14 



CIRCULAR (543, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



Although the response to light varies with different species, it is 

 probable that the number of individuals recorded is a fairly reliable 

 estimate of the relative abundance of the species. Approximately 

 90 percent of the total catch was referable to species of economic 

 importance. 



PROPORTION OF THE SEXES 



During the course of this study an attempt was made to determine 

 the proportion of the sexes in representative samples of the various 

 species taken. In many cases, however, insufficient material was 

 examined or captured for a reliable estimate to be obtained. The 

 results are presented in table 2. Only those species represented by 25 

 or more specimens are tabulated, all others being included in one group 

 at the end of the table. Altogether, 36,692 specimens were examined, 

 and of this number 12,902, or 35 percent, were females. It will be 

 seen that the proportion of females varied greatly with different 

 species, ranging from 3 to 60 percent. 



Table 2. — Pro-portion of females among various species of phalaenid moths caught 



Species 



Acronicta lepusculina Guen.. 



A. porallela (Grt.) 



Euxoa siccata (Sm.) 



E. niveilinea (Grt.) 



E. immixta (Grt.) 



E. scandens (Riley) 



E. messoria (Harr.) 



E. recticincta (Sm.) 



E.tessellata (Harr.) ... 



Chorizagrotis auiiliaris (Grt.)_ 



Loxagrotis apicalis (Grt.) .- 



Onychagrotisrileyana (Morr.) 



Agrotis vetusta Walk 



A. daedalus (Sm.) 



.4. orthogonia Morr 



A. gladiaria Morr 



A. venerabilis Walk ■.. 



A. malefida Guen___ 



A. ypsilon (Rott.) 



Feltia subgothica (Haw.) 



F. annexa (Treit.) 



Peridroma margaritosa saucia 



(Hbn.) 



Amathes c-nigrum (L.) 



A. badinodis (Grt.) 



Scotogramma trifolii (Rott.).. 

 Lacinipolia meditata (Grt.)... 



L. ricina (Grt.) 



L. renigera (Steph.) 



Orthodes incincta (Morr.) 



Moths 

 examined 



Females 



Number 



Percent 



28 



36 



34 



35 



256 



10 



292 



14 



50 



22 



40 



30 



31 



33 



83 



29 



32 



44 



10, 672 



51 



32 



31 



262 



13 



293 



28 



62 



15 



233 



18 



185 



27 



984 



3 



35 



43 



1,012 



32 



2,767 



7 



138 



17 



936 



36 



44 



52 



27 



11 



3, 550 



35 



74 



12 



272 



13 



51 



12 



145 



17 



Species 



Moths 

 examined 



Xephelodes emmedonio (Cram.) 

 Protoleucania albilinea (Hbn.). 

 Leucania phragmatidicola 



Guen 



L. unipuncta (Haw.) 



Cucullia laetifica Lint 



Oncocnemis sanina Sm 



O. augustus Harv 



O. occata (Grt.) 



Psaphidia grotei (Morr.) 



Crymodes burgessi (Morr.) 



Platyperigea exiima (Walk.)... 



Prodenia ornithogalli Guen 



Laphygma frugiperda (A. and 



S.) 



L. exigua (Hbn.) 



Selicanis cinereola (Guen.) 



Heliothis paradoxa (Grt.) 



H. armigera (Hbn.) 



Schinia mortua packardii (Grt.) 

 Autographa falcifera simplex 



(Guen.) 



A. brassicae (Riley) 



Caenurgina crassiuscula 



(Haw.) and C. erechtea 



(Cram.) mixed 



All other species 



Total 



Xu mber 

 32 

 918 



170 



79 

 31 

 25 

 26 

 502 

 30 

 1,501 



44 

 510 

 67 

 32 

 3, 149 

 29 



59 

 528 



1,019 

 1, 133. 



36. 



Females 



Percent 

 3 

 21 



35 



SEASONAL FLIGHT RECORDS 



Taken as a group, the light-trap records show that Phalaenidae are 

 in flight from early in March to late in November, with periods of 

 heavy flight and scarcity interspersed irregularlythroughout the season. 

 The nightly flight of Phalaenidae in the different localities is shown 

 graphically in figures 3, 4, and 5. The nightly flight at Garden City 

 was much greater than at any of the other localities, owing chiefly to 

 the enormous numbers of adults of Scotogramma trifolii captured. 

 The numbers of moths taken varied greatly in the different localities, 

 and from year to year, and also as to the time of the year when the 



