ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA, PROe. (1958), VOL. 55, DEC. 22, 1958 39

Discussion and Summary However, it is apparent that a number of species are involved and This study is aimed at separating that some of these are potentially the different species and their damage, capable of destroying appreciable working out their life histories, and amounts of Douglas-fir seed. determining a means of control for In 1957, seed chalcids, cone , the important species in seed orchards. and cone gall midges were present in It is difficult to draw definite conclu­ appreciable numbers with the latter sions following only one year's work. being the most important single group.

References Foote, Richard H. Gall midges associated with cones of western forest tree (Diptera: Itonididae) Jour. Wash. Acad. Sci. 46(2) : 48-57. 1956. Graham, K. and M. L. Prebble. Investigations of the role of in relation to seed production in Douglas fir. For. Insect Investigations, Dom. Ent. Lab. Victoria, B.C. (Unpublished). 1941. Hussey, N. W. The life-histories of Megasligmus spermotrophus Wachtl (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea) and its principal parasite, with descriptions of the developmental stages. Trans. Roy. Ent. Soc. Lond. 106(2) : 133-151. 1955. Radcliffe, D. N. An appraisal of seed damage by the Douglas-fir cone in British Columbia. For. Chron. 28(2): 19-24. 1952.

Two remarkable Moth Chrysalises Towards the end of May 1925, I received The emergence of these moths from their from the government fumigation station in hard chrysalises is so remarkably swift as Vancouver, four sapling Chinese elms with to raise the question "Why?". Every other curious hard lumps projecting from the moth that I have ever heard of or seen takes stems. The lumps were smooth, oval, nearly some little time for the expansion and dry­ J inch long by 5/16 inch wide, striped with ing of its wings and the large silk worm six alternate brown and white longitudinal moths take several hours. Against what bars and were stuck tightly to the stems. enemies or danger is this moth so protected I had an id ea that they were of lepidopterous that it emerges from its ,chrysalis like a origin so kept them in the laboratory. jack-in-the-box? On June 20 when working at a table I The second remarkable chrysalis was heard a curious little "plop 1" and immedi­ brought to my attention by Mr. F. Jackson, ately something flashed to the window 440 E. 35th Avenue, Vancouver, who rang which fo rtunately was closed, and banged me up in June 1957 to ask "What insect up against a pane. It was a stout-bodied is made of gold?" As usual in such cases, browni sh-orange-yellow moth with a wing I said that I did not know but to send in spread o f about H in ches. Closcly watching specimens. In a few days he sent some the ot her lumps on the stems, I was withered leaves ti ed into clumps with scanty fortunate enough to see the emergence of silk and showing in spots, touches of gold. another moth; suddenly the rounded top On tearing open the leaves I was amazed of the chrysali s, like an operculum, flew off to find small obtected pupae of pure, polish­ with a cli ck and in one fluid movement, ed gold, t'he most beautiful things imae{in­ without the pause for wing expansion and able. For once a citizen was correct, they drying commoll to most moths, this one were of gold. From July 2 to July 5, four emerged from the chrysalis and flew straight moths emerged from these pupae leaving towards the li ght, to hit the window with a behind them delicate empty 'cases with only thud. the faintest tinge of gold. The moths are Having no references to Chinese insects, I geometricls Sic)'a maw/aria crocearia Packard consulted ~raxwell L ef roy's "Indian Insects" anel from the Blackmore-Wynne collection a nd found an illustration and brief descrio­ I find that they are quite commonly di s­ tion of a ve ry similar moth; it belongs to the tributed at the coast and at Enderby where Limacodidae, closely related to the Eucleidae Mr. V/ynne lived, and in the southern in­ or flann el moths which have caterpillars terior. Larvae o f the form maw/aria are with extremely irritatin g spines. recorded by Llewell yn Jones as feeding upon In the D1ackmore-V/ynne collection of AceI', Betllla, Vaccinillm, Spirea, Pinlls contorta, L epidoptera at the University, are specimens P. mOIl/ico/a and T SlI ga, a very wide range of of onl y one species of Limacodidae in this food plants. It would be interesting to know Province, T o,.".icidia testacea crypta Packard, if all the pupae from larvae that feed on from Saanich ton and Enderby, with no notes such diverse hos ts have this polished gold about its chrysali s. reflection. 40 ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA, PROC. (1958), VOL. 55 , DEC. 22, 1958

The moths, nicknamed "Pink-bordered metallic by interference lines, that emerges Yellow" by Blackmore, possess none of this in the adult wing as yellow. metallic sheen; and the nickname indicates, Finally it is of interest to note that the the colour is yellow with a pinkish-brown word "Chrysalis" comes from the Greek margin on the front wing. I can find no "Khrusallis" meaning "golden thing". Did references accounting for metallic gold in the first entomologist-etymologist to employ insects. Other colours, especially yellows, that word Chrysalis to the obtect pupae of are accounted for by pigments and environ­ , have before him the metallic mental factors, but not gold. The gold in golden pupa of this insect ? these pupae may be pigment, rendered - G. J. Spencer, University of British Columbia, VaIlCOUVel".

ANNOTATED LIST OF FOREST INSECTS OF BRITISH COLUMBIA PART VIII - SEMIOTHISA SPP. (GEOMETRIDAE)1 D. A. ROSS2 and D. EVANS3

The larvae of Semiolhisa spp. are dark; 'white subdorsal stripe ventrad leaf eaters; seven of the forest species of setae ii ; whitish "bloom" over feed on conife rs, three on deciduous­ do rsum ; fine bla ckish lines on dorsum, leaved hosts. None has been known below subdorsal stripe and on suu­ to occur in destructive numbers in venter (these blackish lines may be British Columbia. The larvae are obscured by the "bloom" ; cream medium-sized loopers: some species spiracular- subspiracular stripe; white are green with white stripes, a few lines on venter. have two colour phases. All species McD. Pseudotsuga taxi· overwinter as naked pupae in the duff. S. perplexa folia, Picea engelmalll1i; southern Interior S. adonis B. & McD. Pinus ponderosa, with a few records along the southern P. contorta, P. monticola, Pseudotsuga taxi­ and central Coast. Larva: apparently folia (3), La r i x occidentalis (1) ; similar to S. granitata. southern B.C. ; rather uncommon. S. sexmaculata Pack. Larix occiden­ Larva: Ii inches; head, pale green, talis, L. laricina; southern Interior on dull reddish patch above and be­ western larch and central Interior fore ocelli; body, g:een; cream­ north into the Yukon on eastern larch; coloured subdorsal stnpes (includes frequently numerous. Sometimes this abdominal setae ii of Dyar and Forbes) species has a partial second brood. continuous onto the head; broader Larva: length !t inch: green phase - cream subspiracular stripe. head and body green; white addorsal S. granitata Gn. Pseudotsuga taxifolia, lines dorsad of seta i; broader white Picea engelmanni, P. glauca. P. mariana, subdorsal stripe ventrad of ii, bordered P. sitchensis, Tsuga heterophylla, Abies below by black line; cream subspir­ lasiocarpa, A. grandis, A. amabalis, Pinus acular stripe; white midventral and contorta, P. monticola; believed to be subventral lines; no black lines on accidental on P. ponderosa and Larix venter; brown phase - head, off­ spp. Generally distributed; sometimes white, with brown blotch or herring­ very numerous over small areas. In bone pattern on vertex; body, off­ 1949 numerous adults emerged during white, overlaid with brown; irregular early fall; normally the species over­ broad anteriorly directed dark brown winters in the pupal stage. Larva: Ii wish-bone mark on the dorsum of inches; head, greenish, with dark red­ each abdominal segment. dish-brown blotch or herringbone S. triviata B. & McD. Junipems pattern on sides, occasionally also on scopulomm; Australian, Marguerite, vertex; body, green; middorsal area Alexandria, Williams Lake, Mara Meadows, Fort Steele, Hedley. Larva: 1. Contribution No. 4.19, Forest Biology Division, Science Service, Department of Agriculture, Otta\v