Insect Life on the Westei'n Arctic Coast of America 37~k 
ARCTIC ARCHIPELAGO 
On Banks island a collection of insects, etc., was made by Mr. G. H. 
Wilkins at cape Kellett, 1914-15, but, with the exception of a couple of spiders 
in poor condition, identified by J. H. Emerton as young Pardosa glacialis, none 
of these insects have been determined, and little can be said of insect life on 
this island (PI. VI, fig. 1). On Melville island a few insects {Bombus arcticus, 
with Parasitiis homhorum , and lepidoptera (Brenthis polaris, cocoons of Gynae- 
phora rossi) were collected, 1916, by the northern party of the Canadian Arctic 
Expedition. Spiders, identified by J. H. Emerton as Erigone psychrophila, and 
flies were collected on. King Christian land (Findlay island) by the same party. 
A list of all insects collected by both parties of the expedition from the western 
half of Victoria island, from 1915 to 1917, appears below. 
The coast of this western part is very similar to that of the mainland 
Generally speaking, the northern part of the coast is higher and rocky, but 
from Simpson bay eastward the coast and land behind it are very low (except 
in the neighbourhood of Richardson island) and consist mainly of gravel or 
sandy tundra and boulders. The vegetation is the typically arctic; only in 
some of the river-beds do willows {Salix Richardsonii) attain as much as 8 feet 
in height. 
Araneida 2 Spiders 
Acari None ) „ , , , ^ , 
Collembola None ( But both orders are found. 
Trichoptera Phryganeoid. 
^ , ^ \ A(jahv.,s nigripalpis (Dvtiscid) 
^ 1 Carabidse : Amara brunnipcnnis, etc. 
['Parasitic wasp — cocoons (from caterpillar). 
Hymenoptera. j Sawfly-larva (middle of June, 1915), and 
"1 galls on willow leaves. 
l^Bombus sp. (seen; no specimens collected). 
C Prosimnliujn borealis 
I C>i<l(i>n(ujrna tarandi (only larvte, in caribou). 
I 2\inytarsus sp. 
Diptera \ Diainesia arctica 
I Mydaeina obscwa 
I Scatophac/a furcata 
I Tipulid larvae » 
Siphonaptera Fleas from Arctic hare. 
( Ar(/ynnis chariclea 
I " polaris 
I " frigoci' alaskensis 
Butterflies \ Colias hecla glacialis 
I " nastes 
I Erehia fasciata 
I Lycaena aquilo 
( Psycliopliora sahini 
I Napifca orciferaria 
I Titanio sp. 
I Anarta Icucocycla 
Moths > Lygris destinata 
I Gynaephora rossi (only cocoon) 
I Anarta snhfuinosa 
[ " richardsoni 
Summer on Victoria island is generally from a week to a month later than 
along the south side of Dolphin and Union strait and of Coronation gulf. 
According to D. Jenness small blow flies were seen for the first time May 23, 
1915, almost a week later than at Bernard harbour, and bum])lebees on June 30; 
about two weeks later. The butterflies and moths were noticed, as early as at 
Bernard harbour. Mr. Jenness writes that the first Saxifraga oppositifolia 
blossoms appeared on June 7 and were very common July 5; that flies settled in 
swarms on drying meat, July 2; that the first mosquitoes were seen July 8, 
became numerous and annoying July 13, and disappeared in a snowstorm 
August 22; and that plant and insect life were killed bv frost on the night of 
August 24-25 (PI. VI, fig. 2). 
