THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST, 173 



INSECTS ATTRACTED BY FRAGRANCE OR BRILLANCY OF 

 FLOWERS FOR PURPOSES OF CROSS-FERTILIZATION. 



BV RICHARD E. KUNZE, M. D., NEW YORK. 



Nowhere in the flora or insect fauna do we see it better illustrated 

 than by some of our Argyjuiids and Asdepiadacece. It must therefore 

 be admitted that these Asclepiads are striking examples of entomophilous 

 or insect-loving plants, and anyone in quest of insects will not be disap- 

 pointed by dilgently studying the distribution of the Milk-weed family. 

 Lepidoptera and hymenoptera visit these plants. Some flowers attract 

 insects for the purpose of cross-fertilization, and these are either showy, 

 brilliant in colour, or more or less fragrant. All other flowers are either 

 wind-fertilized or self-fertilized, Insects resort to flowers for the purpose 

 of obtaining honey — their food, secreted by the nectaries, or to take 

 pollen found on the stamens of flowers ; the former constitutes their 

 staple of life and the latter furnishes wax to others for utilitarian purposes. 

 Lepidoptera take food by suction and it must be of a liquid nature. Thus 

 it will be seen that the relation of certain insects to flowers is really of 

 absolute necessity. 



Darwin's attention was early drawn to flowers of Asclepias, because 

 the mass of pollen grains was borne on a foot-stalk, which had a sticky 

 gland at the end of it, as found in Orchids. Modern geological research 

 has demonstrated that lepidoptera first made their appearance during the 

 Tertiary period, when true flowers began to be abundant. And so it is 

 to this day. Bright-coloured and highly perfumed flowers are always 

 associated with myriads of insects, of which butterflies and moths con- 

 tribute a large number. This is the reason why some of the larger 

 Argynnids, such as A. idalia and A. cybele, are found to the best of 

 advantage on flowering Asclepiads. When the various species of 

 Asclepias are in full bloom, the Argynnids mentioned and even A. 

 aphrodite may be looked for in more or less abundance. 



Red Clover blossoms are resorted to by Argynnids before the advent 

 of Milk-weed flowers, but I have never observed them there in such 

 numbers. Another drawback to collectors, for reasons well understood, 

 is that he must visit the locality when the owner of it is at church or 

 taking his meal ! I have seen a i^^^ A. cybele as early as May, on the 

 azure flowers of Echium vulgare, known as Blue-weed and Viper's Bu- 

 gloss, a very prickly plant introduced from Europe, found on poor, sandy 

 5pil. Papilios as well as Argynnids visit all these plants, in company witl^ 



