70 



THE LEPIDOPTERIST 



A Suggestion for Observation and Record 



By Fordyce Grinnell, Jr., Pasadena, Cat. 

 So many of our collectors of the Lepidoptera are 

 interested in taking moths at night, at light and sugar, 

 that a suggestion for observation and record might 

 make their work at night of some additional scientific 

 value, and the published records add to the pages of 

 the Lepidopterist and other periodicals. I refer to 

 what might be termed the study of the nocturnal dis- 

 tribution of the moths. There has been little or nothing 

 published, as far as I know, bearing directly on this 

 subject ; but it is well known that the Hepialide have 

 a particular time of flight, about 8 or 8.15; or just 

 before darkness. McDunnough has recorded a species 

 flying in the late afternoon. The plume moths fly 

 mostly from sundown to dark, and some later ; as well 

 as other moths at this time of day, Sphingidae and 

 many Micros. The Noctuidae fly only after dark and 

 some all night, and it is the great host of species in 

 this family of which accurate records made at the 

 time and on the spot would be of great interest. A 

 special note-book should be used and taken along for 

 this purpose. Then we also know that many of our 

 butterflies and day-flying moths have particular times 

 during the daylight hours during which they are on 

 the wing — their diurnal distribution. The noctur- 

 nal and diurnal distribution of the Lepidoptera is 

 worthy of careful and intensive study and record. 



Entomological Notes 



By JV. Marc hand, Princeton, N. J. 

 The strange case of pupation reported by Aug. 

 Knetzger in a previous number, is by no means 

 unique. While at the Bussey Institution in the sum- 

 mer of 1915, I received from Dr. Chapman a silk-moth 

 larvae (B. mori) which pupated without any cocoon. 

 However, it appeared that the products of the spin- 

 ning glands were, in this case, not excreted at all. 

 The pupa was rather large and elongated, and died 



