38 I Canadian Arctic Expedition, 1913-18 
Mr. Johansen in his notes states that the larvae and cocoons were found 
rather abundantly in 1914 at Collinson point and Demarcation point on the 
Alaskan coast. The following are his notes: (Breeding record 15) 
1914, May 31 — Collinson Point — Two large larvae and two cocoons found on tundra. 
June 1 — One of the larvae collected yesterday began making its cocoon. 
" 3 — Four mature larvae and six cocoons found. 
" 4 — One mature larva and three cocoons found. 
" 7 — Four cocoons found. 
" 11 — Five cocoons found. 
" 13 — One mature larva and eight cocoons found. 
" 15 — Two larvae found east of Collinson point. 
" 18 — One cocoon found. 
" 20 — Four cocoons found. 
July 13 — First moth emerged. 
Other moths emerged on Julv 1.5, 16, 18, 20, 22, 27; August 3, 21, 28; 
September 2, 15, 1914. 
Some of the males and females were kept alive by Mr. Johansen and his 
notes state that copulation took place freely, and that eggs were secured, the 
same having been deposited upon the cocoon. Pairs were noted to remain in 
coitu for a whole day. Under natural conditions, Mr. Johansen also found the 
eggs on empty cocoons. The females which were reared failed to properly 
develop their wings, these latter in every case being crumpled. 
The eggs brought back by Mr. Johansen are 1-2 mm. wide, white, smooth, 
spherical, depressed above and are stuck firmly together and partially covered 
with hair. One patch contained over 55 eggs. 
The specimen from Barter island emerged from a cocoon found on the 
ground on June 23. The temperature at the time varied from 36° to 46°F, 
On September 7, 1913, Mr, Johansen collected at Collinson point, among 
old driftwood on tundra elevation, a single specimen of the larva of what is 
undoubtedly this species. It was placed in alcohol. 
The following is a description of the specimen : 
Length, 30 mm. (I should think this specimen when alive and walking 
would easily measure 45 mm.). Head, 3-5 mm, wide, rounded, dull brownish- 
grey, excepting clypeus and area around antennae and mouth parts wdiich arc 
shining black, and sides which are reddish-yellow; thickly hairy, the hairs black 
Body black, the tubercles with thick bunches of hairs; the lateral hairs are 
mostly longer than the dorsal hairs and many, brown in colour, are conspicuously 
feathered and more spreading; the lateral hairs which are not feathered are 
spinulose and either long brown or dark-reddish brown hairs or are shorter 
hairs orange-yellow in colour. The dorsal hairs are shorter than the lateral 
hairs and the feathered ones are bunched together particularly so on the anterior 
segments, the yellow hairs which also occur on the dorsum being more or less 
hidden, excepting in the subdorsal area where they are of a brighter yellow 
and more conspicuous. This specimen is figured on PI. Ill, fig. 9. 
Other larvae differ from the above in that all the hairs are lighter in colour 
and in having the yellowish hairs more noticeably intermixed with the dorsal 
feathered hairs which in these specimens are greyish. 
The larva has been described by Curtis^ as follows: " Large and hairy of a 
beautiful shining velvety black, the hairs being somewhat ocherous; there are 
two tufts of black on the back, followed by two of orange." 
This brief description is, of course, of little value. Dyar who has studied 
the larva of rossi as well as that of groenlandica states- that " Curtis must have 
mixed the species, describing the moth of rossi and the larva of groenlandica.^' 
Packard described the larva of rossi from Polaris bay^ but his description does 
not agree with the description of the larva described above from Collinson 
' Ross' Second Voyage. 
2 Psyche, VIII, 15.3. 
3 Amer. Nat. XI, 52. 
