1965 Journal of the Lepidopterists' Society 189

COLLECTING SPHINGIDS AND OTHER 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. Ap­ proximately 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 Mis­ sissippi being conducted by them. References to previous records for Mississippi moths given below are taken from their unpub­ lishcd records. Our primary interest is in . In this family we took 430 specimens representing the following 24 (40 species are known from the state): Herse cingulata Fabr. (46), Phlegethontius sexta Joh. (58), Phlegethon­ tius quinquemaculata Haw. (15), Phlegethontius rustica Fabr. (16), C hlaenogramma jasminearum Guer. (4), Dolba hylaeus prini Smith (5), Walk. (7), Bdv. (48), Atreides plebia Fabr. (15), Sphinx kalmiae Smith (2), Lapara halicarniae Stkr. (31), Smerinthus geminatus Say (4), Paonias excaecata Smith (1), Smith (12), Dru. (4), Cressonia jug landis Smith (1), Epistor lugubl'is Linn. (1), H emaris diffinis Bdv. (1), Pholus satellitia pandorus Hbn. (6), Pholus fasciatus Sulz. (9), Arnpeloeca 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. Chlaenograrnma jasminearurn and Pacmias astylus are not known to have previously been taken in southern Mississippi and were each previously known from Mississippi by a single specimen takcn 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 havc previously been taken in Mississippi: Panthea fUl'cilla centralis McD., Biloxi, April 15; Acronicta brumosa Gn. Biloxi, April-May (7); Euherrichia monetifera Gn., Biloxi, April (2 males); 190 RUCKES & DOS PASSOS: E . L. Bell Vol. 19, no. 3

Eutelia pulcherrima Crt., Hattiesburg, May; Doryodes spadaria Cn., Biloxi, April; Drasteria graphica Hbn., Biloxi, March-April (4); Schizura apicalis C. & R., Biloxi, April; Cleara manitoba Crossbeck, Biloxi, April ( 4) ; Pseudoboarmia buchholzaria Lemmon, Biloxi, April; Glena cogna­ taria Hbn., Biloxi, April; and Limacades rectilinea C. & R., Hattiesburg, May. The species listed above as previously unrecorded from Mississippi were determined by Dr. F. H. Rindge, American Museum of Natural History, N ew York. Collecting on the Mississippi Culf Coast ranged from excellent to disappointing. The specimens of S. kalmiae were taken on poles sup­ porting mercury-vapor lights. Such poles were frequently very produc­ tive 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. \Ve suggest that others, like ourselves, who may reside tem­ porarily 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.

ERNEST LAYTON BELL (1876-1964)1

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 Na­ tional City Bank) , eventually becoming head of the loan department prior to his retirement after World \Var II. From early manhood Ernest Bell had a propensity for collecting, first local Indian lore, then stamps and coins. Coin collecting was his prevail­ ing 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 exten­ Sively. His main interest turned to Lepidoptera, primarily butterflies, in 1919. H e ultimately decided to specialize on the Hesperioidea.

1 This obituaTY is abstracted from a manuscript scheduled for publication in the Journal of the New York Entomological Society and kindly made available by the authors.-- ED1TOR