] 08 , Kansas Academy of Science 



COLLECTING INSECTS AT NIGHT. 



By Elbert S. Tucker, Museum Assistant in Systematic Entomology, University 

 of Kansas, Lawrence. 



/'COLLECTING insects at night is by no means engaged in to the 

 ^-^ same extent as day collecting, yet night collecting is far from 

 being neglected. Insects in their season abound by night as well 

 as by day, but those which are active at night seldom appear by day, 

 and those that are found in daytime are not generally caught at night, 

 althought a lapping of the two tendencies is evidenced by some 

 common forms which appear only at twilight or dawn. Conse- 

 quently, two popular distinctions among insects are established by 

 reason of their choice of either daytime or night-time for period of 

 activity, and the terms diurnal and nocturnal are familiarly applied. 

 Aside from the preference for day work rather than night work in 

 any pursuit, and collecting is no exception in this respect, the in- 

 ducements for collecting at night are, however, considering the 

 abundance, importance and variety of nocturnal forms, about equal 

 to those attending day collecting. Some collectors assert that dis- 

 coveries of new species are more certain to reward night work than 

 operations by day ; hence the thorough collector needs to divide his 

 time somewhat between day and night. 



In contemplating the present scope of entomology, the student 

 becomes impressed by the remarkable number of species now de- 

 scribed in our bulky literature, and is apt to believe that about 

 every kind of insect which thrives in our country, or wherever ex- 

 ploration has been conducted, is scientifically known and named,, 

 and in many cases renamed, in consequence of which little chance 

 remains for finding new material. This notion cannot endure long- 

 in the face of investigation of what forms of insects can be found 

 especially at night. The author can state that as far as his own 

 captures are reported, in regard to some hymenopterous parasites,* 

 more than two species were captured to one old species, and most 

 of them were collected at night in Lawrence. Whether this is an 

 exceptional case or not, the study of other groups collected at same 

 time under the same conditions is needed for the purpose of de- 

 termining what percentage of new species to old species would 

 constitute an average estimate, particularly in regard to Microdip- 



*See article entitled "Notes and Descriptions of Hymenoptera from the Western United 

 States in the Collection of the University of Kansas," by H. L. Viei'eck, in Transactions Kansas 

 Academy of Science, volume XIX, pp. 264-326. 



