364 



W. BUTTIKER 



29.-31.3.68 in Hitaura District 



1.-3.4.68 in Kathmandu, Zoological Gardens. 4th April Departure to Dacca 1 

 (E. Pakistan). 



The entire trip was made during the dry season and no appréciable rains were 

 recorded in the course of the expédition. Spécial emphasis was laid on observations 

 of plant ecological conditions prevailing in the various districts visited. 



This trip was a continuation of the previous expéditions to Thailand, Ceylon 

 and S. India (Buttiker 1967 a, b and c). 



Results 



Entomological. The entomological findings were very scanty despite the 

 considérable effort to collect spécimens in many différent plant associations and 

 in a large number of villages and hamlets in or near natural habitats. Two spéci- 

 mens only were collected viz. 



Arcyophara icterica Swin. 1886 (Noctuidae, Westermanniinae). 



(1) 1 (Jfrom Gojitole, Rapti Valley, Chitwan District (Terai), from the eyes of 

 cattle ( Bos indicus ) 



Altitude: approx. 220 m./Date 27.3.68. 



Another 4-5 spécimens were présent; it was, however, impossible to catch 

 them. 



(2) 1 cJ from Kathmandu, Zoological Gardens, within a herd of the Spotted 

 Deer ( Axis axis Erx.). 



Altitude: 1330 m. Date 2.4.68. 



Thèse are the first records of A. icterica in Népal. 



BIOTOPES 



The plant associations of the Himalayas in relation to altitude and aspect 

 were described for the first time by Schweinfurth (1957). More recently Kawa- 

 kita (1952-53) gave détails on Central Népal, and Haffner (1967) has added more 

 information from the plant geographical and geographical point of view. Dierl 

 (1966) summarized the main biotopes and climatic conditions of the Himalayas, 

 including the Terai, which are relevant to our entomological investigations. 



In view of the more extensive publications (Buttiker, in préparation) on the 

 relationship between the distribution of eye-frequenting moths, and the biotopes 

 and their biocli mates, only the main nndings are reported in this présent note. 



The boundary levels of the individual plant associations vary quite often due 

 to the aspect; therefore the respective figures for altitude may overlap. 



1 See separate paper (Buttiker, in the press). 



