius), I lost occasional ones soon after their hatching, until I discovered what was amiss. Many of the eggs had been detached from where a female had glued them. A larva, chewing itself out of such an egg, sometimes failed to emerge all the way. Ordinarily a larva is able to crawl completely out of its anchored shell. These larvae succeeded in extending themselves until they had straightened out, but their anal prolegs remained within the eggshell. When they now undertook to walk, the true legs and anterior prolegs functioned normally, but the rear prolegs simply carried the shell along.
Consequently, after the larvae began to feed, their frass was ejected into the eggshell. Within several days the shell became filled to such an extent that it could hold no more. Meanwhile, the accumulating fecal material had exerted increasing pressure on the larval body, constricting it at the shell's opening. Thus, fecal impaction resulted