A RECORD OF THE PIPE-VINE SWALLOWTAIL BUTTERFLY, BATTUS PHILENOR, FROM MANITOBA by John H. Masters, Box 7511, St. Paul, Minnesota I have been recently examining1 and that one or more may have strayed i cataloguing the correspondence file of into the province ... I should very the late Shirley Brooks of Winnipeg much like to see the specimen. With¬ who published the most current list out seeing it I cannot give any opinion of Manitoba butterflies (Canadian on it. The swallowtail family have Entomologist, 1942, 54: 31-36). One great variations and it might be an interesting discovery is the disclosure aberration of one of our native of an important addition to the Mani¬ species. ...” I cannot ascertain if toba list contained in a letter from Brooks ever examined this specimen Mr. D. W. Morden of Killarney, Mani¬ or not, but I suspect he did as in a toba dated September 12, 1942. later letter to Jack Dennis of Birtle, Manitoba he mentions that he has Mr. Morden wrote as follows: “This added Papilio philenor to the Mani¬ morning while sitting in my office, toba list. The date of capture (Sep¬ Mrs. Morden was standing in the front tember 12) would seem to rule out door and she called to me that there any of the native Manitoba species all was a lovely butterfly around the of which are single-brooded and fly in flowers in front of the hotel. I imme¬ the early summer. diately went out and grabbed my net The normal range of Battus phile¬ that was sitting close to the door and nor Linnaeus (formerly placed in the went after it, however it was shy and genus Papilio) is the southeastern it flew across to the next block to United States and Mexico. It ranges some other flowers. I followed it and west to the edge of the Great Plains carefully crept up to where it was on in Missouri and Arkansas, and central a large Zinnia flower and I got it the Missouri seems to be the normal first try in my net. In looking up Hol¬ northern limit. A single stray had lands Butterfly Book I found it was been previously recorded from Butter¬ a Papilio philenor (Plate XLII - fig. field in southern Minnesota—over 500 3, page 314). I thought I would ask miles south of the Killarney locality. you if you know of this butterfly ever The G. Shirley Brooks collection having been taken in Manitoba or as and related documents are the prop¬ far north as this ...” erty of the Manitoba Museum of Man Mr. Brooks replied (in a letter dated and Nature in Winnipeg. I am in¬ September 16, 1942) : “ . So far, P. debted to Mr. W. Harvey Beck, philenor has not been recorded from Keeper of Collections, for allowing me Manitoba but it is, of course, possible access to them. NOTES ON THE OCCURRENCE OF THE BOG COPPER, LYCAENA EPIXANTHE, IN MANITOBA by John H. Masters, Box 7511, St. Paul, Minnesota Lycaena epixanthe Boisduval & band at the anal angle. It is similar Leconte is a small butterfly (wing¬ in appearance to Lycaena dorcas span %” to 1") with a purplish- Kirby and Lycaena helloides Bois¬ copper gloss on the upper wings and duval with which it is easily confused. a pale yellowish underside with a red Lycaena epixanthe is very local in 146 THE BLUE JAY Figure 1, Lycaena epixanthe upper side; figure 2, L. epixanthe under side; figure 3, Lycaena helloides upper side; figure 4, L. helloides under side; figure 5, Lycaena dorcas upper side; figure 6, L. dorcas under side. All figures are Is times natural size. All butterflies pictured are males. habitat and never strays far away early August. It is fond of visiting from its food plant, the small cran¬ flowers and is usually found on them berry (V accinium oxycoccos L.), at the edge of bogs. growing in acid sphagnum bogs. There is one very old record of The range of epixanthe is usually epixanthe in Manitoba by Heath given as the Maritime Provinces and (1899) who recorded it as L. helloides Quebec south to New Jersey and west but added enough additional informa¬ to Ontario and Michigan and it was tion that we are able to distinguish it not included by Wallis (1921), Brodie as epixanthe. Mr. Heath, who lived at (1929), or Brooks (1942), in their Cartwright, Manitoba, wrote: “I have lists of Manitoba butterflies. The only a further addition to make of my list published Manitoba record for epix¬ of the butterflies of Southern Mani¬ anthe is by Bird (1956) who recorded toba, as a result of last summer’s collecting both Lycaena epixanthe and work. The scarcity of grass in the Lycaena dorcas in an open tamarack usual prairie hay meadows drove me bog in the Whiteshell Forest Preserve into a small muskeg of a few acres of southeastern Manitoba. During in extent, in a corner of a river August, 1967, however, I found epix¬ valley, about a mile from my house. anthe in several Manitoba bogs which . In it, at the end of July and extends its range across the southern beginning of August, I took three or half of the province to Riding Moun¬ four specimens of Theda acadica, and tain. It is probably found in every the same number of Lycaena thoe, southern Manitoba bog where its food and also a variety of L. helloides, plant, V. oxycoccos, grows and quite smaller and more faintly marked than likely occurs in southeastern Saskat¬ any I have taken before—the large chewan as well. Epixanthe is single form being generally abundant in cer¬ brooded and flies in late July and tain places.” Without a doubt, the September, 1968 147 small, faintly marked “L. helloides” a very dark, almost gray color. There represent L. epixanthe — a determi¬ is a single brood per year and in nation made 69 years later. Manitoba it flies in early and mid- Lycaena helloides is a western July. The food plant in New Bruns¬ species that inhabits drier areas. Its wick is Shrubby Cinquefoil (Poten- food plants are dock (Rumex spj and tilla fruticosa L.J, but it must be knotweed (Polygonum spj and it is some other plant in Manitoba where multiple brooded and can be found the butterfly is most commonly found from June through September. The in marsh or grassy bog environments. Purplish Copper, as it is commonly called, is somewhat larger than epix¬ LITERATURE CITED anthe (wingspan 114 to IV2 inches) Bird, C. D. 1956. A collection of Rhopalocera from the Whiteshell Forest Reserve, Mani¬ and it is quite a bit darker, especially toba. Lepidopterists’ News, 10:107-108. on the under side where it is a dark Brodie, H. J. 1929. A preliminary list of the rich orange instead of pale yellow. Lepidoptera of Manitoba. Trans. Royal Canadian Inst., 17:81-101. The Dorcas Copper is intermediate Brooks, G. S. 1942. A checklist of the butter¬ in size between epixanthe and helloides flies of Manitoba. Canadian Ent., 74 :31-36. Heath, E. F. 1899. Manitoba butterflies. Cana¬ (wingspan 1 to 114 inches). It is very dian Ent., 31 :95. similar in appearance to the other two Wallis, J. B. 1921. A colour key to the Mani¬ toban butterflies. Nat. Hist. Soc. Manitoba except that the hind wing beneath is Publ. Junior Naturalists Edited by Joyce Deulscher, 7200 6th Ave., Regina GOOD WORK JUNIORS White tells about collecting goldenrod galls for hobby use. She promises more about this Juniors have been busy writing in a future letter. newsy and interesting reports of their Black-capped Chickadees followed activities. Some of these are being me closely on this stroll along the held over for publication in the next banks of the wandering Waskesiu, for newsletter. these little friends dine regularly at Some of you may be still wondering our homemade feeders in our garden. what the newsletter is. One indignant A simple feeder to construct merely re¬ young lady on being informed that quires a half gallon plastic bleach bottle, her letter was published in the news¬ scissors, pencil, adhesive tape and letter wrote back and said, “What some strong string or insulated wire. newsletter?” Thoroughly wash the container, keep If you pick up your Blue Jay at the the top and replace it, now take your newsstand you may not be aware that pencil and mark the opening as shown. for the same price you pay for four Holding the bottle under the hot issues of the Blue Jay you can also water tap (heat makes cutting easier) get the Saskatchewan Natural His¬ cut this window out. Dry bottle thor¬ tory Society’s newsletter and a mem¬ oughly and place the adhesive tape bership in that society but you have over the sharp lower edge. The illus¬ to send your membership in to the trations show you where to punch the society. The details are given on the holes for mounting. Thread the insul¬ back cover of each Blue Jay. ated wire or string through these Letters from Juniors should be sent holes. to Mrs. Joyce Deutscher, 7200 - 6th Fill your feeder with commercial Ave., Regina for inclusion in the wild birdseed and a bit of bird gravel Junior Naturalist’s Section. or sand for grit. Chickadees are very NATURE HOBBIES fond of chopped walnuts, uncooked and unsalted sunflower seeds and by Helene R. White peanuts. Note: This letter is a continuation of the one published in the newsletter wherein Mrs. Now decide where you want it, face 148 THE BLUE JAY .