10 Provincial Museum Report. 191S 



Lower Eraser Valley District. 



At the request of the Director I made a three-weeks' collecting trip through this district, 

 starting on June 11th and returning July 2ml. Taking into consideration the remarkable scarcity 

 of insects in general up to the end of June, and also the number of wet days that occurred, the 

 total amount of insects taken was very satisfactory; out of a total of nineteen days' actual 

 collecting, there were six days of heavy rain, three days dull and cloudy, and ten days of bright 

 sunshine. 



On the rainy days, beating for Geometridre and searching for Coleoptera was undertaken in 

 the daytime, and at night collecting noctuids by "light" was successful. It was noticeable that 

 more moths came to "light" on the wet nights than on those nights which had been preceded 

 by a bright sunny day. 



The localities visited were Vancouver. Cloverdale, and Kosedale. The Vancouver District 

 was not at all productive, although trips were made to all the chief collecting-grounds, includ- 

 ing Cauldfield (nine miles west of North Vancouver, on the P.G.E.), the famous Lynn Valley. 

 Stanley Park, and South Vancouver, including the Eburne District. 



Three days were spent at Cloverdale, twenty-five miles east of Vancouver, where some good 

 material was taken, including some very interesting geometers taken while " dusking." The 

 best district of all from a collecting point of view was certainly at Rosedale, where some 

 valuable material was taken, some of it new to British Columbia. 



Rosedale is situated at the apex of the valley, being about eighty miles from Vancouver, 

 and is on the south side of the Eraser River (nearly opposite to Agassiz, at which place the fine 

 Experimental Farm belonging to the Dominion Government is situated). It is heavily timbered 

 on the north side, but skidways belonging to the shingle-mills in operation there furnished a 

 convenient means of getting into the heart of the woods. 



Mount Cheam. rising to a beight of 6,925 feet, is situated about two miles away and is a 

 magnificent sight when the rays of the setting sun strike its rugged peaks. An ascent of this 

 mountain was contemplated, as some very desirable alpine species are known to occur there, but 

 owing to the great depth of snow on the trails this was found to be impossible; in some places 

 the snow was estimated as being from 30 to 40 feet in depth ; three fresh falls of snow occurred 

 during the nine days spent there. I found out from some of the inhabitants that the asceut to 

 the top cannot be undertaken until the last week in July on account, of the snow, and then it is 

 only possible for about three or four weeks. 



The total number of insects taken on the trip was 8S3, made up as follows : Lepidoptera, 

 5S9; Coleoptera, 72 ; Hymenoptera, 105; Diptera, 102 ; and Odonata, 15. The Lepidoptera were 

 comprised of the following: Butterflies, 55; moths (other than geometers), 170; geometers, 

 272 ; and Microlepidoptera, 92. 



The nomenclature used is that contained in Messrs. Barnes and McDunuough's Check-list of 

 Lepidoptera of Boreal America, which has been adopted by the Museum, and which will be 

 followed in all future Museum publications. 



The scarcity of butterflies seen on the trip was very noticeable, a short series of Pontia 

 napi marginalia Scud, being taken, while Parnassius clodius claudianus Stich. was captured 

 at North Vancouver and at Rosedale. These were the only two species worthy of mention. 

 Amongst the noctuids a nice series of both Acronycla hesperida, Sm. and A. oolinata A. & S. 

 were taken, most of them being newly emerged. Three specimens of that very desirable species 

 Autographa nicliollm Hamp. were taken at " light " at Rosedale. Other species of interest, were: 

 Polia lubcns glaucopis Hamp; Luperina passer Gue. ; and Hyppa xylinoides Gue. In the sub- 

 family Hypeninw a number of specimens were taken, including a good series each of Chytolita 

 morbidalis Gue. and Sypena Jiwmuli Harr. Three female specimens of Bomolocha palparia 

 Walk, were captured at Rosedale ; these are. to my knowledge, the first of this sex recorded 

 for British Columbia, although I took a male specimen at Goldstream on June 16th, 1915 ; this 

 was figured in the Report of the Provincial Museum, 1916, Plate VII. 



A fine male specimen of Bomolocha auulienalis Walk, was taken at Rosedale on June 25th. 

 This has never been recorded previously from British Columbia, and is an inhabitant of the 

 Eastern and Middle States. 



A nice collection of Geoinetridas was made, including a single specimen of Hydrelia albifera 

 Walk., at Rosedale on June 26th ; this is the first authentic record of this species west of Kaslo. 



