PROCEEDINGS, 1917 U 



NOTES ON THE LEPIDOPTERA OF THE NORTHERN 

 OKANAGAN 



By W. Downes. Victoria, B.C. 



During a residence of several years' duration in the vicinity of 

 Armstrong, in the Northern Okanagan, a small collection of Lepidoptera 

 was made by the writer, and the following brief notes may be of interest 

 to those who have not had the opportunity of visiting this favoured 

 district and obtaining first-hand knowledge of its rich insect fauna. 



Travelling northwards from Vernon, a point is reached about 12 

 miles from that city, where the open range country ends rather abruptly 

 and the hills are principally forest-clad, with here and there patches of 

 open grass land, while on the lower levels there are extensive areas of 

 heavy bush, indicating a moister climate, the precipitation in fact in this 

 district being about double that of the range country to the south. 

 This region may be roughly described as being triangular in shape, the 

 base of the triangle extending from Sicamous, on the main C.P.R. line, 

 to rather beyond Salmon Arm, and the apex at Armstrong. The visitor 

 will find that this district presents faunal characteristics very different 

 from the drier range country to the south and west, the varied flora is 

 at once apparent, and from the point of view of an entomologist the 

 region is one of surpassing interest. For the most part the country 

 consists of broad valleys interspersed with low hills, but it is flanked 

 at the east by high mountains rising to a height of about 4000 feet, on 

 which many high-altitude species may be obtained, not to be found on 

 the lower levels. The collection brought by me to the Coast this year 

 is not a large one and contains only about 300 species, but it is fairly 

 representative and includes some rare forms and several new records 

 for the Province. 



With the first warm days of spring Papilio zelicaon. Luc. makes its 

 appearance, followed at no great interval by P. glaucus race canadensis, 

 which is one of the common butterflies of the Interior. The magnificent 

 P. daunus. Bdv. does not usually appear until June, but I have taken it 

 once as early as May 12th. P. bairdi race oregonia. Edw. is not so 

 frequently met with in the bush districts as on the range land to the 

 south, where it is fairly plentiful in July. Parnassius smintheus race 

 magnus is somewhat local, but where found is usually abundant. 

 Neophasia menapia. Feld. is taken but rarely, being more abundant in 

 the Southern Cjkanagan. 



Among the sulphurs, Eurymus eurytheme form kootenai Cockle is 

 common in spring. The form eryphyle l^dw. appears in the first week 

 in July, followed a little later b}' eurytheme Bdv., which is not by any 

 means common, and of which I have so far only taken males. It is 

 scarcely necessary to mention such a cosmopolitan insect as Danaus 

 archippus but for the fact that I have seen hibernated individuals early 



