30 PSYCHE [April 



SPRING MOTHS, AND HOW TO CATCH THEM. 

 BY E. J. smuh, natick, mass. 



The moths of spring may be taken in three different ways. First, by going 

 out at night with a lantern, and examining the blossoms of the "pussywillow"; 

 second, by tapping trees (especially sugar maples) and examining them by lantern 

 light ; and thirdly, by the use of a trap lantern. The first two methods are of 

 use only for a short time in spring, but the last is equally good during the whole 

 season. The early moths are mostly too sluggish to come to light in any numbers, 

 but are attracted to willow blooms, and to the fresh sap of maple or birch trees in 

 quantities ; they will not fly away when disturbed, but will let go their hold and 

 drop quietly into a jar or box held beneath them. 



When feeding on sap the moths will often drop to the ground and feign death 

 if the light of the lantern strikes them, and if there is any grass at the foot of the 

 tree they are very hard to find. To avoid this difficulty, and turn the habit of the 

 moths to my advantage, I lake a hoe and scrape the ground bare for a space of 

 two feet or more around the base of the tree, and beat it down smooth and hard. 

 Then when the moths drop they are very easily seen, and can be picked up with 

 forceps and dropped into a cyanide jar. 



The moths which come to maple sap begin to fiy very early in spring, usually 

 by the third week in March if the weather is mild. The principal ones to be got 

 in this way are species of Xylina, Calocampa, and Scopelosoma : occasionally one 

 finds also Paclmobia sa/icarum, Taetiiocampa alia, and Jodia rufago. Afterward the 

 same species are to be found on the willow blossoms, together with Tacniocampa 

 subterminata, Homoglaea hircina, Nydobia fusifasciata, and others. 



A little later the trap lantern will give the best results. In Entomological 

 News for September, 1902, I gave a description of my lantern and method of 

 using it, and Mr. Slingerland has given a very interesting account of his experience 

 with trap lanterns in Bulletin 202 of Cornell University Agricultural Experiment 

 Station. Briefly described, the lantern I use is a square box of wood with sides of 

 glass, having top and smoke pipe similar to the old style street lanterns, and having 

 holes at the bottom for ingress of air. The box must be large enough to contain 

 an ordinary kerosene lamp with chimney, and is to be supported over a zinc lined 

 wooden box about 16 inches square and 3 inciies deep. In this latter box I place 

 water and kerosene in equal parts, to a depth of about two inches. I obtain better 

 results with such a combination than with the slight film of oil usually employed. 



