THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



Vol. XVIL] FEBEUAEY, 1884. [No. 249. 



INFLUENCE OF METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS UPON 

 LEPIDOPTERA. 



By W. F. De V. Kane. 



In Entom. XVL, p. 265, Mr. South refers to the difficult 

 question of the influence of meteorological conditions upon 

 Lepidoptera. I heartily concur with him in thinking it of the 

 highest interest, and regret to find that so few entomologists 

 seem to give their attention to the subject. The influence which 

 electrical phenomena exert upon the breeding and life-history of 

 this delicate order of insects is a part of the enquiry which might 

 be pursued with much advantage. 



Those who breed the larvse of delicate insects might well 

 make observations in this direction. For my own part, however, 

 I confess my belief that the subtle agency of electricity has only 

 an important bearing on the subject in its secondary results, 

 that is in the production of violent rains, storms, and heat. 

 There can be no question that the electric fluid is largely 

 responsible for the general meteorological conditions, and thus 

 affects all living creatures ; but until it has been shown to have 

 not only immediate, but permanent, effects upon animal organisms, 

 apart from the atmospheric disturbances produced by it, I doubt 

 whether it can be ranked as a potent factor in the determination 

 of the question. 



That insects display great activity before a thunderstorm is, 

 as Mr. South says, an interesting phenomenon, but may be well 

 accounted for by the rise of temperature and heavy moist 



The Entomologist.— Vol. XVIL Feb. 1884. e 



