Insect Life on the Western Arctic Coast of America 23k 
May 11-20, 1915 
The first fl.y was noticed on May 18 and on the same day a large (probably 
hibernating) parasitic wasp (Icheumon suturalis) and eollembola, mites (Bdella 
decipiens), small spiders, caterpillars, beetle larvae, carabids {Amara brunni- 
pennis, etc.), all under loose, flat stones. Two of these caterpillars were observed 
on July 11 to be parasitized by hymenopterous larvae; three other caterpillars 
pupated Julv 13-20. 
May £1-31, 1916 
Many flies were out on May 21, both the big blue and two smaller species, 
carabid beetles, spiders, and an ichneumonid wasp were noticed on this day, and 
the common eollembola, spiders, mites, caterpillars, and dipterous larvae. These 
dipterous larvae {Tipula arctica, etc.) were placecl for rearing (No. 106) and 
made galleries in the sand in the jar before pupating in June. Parasitic 
hymenopterous larvae were noticed in one of the crane-fly larvae, but efforts to 
rear it were unsuccessful. Four adults {Tipula arctica) emerged July 7. One 
species of caterpillar was about 1 cm. long, and occurred in numbers crawling 
on a snow-free, dry sand dune near the beach. These larvae had perhaps hiber- 
nated and they made their cocoons in June. One of the big spiders (Lycosa sp.) 
was caught on May 31 in its funnel-shaped web. The mouth of this web was 
•ibout 2 cm. in diameter. 
The usually warm weather favoured the development of insect life in fresh 
water; eollembola {Isotoma palustris, Sminthurides aquaticus, etc.), surface- 
spiders, copepods, dytiscid beetles {Colymbetes dolohratus) and mites (Galmnna 
liicens) were observed. Freshly-hatched mosquito larvae {Aedes sp.) 2-4 mm. 
long, were noticed on May 31, or eighteen days earher than in 1915. On the 
same day various dytiscid beetles {Hydroporus sp., Collambus unguicularis, 
Agabus nigripalpis), oligochaete worms (Henlea sp.) were also seen, as were 
tipulid (?) larvae, midge larvae, and the empty puparia of Mydaeina obscura. 
May 21-31, 1915 
The following additional insects were noted : 
'Carabid beetles {Amara hfrmatopa) 
Spiders (see above). 
Weevils { Trit-hiilopliKS stefanssoui) 
Flies {Phormia coeriilea and a minute "jumping" fly) 
Parasitic insects are not greatly influenced by weather and it is, therefore, 
unnecessary to deal with them under monthty subdivisions. Observations were 
made of the two diptera that infest the caribou. All efforts to rear these grubs- 
from larvae were unsuccessful, although several methods of rearing were tried. 
Some of the almost full-grown larvae were placed on fresh caribou meat, some in 
bits of caribou skin with larvae in situ, some in a jar with sand, and even a whole 
caribou skin containing grubs was rolled up to prevent drying. The grubs were 
never brought through the pupal stage, although some were kept for more than 
a year. The field observations agree with the account given by G. M. Douglas 
on the caribou between Great Bear lake and Coppermine river. ^ 
Two female adults^ were caught at Bernard harbour July 14, 1910. The grubs 
in the caribou skins examined at the end of May, 1915 and 1916, were very 
numerous and all big. Only two, not full grown, larvie (22 mm. long) were found ; 
they were wholly white except the light brown fringes of body spines and the 
dark brown, apical head dot and terminal spiracles. All the other larvae were 
from 25 to 30 mm. long; the younger (smaller) of these had the chitinous head, 
the terminal spiracles, and the body-spines dark brown, and fine dots of lighter 
1 Douglas, G. M., "Lands Forlorn," 1914. p. 191; photognijih of grub-infested caribou skin, 
p. 192. 
- CEdeviagena tarandi (Ijinne). 
