‘© ASSEMBLING” IN LEPIDOPTERA. 85 
is represented, and so Mr. Perry Coste’s query as to whether 
“assembling” has been observed in any of the Noctue or 
Sphinges can be answered in the affirmative. Indeed, this habit 
of the “assembling ” of male Heterocera round the virgin female 
(so far from being confined to the Bombyx group) 1s not appa- 
rently confined even to the Macro-Lepidoptera; tor the Editor 
recorded some years back (Entom. xxi. 320) a most unmistakable 
instance of it in Tortrix podana.* 
A complete catalogue of “assembling” species would, I think, 
be useful in two ways: (jirstly, when a collector breeds or other- 
wise obtains a freshly-emerged female of any species, he could 
refer to the catalogue to see if it was recorded as being attractive 
in this way; and, secondly, it could be used as a sort of guide to 
go by in trying ‘“assembling’’ with other species, as it will be 
seen that in several cases two or more closely allied species can 
be taken in this way. For instance, the female of Brephos par- 
thenias has lately been recorded as attracting males, therefore it 
is only natural to suppose that females of B. notha would be 
equally attractive. It does not seem, however, that this 1s always, 
or even usually, the case, as I can find no record of Bombyx 
neustria having been taken by ‘‘assembling,” although so many 
of its allies are taken in this way; however, it is too early to 
discuss this question yet, for it will be seen what further species 
are recorded in the next few numbers of the ‘ Hntomologist.’ 
The only list of “assembling” species of any length which I 
could find in the handbooks on collecting at my disposal was in 
Knagg’s ‘ Lepidopterist’s Guide.’ The great objection to this 
list is its extreme vagueness, for it does not enumerate species, 
but simply alludes to families or genera as if all the species 
included in them would “ assemble,’ which remains to be proved. 
After mentioning such well-known examples as Hndromis verst- 
color, Saturnia pavonia, and Bombyx quercus, the ‘Guide’ goes 
on to say :—‘ Most other female Bombyces are attractive in their 
way; the Swiits, the Liparide, Lasiocampa, Limocodes, as well 
as the Smerinthi, the Sesie, the Prominents, Hook-tips, several 
Geometre, the Psychide, &c., are well known.” Ido not know 
whether or not it is because insects belonging to the genera Noto- 
donta, Drepana, Psyche, &c., are so well known as ‘“‘assemblers,” 
but I can find no records of their capture by this method in any 
of the books or magazines I have consulted. Stainton’s ‘Manual’ 
also says:—‘‘ This mode of enticing specimens .... may be 
satisfactorily tried with many of the Liparide and Chelonide.”’ 
The following passage from Knagg’s ‘Guide,’ which comes 
immediately after the one above quoted, is perhaps worth 
noticing :—‘‘ Probably all moths of the sex are so [attractive] 
in some degree, for we notice an indisposition for flight in the 
unimpregnated female to such an extent that one captured on the 
* Also of Endopisa nigricana, Entom. xiii. 40,—Eb, 
