ENT. Soc. OF BHITTSH COLUMBIA, PUOCEEIlIKGS, 1944, VOL. 41, DEC. 8, 1944 19

SOME SUGGESTIONS FOR THOSE INTERESTED IN BREEDING LEPIDOPTERA

J. R. J. LLEWELLYN JONES Cobble Hill, B. C.

INTRODUCTION.-Why breed Lepid­ (5) An opportunity is afforded for ex­ optera 1 There are several good reasons. periments in the field of hybridization. ( I) Anyone desiring a good collection of With Lepidoptera this is a somewhat dif­ Lepidoptera will find that breeding gi ves ficult task, and has only been successful him an ample supply of specimens for his in some cases where closely allied species collection which are in the best possibl e were involved. condition. Hybrids have been recorded as resulting from the mating of Smerinthus populi (2) In th e case of species which arc Linn. a British species resembling very I iable to considerable variation, a better much a small specimen of our Pachysphinx opportunity is afforded of obtaining a good modesta Harris, and Smerinthus ocellatus se ries, which will show not only the ex­ Linn., also a British species, resembling tremes of variation, but also the inter­ ,"ery closely our Smerinthus cerisyi opthal­ mediate stages, thus making the se ri es of micus Bdv. The resultant moth is of an far greater interes t. attractive appearance and may be seen in (3) Breeding affords an opportunity to a few of the larger collections in Great observe, note carefully and record the Britain, chiefly those in museums. various stages in the metamorphosis of a Another exampl e is the crossing of lepidopteron and to stress any pec uliarities .M alacosoma neustria Linn. and M alaco­ noticed. Much of interest will be noted soma castrensis Linn., both British species . in regard to the life histories thus obtained, A figure of the resultant larva is given and this should be entered in the "breed­ by South in his "Moths of the British Isles, ing records." Hitherto unrecorded inform­ Part I," together with brief remarks on ation may be obtained and the sum total the experiments. of scientific knowledge enhanced. A f ew years ago the author succeeded (4) Occasionally the breeder will be re­ in crossing a male N otolophus antiqua warded for his efforts by one or more un­ badia Hy. Edw. with a female H emero­ usual forms appearing in his cages as the campa pseudotsugata Mc D. (Ent. Soc. imagines duly emerge. As an example of Brit. Col., Proc. 36: 14-15. 1940.) this, the author records that in breeding a Enough has now been said to indicate series of C osmotriche pototaria Linn., the that the breeding of Lepidoptera is in no drinker moth, a British species, he obtained sense a waste of time or energy, but on the a number of females whose colour was contrary possesses a very real scientific and brown rather than straw coloured, as is the economic value apart from its being the case in typical females. best method of obtaining a plentiful sup­ The cause of the variation was not as­ ply of specimens for the collection; and certained, unless it was due to the fact that a good collection is in itself of consider­ the larvae, which had been collected in able value educationally. varying degrees of maturity, were sub­ We now turn to the consideration of ject to ncar asphyxiation in tin boxes on the ways and means to successful breeding. way home and had to be resuscitated by These may best be considered under three administering fresh air in quantity to re­ heads: store the larvae to health. Could this have been the reason for the unusual female A. Concerning ova. forms1 Experiments of a similar nature B. Concerning larvae. on other larvae might furnish the answer. C. Concerning pupae. 20 E1'iT. Soc. 0 1. BI!lTISll C orX~ IBI.\ , P UOCEEIH1'i GS, 1944, VOL. 41, DEC. 8, 1944

A. Concerning Ova simple. Many moths' deposit their eggs free ly even when confined in a match The most valuable res ults will be ob­ box, chip box, or any other receptacle. This tained by rea ring from the egg. It en ­ is true of many of the Arctiidae, as tails the expenditure of more troubl e than Arctia L., some Sphingidae as breeding from the later stages, but the caja Smerinthus cerisyi ophthalmicus Bdv., many of the results from information and data of all Pha laen idae and G eom etridae. kinds, also in most cases the large number Butterflies are more difficult and re­ of in sects obtained, will well repay the quire a large cage attractively furnished care needed. tu th eir liking. The old f as hi oned mea t Ova may be obtained in several ways. sa f e is quite useftil for this purpose. Air ( I ) They may be searched f or in li h ly and sunshine are essential. The former places, such as on foliage of trees and must not be overlooked, as butterfli es arc shrubs, on twigs and branches, or in the \"e l"\" subj ect to sun stroke, if the ve ntila­ crevices of bark. A lso they may he found ti()~ system of the cage is bad. Glass is a on the cocoons of apterOLi s females as in dan (Te rous substance in the constructi on of th e case of N otolophus antiqua badia and cag~s unless good ve ntilation is ass ured. H em.erocampa pseltdotsugata. III fact f ew O th tr requirements are, the presence of places should escape a sea rch ; the hest th e: foud plant, som e flowers to supply requisites for Sll ccess are keen eyesight alld nou rishment to the butterflies, or failing patience. th ese a wad of cotton wool soaked in sugar (2) It is sometimes possible to follow a and water or a little honey; water too female while she is engaged in laying her shou ld not be ove rlooked. This is probably eggs, note where she se ttles and after her bes t introduced by placing on the fl oor of departure, collect the eggs. By th is m ethud tht: cage a layer of moss which can be well the author has obtained ova of Papilio dampcllcd from time to tIme. In cases eurymedon Luc., Poly gonia 01"{)(tS silenus where the f emale is disinclined to lay, it Ed w. and Vanessa cardui L. has hee n suggested that the introducti on of one or more males m ight induce the recal­ (3) By m eans of a virgin f emale. citrant f emale to commence operations. A newly emerged f em ale will often at­ To sum up. Conditions should be made tract one or m ore of the opposite sex. T h is as natural as possible and anything which is a well known feature with certain suggests itself to the lepidopterist as con­ species, such as the British Lasiocarn.pa ducive to oviposition should be included. quercus, the oak eggar, and Saturnia In th e above manner PapiLio zelicaon Luc., pavonia, the emperor m oth, f emales of Polygonia satyrus Edw. and Vanessa cardui which will attract males from a consider­ to m ention only a f ew, may be induced able distance; males will even enter houses to lay. to get to the lady of their choice. The Some of the m ore difficult hawk moth:; apterous females of N otolophus antiqua such as CeLerio galLii intermedia Kirby, and badia and H emerocampa pseudotsugata C elerio lineata Fabr. will oviposit if give n also have this power of attraction well plmty of room and their f ood plant. developed. Son1e species of N otodontidac, T elea polyphemus Cram. and Platy­ the prominents, m ay be cited, for example, samia euryalus Bdv. will lay fairly freely Pheosia portlandia H y. Ed w. A crippled in any good sized cage or container. The f emale was placed on the trunk of a ()\'a arc frequently deposited on the sides poplar; next day a male was found in of the cage or box. attendance and in due course fertile ova H av in g then obtained ova, our labours were obtined and a fin e series of imagines begin. reared. Eggs should be kept reasonably cool. ( 4) By persuading captured f emales to A porch or veranda is very suitabl e or ov ipos it. In so me in sta nces th is is not at fa il in g that, a room with a northerly as­ all easy. In others it is comparati ve ly pect. This is especially important in cases EXT. SOC. or BllrnSH COLU:\fBI.\ , PHon:'·:IJ!."\(;S, 1944, VOl.. 41 , D,·; (". 8, 1944 21 where the winter months are spent in this either to obtain the information from state, as, if the ova are kept too warm, hcoks, or from some other lepidopterist, or there is grave danger of the larvae hatch­ from any lists of f ood plants that may be ing hefore the food plant is available in at hand. Failing the above sources try by the spring. experiment to asce rtain the food required. Inspec ti on should be frequent, and Take a roomy tin and place in it samples dail y if the ova are noticed to change of as many pl ants, trees, or shrubs as may col(; ur, as this often points to early hatch­ be deemed likely to be acceptable to the mg. larvae. In many cases they will quickly se­ FERTILE AND INFER'rILE OVA.-To lect one or more of the plants offered and determine whether ova are f ertile or feed sa tisfactorily upon them. If this does otherwise is not very difficult. F ertile eggs not happen, further efforts must be made usually show a change of colour a fter a and other food tendered in the hope of few days. Gree n eggs will turn pinkish better success. D o not let failure dis­ and later perhaps become purplish or bl ack­ courage, but persevere. ish, or of a leaden colour. White eggs too SLEEVES.-As soon as the larvae are will frequently change to a darker hue. large enough, and this must be left to the Some ova are opaque. However, if discretioll of the lepidopterist, they should there is no sign of shrinkage or distortion, be pl aced ill "sleeves" made of muslin, the eggs are generally f ertile. This applies cheese-cloth or, if it is expected that the to all ova. In some cases, where the shells inmates will remai n on the food plants are more or less transparent, the embryo during the winter, of som e stouter material larva may be seen inside and a short time such as cal ico. These sleeves must be at­ be fore hatching the head is noticed as a tached to the food plant in such a way as dark speck. to prevent the escape of the larvae and W ARNINGS.-( 1) Do not attempt to yet be easy of access for examination from hasten the hatching of the larva at this time to time. Th is is very necessary in stage by iHtroducing the food .plant, but order to see that no intruders such as wasps, keep the ova subject to the sa me conditions ants, or ea rwigs, have gained access to the as previously. interior of the sleeves and harmed their prec ious contents, also to ascertain whether (2) Do not disturb a newly hatched larva or not the larvae are approaching maturity, until it has left the vicinity of the egg in which case it will be necessary to provide shell , as in many cases the first meal com­ them with suitable conditions for pupation. pnses this or a portion of it. FLOWER Po'rs.-For mature larvae a 10-inch fl ower pot m akes a very suitable B. Concerning Larvae and convenient larvarium. In the author's N ew I y hatched larvae are best kept in opinion it is quite as good, if not superior tin boxes with glass tops such as are sup­ to, many of the more elaborate and more plied by dealers in entomological supplies, expensi ve breeding cages on the market. or if we have a large number of larvae, in These latter cages however, are very use­ tins of a larger size (a "Crisco" tin is ful for keeping the chrysalids of many of very suitable) with a piece of glass placed our butterR ies. The glass fronts enable over the mouth to conserve moisture and the appearance of the imago to be noticed prevent the escape of the inmates. The before it has time to damage itself as fre­ food keeps well under these conditions quently happens if left too long to its own and theref ore it is not necessa ry to handle de vices. They are also useful for attracting the young larva so frequently. When this by means of th e virgin f emale. has to be done, a camel's hair brush should The flower pots should be filled just be used. over half full with earth of a suitable The first problem is the provision of texture. In this a bottle should be inserted suitable pabula. In many cases this will be to contain water for the food plant; known, but if it is not, it will be necessary "Ketchup" bottles are very convenient both 22 ENT. SUC. OF BHITIS H COLUl\WIA, PnOCEEDINGS, 1944, VOL. 41, DEC. 8, 1944 as to ~iz e and shape. The bottle should be days in the spring before finally deciding wrapped in paper to allow of its with­ to seek suitable quarters in which to pupate. drawal later lest it break in frosty weather To this group belong the larvae of Jsia and water therefrom harm the insects at isabella A. & S., Phragmatobia fuliginosa a time when they should be kept relati vely Linn. and the British species Macrothylacia dry. rubi. When placing the food plant in the These larvae, heing hairy, often cause bottle care must be taken to ensure that considerable trouble. They are subject to the stems fill the mouth of the bottle; attack by fungus, and the attack is usually otherwise some of the larvae may nnd fatal. Preventative measures must there­ their way into the water and perish. Larvae fore be taken. It will be noticed that these are very prone to commit suicide in this larvae take every opportunity during the manner unless checked. If necessary a wad ea rly months of the year to sun them­ of cotton wool, or any other suitable suh­ se lves and in this manner to dry thei r long stance may be used to block the neck. hairy coats. Therefore, sun and air would Moss should be placed over the earth, seem to be the best preventati \'es. Place and bark should not be overlooked. This the larvae in a large flower pot which has latter is essential for certain species of been filled with a generous supply of moss A cronicta) for example A. alni Linn., a and stand it outdoors in a sunny position, British species, and doubtless for its repre­ hut exposed to rain and snow. It is fatal sentative in British Columbia, A. funeralis to take these larvae indoors, for if their G. & R. which frequently though not al­ surroundings become dry, they will shrivel ways chooses bark in which to make its and perish. Even with the above treatment, cocoon. It would also be indicated for results are likely to be disappointing. certain species of N otodontidae of the Prohably the best method for the col­ genera Dicentria (J anassa), Schizura and lector to adopt is to obtain the larvae of C erura. If it is not supplied the larvae will this group on sUllny days in the early wander and eventually die of exhaustion months of the year and proceed as above, and fatigue. when the larvae will usually pupate in due A sleeve may be attached to the rim co urse without a high rate of mortality. of the flower pot outside and ti ed with If howe\Tr, a large number have been string or secured with a rubber band. It collected in the fall, it might be worth­ should be supported by a wire cylindrical while to attempt to induce them to pupate frame which rests inside the pot. This early. Procedure as follows: sleeve forms an airy and spacious com­ In January, bring the larvae, which partment and prevents the crushing and have been placed in a standard breeding bruising of the food plant. cage for the purpose, and which contains Generally speaking, the larva(; which a copious supply of moss, into the house spend the winter months as pupae cause during a spell of cold weather and place very little trouble. This is true also of them over a radiator, or over the fire­ those which pass through the stage during place in a warm room, or better still if the spring and summer. available, over the hot pipes in a green­ house. After a short time, possibly a few A plentiful and free supply of food hours, they will become active and start plant is most important in order to obtain to make the:ir cocoons. The temperature fine specimens 'of the imago. To put larvae should be between 70° and 80° F. in the on short commons results in poor and small cages. The moss must be kept well damped specimens, if not in complete failure. during the whole period of forcing or the HIBERNATING LARVAE.- These will larvae will dry up and die. It is of course require more specialized trea tment. They necessary to keep the pupae in the green­ fall into two classes. house, or at least in a warm room, after (1) Those which hibernate when mature, the forcing. The rate of mortality is like­ not f eeding again but appearing on sunny ly to be high, but this may be due to the E"T. Soc. oj" B HIT1 SlI COLU~[]] lA, P UOC'EEVIXC:S, 1944, VO L. 41 , D EC . 8, 1944 23 f;Jc t th;Jt m;Jny of the larvae collected pupae were ' obtained and a fine series of Iw ve previously heen p;Jrasitized. The moths res ulted, many of them being of author has not yet employed this m ethod the f orm which possesses the secondaries iil British Columhi;J but has met w ith fair ye llow with black spots instead of the success in Enghnd with hrv;Je of ] jllac­ typica l red. l'oth),L({cia rubi ;J nd Phragmatobia fulig­ (b) For those which winter in a com­ inos{{ obt;Jining his imagin es about F ebru­ munal tent, or sin gly in a small hiber­ ary , a few weeks after pupation. nac ulum, all that would seem necessary is For l sia isabeLLa f orcin g, is unnecessary to sl ee ve them whenever possible on their as th e larvae will winter well in a fl ower food plant. If this is not practicable, the pot with moss. All th;Jt appears necessary tent or hibernaculum must be carefully is to stand the pot in the open in a sunny removed and kept in a cool place such as po,ition. In the sp ring, the larvae will re­ a porch or outhouse until the spring, care appea r and eventually seek quarters in being taken to place it amongst the food which to spin up. plant as soon as the shoots burst in the spring, and before the larvae return to (2) Those which hibernate hefore rea ch­ acti vity. ing maturity. BasiLarc hia lorquini burrisonii Mayn, (a) For hairy hrvae in this category which constructs a tiny cone-shaped hiber­ belonging to the Arctiidae similar condi­ naculum is easily wintered in the above tions as th ose mentioned above would be way, as the larva re-appears rather late in indicated. the spring, usually well after the new The question of f orcing does ~ot arise, shoots have appeared on its food plant. as the subject must be kept dormant till Larvae of the genera Argynnis, Brenthis, sufficient f ood is available in the spring. Euphydryas, and M elitaea are probably Again it must be emphasized that it is a best ohtained in the spring, after hiber­ fatal mistake to bring such larvae indoors. nation, when they can be found either Plenty o f moss in the containers, and the sunning themselves on hanks or crawling inclusion of the growing food pl ant, if about in the vicinity of their food pla'pts. poss ibl e, is necessary. The containers should M oss should always be supplied in the be kept in the garden in a sunny posi tion. cages used for hibernating larvae. In sup­ fn the sp6ng they should be examined port of this opinion, the author cites that frequ ently to ascertain whether the larvae while visiting the island of Capri, in the have res umed activity, and whenever .this b.ay of Naples, during the latter part of is apparent care must be taken to ensure January 1929, he obse rved larvae of a that a plentiful supply of food is within species of butterfl y, probably of the genus their reach . Euphydryas or Melitaea, active on sunny A" ctia ca ja L. has been success fully days and nibbling freely at moss growing rea red in the above manner. R es ult of an on stones and oth er places in the habitat. C'xperiment this spec ies f ollows: ~ ith ( c) G eometers'. Many species of the Out of 423 hrvae obtained from ova, Geometridae hibernate when small, and 212 were placed in a large breeding cage these see m to caus e no special difficulty with moss and growing plants of stinging beyond the possibl e necessity for a sleeve nettle. The cage was taken into the base­ c f material str. uter than the chee3e-cloth ment of a hOllse for the winter. Only 6 usually used. This is to prevent damage to larvae survi ve d. The remaining 211 larvae the sleeve by winter conditions. Amongst were placed in a similar container and others, C ampaea perlata Gn. and C hlo­ provided with the sa me conditions except rosea nevaciaria Pack. can be reared in that in this case, the cage was placed out­ this way. 0 f the latter species, out of 10 sid e only sli ghtly protected from excess of larvae obtained, six imagines resulted. rain . In the sprin g, 186 larvae re-appea red (d) Phalaenidae. These larvae, many and continued to feed. From these 150 of which hihernate, will probably cause 24 ENT. Soc. OF BlUTISH COLU~1BIA, PBOCEEDINGS, 1944, VOT" 41, DEC. 8, 1944 some trouble, and the author reports many which spend the months of winter in this failures in this group. stage, a north aspect on a porch, or a posi­ The larvae in m ost cases burrow into tion at least subj ect to the outside temper­ the soil and remain for long periods 'rest­ atures and the humidity of the atmosphere, ing', as the term is; during this period is best. Disturb as little as possibl e and in­ they should not be disturbed. Others will spect from time to time. D ai ly inspection creep under stones and roots, or will enter will be necessa ry as the time for the ap­ moss w here they are sometimes found dur­ pea rance of the imagines approaches. ing gardening operati ons. If of a species Butterfly pupae: Those of the papilios worth kee ping, they may be placed 111 a do well if wintered in standard breeding container with earth and moss, when they cages. The pupae of Poly gonia, V (messa, will often enter the moss and in due and Basilarchia which pupate during the course, pupate. The contain ers, preferably spring and summer months are also con­ fl ower pots, should be kept outside, sli ghtly \'e niently housed in this way. CAUTION. protected from rain. D o not brin g the Do not assu me that a pupa is dead' and larvae indoors. throw it away because the normal time for On no account disturb larvae which are the appearance of the perfect insect has about to change th ei r skins or pupate. passed. Many species "lie over" one or DISEASES .- These include injuries, th e more winters, especially is this true of stings of parasites and diarrhoea. For in­ certain Sphingidae, Notodontidae and some juries little can be done. For the stings of others. ichncumcns and the like, it is sometimes As an example of this, Smerinthus possible to remove the eggs, if they have cerisyi opthalmicus Bd v., has been known not hatched, and thus save the life of the to spend three winters in the pupal stage. caterpillar. This may be accomplished by During this year, II males and 4 f emales the use of a needle and a pair of tweezers . . ha ve emerged after the third winter. Great care however, is necessary or the !\'adattl gibbosa oregonensis Butl. has also lana may die as the result of the opera­ hee n rea red after three winters as a pupa ti o~ . and Parmias excecata A. & S., Pseudohazis For di arrhoea: If this condition is eglanterina Bdv., and Acronicta hesperida caused, as frequently, by eating too suc­ Sm. after two winters. In the case of the culent or too damp food, it may be reli eved last named species, 5 adults were reared: by supplying the older and tougher leaves The case of Pheosia portlandia is inter­ of the plant, at the same time attending esting. T his species would appear to be to the ventilating of the cages. If on the multibrooded under suitable climatic con­ other hand, it is caused by some virus or ditions. On the south part of Vancouver epidemic infecti on, the author knows no Island at least it appears to be partially satisfactory remedy. This applies too in double-brooded. From a single batch of the case of the fungus previously men­ ova, 32 imagines were obtained in August tioned. The results in both these cases are and September 1942, 4 in April and May usually fatal. Prevention therefore is in­ 1943, one in August 1943, and one on dicated as the best course to adopt. This May 4, 1944. would include good ventilation, together Careful examinati on of pupae seldom with the admission of sunlight to the cages, does harm. After examination they should clean and healthy surroundings and the be placed on m oss and lightly covered with removal of all substances likely to become the same. m ouldy, or centres of infecti on. Spraying DAMPING.-This is recommended by with disinfectant should also help. some authorities, but it is not, in the opin­ ion of the author, very desirable, especially C. Concerning Pupae in cases where the pupae have ei ther been Most of these prese nt little difficulty_ removed from their cocoons or dug up In general they should be kept cool and during gardening or by "pupa digging." free from excessi ve moisture. For th ose The natural humidity of the atmosphere ENT: Soc. OF BRITISH COLUMBIA, PnOCEr,:DINGS, 1944, VOL. 41, DEc. 8, 1944 25 is usually all that is necessary. Mould must advisable also to open the cocoons of never be allowed to appear in any con­ Platysamia ctfryalus. tainer for pupae. CONCLUSION.-The requirements for A FEw DIFFICULT SPECIEs.-Some the successful rearing of Lepidoptera may hawk moths as Cclcrio lincata and C . gallii be briefly summed up as follows: intcrl7lcdia frequently die in the pupal ( I) The careful observation of all mat­ stage. To winter these therefore is difficult ters of interest and the due recording of and Dr. H. Guard Knaggs in hi s. valuable the same. work "an Entomologist's Guide" recom­ (2) A plentiful use of a somewhat rare mends forcing. commodity often spoken of as "common The pupae are placed in a suitable re­ se nse." ceptacle on moss and lightly covered with more. This is then well damped and the (3) An unlimited supply of patience. container placed in a warm room, or better ACKNOWLEDGMENTS AND INDEBTED­ still over th e hot pipes in a gree nhouse, NESS.-The author acknowledges his in­ when th e moths should shortly appear. The debtedness to Mr. E. F. Johns, sometime temperature should he about 70°F. H ea dmaster of Winton House School, Some of the prominents too m ay be Winchester, England; to Mr. Denis H. found a little difficult. It would appear Clark an assistant master of the afore­ that the larvae of certain species of mentioned School, who gave much valu­ DiCf'1ttria ( I anassa) and Schizura though able advice and help in his early days of makin g their cocoons in the fall remain collecting: "resting" during the winter months, only Also written works by the following: pupating a f ew weeks before the time for H. Guard Knaggs-The Lepidopterist's Guide the appea rance of the imago. Any brea k for the use of the Young Collector of in th e cocoon, which consists of a more or Butterfles and Moths. Revised and en­ less transparent suhstance, seems tc be fatal larged edition, 1901. Gurney & Jackson. Richard South-The Butterflies of the Brit­ to th e larva within. Cocoons of the species ish Isles. 1906. Frederick Warne & Co. of C cnlra must always be preserved un­ The Moths of the British Isles, Part 1. hroken. 1907. Frederick Warne & Co. The Moths of the British Isles, Part II. 1908. Frederick Warne & Co. PREPARATIO N FOR IMAGINES.-It IS L. W. Newman & M. A. Leeds-Text Book of necessary to make some preparati otl for the Butterflies and Moths. 1913. Gibbs and safe arri val of imagines in perfect condi­ Bamforth Ltd. tion, otherwise disappointment will res ult through malformations. NOTE ON DALOPIUS TRISTIS AND D. INSUL. ANUS (Coleoptera, Elateridae). Little. is known- of ( 1) The inside of the breeding cages and the habits of our native Dalopius; the following note containers should be somewhat rough to deals with tristis Brown, the commonest species in the southern interior of British Columbia, and D. e'nable the newly emerged insects to crawl insulanus Brown from the coast. to a suitable place and dry their wings. A During the last week of September, 1943, adults of tristis (det. W. J . Brown) were found in numbers few twigs are helpful. in the duff uncleI' western larch trees two miles south of Needles, B.C. Many of the beetles were still teneral (2) When the larva has cocooned in a and in their pupal cells; a majority of those fully colored and hardened were males, and some of these sleeve, it is often best to open the cocoon a had already left their cells. The latter were loosely week or two before the insect is expected constructed, unlined, and consisted of dead needles and associated forest litter held together by a few to appear. The pupa may be left in the silken threads. They were placed about two inches below the top of the duff. D. tristis is one of the cocoon provided that free access to the out­ first elaterids to appear in the spring, and at Salmon side world is assured, or may be removed Arm is common on the flowers of Rocky Mountain maple, Acer glabrum, in April. and placed on a bed of moss. If this is not Professor G. J. Spencer found D. insulanus (det. done, it is likely that the insect will be de­ H. B. L.) hibernating at Vancouver, B.C., on Nov ember 3, 1942. The beetles were between boards in formed or even fail to get free from the the back yard of his city lot, congregated in numbers cocoon. This commonly happens with up to 30 at a time. None was found on an exam· ination of the same area in late January, 1944.­ many species of A cronicta. It is sometimes Hugh B. Leech, Vernon, B.C.