AN ENTOMOLOGICAL EXPEDITION TO GUADALAJARA 



D. L. CRAWFORD. 



(The following account adds one more to successful entomological ven- 

 tures into the Mexican field. Though with but limited time and at an unfavor- 

 able season, yet Messrs. Crawford and McConnell brought together extensive 

 collections in the groups to which they gave especial attention — namely, the 

 Hemiptera and Hymenoptera. Their gatherings in some other groups were 

 also of great interest and value. Most of this material has already been per- 

 manenty deposited in the collections of various institutions, but there still 

 remain for sale considerable numbers of Coleoptera, Arachnida, Neuroptera, 

 and some other groups. — Editor.) 



Mr. R. A. McConnell and the writer left Claremont for Mexico on the 

 last day of June, 1909, arriving in Mexico City about five days later. Several 

 delays along the route enabled us to make collections at various points on the 

 way. Less than a week was spent in Mexico City. We arrived in Guada- 

 lajara, our headquarters, on July 12. About this latter city, collecting was 

 done over most of the desirable territory within a radius of perhaps twenty 

 miles and a trip was made high up on the slopes of San Pedro Mountain, about 

 forty miles from the city. A visit was also made to Lake Chapala, about fifty 

 miles from headquarters. The altitude covered ranged from 3000 feet above 

 sea level upward, most of the work being done at or near 5000 feet. 



The chief difficulty lay in the frequent rains. It might be supposed that 

 any part of Mexico so far south as Guadalajara would be very tropical in 

 character, but this is not at all the case. Instead of a more or less continuous 

 rainy season such as may be found in truly tropical regions, there is a period 

 of about three months of thunder storms and cloud-bursts, lasting from about 

 June to September, while during the remaining nine months it is very dry and 

 sometimes quite cold. In consequence of this condition, the great burst of 

 insect life comes during the winter months of January, February and somewhat 

 later. During our few weeks of work, we noticed hordes of larvae, hemi- 

 pterous and orthopterous nymphs and pupae, as well as coleopterous grubs, 

 dipterous larvae, and odonate nymphs. Towards the close of our trip we 

 were able to find a few early butterfly chrysalids here and there, but apparently 

 the great majority of larvae had not yet pupated. There were some butterflies, 

 but nearly all had frayed or torn wings — relics of the past season. 



The same might be said of Orthoptera. In some grassy places we en- 

 countered hopping masses of immature grasshoppers and locusts, a great many 

 of them beautifully colored. Any amount of some four or five common vari- 

 eties were in season, but of the very numerous later forms we encountered only 

 a few extra early adults. Mature IMattidae were, of course, abundant, as they 

 are at all seasons. Mantidae were still in the nymphal stages. .Mso adults of 



