REVUE SUISSE DE ZOOLOGIE 

 Tome 76, n° 12 — Juin 1969 



363 



First Records of eye-frequenting 

 Lepidoptera from Népal 



by 



W. BUTTIKER 



c/o CIBA Ltd., Basle, Switzerland 



With 4 figures 

 SYNOPSIS 



This note is a summary of the first records of eye-frequenting moths from 

 Népal. 



Arcyophora icterica Swin. (Noctuidae) was found on cattle in the Terai Région, 

 and on spotted deer ( Axis axis Erx.) in the Zoological Garden, Kathmandu. The 

 observations are viewed in the light of the plant ecological conditions. The tropical 

 dry deciduous forest of the Sal (Shorea robusta Gaertn.) séries is regarded as the 

 typical biotope of eye-frequenting moths in Népal. 



In March/April 1968 another entomological expédition 1 was carried out to 

 Asia, in particular to Népal and Eastern Pakistan, in order to obtain additional 

 information on the behaviour, host specificity and distribution of eye-frequenting 

 lepidoptera and their biotopes. 



The trips in Népal commenced in Kathmandu on the 20th March 1968 with 

 the aim of obtaining records in the Terai Région (see map, fig. 1). The itinerary 

 was as follows : 



20.3.68 arrivai in Kathmandu. Collecting in Kathmandu suburbs and Zool. 

 Gardens 



22.-26.3.68 in Bharatpur and Rampur District 

 27./28.3.68 near Tigertops and Gojitole 



1 This work was financed by the Swiss National Fund for the Advancement of Science, 

 Grant No. 4655. 



Rev. Suisse de Zool., T. 76, 1969. 25 



