Proceedings, ]9-^:] 173 



Hut when I say that, to be a really sueeessl'ul Eutomoloii-ist, one 

 slhiuld liave a knowledge of Botany, I do not wish to t;ive the impression 

 that one must be a finished, scientific Botanist, for in Canada to-day 

 these are nearly as rare as the Great Auk — , but merely that one sliould 

 be so up in the rudiments of the science that he will be able to recognize, 

 at least, members of the i^rincipal orders and their following genera. To 

 the systematic collector this knowledge is particularly valuable, especi- 

 ally where the talving of the rarer species is concerned. Taking a certain 

 section of our much varied Province, should one be keen on capturing 

 certain species of Lepidoptera, Hymenoptera, Diptera or Colcoptera 

 known to frequent the particular region one may be in, and one's time 

 being limited, one loses no time, but searches primarily for a spot where 

 grows the plant one knows to be attractive to the pai'ticular insect sought. 

 Conditions of flowering, etc., being right, one is then fairly certain of a 

 catch off the shrub or herb. To give a few examples: 



The uncommon Geometer, Marmopteryx marmorata, may be taken 

 only on the shrub called "False Grease Wood" or "Antelope Bush," 

 Kunzia tridentata. It is simply waste of time looking for the insect else- 

 where than on this slnnib, or close to where it grows, and, should a stray 

 specimen be taken on f)tlier ^■egetation, it is a surprise, while on its own 

 Ijai'tieular slirub large numbers may be found in season. 



Platea trilinearia, another rare ami beautiful Geometer, is never 

 found except on the "Sage Bush," Artemisia tridentata. Several of 

 the rarer Blues seem to affect the mountain Lupines. The "Milkweed 

 Butterfly" Danais plexippus, and its imitation, Basilarchia archippus 

 must be looked for among tlie Milkweeds, Asclepias. Some years 

 ago the country about Lillooet and other semi-dry belt areas were over- 

 whelmed with what is ordinarily a rare Butterfly in the Province, Aglais 

 californica. Apparently no damage was done to crops or other vegeta- 

 tion on the lower levels, Ijut far up the mountain sides great areas of 

 Ceanothus sanguineus, a white flowered shrub of tlie higher altitudes, 

 were completely denuded of foliage by the larvae. After emergence, the 

 insects seemed to drift gradually to the lower levels, where they finally 

 numbered thousands. The following year this insect was conspicuous 

 by its rarit}'. 



Among the other ordei's this partiality to certain plants is perhaps 

 st longer. Certain Coleoptera may be found only on "False Milkweed," 

 Apocynum sps, others on certain of the Umbelliferae, others again on 

 Composites, while many others feed entirely on certain Agarics and other 

 Fungi. Gums of certain jjlants are highly attractive to many insects, 

 these exudations being a sort of natural "sugaring," so largely practised 

 by Old World collectors. Some of tiiese natural sugars an' e\-iih_'ntly of 

 more than prohibition strengtli, as many insects t;dien thus are ((uite 

 incapable of action. 



Witii these few remarks 1 shall close this papt'r. While possessing 



