X 4 



ALASKA INSECTS 



{Tiarclla trifoliata), yellow violet (Viola glabella), and Os- 

 morrhiza nuda. 



Undoubtedly, of all the plants in bloom at this season the 

 greatest favorite with flower-visiting insects was the salmon- 

 berry. Its long period of blooming, its widely opened blossoms, 

 and its abundant, easily accessible nectar, render it an attractive 

 rendezvous for insects. The pendant form of the flowers is also 

 important, as the flaring corolla sheds the rain, and in this way 

 not only protects the nectaries, but also provides a shelter for 

 visiting insects during the frequent showers. 



In the short time at our dis- 

 posal it was of course impos- 

 sible to do more than make a 

 hasty collection of the more 

 conspicuous insects, but the re- 

 sults show what a rich harvest 

 awaits more thorough investi- 

 gation. More than 200 species 

 were collected, of which 34 

 were new to science, several 

 new to America, and many rep- 

 resented additions to the fauna 

 of Alaska. 



As usual, the Diptera form 

 the predominant feature of the 

 insect fauna, not only in spe- 

 cies, but also in abundance of 

 individuals. At hours when the 



FIG. 4. FOREST NEAR SITKA. . . ,. . , 



sun shone the air fairly swarm- 

 ed with Diptera and other flying insects. The most abundant 

 flies were Bibio variabilis and Dilophus serraticollis, the latter 

 occurring in countless numbers in the blossoms of the salmon- 

 berry. The same flower furnished a harboring place for num- 

 bers of Syrphidae, of which nine species were secured : Chilosia 

 plutonia Hunter, Melanostoma mellinum^Li.}, Platychirus pelta- 

 ttis (Meigen), Platychirus albimanus Fabr., Syrphus dive?*sipes 

 Macq., Syrphus amalopis O. S., Baccha obscuricornis Loew., 

 S-phcgina infuscata Loew., B?'achyopa notata O. S., Sericomyia 



