THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 289 



PECULIAR HABITS OF A HEPIALID MOTH. 

 With Some Remarks on the Synonymy of Same. 



by j. mcdunnough, m.d., decatur, ill. 



During the summer of 1910, while on a collecting trip for Dr. Wm. 



Barnes, of Decatur, 111., I spent the second week of August at Cloud Cap 



Inn, on the northern slope of Mt. Hood, Oregon, W^hile collecting during 



the early afternoon, about 2.30 p.m., on some steep, sandy slopes covered 



with asters and short grass, at an altitude of 6,500 feet, I noticed what I 

 took to be some species of small Noctuid, darting with extreme rapidity 

 in a zig-zag erratic flight close to the ground up and down the slope. 

 The insect would fly to the top of the slope, which was bordered with 

 dwarf pines, then turn and dart downwards, always remaining in the 

 hottest sunshine. Following it was out of the question, owing to the nature 

 of the ground and the rapidity of the flight; in fact, it was only with 

 difficulty that I could keep the moth in sight at all. Finally it flew 

 straight towards me, and by a lucky stroke of the net I secured it. My 

 surprise was great on finding that I had captured a small Hepialid ; I 

 had always been under the impression that the flight of this entire group 

 took place at dusk, for a few minutes only, and was of a heavy hovering 

 nature rather than a swift, powerful flight ; to find, therefore, a species 

 flying in the bright sunshine with the rapidity of a bee-moth proved rather 

 astonishing. 



I kept my eyes open for further specimens, and was soon rewarded by 

 seeing several skimming up and down the slopes in an identical manner. 

 It was, however, one thing to see them and quite another to catch them, 

 and after an hour's hard work I had only succeeded in securing four 

 specimens. After 3.30 the flight seemed to die down, and I saw no more. 

 As all the specimens taken appeared to be males, it occurred to me to 

 search in the low herbage for females, and I was rewarded by obtaining a 

 pair in coitu, sitting on a low stalk just above the ground. 



The following day I was on the spot bright and early, but before 

 1.30 p.m. saw not a single specimen. The main flight occurred as on the 

 previous day, between 2.30 and 3.30 p.m.; the insect was fairly common, 

 but most difficult to approach. I secured two pairs in the grass and seven 

 or eight on the wing, mostly freshly-emerged specimens. 



On the third day the flight was not so good, the weather being cooler. 

 I had, however, the good fortune to discover, about 2.30 p.m., a virgin 9 



August, 1911 



