O 10 Provincian Museum Reporr. 1918 





Lower FRASER VALLEY DISTRICT. 
At the request of the Director I made a three-weeks’ collecting trip through this district, 
starting on June 11th and returning July 2nd. Taking into consideration the remarkable scarcity 
of insects in general up to the end of June, and also the number of wet days that occurred, the 
total amount of insects taken was very satisfactory; out of a total of nineteen days’ actual 
collecting, there were six days of heavy rain, three days dull and cloudy, and ten days of bright 
sunshine. 
On the rainy days, beating for Geometride and searching for Coleoptera was undertaken in 
the daytime, and at night collecting noctuids by “light” was successful. It was noticeable that 
more moths came to “light” on the wet nights than on those nights which had been preceded 
by a bright sunny day. 
The localities visited were Vancouver, Cloverdale, and Rosedale. The Vancouver District 
was not at all productive, although trips were made to all the chief collecting-grounds, includ- 
ing Cauldfield (nine miles west of North Vancouver, on the P.G.E.), the famous Lynn Valley, 
Stanley Park, and South Vancouver, including the Eburne District. 
Three days were spent at Cloverdale, twenty-five miles east of Vancouver, where some good 
material was taken, including some very interesting geometers taken while “ dusking.’ The 
best district of all from a collecting point of view was certainly at Rosedale, where some 
valuable material was taken, some of it new to British Columbia. 
Rosedale is situated at the apex of the valley, being about eighty miles from Vancouver, 
and is on the south side of the Fraser River (nearly opposite to Agassiz, at which place the fine 
Experimental Farm belonging to the Dominion Government is situated). It is heavily timbered 
on the north side, but skidways belonging to the shingle-mills in operation there furnished a 
convenient means of getting into the heart of the woods. 
Mount Cheam, rising to a height of 6,925 feet, is situated about two miles away and is a 
magnificent sight when the rays of the setting sun strike its rugged peaks. An ascent of this 
mountain was contemplated, as some very desirable alpine species are known to occur there, but 
owing to the great depth of snow on the trails this was found to be impossible; in some places 
the snow was estimated as being from 30 to 40 feet in depth; three fresh falls of snow occurred 
during the nine days spent there. I found out from some of the inhabitants that the ascent to 
the top cannot be undertaken until the last week in July on account of the snow, and then it is 
only possible for about three or four weeks. 
_ The total number of insects taken on the trip was 885, made up as follows: Lepidoptera, 
589; Coleoptera, 72; Hymenoptera, 105; Diptera, 102; and Odonata, 15. The Lepidoptera were 
comprised of the following: Butterflies, 55; moths (other than geometers), 170; geometers, 
272; and Microlepidoptera, 92. 
The nomenclature used is that contained in Messrs. Barnes and McDunnough’s Check-list of 
Lepidoptera of Boreal America, which has been adopted by the Museum, and which will be 
followed in all future Museum publications. 
The scarcity of butterflies seen on the trip was very noticeable, a short series of Pontia 
napi marginalis Sead. being taken, while Parnassius clodius claudianus Stich. was captured 
at North Vancouver and at Rosedale. These were the only two species worthy of mention. 
Amongst the noctuids a nice series of both Acronycta hesperida Sm. and A. oblinata A. & S. 
were taken, most of them being newly emerged. Three specimens of that very desirable species 
Autographa nicholle Hamp. were taken at “light” at Rosedale. Other species of interest were: 
Polia lubens glaucopis Hamp; Luperina passer Gue.; and Hyppa rylinoides Gue. In the sub- 
family Hypenine a number of specimens were taken, including a good series each of Chytolita 
morbidalis Gue. and Hypena humuli Harr. Three female specimens of Bomolocha palparia 
Walk. were captured at Rosedale; these are, to my knowledge, the first of this sex recorded 
for British Columbia, although I took a male specimen at Goldstream on June 16th, 1915; this 
was figured in the Report of the Provincial Museum, 1916, Plate VIT. 
A fine male specimen of Bomolocha abalienalis Walk. was taken at Rosedale on June 25th. 
This has never been recorded previously from British Columbia, and is an inhabitant of the 
Eastern and Middle States. 
A nice collection of Geometridze was made, including a single specimen of Hydrelia albifera 
Walk., at Rosedale on June 26th; this is the first authentic record of this species west of Kaslo. 

