68 



ANIMAL LIFE IN DESERTS 



ranece) were all on the wing from March to June and 

 again from September to November. A few indi- 

 viduals of several of these species were taken in the 

 intervening hot months, but these species were rare 

 at that season and clearly fall into the same group 

 as the Orthoptera, Moths, and Hymenoptera (Figs. 

 28 to 30). Three species, however, had totally 

 different seasons. One " Blue " (Chilades gatba) 



XII I II III IV V VI VII VIII IX X XI XII 



■All families. Pyrales Noctuge. 



Fig. 30. — Graph similar to Fig. 28, showing the Monthly Prevalence 

 OP Pyrale and of Noctuid Moths and of all Families of Moths 

 EXCEPT Pterophorina, Tortricina, and Tincina. 



was abundant from June to August and was not 

 taken at other seasons, though its food plant was 

 always abundant and was in leaf all the summer and 

 autumn ; the " Skipper " Parnara matthias was 

 only taken from June to November ; and the 

 common salmon-coloured Teracolus fausta from July 

 to December. 



The apparent absence of this species in spring and 

 early summer may be due to one of two causes. 

 The Caper bush (Capparis spinosa), its food plant, 



