12k Canadian Arctic Expedition, 191 3-1 S 



June 1-9 



Excepting the flies mentioned as appearing in May, few insects are seen on 

 the wing even in the beginning of June. Two kinds of flies, however, were 

 observed on Barter island, Alaska; the brown species of Scatophaga and minute, 

 black ones, common around freshwater ponds after June 1. In exceptionally 

 early seasons, the Bombus queens may be out. (PI. IV, figs. 1-2). 



The greatest number of insects on the ground, besides those mentioned 

 under May, were: 



Under driftwood : colonies of Homoptera (wool lice ?) 1 . 3 mm. long, clustered 

 to or creeping slowly on the lower side of or in the cracks of logs. They have 

 dark antennae and legs, and are flesh-coloured, with a white-grey "coat" especi- 

 ally dorsally, of waxy, grey secretions. The slender, worm -like mycetophilid (?) 

 larvae of a transparent white or yellow brown colour, besides collembola, mites, 

 etc., are found in rotten driftwood. 



In the tundra moss, carabid beetles and various larvae of coleoptera and 

 tipulids, T. arctica, etc., flies, both adults and pupae, spiders, mites, etc., and 

 small orange-coloured Cecidomyia larvae half hidden in the corners of wet 

 sphagnum leaves, are found. 



Larvae and cocoons of Gynaephora rossi with or without parasitic tachinid 

 pupae are also seen on the tundra, the larvae feeding on Salix buds and Saxifraga 

 oppositifolia leaves. 



In the ice-free tundra ponds young mosquito larvae (Aedes sp.) of various 

 sizes, besides copepods, "winter eggs" of Daphnia pulex, etc., are present. 



June 10-20 



The most conspicuous insects now seen for the first time, are queens of 

 bumblebees (Bombus sylvicola, B. polaris, etc.) mostly in strong speed and high 

 flight the first days, but later feeding on the male catkins of the various species 

 of Salix just out. 



Flies (Cynomyia cadaverina, Scaeva pyrastri, etc.) are now also out. A black 

 and white striped species (Syrphus sodalis ?) is typical of the higher, dry places 

 on the tundra; when approached they rise and hover for a while before flying 

 away. The first sawflies, Amauronematus sp. and ichneumonids (Aptesius 

 nivarius) were seen; the flight of the former is much like that of ants, and only 

 lasts for a short while. 



The various arthropods found earlier in the season under stones, driftwood, 

 etc., have now come out from their hiding places. Minute, brown beetles may 

 be seen on the wing on calm, sunny days; and the various carabidae (Asaphidion 

 sp., Amara brunnipennis, etc.) besides an occasional curculionid or chrysomelid 

 beetle (Chrysomela subsulcata) are found on the tundra, and various spiders 

 (Lycosa pictilis, etc.), small hemiptera, etc., and immature stages of various 

 insects. 



In the tundra ponds are spiders and small flies (Leptocera transversalisf), 

 besides the common, aquatic animals, such as small trichopterous larvae, 

 dytiscid-beetles, mosquito and tipulid larvae, mites, etc. 



June 21-30 



At the end of June a number of flying insects are out — the first tipulid 

 adults (Stygeropis porryi, etc.,) mosquitoes (a few Aedes sp.), and tineoid 

 imagines (Eucosma sp.). These small moths and the hemiptera (Euscelis 

 hyperboreus) are characteristic of places having rich vegetation (Salix, grasses, 

 etc.), in shelter of tundra-b'uffs, where the many dead leaves afford good colour 

 protection (brown). On approach the microlepidoptera fly up in a fluttering 

 swirl, and suddenly drop, which makes them difficult to observe and cat b. 

 Bombus arcticus queens and various flies and sawflies were also found. 



