O 12 Provincial Museum Report. 191S 



Several interesting specimens were taken amongst the Geoinetrida?, including two new to 

 the Province — viz., Tcnusia duodeccmlineata Pack, and Eupithecia borcalis Hist. The former 

 was taken at rest on an electric-light pole by the writer in April. It is closely allied to V. 

 pearsalli Dyar (which is one of our commonest spring species), but can be distinguished by its 

 generally darker colour and the wavy extra-discal line on the forewings. The latter was taken 

 at " light " by Mr. A. Robinson on June 27th, and another specimen was taken by Mr. W. Downes 

 at Oak Bay on the 30th of the same- month. This species was originally described from 

 Manitoba.. 



The other geometers of more than passing interest were: Lobophora nivigerata Walk. ; this 

 has been an exceedingly rare species until this year, when we had the good fortune to take half 

 a dozen specimens; Cosymbria dataria Hist.; Calucalpe undulata Linn.; Nematocampa Umbata 

 Haw. As recorded in last year's Annual Report, this pretty little geometer had not been recorded 

 from this district for twelve years until 1916, when two specimens were captured at "light." 

 This season a special look-out was kept, with the result that a nice series of eleven specimens 

 were taken. It is evidently very local. Metanema matomaria Gue. ; a single specimen was 

 taken at " light " in the same locality as the one 'taken last year. Pero occidentalis Hulst. ; 

 two males were taken on June 4th and 7th respectively. This is a very interesting record, as 

 it is rather a rare species and not previously known west of Penticton. 



We have specimens from the latter locality and also from Rossland. The Azelina occi- 

 dentalis Hulst., given as " generally distributed " in the 1006 Check-list of British Columbia 

 Lepidoptera, is an error, as the species there referred to is Pcro giganteus Grossb., which has 

 a known range from Vancouver Island to Kaslo. The chief determining character of occidentalis 

 is the dentate antennas of the male; in the other three species of Pero which occur in British 

 Columbia the antennae are filiform in both sexes. 



Mr. W. B. Anderson, Inspector of Indian Orchards, took a single specimen of Neptyia 

 phantasmaria Streck in September. This is also an interesting record, as this, together with 

 one taken by the writer in September, 1915, constitutes the only known records of this species 

 in Victoria. 



The same collector also took a specimen of Hamorrhagia difflnis rubens Hy. Bdw. in his 

 garden at Oak Bay in September. This species is single-brooded and flies about the first week 

 in May; the most probable explanation is that the cocoon, which is generally spun up under 

 fallen leaves, was lying in an exposed place suhject to the direct rays of the sun, and conse- 

 quently brought to maturity at the end of the summer instead of lying dormant until the 

 following May. 



The following noctuids, collected by Mr. W. Downes, of Oak Bay, are worthy of mention : 

 Euxoa catenula Grt. (new to this district) ; E. esta Sm. (rare) ; Polia lubens glaucopis 

 Hamp. ; Septis multicolor Dyar (rather rare) ; Trachea finitima cerivana Sm. ; and Autographa 

 celsa Hy. Edw. He also took a short series of Eupithecia obumbrata Taylor on Mount Tolmie 

 in May. This is the first record of this species in Victoria. It is evidently a mountain form, 

 as it has been taken by Mr. Day on Mount Tzouhalem, near Duncan, and also on the mountains 

 at Goldstream. 



I nearly forgot to mention that a school-boy captured a specimen of Pseudohazis eglanterina 

 Bdv. (the sheep-moth) near the Ross Bay Cemetery. This is the first record of this species 

 that we have from Victoria ; it occurs sparingly at Goldstream, Shawnigan, and Duncan. 



Goldstream. — On one of the writer's occasional trips to this locality a number of noctuid 

 moths were taken after dark feeding on a large patch of cultivated sunflowers, amongst which 

 were specimens of Euxoa esta (rare) ; E. tessellata tesselloides Grt. ; and Rhynchagrotis rufl- 

 pectus Morr. On another occasion a beautiful specimen in perfect condition of Cleora excelsaria 

 Streck was taken. This is the first capture of this exceedingly rare geometer that has been 

 recorded for about thirteen years. It was taken at rest on a fire-blackened tree-trunk early on 

 the morning of June 4th. An extensive search for further specimens was made, but no others 

 were seen. 



A nice series of Perizoma costiguttata Hulst. was obtained on the 3rd and 4th of the same 

 month ; this species is evidently very local in its habits. 



Duncan. — Mr. G. O. Day. of Quamichan Lake, has succeeded in breeding a short series of 

 that uncommon deltoid Bomolocha toreuta Grt. The larvre were found feeding on dogwood in 



