




) Gro. 5 ProvinciaL Museum Rerorv. me 
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‘Lower Fraser, and all over Vancouver Island, quite a number appearing in Victoria, even 
‘invading the houses. This is the first time I have seen this species in this city during my 
eight years’ residence here. 
Another insect which was extremely prevalent throughout the same general localities as 
the one just mentioned was a noctuid moth (Autographa californica Edw.) commonly known 
as the alfalfa-looper. It is widely distributed in Western North America, but was only known 
as a pest in Canada since 1914, when a very severe outbreak occurred in this Provinee. It was 
so abundant that summer on Vancouver Island that wherever one went a score or more would 
fly up out of the grass at nearly every step one took. It belongs to one of the few groups of 
noctuid moths which fly in the daytime, and it is also attracted to certain flowers about sundown. 
. An important discovery of what may prove to be a serious pest was made by Mr. W. B. 
- Anderson at Chase, B.C., in the early part of August, where one of the tussock-moths (Hemero- 
campa vetusta gulosa Hy. Edw.) was found to be devastating the Douglas fir. Further notes on 
Z ‘this moth will be found under the heading of “ Illustrated Lepidoptera.” 
Another interesting and important discovery, especially from an economic aspect, was the 
finding of the apple-maggot fly at Royal Oak, B.C., by Mr. W. Downes, Field Officer, Entomo- 
logical Branch, Dominion Department of Agriculture, who is in charge of the Vancouver Island 
District. It has been identified by Dr. J. M. Aldrich as Rhagoletis pomonella. The only previous 
record of this fly in British Columbia is two specimens taken by Mr. R. C. Treherne at Penticton, 
 B.C., on July 26th, 1916. Mr. Downes has also discovered that the host-plant is the common 
snowberry (Symphoricarpus racemosua) and has bred a number of flies from it. In Eastern 
_ Canada it is one of the worst of the fruit pests, but so far no signs of its attacking the apple in 
_ British ColumDia have been observed. 
RARE AND UNCOMMON INSECTS TAKEN IN BritisH COLUMBIA DURING 1918. 
In continuing this section, as was proposed in last year’s report, we would like to impress 
upon the entomologists of this Province, especially those residing in the more outlying districts, 
the necessity of sending in records of their important captures, accompanied by full data, by 
December 31st of each year. It is only by this means that we shall get a fuller knowledge of 
our British Columbia species and their distribution, a knowledge which is most essential both 
from an economic and a taxonomie standpoint. 
Victoria —Although, as stated previously, the season was a poor one for noctuids generally, 
_ the writer has been fortunate in picking up a few species of more than passing interest. 
A male specimen of Apantesis ornata complicata Wik. was taken on June 16th. This pretty 
_tiger-moth occurs regularly, but is very uncommon; three specimens in any one year in this 
district is the most that I have any record of. 
On April 12th I took one specimen each of Xylomyges rubrica Hary. and X. perlubens Grt., 
at rest on an electric-light pole. These are the first records I have of these two species occurring 
in Victoria. ; 
2 In Vancouver rubrica occurs regularly with pulchella, although much less common. Perlubens 
is plentiful at cherry-blossoms in some districts on the Mainland. 
. A specimen of Trachea impulsa Gue. was taken at light on July 6th, which is also a new 
record for this district; it has previously been recorded from Kaslo. Another new record for 
this district is Autographa metallica Grt., a specimen of which I took on June 21st; it occurs 
at Agassiz and in the Kettle Valley District. Other rare noctuids taken were Polia variolata Sm. 
and Septis plutonia Grt. 
Amongst the Geometridx it is interesting to note that two specimens of Diactinia silaceata 
 albolineata Pack. were taken here for the first time, although I have taken it at points farther 
up the Island. One specimen was taken on April 30th in fine condition on a store window, and 
the other at rest on a fence on July 24th, thus indicating that it is double-brooded. Two speci- 
mens of Hydriomena edenata grandis B. & MeD. were taken on electric-light poles on March 16th. 
They were both females, but could not be induced to lay eggs. This species is rather scarce here, 
although it is much more plentiful at Dunean, forty miles north of here. 
Mr. W. Downes, of Oak Bay, took a nice specimen of Polia restora Sm. on August 3rd. This 
also occurs regular, but not more than one or two seem to be captured in any one year. He also 
took a specimen of that pretty little noetuid, Sarrothripus revayana columbiana Hy. Edw., on 
April Sth. This species seems exceedingly rare. Mr. Downes also took a geometer not previously 

