THE LEPIDOPTERA OF TICINO BRUGNASCO. 97 



The Lepidoptera of Ticino — Brugnasco. 



By J. W. TUTT, F.E.S. 

 Next morning, August 2nd, 1907, broke lovel}\ I had been 

 advised with fine weather to go iip, and, with this idea in mind, a 

 start was made to get somewhat higher, and the look round suggested 

 Briignasco and the slopes and woods l)eyond. The sun was hot and 

 by 9 a.m. progress was slow as one climbed the steep path, -seeing 

 little but an abundance of Aijriades corijdon on the way, whilst here and 

 there C'olias htjale and C. edusa were pulled up suddenly on flight, 

 but both species were in poor condition, and the occasional individuals 

 evidently belonged to a brood already well over. Here and there, too, 

 common whites and the usual products, of areas of civilisation were 

 observed, and, in one spot, several fine fat, black, red-spotted, lazy larvae 

 of Hi/les euiiliorhiae were noticed stretched in delightful indolence on 

 the little Eui>horbia plants, in the hot s\m, Avhilst several smaller green 

 ones were quickly observed when attention was once drawn to them, but 

 one had to pass the village of Madrano before one really scored. Then 

 the wild slopes commenced and upon them butterflies began to be 

 frequent. These slopes are thinly covered with small bushes, and, at 

 this time, were beautiful w^ith wild-flowers, but, steep as they are, one 

 noticed a few days later that the natives w^ere mowing them wherever 

 at all practicable. The slopes extend down to the main road, now 

 several hundred feet below, that runs through the valley, and even 

 beyond down to the river. Although steep, they are fairly easy for 

 an entomologist to work and the little trickling streams form centres 

 of attraction to the butterflies, where they cross the footpath. Par- 

 7iassiiis apollo was in large numbers, and in fine condition, tumbling 

 and falling down 1000 feet of the steep slopes with evident enjoyment ; 

 some strongly-coloured Papilin macliaon also swung lazily on the 

 flowers, but their condition left much to be desired, whilst, of the 

 larger fritillaries, An/ynnis a(jlaia was more abundant than A. niobe. 

 These species were in magnificent condition and both are reallj^ 

 beautiful insects when swinging, wing-expanded, with the hot sun 

 shining directly on them. Here and there a newly-emerged Py- 

 ravieis cardiii was noticed, whilst a magnificent lot of fresh 

 M('la)ia)-(/ia (/alatea flew everywhere ; both sexes were almost equally 

 abundant, and there must have been thousands of them. A newly- 

 emerged batch of Pararye maera was also noticed, the 2 s rather dark 

 and large, whilst a few 3^s oi Epinephele h/mon were also observed, no 

 2 s yet being on view. Sitting on the pathway, fanning their wings, 

 were some fine Issoria lathonia, particularly difficult, however, to 

 capture in the sun, whilst the only Erehia on view was (joante, and 

 this apparently only just coming out. It were easy to say that one 

 was disappointed with the " burnets," for, with the exception of a few 

 Anthrocera loiticcrae, and one or two A. caniiulica, there was nothing 

 but A. purpuralis, but these, good bad and indifferent, were in sufficient 

 numbers to have supplied most of the cabinets in Europe with 

 specimens. Now and then Leptidia unapis, flew among the bushes, 

 and were netted and examined most religiously, for, late as it was, 

 each was seen to be of the early brood, although now in poor condition. 

 This gave some clue to the before-stated fact that the season was late 

 in 1907 in the higher Alps. I am afraid much time was taken from 

 May 15th, 1908. 



