Journal of the Entomological Society of British Columbia

Ross, D. A.

++ E NTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF BRITISH COLUMllIA, PROC. ( 195+), VOL. 51, NOVEMIlER 30, 195+ 
ANNOTATED LIST OF FOREST INSECTS OF BRITISH COLUMBIA 
PART II-LASPEYRESIA SPP. (OLETHREUTIDlE) * 
D. A. Ross',' 
Some species of Laspeyresia are eco-
nomically important cone - borers and 
seed-feeders, others are bark-miners of 
undetermined economic significance. Few 
adults of the latter group have been reared 
during the course of Forest Insect Survey 
investigations in British Columbia. 
Characters common to full-grown Las-
peyresia larvre in the following list are: 
Length, two-fifths to three-fifths of an 
inch; head brownish, partially retracted 
into the thorax; body, pale cream-col-
oured or whitish; body setre minute; ven-
tral proleg crochets in complete oval or 
ellipse; thoracic legs small. 
L. bracteatana (Fern.). Picea sit-
chensis cones, Queen Charlotte Islands. 
Heinrich saw the specimens that estab-
lished this record and stated that they 
were best placed as bracteatana. 
L. rana Forbes. One specimen in 
Vernon reference collection, B.C. Survey 
No. 41-3082, with no data. This species 
mines bark of Picea engelmanni. (Heinrich 
1926.) 
L. YOl.lngana (Kearf.). Picea glauca 
cones; Central and Northern Interior; 
Whitehorse, Carcross, Yukon Territory. 
Occurred in infestation proportions in 
several areas during 1952 and 1953. 
* Contrihlltion N o. 16 1, Forest Biology Divi sion, 
Science Service, Department of A griculture , Ottawa, 
Canada. 
t Forest Bio logy Laboratory, Verno n. B .C. 
Larva bores through scales, seeds, and 
rachis of cone; overwinters in cone, and 
pupates in spring. LARVA: Three-eighths 
of an inch long; pale cream-coloured. 
L. [Ji[Jerana (Kearf.). Pinus ponder-
osa cones, Grand Forks. 
L. miscitata Hein. Pinus ponderosa 
cones; Southern Interior. Apparently 
this species is much commoner than 
piperana, which it resembles very closely 
in appearance and habits. The larvre bur-
row through the scales and seeds; often 
feeding does not prevent the complete 
opening of mature cones. 
About 80 per cent of the cones on 
some trees sampled in the Kamloops For-
est District were infested each year during 
the period 1950 to 1953 . From one to 
six late-instar larvre have been found in 
individual cones. Larvre overwinter in 
the rachis of the cone and pupate in the 
spring. LARVA: Three-fifths of an inch 
long. 
Las peyresia spp. Two species (one 
noted by Walters 1953) other than those 
listed above, mine Pinus monticola bark 
in Southern B.C. One has been deter-
mined as L. sp. probably obnisa Hein. 
The other species is close to piperana. 
Acknowledgment 
The writer is indebted to Dr. T. N. 
Freeman for identifying most of our 
specimens in the genus Laspeyresia. 
Rcf"rcnccs 
Heinrich , C . Revision of th e North American moths of the subfamilies Laspeyresiin<e a nd 
Otethreutin<e. U.S.N.M. Butl. 132. 1926. 
Walters , J. Laspeyresia sp. as a bark moth on western white pine. Can. Dept. Agr., For. BioI. 
Div., Bi-monthly Prog. Rept. 9:4. 1953. 


English

Annotated list of Forest Insects of British Columbia, Part II - Laspeyresia spp. (Olethreutidae)

Downing, R. S.

Morgan, C. V. G.

Proverbs, M. D.

34 ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY Of BRITISH COLUMBI A, PRO C. (1955) , VOL. 52, APRIL 30. [956 
species of li ce are specific to fl y ing 
squirre ls. 
Specimen F from A lbe rta , is includ-
ed here because it wa s se nt in as a 
whole a nimal, not m e rely as a skin, 
and I was able to work it over Illyse li. 
It s ma in interes t is that it har b~) ured 
F e rri s ' minute species llJlcinalli f ,yh ich 
seem s widespread in m o re nu l' he rn 
Hying squirrel s. 
R e ferenc e s 
Ferris, G. F. Cont ributi ons Towards a ,1L0 l1ograph of tlie S ucki ng Lice, l' a r t I : .l(); F igs. 
31-32. 1919. 
Fe rri s, G. F . The S uck ing L ice, Memo i rs Pac i fi c Coas t E n t. Soc., V o l I, p. 11 5; ['c2" 5ll, 
51. Ca l. Acad. Sc., Sa il Fra ncisco 18, Ca l. 1051. 
LIST OF INSECTS AND MITES ATTACKING TREE FRUITS IN THE 
INTERIOR OF BRITISH COLUMBIAI 
R. S. DOWNING2, C. V. G. MORGAN 3, AND M. D . PROVERBS3 
Entomology labo ratory, Sum merland, B. C. 
Thi s is the fIr s t publi sh ed list of in-
sects and mites t hat attack tree fruit s 
in t he interior of B ri tish Columbi a. 
It includes only th e specie s that have 
1 COll tribu tion )\ 0 . ~3 .1 2 , J ~lltolllnl()).!~· [)i \"j ", io ll, 
Scicl!(,c Scryict', Dcp ar tm c il l of Agr icul tll rc, Utta\\":J, 
l '<l llada. 
2. .-\ ss i .--tan t En t()I1l()I(),!!i~t. 
.) ~\ ssoc iate Ent o mologis t. 
Species 
Acr idi dae. g rassli o ppers , y;tn O ll S s pecies 
Allauicl li ll ed/ellcl Zell ., p cote li t\\ 'ig bo rer 
AlliJclndFIIJ PFi ( I'eek), pe ;tr ],Ii g h t bcet Ie 
AIi/iJopiJila /Nlri(/II{I (C lerck) , ;tppl c and tli o rn 
s keleton ize I' 
Allur(/phis b"keri (CO \\'CIl), c lo \ 'cr apiIid 
/ /II/lrdp/JiJ ( ( lrel!( i (L) , thi s t le ;tph id 
All1lrap/JiJ perJicae,niger ( Smi t Ii), hl ack peach 
a pliid 
AnlirapiJiJ FOJellS B;tk e r, r o:-; :,/ ;tpple ap hid 
AphiJ /J01IIi D eg., appl e ;tphid 
ArciJi/IJ dI',UI'OJPi/'i (W lk r ), f rui t t r ce Ie;t f 
ro llcr 
AniJipJ ceraJi l 'OUI /hl (Fitch) , ug ly ncst 
ca te rp illar 
Archi/}J rOJaceaJl cl (H a rr .) , o bli Cj ue-b;tnded 
leotf ro ll er 
A spidio/II J OJ 1/'eaejo /'II/ i s C url. , Europ ean f rui t 
sc alc 
A ,pidio/IIJ pemicioJlIs Con t,t., C;an J ose scale 
Bryobia prcle/iOJa Koch, clO\'e r mi t e 
Caliroa ce"c/J! (L) , pea r -s lug 
Cdr pocdpJet p01l]o lle//a (L) . codl ing m o t h 
C icadidae, cicadas , va r in 1l s speCI es 
ColeopiJora cerasil 'orella Pack. (= C. occidell/is 
Ze ll .), cig ar casebearer 
Coleo piJora pmniella Clem., c h e r ry casebea rcr 
Cor )'/bucha padi Drake. cho k e chert'v t ing id 
CypiJoderris mons/rosa Utler, a cricket 
Da/ema ministrel (Drmy), y ell o\\'-neckecl 
caterpi llar 
Diptacus giga/ltorhJllciJlls (Na1.) , bi g -beaked 
p lum mite 
Edzl'ardJiaJl{1 1'OJae (U, rose leafhopp e r 
EmpoaJca maligna (Walsll), apple leafh o ppe r 
caused economi c loss . .t\ lthoug' lJ so me 
of the m are but sporadically in ju rious, 
nO ll e a re m erely occasion al or inci -
den ta l fee de rs. A n E in tht: host 
co lu111n s de signa tes the pe s t as nIle of 
majur economic importance aga inst 
" ' hi ch cont ro l mea sures Il1U~ [ be 
frequ ently t ake n ; a n S indica tes t hat 
it is o nl y sporadicall y injuri ous . 
Apple Apricot Peach Pear Plum a l1<i Ch cr ry 
l'run e 
F C; 
E F 
c.; 
S 
:-; 
E 
E 
F 
E 
r E 
S S C; 
E 
E E 
E C; S 
E S S 
S 
S 
E 
S S 
E S 
S 
E 
c' 
J 
S 
S 
E 
S 
E 
C; 
E 
E 
S 
S 
c; C; 
E 
c.; 
:-; 
E 
S E 
E C; 
F F 
E C; 
C; E 
C; S 
E C; 
E 
C; 
C; C; 
C; C; 
E E 
S 
[ :"TO~1(J 10G ICAL SOCI ETY OF BRITISH COL UMBIA, PROC. (195 5) , VO L. 52, APRI L 30, 1956 35 
Species Apple Apri cot P each Pear Plum a nd Che rry 
Prune 
EOlo; .II':'C ,'; /i S carpilli borealis (E\\'ing), ye llow 
5vider mit e E 
f iJl/l im{}/i ; PY"i (Kal.) , pe a r ru st mi le S 
Eriopbw' p)ri ( .l:'gs t.), pear leaf bli ste r mite E 
ErioJo lII,; 1.lIIigewlII (Hausm.), wooll y :tppl e 
aphi d E 
Er)lbrollulI.1 spp., leafhoppe rs 
ESliglllule "o-ea (Drury) , salt -marsh cate rpillar S 
[ orjic/l!.1 .1 l1ricularia L. , Eu ropea n ea rwig 
Franklilliell" occidentalis (P ergande) , '\'eslern 
thrip E 
Crapholilb.1 prICkardi (Zell .), cherry fruilwo rm 
Crapb()lilba pruni liara ( 'NaI sh), lesser 
app!ewo rm S 
f/yalopltflls arundinis (F.), mealy plum aphid 
Hypbann i'l cunea (Drury) fall webworm S 
Ilicisali,., i loides (Bdv.), western elfin S 
Lecanill lll spp., sca le s S 
LepidosapiJes IIlmi (L.) , o ystershell scale E 
Limonills discoidells Lec., a click beetle 
Lyglls spp. , plant bugs E 
Malac()solila diss/ria Hbn., fore st tent 
ca terpillar E 
Malaco.<oma plll1Jiale (Dyar), western tent 
(i(terpillar E 
Marmara p01llonella Busck, apple fruit mlller S 
Meta/eirall)ciJus ulmi (Koch), European red 
mit e E 
Mineola Jcillllella Hulst, Mineola moth S 
MyZlls cerasi (F.), black cherry aphid 
MyzlIs persicae (Sulz.), green peach aphid 
Decall/blls sp., a tree cricket S 
Dperophlera bruceata (Hulst), Bruce spanworm S 
Pbalaenidae, cut worms, vanous species E 
PbeliacocclIs aceris (Sign.), apple mealybug E 
PbolOdon bllmllli (Schr.), hop aphid 
Pbyffocoples abaenus K., a rust mite 
Pristiph() ra califomica (Marl.), California 
pear-slug 
Psylla pyricola Foerst., pear psylla 
Pultlinaria s p., a scale 
Rbagoleli.< fausta (OS), black cherry 
irui! fly 
RbopaloJilJiJllm prunifoliae (Fitch), apple grain 
aphid E 
Sannilloidea exiliosa exiliosa (Say), peach tree 
bo rer 
Scbizura cOllcmna (A. & S.), red-humped 
caterpillar S 
SpiloliOla ocellcllla (D. & S.), eye-spotted 
bud moth E 
Stic/ocephala baMliJ (Walk.), a treehopper E 
Stictocephala hubalu.f (F.), buffalo treehopper E 
Taellio/hlips inconseqllen.f (Uzel), pear thrips 
Tetran yc/; II J- mcdanieli McG., a spider mite S 
Tetral1 ) ciJ lI s pacificlI.f 1IcC., Pacific spider mite S 
Tell-an)cims telarius (L.) , (=bimaclllatli s 
H a rYe'-), two-spotted spider mite E 
Tefrall),c iJil.r !lrticae (Koch), a spider mite S 
T orYJll iu dnl/Jamm Roh., apple seed chalcid S 
T ypbloClb.1 IJomaria MeA., white apple 
ieaihopper E 
VasalCf rO rrlu/us (Banks), peach si lver mite 
VaMlu (Phyllocoptes ) fockeui (Nal. & Trt.), 
plum nursery mite 
V aJclICf (Pbyllocoptes) schlechtendali (1\al.), 
apple rll s t mite E 
X yleh&llI f saxe.fe lli (Rat z.) , a sllOt-hole bo re t· 
S 
E 
E 
S 
S 
S 
E 
S 
E 
S 
S 
E 
s 
s 
S 
S 
S 
E 
E 
E 
E 
E 
E 
S 
E 
S 
E 
E 
S 
E 
S 
E 
S 
S 
E 
E 
S 
S 
E 
S 
E 
E 
E 
S 
S 
s 
E 
S 
S 
S 
S 
E 
S 
S 
S 
S 
S 
S 
E 
S 
E 
E 
S 
S 
E 
S 
E 
S 
E 
S 
S 
E 
S 
S 
s 
S 
E 
E 
S 
S 
S 
E 
S 
E 
S 
S 
S 
E 
S 
E 


List of insects and mites attacking tree fruits in the interior of British Columbia

Evans, D.

38 ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF BR ITISH COLUMBIA, P ROC. ( 1955) , VOL. 52, APRIL 30, 1956 
Acknowledgments 
:\Ios t of the ad ult s in our coll ection were ident ified by :\[iss :\L H .. :\[acl"::,,,·. E n to-
mology Divisio n, Ottawa. Our rela tive ly advanced s tage o f knowledge o f this g ro up is 
due to th e interest that l\li ss :\JacKay took in Eupitbecia while she was statio ned at the 
Ve rno n la borato ry . 
Des criptions o f larvae appea ring in quotati on m a rk s were m ade by labo ra to ry pe rs,::m ·· 
nel o th cr than th e autho rs. 
R eferences 
\facK ay, :\ f . J\. S pec ies o f Eupi/beeicl rcared in th e Fo re ;; t ln sec t S ur vey in B riti sl o Colulll-
bi a. Canad. Ent. R3 :7i -9 1. 19.:; 1. 
_\fc Dunnoug h, ]. H. Revi, io ll o f th e N o rth A lll cri c; lll ;; pcc ics o f th e g cnu s [/lpi/ bal.: . Tl ull. 
Am er . . \[u s. )Ja l. Hi s!. 93(8) :537-728. 1949. 
ANNOTATED LIST OF FOREST INSECTS OF BRITISH COLUMBIA 
PART IV-HYDRIOMENA SPP. (GEOMETRIDAE)1 
D . A . R oss2 AND D . EVAN S3 
These loopers are considered to be 
of no economi c impo rtance since they 
occur in small numbers and have not 
been known to cause a ny appreciable 
defoli a tion. Of t he 11 species notcd 
here, 7 a re conifer feeder s; t he others 
feed on broad-leaved hosts. The la rvae 
of most species of Hydriomena are 
brownish ; some species a re banded, at 
least in t he early in sta rs. 
H. albimontanata, d;v;sar;a, irata, 1lllbilo-
fasciata, and remmc;ata overwinter in the 
pupal s tage ; som e, if not a ll o f the 
oth er species ove rwintc r in the larva l 
stage. 
H . irata Swet t. A ll o f our typical /rel/(/ 
spec im cll s cam e from Picea Jilcbel/ jiJ 0 11 th e 
Quee n Cha rlotte I sla nd s. McDunn,ollgh des~ 
ig na ted o th er se ries of s pecimens as 
" probahl y all fo rms o f H . ira/a" . Th e latter 
were reared from. T jllg(/ be/eropb;ll", T. 1I1e1'-
/emi"na, Pjeudo/Jllga laxi/olicl, and Pice" sp. 
in " ar ious pa r ts o f B riti sh Columbia south 
o f 54 0 latitud e. Larva: pal e hrO\\'n head 
a nd sur:1l1a l pla te; ea rl y in sta l'S banded with 
reddi sh -brow n o r drah g ree n ; lat er in sta l'S 
\\·ith dar k broken subd o rsa l a nd spiracular 
lin es . 
H. marinata exaspera ta B. & :\f c n. P.rell -
dOIJuga laxi/olia, Qualicum; Abiej grandiJ, 
1 Contri bution ).10. 22\ F ores t Biology Di" is ion , 
~c i e nce S{'I"\' ice, l)epartlllen t of A g- ric ttltlll"c . Ot t a\\'a , 
Call?tia . 
2 F orest Hiology L ;lbnr ato ry, Vern on, R. C. 
3 Fores t Biology Laborator y , Vi c tori a , D.C. 
Sooke ; Picea Ji/riJenJiJ, Knig ht Inl er. P upa-
t ion occurs in Jun e; adult s em e rge late in 
Jun e o r ea r ly Ju ly. 
H . probably edena ta grandis B. & ~lcD. 
PJeudolwga /clXi/o lia, Col\Vood o n \" a ncouver 
J s land. Larva pupated April 29 : au ult 
cme rg ed in :\[ay. 
H. divisaria Wlk. Pieea engellll.lIIf11. PJeIl-
do/.ruga taxi/olia, A biej laJiocarpa; Ce nt ra l and 
~outhern Int er io r. 
H . renuncia ta \ 'Vlle AII2tH s pp . :\[ os t of 
th e specim ens irom V.I. and th e Sout hern 
Coast arc des ignated as H. ,.. colli III bicl!a. 
O th er s pec im ens from thi s area and Ce n t ral 
and So uth e rn Int erio r B .C. are des igna ted a ~; 
H . ,·ell/illeia/a. Pro bably this is th e ~common­
e>t o f th e fo rest H ydriomena in B.C. Larva : 
head and pro tho r,;cic shi eld , hr(>\\'n; hody, 
\I·ith jJurpli sh ha nd s ; pale douh le do rsal, 
wid e suud o r, ;tI, and s piracular li nes. 
H . albi monta na ta :\IcD . Pselldots ll g.1 laxi· 
/oli", Sou th e rn Int e ri o r. Larva : he :td , tan; 
uody, li g ht hrO\\'n, with a sll1 ;tl l dark bLown 
pat ch o n do rsum o f each seglll elll ; sm ;tll 
IJrO\\'n pa tches on sid es of tho rax. 
H. furca ta Bo rg . Scdix spp. \'. r. a lHI 
Coast, and Ce ntra l Inl erio r . l'n p:diu n a s 
ea rl y as J un e I I ; fi r s t adult elll erRencc date 
is July 13. L a rva: I inch; ve r ~' dark browll 
head an d body ; li g ht subdorsal a nd spir-
;l(' ula r lin es; ind is t inct pal e supraspirac ular 
lin e. 
H . speciosata Pack. PIIlII J COII/ O l"/.I . PU ll' 
d"/JIIgCl laxijoli". T J/l g" be/eroth),!!,,; \ ' .r. O ne 
spcc im en frolll A bie.r GfCllldis .. \ -a lde.- [sla nd, 
o ne from PJelldo/JII gCl /"xi/oli" . Salt S prin g 
lsland, an d n ne from TSll gCl beterapb)!!.I. Ilute 
J n1cl \\'e re de sig nat ed as H. s. io rm "1)'lori 
E NTOM OL OG ICAL. SOC IETY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA, PROC. (1955) , VOL. 52, APRIL 30, 1956 39 
S\I'ct t . Larva: head, dark bro\\'n; body, 
pal e bro \l 'n , brighter on s ides ; da rk irregular 
dor ;; al ;In d "late ra l" lin es , 
H. morosata 13, & i\1c n. Pin"J ColltoJ'/a, 
Cc)nll ll r,t in n Cree k ( nea r .\I oberly Lake). 
H. nubilofasciata Pack. Qlle/'clls gmryalla; 
Vic toria. Larva: complex linear pattern or 
bright variega ted bro \\'n and g rey. 
H. manzanita '[';1\' 1. Arb"I"J 1Ilenziesii, V, L 
and SoutiI e rn Ca a s t. Larva: head a nd bod\' 
g reeni s iI-ye ll o\l' ; fill e g reyish lin es o n do r·· 
SU111 . 
Reference 
1 1c J)u n n" ug h, ]. H . 1 9J~ . T he s pec ies o f th e g enu s H ydrio/ll elhl occ urrin g in .Ameri ca no rt h 
o j .l cx ic.a. Bu ll. .Alll e r. .\I.u s . :\at. Hi s t. 103 (3) :241-358. 
AN ANNOTATED LIST OF THE COLEOPTERA TAKEN AT OR 
NEAR TERRACE, BRITISH COLUMBIA. PART 3.';'t 
M. E. CLARK 
Masst"I, Queen Char lotte Islands , B.C. 
Dasytes - I' . 
Allonyx ' I'. 
Mel)ridae 
Eurelymis atra Lee.- T ake n In 1931 ; vid e 
H . C. F a ll. 
Cleridae 
Thanasimus undatulus Say-Det. by vVo l-
co tl. 
Thanasimus undatulus monticola "Vole. -
]) e l. \V o lcott. 
Enoclerus sphe,geus Fab.- Scarce o n spru ce 
log, in Jun e ; vide .A.B. W olco tt. 
Cory"e/idae 
Necrobia violacea Linn .- Rar e; fo und In 
Ill arl"< '\I ho nes, Jun e and Ju ly. 
Ce/J iJaloidae 
Cephaloon tenuicorne Lee.- I{a re. 
Oedem eridae 
Calopus a ngustus LeC.- I:rolll a ye ll o \\' pin e 
s tU I11]>. :\pri l 1921 ; rar e. 
Ditylus quadricollis Lee.- l{are ; tak e ll h,' 
t ile cree k, J Uli e ~, 1920. 
MOidelliclae 
Mordella borealis l. eC- Frequ clIt , fro111 ;1 
yell r j\\"j.:.h -hro \\"1l fUll g." U :-;' 0 11 ~ prll (, C I ng :-; ~ 
Ju l,\' til ~ e pternher; \'id e Lilj eblad . 
Mordell a marginata .\ Iels h. 
Anaspis rufa Say- ColilIlIOll Oll r cd oSier 
I!. '1£\\'111 ,<1 (Cornus), a ll d Spiraea, JUli e a nd 
Iuh . 
A':'aspis a trata Challl]l - \ 'cr i licd hy Lil jc-
lol ad . 
.". " ;In .... 1 and 2 appe ared ill t h is jo urn a l i ll 1947 
:11111 tr l..j ~ : .l -t:24-27; 4.:;: 21-2-L .-\ ... bd ore, I a lll pa r -
ti cu larl\' indebted to ~1r. C. A. Fros t lor icklltifi ea· 
li o ll :O; , ~I in r he ll' ill obtaining th em from specia li s ts . 
I \\'i ~h al"'(J to ackno\\'!edge th e g-e ll e ro u s he lp 1''' ' 
c e i "C',j irnll1 a ll perso n s li s ted belo w; with o llt it til t' 
!i :-- t (, ()l1 ld :lO t ha\'e been made . 
-i- Edit o r · ... \'() t e :~;\ s with th e !\\'O pre \' iotl s p ape r s 
()f l11 i :-- ~1.:'rit' :' , ,\11'. H ugh 13. Leech, fro lll who m t 11 ;; 
t ~l , t' '''' (T i l ' t \ \ ' <1 :0: rt' ce i n:-d , i .-; rt:':,po ll :-: i b le io r t he l: X -
LI..' II :: i \'(: t'd itn r ia l wo rk a1ld t axo ll ("\llli c ('hl"'( k ill ].! so 
t ':-; :-l~ llti a l If it Ill all ll s ("r ipt o f thi s k il1 (1.-K . ~r.'K . 
Laricia nigricolor Lilj.- A paratype from Ill ." 
Ill a te r ial is ill \ 1 r. Fro st 's co ll ect ion . 
ElclCClliclae 
Eurystethus californicus .\ [Ot5. - \"id e H . C. 
Fall. 
Py/bidae 
Lecontia discicollis Lee. 
Pytho seidlitzi B lair- November, 1927. 
Priognathus monilicornis Hanel. 
PYl'ocbroidae 
Ischalia vancouverensis Ha r r.-Rare; 192i . 
Dendroides bicolor :>Je \yn .- Hare; o n appl e 
tree. 
Dendroides s p.- "P ro babl y D. ephemeroides 
.\[a nn .. bu r ca n not ve rify it" , \\Tote ~I r. 
Fros t. 
Pedilidae 
Eurygenius campanulatus L ee. - Det. l> y 
J. J. ,Ill l3 o is . 
AI1I!Jiciclae 
Anthicus simiolus Cs v. 
Anthicus f10ralis Lill;1. 
E/Clleridae 
Lacon profusus Call. - I'are. [ l\0\\' a , YI I(' -
lIylll "i brevicornis L ee. ·I. 
Lacon rorulentus l_eC.- Scarce. 
Athous cribratus LeC. 
Athous rufiventris ferruginosus E ,c h. 
Athous pallidipennis .\ I a n n. 
Ludius kendalJi "bv. 
Ludius frat ernus l ~ee.-De t. hy Q uir ,;iel d ; 
f req lien t 0 11 AO\\'e rs. 
Ludius " I' . Il eal' fraternus Le C. 
Ludius volitans Esc h.- D el. b y DrO\\' l1 a ll d 
Q uir s fclcl. . 
Ludius umbricola E sc h.- Det. l>y Kllull a ll d 
B ro\l·n. 
Ludius caracinus l. enn.- De1. l> y BrO\l'1l and 
Quir'felcl. 
Ludius kaweana Fall- D el. hy Fall ( ori ~in ;L1 -
Iy as rufipennis Fall ), and Q uir , feld 
Ludius sagitticollis E ,c h.- ]) et. In' F a ll. 


Annotated list of forest insects of British Columbia Part IV - Hydriomena spp. (Geometridae)

Spencer, G. J.

ENTOMOLOGICAL. SOCIETY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA, PROC. (1955), VOL. 52, APR IL 30, 1956 21 
3rd Instar. Length 16 ml11. Head 
pale brown with two vertical dark 
brown bars, body fuscous or brown, 
th e longitudinal line s a pa le lemon 
co lour, spiracular lin e 'white to vellow 
edged above with dark brown'. 
4th Instar. August 17. length 25-28 
111m. Head as before, body a dark 
chocolate colour, all the str ipes, in -
cluding the spiracular, a pa le lemon 
colour each finely edged with black. 
5th Instar. August 26. Length 35 
111m. Head pale bro wn with four 
vertical fuscous bars, body chocolate 
wit h st ro ngly contra sting black-
edged ye llow dorsal, subdo rsal and 
spiracula r lines. In sO l11e cases body 
colour is black between dorsal and 
subdorsa ls, vinaceous between sub-
do rsals a nd spiracular, und er side vina-
ceous, shading into beige. Length 
when fu ll -fed 40 111111. 
As the larva grew older it rested 
quietly, when not feeding, extended 
al ong a leaf-stalk or on the mid-rib 
on the underside of a lea f, the \'e llo w 
stripes of th e larva tending to- blend 
it into the leaf o r sta lk. If touched 
it rolled into a ring and dropped to 
the bottom of the container. 
Pupa. Pupated September 7 and 8. 
Pupa 17 111m. x 5 111m ., slender. t horax 
with fine trans ve rse rugosItIes or 
"Tinkles, abdominal segment s coarse-
ly punctate except for a smooth 
central band on the fir s t three ; 
col our dark mahogany brown; cre-
maste r a stout dorso-ventrally Iiat-
tened process term ina ting in two 
parallel spi nes, the 'whole 1 mm . long. 
The larva m ade a cocoon of earthen 
particles cemented together with silk, 
just beneath the surface of the ground. 
Summary. Ovum, July 4 - 14 (10 
days). Larva July 14 - September 8 
(57 days). Pupa September 8 - l\Iay 
01- June (8-10 m onth s). Total days 
from egg to adult approximatelv 365 
days. 
References 
B lackm o re, E. H. Ca n. Ent .. :;2 :266. 1920. 
Cook. VV. C. "A n ecologicall y annotatcd li s t o f Ih c l'halacnidae o f \[onta n;;" . Can. Fnl. 
62: 12, 273. 1930. 
n ya r, H. C. ,.:\. li s t o f K o rth .Amer ica n L c pid o pt e r;t and key to th c li tcrat ure of this o rder 
o f ill,ect s" . U.S. Kal. \ill s. Kill!. 52. 1902. 
Fcrg uso n, n. c. "Th e L e pid o pte ra of Nova SCOIia'·. 1'roc. NO\'a Sco tia Ili st. o f Sci . 
23 :161-375. 1953 . 
Jo nes, J. R. J. L1e\\·c ll y n. "A n a nn o tated chcc k li st of the \facro le pido ptera o f Briti sh 
Columbia. 195 1. 
Insect Population In Pigeon Manure 
On Fcbruary 16, 1954, a citi zc n bro ug ht 
m e a ho ut a ga ll o n o f pigeon manurC frOIll th e 
he lfry of a n o ld ch u rc h in \ -anco ll\'c r , stat-
in g that il \I'as a sample fro m so m e t\\'o to ns 
that had accnl11ulat ed o\'(~ r th e vears. A 
iarm e r had ci)1ltract cd to rcm o \'c 'thc 111an -
ur e. Finding certain in scct lan'ae in it , 
h e I\'oll< le red if the in sect s \\'Oldd he dctri -
m cntal to his g rec n ho use c ro ps and as ked 
h is f riend to h:l\'e th c materia l examincd. 
Thc manurc \I'a s f:tirl y solid and com -
press ed, damp a nd hca vv ",ith odd s ti ck , 
and feath e r s and th e r em a in s o f a dead 
bird in co rpo ratcd int o it; the snrfa ce. of 
r ccc nt de pos itio n, \I'a s dry and fl a k Y. There 
\\'a s r elatively liltle slll eli to it . -
P ick cd D\'er hi t hy hit , it yield ed: -
1. S co res o f lan'a e o f T ellebrio lII oli/or 
L. the vc ll o\\' m ea l 1I'0 rm , in al l s izes 
a nd in s'tars from \'er v s l11 a ll to ma -
lure-hnt no pupae o r adult s ; t he r e 
\I'as one ely tro n. 
2. \Ia n y dead adult s o f Si/odrejJa jJalliceti 
L., the drugs to rc he e tle , but no larvae. 
3. T,,'o ad ul t Plillll S jllr L. th e \I·h it e-
marked s pide r beetl e, and o n c Ian·a. 
a ll ali\·e. 
-t. Se\'e ral small Stap hylinid bettl cs . 
J. \[o tll lar vae o f t\\'o distin c t sp ec ie s. 
o nc full y it inc h lo ng, ac ti\'e, and no n-
s ilk s pinuing. 
6 .. A fell' cmpty cascs u f Tin ea pellioll el-
la ( 1. .) , th c casc-makin g cl o tl1<."" mo th . 
7. '\ uUlllh er o f ful l g rOll'n, thin. thrcad-
lik c lan'ae o f Scell opinidae. ", ind o \\' 
fli es. Th cse m aggo ts ha\'c d is ti nct 
hcad s and arc predacio us . 
R. \Ia ny predaci o us. , mall H cmip tc ra . 
t\I O a dult s a nd Ih e r es t n~· lllpII S. 
ha\'c no t identifi ed th cm y ct. 
9. TII'o half g rol\'n , li\'in g Lepi.r lll :l 
.rtlccbarilltl L.. ur s ilve r fi s h , 
10. '1'11'0 el11pty pupa ria of, pro babll·. 
hl o l\' fli cs. 
T o m y surpri se, th c r e \\'cre no mi tcs a nd 
n.'l I: lrvac o i mu!'C oid Diptcra; nOll e of 
th e in sects \va s of much nui san ce \·: t!u e. 
-G. J. Spellcer, Ull il'er.rit )' 0/ Britisb Colllll1bi<1. 


Insect Population In Pigeon Manure

&lt;pertaining to the whereabouts of Clermont Livingston's Lepidoptera and Coleoptera collections from Vancouver Island&gt

Leech, Hugh B.

Historical Note

ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA, PROe. (1958), VOL. 55, DEC. 22, 1958 39 
Discussion and Summary 
This study is aimed at separating 
the different species and their damage, 
working out their life histories, and 
determining a means of control for 
the important species in seed orchards. 
It is difficult to draw definite conclu-
sions following only one year's work. 
However, it is apparent that a number 
of insect species are involved and 
that some of these are potentially 
capable of destroying appreciable 
amounts of Douglas-fir seed. 
In 1957, seed chalcids, cone moths, 
and cone gall midges were present in 
appreciable numbers with the latter 
being the most important single group. 
References 
Foote, Richard H. Gall midges associated with cones of western forest tree (Diptera: 
Itonididae) Jour. Wash. Acad. Sci. 46(2) : 48-57. 1956. 
Graham, K. and M. L. Prebble. Investigations of the role of insects in relation to seed 
production in Douglas fir. For. Insect Investigations, Dom. Ent. Lab. Victoria, B.C. 
(Unpublished). 1941. 
Hussey, N. W. The life-histories of Megasligmus spermotrophus Wachtl (Hymenoptera: 
Chalcidoidea) and its principal parasite, with descriptions of the developmental 
stages. Trans. Roy. Ent. Soc. Lond. 106(2) : 133-151. 1955. 
Radcliffe, D. N. An appraisal of seed damage by the Douglas-fir cone moth in British 
Columbia. For. Chron. 28(2): 19-24. 1952. 
Two remarkable Moth Chrysalises 
Towards the end of May 1925, I received 
from the government fumigation station in 
Vancouver, four sapling Chinese elms with 
curious hard lumps projecting from the 
stems. The lumps were smooth, oval, nearly 
J inch long by 5/16 inch wide, striped with 
six alternate brown and white longitudinal 
bars and were stuck tightly to the stems. 
I had an idea that they were of lepidop terous 
orig in so kept them in the laboratory. 
On June 20 when working at a table I 
heard a curious little "plop 1" and immedi-
ately something flashed to the window 
which fo rtunately was closed, and banged 
up against a pane. It was a stout -bodied 
browni sh-oran ge-yellow moth with a wing 
spread o f about H in ches . Closcly watching 
the o t her lumps on the stems, I was 
fortunat e enough to see the emergence of 
another moth; suddenly the rounded top 
of the ch rysa lis, like an operculum, flew off 
with a cli ck and in one fluid movement, 
without the pause for wing expansion and 
dryin g commoll to most moths, this one 
emerged from th e chrysal is and flew straight 
towards th e li ght, to hit th e window with a 
thud. 
Having no refe rences to Chinese insects, I 
consult ed ~raxwell L ef roy's " Indi an Insects" 
a nd found an illustration and brief descrio-
tion of a ve ry similar moth; it belongs to the 
Limacodidae, close ly rela ted to th e Eucleidae 
or flann el moths which have caterpillars 
with extremely irritat in g spines. 
In the D1ackmore-V/ynne collection of 
L epidoptera at the University, are spec imens 
of only one species of Limacodidae in this 
Province, T o,.".icidia testacea crypta Packard, 
from Saanich ton and Enderby, with no notes 
about its chrysa li s. 
The emergence of these moths from their 
hard chrysalises is so remarkably swift as 
to raise the question "Why?". Every other 
moth that I have ever heard of or seen takes 
some little time for the expansion and dry-
ing of its wings and the large silk worm 
moths take several hours. Against what 
enemies or danger is this moth so protected 
that it emerges from its ,chrysalis like a 
jack-in-the-box? 
The second remarkable chrysalis was 
brought to my attention by Mr. F. Jackson, 
440 E. 35th Avenue, Vancouver, who rang 
me up in June 1957 to ask "What insec t 
is made of gold?" As usual in such cases, 
I said that I did not know but to send in 
specimens. In a few days he sent some 
withered leaves ti ed into clumps with scanty 
silk and showin g in spots , touches of gold. 
On tearing open the leaves I was amazed 
to find small obtected pupae of pure, polish-
ed gold, t'he most beautiful things imae{in-
able. For once a citizen was correct, they 
were of gold. From July 2 to July 5, four 
moths emerged from these pupae leaving 
behind th em delicate empty 'cases with only 
the faintest tinge of gold. The moths are 
geometricls Sic)'a maw/aria crocearia Packard 
anel from th e Blackmore-Wynne collection 
I find that they are quite commonly di s-
tributed at the coast and at Enderby where 
Mr. V/ynne lived, and in the sout hern in-
terior. Larvae o f the form maw/aria are 
recorded by Ll ewell yn Jones as feeding upon 
AceI', Betllla, Vaccinillm, Spirea, Pinlls contorta, 
P. mOIl/ico/a and T SlIga, a very wide range of 
food plants. It would be interesting to know 
if all th e pupae from larvae that feed on 
such diverse hos ts have this pol ished gold 
reflection. 
40 ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA, PROC. (1958), VOL. 55 , DEC. 22, 1958 
The moths, nicknamed "Pink-bordered 
Yellow" by Blackmore, possess none of this 
metallic sheen; and the nickname indicates, 
the colour is yellow with a pinkish-brown 
margin on the front wing. I can find no 
references accounting for metallic gold in 
insects. Other colours, especially yellows, 
are accounted for by pigments and environ-
mental fa ctors, but not gold . The gold in 
these pupae may be pigment, rendered 
meta llic by interference lines, that emerges 
in the adult wing as yellow. 
Finally it is of interest to note that the 
word "Chrysalis" comes from the Greek 
"Khrusallis" meaning "golden thing". Did 
the first entomologist-etymologist to employ 
that word Chrysalis to the obtect pupae of 
Lepidoptera, have before him the metallic 
golden pupa of this insect Sicya macularia? 
- G. J. Spencer, University of British Columbia, 
VaIlCOUVel". 
ANNOTATED LIST OF FOREST INSECTS OF BRITISH COLUMBIA 
PART VIII - SEMIOTHISA SPP. (GEOMETRIDAE)1 
D. A. ROSS2 and D. EVANS3 
The larvae o f Semiolhisa spp. are 
leaf eaters; seven of the fore st species 
feed on conife rs, thre e on deciduous-
leaved hosts. Non e ha s been known 
to occur in de structive numbers in 
British Columbia. The larvae are 
medium-sized loopers: some species 
are green with white stripes, a few 
have two colour phases. All species 
overwinter as naked pupae in the duff. 
S. adonis B. & McD. Pinus ponderosa, 
P. contorta, P. monticola, Pseudotsuga taxi-
folia (3), La r i x occidentalis (1) ; 
southern B.C. ; rather uncommon. 
Larva: Ii inches; head, pale green, 
dull reddish patch above and be-
fore ocelli; body, g:een; cream-
coloured subdorsal stnpes (includes 
abdominal setae ii of Dyar and Forbes) 
continuous onto the head; broader 
cream subspiracular stripe. 
S. granitata Gn. Pseudotsuga taxifolia, 
Picea engelmanni, P. glauca. P. mariana, 
P. sitchensis, Tsuga heterophylla, Abies 
lasiocarpa, A. grandis, A. amabalis, Pinus 
contorta, P. monticola; believed to be 
accidental on P. ponderosa and Larix 
spp. Generally distributed; sometimes 
very numerous over small areas. In 
1949 numerous adults emerged during 
early fall; normally the species over-
winters in the pupal stage. Larva: Ii 
inches; head, greenish, with dark red-
dish-brown blotch or herringbone 
pattern on sides, occasionally also on 
vertex; body, green; middorsal area 
1. Contribution No. 4.19, Fores t Biology Divi s ion, 
Sc ience Se rvice, Department of Agriculture, Otta\v<I, 
Canada. 
2. F o res t Bio logy Laboratory, Vernon, B.C. 
3. Forest Diology Laborato ry, Victori a , D.C. 
dark; 'white subdorsal stripe ventrad 
of setae ii ; whitish "bloom" over 
do rsum ; fine bla ckish lines on dorsum, 
below subdorsal stripe and on suu-
venter (these blackish lines may be 
obscured by the "bloom" ; cream 
spiracular- subspiracular stripe; white 
lines on venter. 
S. perplexa McD. Pseudotsuga taxi· 
folia, Picea engelmalll1i; southern Interior 
with a few records along the southern 
and central Coast. Larva: apparently 
similar to S. granitata. 
S. sexmaculata Pack. Larix occiden-
talis, L. laricina; southern Interior on 
western larch and central Interior 
north into the Yukon on eastern larch; 
frequently numerous. Sometimes this 
species has a partial second brood. 
Larva: length !t inch: green phase -
head and body green; white addorsal 
lines dorsad of seta i; broader white 
subdorsal stripe ventrad of ii, bordered 
below by black line; cream subspir-
acular stripe; white midventral and 
subventral lines; no black lines on 
venter; brown phase - head, off-
white, with brown blotch or herring-
bone pattern on vertex; body, off-
white, overlaid with brown; irregular 
broad anteriorly directed dark brown 
wish-bone mark on the dorsum of 
each abdominal segment. 
S. triviata B. & McD. Junipems 
scopulomm; Australian, Marguerite, 
Alexandria, Williams Lake, Mara 
Meadows, Fort Steele, Hedley. Larva: * inch; head, off-white with irregular 
brown patch through setae ii (Dyar); 
pale herringbone pattern on vertex; 


Two Remarkable Moth Chrysalises

Hardy, G. A.

E S T O ,I IIJi .<><l Il ', II , S , W II ':T Y IJ I.' I l l n T I ~ 1 1 ('O l.t ' III:I.\ . P ,«)!'. ( UlG9 J . V O L . 56, Nol'. 4, 195U 39 
No residue was detected in an y of 
th e sprouts except in those treated 
with Phosdrin and h arvested on Oc-
tober 10 . In these the inhibition of 
cholinesterase was 8.3 per cen t gr eat-
er than in the untreated ch eck. The 
PAINTED LADY, Vanessa cardui, 
on Vancouver Island 
This cosmopolitan butterfly was 
common in Saanich , during 1958. Not 
since 1952 h ave I seen it in such num-
bers. As a matter of fact only a single 
specimen, in 1957, came to my notice 
between these dates. In 1958 I first 
noted it on May 18, a nd the last da te 
recorded was October 1. 
Soon after a rriving in th e district, 
from where I do not know, egg laying 
sta rted on the two species of thistles 
abundant in the area, n amely Ca nada 
thistle, Cirsium canadensis, and bull 
thistle , C. l anceolat a . It seemed to 
prefer the latter. On June 18 I ob-
served a female hovering a bout the 
head of a bull thistle where it was 
ovipositing so intently tha t it con-
tinued to lay even when I pulled the 
stem towards me for a closer look. 
In a ll , though not n ecessarily laid by 
this individual, 12 eggs were found , 
either on the involucre of the t er -
minal flower h ead , or on the upper -
most leaves just beneath the inflor-
escence. I snipped off th e top of the 
plant conta ining the eggs and placed 
it under a muslin screen . The result-
ing caterpilla rs were reared to ma -
t urity. Adults emerged on July 17, one 
month a fter the eggs were la id . 
During the course of the summer 
la rvae in a ll stages of development 
were in evidence, varying from ligh t 
yellowish green to a lmost completely 
black . Clumps of thistles soon assum-
ed a bedraggled appearance, th e bare 
leaf stalks festooned with the rem-
nants of th e silken cubicles in which 
the la rvae lived or h ad lived . Pupae 
were ra rely seen , however , as the 
caterpillars leave th e food plant for 
intervals in days, between last treat-
ment and the October 10 harvest 
were : Thimet , 25 ; 12,880, 46; 18,706, 
25 ; Di-syston , 38 ; Systox, 46 ; Phos-
d rin , 18. 
less exposed quarters. Once in a while 
a chrysalis was found hanging within 
a very open-meshed tent along the 
leaf sta lks of the host plant. 
Fresh specimens of adults were 
common by July 18 and continued to 
be so well in September. 
There is considerable overlapping 
of broods but with an average of one 
month for a complete life cycle and 
a consta n t succession of ova there 
could be two or more generations in 
on e season, especially in a long, mild 
autumn as in 1958. From an economic 
point of view this is a useful insect, 
considering the ravages it commits 
a mong the thistles. 
Wha t becomes of the hosts of in-
dividuals seen up to October I? They 
must do one of three things : Hiber-
na te; but I h ave never come across 
them h ereabouts, even early in the 
spring as in the case of the Mourning 
cloak a nd Angle Wing, both of which 
a re known to hibernate. Emigrate; if 
so it is not noticeable. Or die before 
winter ; here again I h ave no evidence 
in support of such a h appening. 
Most likely they a re h ere in the 
fi rst place as an overflow from 
Mexico or some other wa rm climate. 
They succeed well enough during the 
summer in their n ew h aunt, but are 
una ble to withstand the ensuing 
winter. 
R. South in "The Butterflies of the 
Bri t ish Isles" 1947 sta tes that North 
Africa is thought to be the centre for 
this s p e c i e s, which periodically 
spreads a ll over the t emperate world, 
wh ere it thrives for a time but even-
tually disappears, until a nother wave 
of migrants from the original source 
re-popula tes its fa r flun g range. 
G . A. HARDY 
Provincia l Museum, Victor ia , B.C. 


Painted Lady, Vanessa cardui, on Vancouver Island

Hardy, George A.

NOTES ON THE LIFE HISTORIES OF FOUR MOTHS FROM SOUTHERN 
VANCOUVER ISLAND 
GEORGE A. HARDY 
Provincinl Muse um , Victori a, H.C. 
Prosperpinus clarkiae Bdv . 
This beautiful little sphinx has a 
wing expanse of 35 to 40 mm., the 
females usually the larger. The fore-
wings are banded with varying shades 
of green, the most prominent a broad 
band across the centre . The hind 
wings are bright orange with a con-
trasting black border . 
In my experience this species is 
not common. The years 1957 a nd 1958 
were the first times I had seen it 
under natural conditions, after more 
than thirty years of searching. In-
dividuals were seen in bright sun-
shine, flying low over beds of sea-
blush, Valerianella congesta. 
Two females of this species were 
taken in Saanich on April 29, 1958. 
They were confined over a flower-pot 
containing a sprig of Galium apar-
ine which was thought to be one of 
its food plants as it was growing 
plentifully in the neighbourhood in 
which the adults were flying. By May 
4 seven ova were obtained, one laid 
singly on a leaf, and six in a pile on 
the plant. The adults died after five 
days . 
Ovum 
Size 1 by .90 mm ., a slightly de-
pressed sphere, smooth, shiny, pale 
translucent green. On May 11 the 
embryo could be seen through the 
shell, curled round the vertical axis 
of the ovum. Head pale greenish 
white , body green showing distinct 
segmentation . Hatched May 12. 
Larva-1st Instar 
Length 3 mm. Head dull, whitish . 
Body smooth, yellowish , faintly tinged 
with green , intersegmental rings pale 
yellow. It ate most of the egg shell. 
The larva would not touch the gal-
ium, but readily ate Epilobium an-
gusti/olium. Of the various herbs 
tried, this was the only one upon 
which it was successfully reared. Just 
prior to the first moult the la rva was 
5 mm. lon g, the body a dull gla ucous-
green, matching' the mid-vein of the 
leaf along which it rested . 
2nd Instar 
May 21, length 6 mm. Head dull , 
pale flesh colour. Body slightly rough 
due to minute raised close-set white 
dots. Glaucous green, a slight indica-
tion of a tubercle on the dorsum of 
A. 8. May 24. Length 12 mrn. with 
signs of approaching moult. A. 9 was 
a pinkish flesh colour matching the 
head, giving a two-headed effect. 
There was a faint pink suffusion 
along the spiracula r line . 
3rd Instar 
May 26 . Length 15 mm. Head light 
pastel purple . Body slightly rough as 
before , several transverse wrinkles on 
each segment. T . 1 and A. 9, purple, 
matching the head, a dull purple spot 
on dorsum of A. 8. Legs, dark brown, 
claspers purple with the same colour 
extending slightly on to the body. 
Underside green tinged with purple. 
When a larmed the larva reared the 
T . segments in the characteristic 
sphinx-like pose. 
May 29 . Length 20 mm. Head dull , 
smooth , sparsely short haired , pale 
purple . Body glaucous green, with 
white dots as before. T . 1 and part of 
T. 2 light purple. A. 9 pale purple, as 
were the legs, claspers and adjoining 
parts of the body. A light whitish 
line just above the spiracles. Spiracles 
white, ringed with black, about eight 
transverse wrinkles on each segment. 
Underside. li ght purple. 
4th Instar 
June 1. Length 20 mm. General 
colour and markings as before with 
the fo llowing additions: The purple 
on A. 9 had a tendency to increase 
and extend a long the dorsum as far 
back as A. 6, or further . There was a 
fa in t dark dorsal and a clearly mark-
ed lemon yellow subdorsal line , with 
a distinct purple boss on the dorsum 
of A. 8. where the horn occurs in most 
Sphingid larvae. The body ta pered 
slightly towards th e h ead . 
5th Instar 
June 9. Length 30 mm. Head pur-
plish brown, covered with sparse , 
short hairs . Body with a wide dorsal 
ba nd, black or dark fuscous havin g a 
tinge c f purple . A. 1. to 5. with a pair 
of small, creamy do ts. A. 8. with a 
round pink boss on dorsum , sides 
yellowish with ten thick, elongat e, 
slightly oblique black bars, contain-
in g the spiracles in the centre of the 
row of ba rs . The whole body dotted 
minutely with black , and the under-
side a light purple colour. By June 
13 the length was 45 mm. Head dull 
purplish-brown. Body fu scous a bove 
as before. A. 8. with a bl ack-rimmed 
pink boss centred with a n elliptica l 
black spot. Sides yellow with a broad 
wavy black band runn ing a lon g and 
including the line of spira cles. Back 
a nd sides thickly dotted with black , 
the dots closely grouped a t the j unc-
ture of the segments. Legs and clasp-
ers flesh colour. The underside purple. 
June 19. Length 55 mm. Full grown. 
By June 24 it h ad descend ed to the 
soil for pupa tion. 
Pupa 
Size 25 mm. by 7 mm. Smooth , dull , 
wing cases etched with a feathered 
pa ttern of fin e lines. A. segment s 
coarsely punctate on the a nterior 
border, light brown, spiracles black . 
Cremaster a stout bifid spine termin-
ating a narrow rugose protuberance 
on the last segment. Len gth of base 
and spine 2 mm. The pupa was widest 
a t the middle of the A. segments, with 
the wing cases proportionally short 
a nd narrow. 
Lacinipolia petalis fletcheri Grt. 
This is a rather common moth dur-
ing June and July when it comes to 
light. The wing expa nse averages 30 
mm. and the general colour is light 
grey superimposed with da rker lines 
and markings. A characteristic fea-
ture is the juncture of the orbicular 
and reniform spots at their lower 
edges, which readily sepa rates this 
species from the very simila r L. pen-
sil is Grt. in which these spots a r e 
sepa ra t e. 
The following notes cover two 
year s. Difficulties arose during the 
winter with the first group, so that 
th e sequence is a blending of two 
groups, each supplying deficiencies in 
the other. 
One batch of ova consisted of 95 
eggs la id on or about June 24, 1955, 
placed indiscriminately on the sides 
a nel i10ttom of the container. The 
ot.her was a simil a r number la id on 
July 7, 1957 . 
Ovum 
Size, 1 mm. by .90 mm. Conical , 
fin ely ribbed , white; the apex and a 
ring slightly below, brown . 
La rva-l st Instar 
July 9. Len gth 2mm. Head light 
brown . Body pale translucent brown, 
with sma ll tubercles bearing setae. 
The egg-sh ell was not eaten . After 
trying various plan ts the caterpillar 
accepted Alnus rubra. 
2nd Instar 
July 18. Length 4 mm. Head honey-
coloured , short haired. Body olive-
brown , smooth with scattered short 
se tae. It ate sma ll round holes in the 
epidermis on the underside of the 
leaf . 
3rd Instar 
July 28. Length 7 mm. Head as 
before. Body olive-brown, a thin 
white dorsal line with faint white 
suffused patch es on each side of it on 
the centre of the A. segments. Tuber-
cles black, each with a short seta. The 
la rva kept out of sight by day under 
th e dead leaves that lay at the bot-
tom of the pile accumulated as fresh 
ones were added . It was very sluggish , 
h a rdly moving if touched . 
4th Instar 
August 7. Length 10 mm. Head as 
Oefore. Body a drab fuscous brown, 
dorsum with grey lozenge-shaped 
saddles on the C211tre of each A. seg-
ment. Spiracular line broad, pale 
honey colour. Spiracles black . Under-
side pale fuscous . finely flecked with 
grey dots and etchings. 
5th Instar 
August 13 . Length 17 mm. Much as 
before but darker, two white tubercles 
on the dorsum of A. 8. 
6th Instar 
August 29. Length 20 mm. Head 
pale brown, a dark V on front , sides 
freckled with fuscous. Body pale 
yellow-brown, heavily ftecked with 
fuscous. Markings as before. By Sep-
tember 9 the body colour varied in 
individuals from dark fuscous to light 
grey-green, and the markings were 
not so evident. Some of the da rk 
forms had two light ticks on th e an-
terior margin of each segment. The 
lighter ones had a Y mark in the cen-
tre of A. segments. On October 19 
they were very sluggish; eviden tly 
the winter diapause was imminent. 
The larvae were placed in a lO-inch 
ftower-pot with moss and alder 
lea ves. During the following winter 
they nibbled at slices of carrot. 
February 9, 1958. Length 25 mm. 
The larvae came through the winter 
in good condition. No moult was ob-
served after hibernation. Head shiny, 
smooth, dark brown mottled with 
lighter brown, sparsely short h aired. 
Body fuscous-brown tinged with lJink , 
having a thin broken white black-
edged dorsal line with a suffused 
fuscous spot on the intersegmental 
region . T. segments darker. A dark 
spot on each side of A. 8. Spiracular 
broad, indistinct and broken, pale 
luteus. Underside similar to the upper 
but lighter in colour. The whole body 
covered with minute grey dots. Clasp-
ers ftesh coloured VI ' ) a dark spot on 
the outer side. A. 9. ~ltSCous. The body 
tapered slightly towards the head. 
Just before pupation on March 29 the 
larva was 25 mm. in length . T. seg-
ments and A. O. darker than the r est. 
Dorsum showed two fa int, dark 
dashes on the centre of the segments. 
Pupa 
Size 15 mm. by 4 mm. Sm(' th with 
a dull gloss, light reddish brown . 
Spiracles black. Cremaster consisting 
of a bout six stiff, straigh t h a irs 
bunched together on a smooth knob 
a t th e end of the last segment. 
Imago 
Emerged May 17 Lo ~l. 
Xylomiges cognata Sm . 
This is a regular visitor to my porch 
light during March. The wing ex-
panse is 35 mm. The forewings have a 
light gr ey background, on which are 
nn e black lines and etchings, leaving 
a noticeably oblique lighter area 
across the centre. The hind wings are 
whitish with a conspicuous black dot 
in the centre and a thin black border 
on the hind margin. 
A femal e taken a t light in Saanich, 
on February 8, 1958, had laid 65 ova 
by February 13. The eggs were de-
):'osited on the side of the container 
in a single batch of one layer. 
Ovum 
Size 1 mm. by .50 mm. A ftattened 
sph ere, smooth , shiny with about 45 
fa int vertical ribs. Micropylar area 
depressed, reticulate. Pale cream col-
our, turning through light pink, pink-
ish-brown, to lead colour at hatching 
time. Hatched March 18, 1958 
Larva-l st Instar 
Length 2 mm. Head large in pro-
portion, sh iny, ,jet black. Body with 
a black cervical plate on T . 1. Rest of 
body a sordid bluish-white, short 
haired. They did not eat the egg-
shell. They were very restless, wan-
dering ceaselessly with a pronounced 
tendency to climb upwards and show-
ing no desire to eat for several days. 
Fina lly they nibbled at the buds of 
Salix maclcenziana into which they 
burrowed out of Sight. 
2nd Insto r 
March 29. Length 6 mm. Head and 
cervical plate shiny, yet black . Body 
blue-black , semi-translucent. Dorsal 
and subdorsals thin , faint , milky-
white; tubercles noticeably black. 
Legs black, claspers concolorous with 
the underside and upper part of the 
body , 
3rd Instar 
April 1. Len gth 12 mm. Head shiny, 
jet black. Body fuscous green, dorsal 
and subdorsals milky-white. Spiracu-
lar lin e consisting of two whitish lines 
5 ::! I£X T"'IO I.()(;Tl' .\1. S nClI':TY OF 131<1'1'1":11 C OI.I ·.\IIll.\. P",,," . (19 59) . VOl. . ;;6 . No\". 4.1!J5!=J 
enclosing pale green mottled with 
fuscous; spiracles black, underside 
light dusky green including the clasp-
ers, legs dark brown; black tubercles 
on the dorsum and sides very eviden t . 
As the Salix buds expanded the larvae 
tied the leaves together with silk, 
remaining out of sight within the 
leafy tent . 
4th Instar 
April 5. Length 15 mm. Head black 
with lighter mottling on sides. Body 
with a broad light fuscous green band 
including the white dorsal , bordered 
by the white subdorsals. Between the 
sub-dorsals and the spiracular line 
the ground colour is a darker shade of 
the dorsum. Spiracular line broad , 
white, flecked along the centre with 
pale green , which included the black 
spiracles. 
April 9. Length 25 mm. They rested 
concealed in a folded leaf. 
5th Instar 
April 14. Length 30 mm. Head dark 
brown, with light mottlings on vertex 
and sides. Body with cervical plate 
shiny, dark brown mottled with 
lighter brown ; rest of body grey-
green between the white dorsal and 
sub-dorsals , darker below the latter, 
spiracular line a sordid grey, dorsum 
of A. segments with a dark U shaped 
line becoming more marked toward 
the last segment. Whole surface of 
body dotted with minute white spots. 
April 20 . Full grown. Length, 40 
mm. Head. pale flesh-brown, two 
oblique dark brown bars on front, 
vertex and sides faintly reticulated 
with dark brown. Body with shiny 
cervical plate concolorous with body, 
three white bars an extensions of dor-
sal and sub-dorsal lines which were 
white edged with fuscous; spiracular 
line less evident than before though 
broad and nearly concolorous with 
the sordid flesh of the underside , 
centred by a pale green suffusion, 
edged above with black, below with 
white. Spiracles black, legs pale 
brown, claspers the same colour as 
the underside. A. 4-9 with narrow fus-
cous U marks as before, the open end 
of the U directed forward. About April 
30 the larvae spun light silken cells 
among the debris, where they lay 
quiescent until May 6 before the final 
change to the pupa was effected . 
Pupa 
Size 17 mm. by 5 mm. Smooth, 
shiny, wing cases minutely etched 
with wrinkles . A. segments finely 
punctate on the anterior margin, 
dark mahogany brown. Cremaster 
with 2 parallel hairs slightly recurv-
ed at the tips. 
Semiothisa teucaria Stkr. 
This fairly common geometer has a 
wing expanse of 30 mm. Both fore 
and hind wings are light grey heavily 
dusted with fuscous. The forewings 
ha ve three dark lines crossing them 
while the hindwings h ave but two. 
It is closely associated with Garry 
oaks, and may be disturbed by day 
among the grass and herbage be-
neath the trees. It flies up quickly 
and alights as suddenly in the grass 
after a short flight, a manoeuvre that 
is repeated as often as it is disturbed. 
At· Saanich 8 ova were obtained from 
a captive female on July 24, 1957. The 
eggs were laid singly on an oak leaf 
and on the sides of the container. 
Ovum 
Size .90 mm. by .50 mm. Oval, min-
utely reticulate, green turning dark 
at maturity. Hatched August 3, 1957. 
Larva-l st Instar 
Length 3 mm. Head shiny, pale 
brown. Body pale brownish green to 
nearly colourless, translucent, with 
6 very fine lines on dorum and sides, 
more pronounced on T. segments, 
underside darker. Fed upon Garry 
oak, Quercus garryana. 
2nd Instar 
August 11. Length 5 mm. Head and 
body as before, less translucent. 
3rd Instar 
August 17 . Length 7 mm. Head pale 
whitish green, dull , with a few short 
setae. Four vertical bars of light 
brown feathering . Body smooth, with 
a rather prominent spiracular fold, 
grey- green, with 6 more faint light 
lines on dorsum and a broader whit-
ish spiracular line . Underside striped 
with alternate light and fuscous 
lines. 
4th Instar 
August 23. Length 16 mm. General 
colour and markings as before. Some 
individuals dark fu scous green with 
a broken whitish spiracular line , dark 
intersegmental rings and a pair of 
black spots on sides of A. 1 and A. 2. 
5th Instar 
August 31. Length 23 mm. Head 
milky green , mottled and feathered 
with light brown. Body grey-green 
with a tinge of cinnamon on ring 
joints, dorsum and sides with closely 
spaced pale brown lines, underside 
with black dots on segm ents. Some 
had a black m a rk on the centre of 
sides, in others the black was replac-
ed with yellow. The cinnamon tinge 
varied among the la rvae. The over-
a ll effect was to simulate the oak 
twigs, even to a thin short pubes-
cence. They were full grown by Sep-
tember 4 . Head pa le biege with brown 
feathering as befor e. Body yellowish-
brown with many fin e lines and pale 
yellow dashes on sides of segments. 
September 12. All la rvae pupated 
a mong the dead leaves at the bottom 
of jar. 
Pupa 
Size 11 mm. by 3 mm. Slender, 
smooth, slightly shiny, finely wrinkl-
ed on wing cases, punctate on A. 
segments, dark piceous brown. Cre-
master a bifid spine with strai ght 
t ips . 
On Mounting Lice by the Ris Lambers Method for Aphids 
In the spring of 1958 Mr. Ron Forbes of 
the Federal Crop Insect Laboratory on the 
Campus showed me some microscope slides 
of aphids-the finest and clearest prepara-
tions of their kind that I had ever seen. He 
stated that they were made by the Hille 
Ris Lambers method and I immediately 
wondered if Mallophaga and Anoplura 
could be enslided by the same technique. 
Through the efforts of Miss Eleanor 
Higham, student technician, I now have 
about 1000 slides of these 2 Orders mad p. 
by this method. FOI- practical purposes it is 
nearly as good as the standard KOH-Canada 
balsam method with the advantage that it 
is very much faster; one can have fini shed 
slides in about 45 minutes. 
The method is as fo llo ws: 
Place the insects in 90 per cent alcohol 
in a just-boiling water-bath until soft and 
soggy-looking i.e. in from 2-5 minutes . Then 
remove them and place in 10 per cent KOH 
in hot water-bath for from 1 to 5 minutes; 
experience tells how long. Transfer to 
Chloralphenol solution in the hot bath for 
2 to 3 minutes to clear and mount in Hille 
Ris Lambers medium. 
The formula for the mounting med ium 
is: 
Gum arabic, clean white 
powdered 12 grams 
Concentrated pure glycerine 
Chloral hyd rate 
Distilled water 
6V2 cc 
__ 20 grams 
40 cc 
Dissolvc the gum arab ic with the other 
reagent s in the water and filter through 
glass \1"001 two or th ree times until crystal 
clea r. Place in a dust-free oven at 40° C 
in a flat dish and let the medium eva porate 
to half its original volum e. Cool, and keep 
in dropping bottle. 
The chloral phenol is made from equal 
p;]rts by weight of chioralhydrate and crys-
tals of pure phenol or carbo lic acid, heated 
uvcr a water-bat h for 5 to 10 minutes . 
This tec hnique works better for Mallo-
ph;]ga than for Anoplura whose tough hide 
sometimes prevents penetration of chemic-
als and clearing. It is a curious thing that 
some sucking li ce will clear and make per-
fectly transparent mounts and others from 
th e same batch become only semi-transpar-
ent: th e same trouble occurs with the KOH-
balsam method , and is not the fault of the 
Hiil e Ris Lambers technique. 
Reference 
D. Hille Ris Lambers. 1950. On mounting 
aphids and other so ft-skinned insects. 
Entom . Berichten 13:55-58. 
~u . ./. I-lPPII<·/'I". ( ' lIirersily li f Brilis71 ('0/1011 -
II ill. \ 'I(((I"()/( rl '/". 


Notes on the life histories of four moths from southern Vancouver Island

Wilde, W. H. A.

ti l 1 ·;'T"~fOI."(~ l "" \1. S," l E TY ",. flHITlSIl (·()I.]"~lRlcI. PRO!'. (1!l;;!l). \ ·oJ. . :;6. N oy . 4. 195!l 
tained in two years time . 
In no way could I account for the 
black mass of weevils in the iwlated 
mass on the lawn; they had not been 
seen travelling there- they just ap-
peared there. 
The ~econd instance occurred in the 
home of an airman who had been in 
a rented house for about six months ; 
a s teady trickle of grana ry weevils 
was issuing from under the quarter-
round in the hall upstairs and slowly 
crawling ~outhwards down the hall; 
they had been emerging for two days 
before I inspected the house. Again I 
examined the basement with greatest 
care; there was no sign of grain any -
where and the floors and walls were 
sound and without cracks; moreover 
there was no place in the garden 
where anybody could have kept poul-
try. In this case, I could not even sug-
gest the breeding place of the weevils 
and recommended the continuous use 
of the vacuum cleaner for their re-
moval; there was no place to apply 
insecticides; the wall extended only to 
the floor below and not to the base-
ment: there was no indication how 
any material for breeding could have 
been introduced into the wall from 
which the beetles were issuing. 
A NOTE ON ENGINE VACUUM FOR ASPIRATING INSECTS' 
W . H. A. WILDE2 
Studies on vectors of stone fruit 
virus diseases often req uire test in-
sects in large numbers. Usually these 
a re Homoptera such as leafhoppers, 
psyllids, spittle bugs or aphids. Vari-
ous methods have been devised (1) 
for aspirating large numbers of these. 
In my previous collecting with con-
ventional mouth aspirators, minute 
particles of sand, plant and animal 
matter h ad appeared in the sputum, 
indicating that there was risk of per-
ma nent damage from irritation or 
myiasis (2) . This note describes a 
well-proved method using part of the 
vacuum of 18 to 20 inches of mercury, 
available in most truck and car en-
gines. The method differs in details 
from that of Moore (3) for collecting 
grasshoppers. 
For vehicles with vacuum-operated 
windshield wipers, cut the wiper vac-
uum hose under the dashboard, insert 
a % in. brass T-shaped connection in-
to the two cut ends, and attach an 
aspirator supply hose to the third 
outlet. The aspirator supply hose 
should be long enough to come 
through , or up to the level of, the 
dashboard to which it is attached for 
easy connection with the aspirator 
tu bing. 
- 1 Co ntribution No. 21, Regional Hesear ch Station, 
I)cpa rtm ent o f Agr it'u iture , Summerland . RriUsh 
( 'ollllllbia . 
2 Entulllolug ist. 
For vehicles with electrically-oper-
ated wipers, bore a hole in the intake 
manifold below the carburetor for a 
source of vacuum. Thread the hole 
and insert a stop cock with a % in . 
hose connection for the vacuum line 
which is then taken through the flre 
wall to the interior of the vehicle and 
attached to the dashboard . This takes 
about 4 ft. of % in . windshield wiper 
hose. By inserting extra T-shaped 
connections more than one aspirator 
may be used from the vacuum line. 
Window screens of 32/ in. mesh 
should be used . The screens are not 
absolutely necessary, but the temper-
ature on a hot, sunny day in a closed 
cab is often fatal to the insects and 
always uncomfortable for the oper-
ator. Connect a conventional straight 
aspirator (1) to the aspirator tubing. 
Start the motor and set it to run at 
medium idling speed. Attach the vac-
uum gauge to the nozzle of the as-
pirator and adjust for the required 
vacuum with a Hoffman clamp on the 
tubing close to the aspirator. For 
leafhoppers 2Y2 to 4 in. of vacuum is 
required, for spittle bugs 3 to 6 in. 
Even where it is not possible to 
drive a vehicle close to the collecting 
site, time can still be saved by sweep-
ing with 3 or 4 conventional nets, then 
returning to the vehicle to aspirate 
the catch. Release the catch inside 
the vehicle wi th the doors closed and 
aspirate the desired insec ts from the 
windshield, doors a nd screens. When 
50 to 100 insects are in the aspira tor , 
transfer them to a collecting ja r. This 
avoids damage from swirling pa rticles 
in the air stream or from the insects 
piling up. The transfer is easily made 
from a straight aspirator into a pre-
serving ja r, if the ja r lid h as a self-
closing va lve made from a piece of 
inner tube rubber . Shut oft" the vac -
ti,-. 
uum by pinching the a spirator tub-
ing, insert the nozzle of the aspirator 
in the jar and tap the aspirator gently 
to dislod ge the insects. Shutting off 
the vacuum in this way does not in-
terfere with the vacuum setting. 
Leafhoppers collected with this 
method showed a better ra t e at" sur-
vival in vector studies than those 
taken by convention a l methods, prob-
a bly because it was easy to select un -
damaged speci mens. 
References 
1. Peterson , A. 1953. A manua l of entomological techniques. 7lh Ed. PI. 68 . Edwards 
Bros. Inc ., Ann Arbor, Mich. 
2. Hurd , P. D. 1954. " Myiasis" re~ulting from th e use of th e aspirator method in the 
collection of insects. Science 119: (3101):814. 
a. Moore, H . W. 1943. A mechanical as pirator for ~ ()]"ting and cou ntin.g insects in th (' 
fip ]d . ('a n . En t . 75 : 162 . 
A COLLECTION OF HYMENOPTERA FROM BRITISH COLUMBIA 
By JOHN STAINER 
This collection co nsists of species 
taken during the summer of 1939, at 
Okanagan Mission , with a few species 
collected at Vancouver Island pOints. 
I am indebted to Dr. R. Lambert, C. 
D. Miller, W. R. Mason , and G . S . 
Walley of the Division of Entomology, 
Ottawa, for their id entifications; and 
to Prof. G. J . Spencer for his h elp with 
this paper. Most of the specimens are 
now in the National Collec tion at 
Ottawa, the remainder in my own 
collection in Parksville. 
Of the 50 species listed 11 a re not 
recorded from B.C. in the "Synoptic 
Cataloque of the Hymenoptera of 
America North of Mexico" (U.S. Dept. 
of Agriculture , April 1951) . Some in-
teresting points arise in geographical 
distribution . Of the Apoidea collected 
only 1 species has a continent-wide 
range; the ranges of 6 straddle the 
Rockies; and 23 are recorded West of 
the Rockies only . On the other hand 
of the other superfamilies 14 species 
have a continent-wide range, 3 more 
ha ve ranges which straddle the 
Rockies; and only 3 are restricted to 
the West side of the Rockies. This 
follows a pattern evident in the Syn-
optiC Catalogue. shown by these 
figures : 
Per cent of American species with 
ranges which cross the Rockies 
Genus Andrena 2.5 
Genus Dasymutilla ...... . 11 .2 
Genus Chl'ysis . . .... 34.0 
In the following list the specimens 
were taken at Okanagan Mission in 
1939, unless otherwise indicated . 
Months of capture are given in Roma n 
fi gures. 
TENTHREDINOIDEA 
Cimbicidae 
( ' i lll/)('. { ({/J/I Tin/J/f1 /HI/'iff/ 'u (' T' PSS. ~ P::t l'J.;s -
vi li p: 111 . v i i i. 54. 
'/ 'I' /lIIII 'PI/O ("{(/"ipi,.fus ."01"1 . q S I1"lI'n i g<l n 
I " iI« ' - \" . " ~ . 
ICHNEUMONOIDEA 
Ichneumonidae 
Pimplinae 
Ichneumoninae 
( '("", i '-/IIII ' /lli/i)/l ulliJasc'i(/I()I" i us S<I,·. P<lr1(s· 
,il l f': -~ ,·ii i. .'):~ . anrl 111. ix . ij::. 
CHRYSIDOIDEA 
Ch rysididae 
IIl'rlyl"il l"i rl i lllll .rtdc"/c ui Bod . ~ 4. ,'. Neareti l 
pr e v io ll s ly r ecorded runge: A lta .. Ida .. Ore. 
('II I"!!" ;" ({' /t !".lISII)"I( ) JJII/' ifi"' l Say . :,. Y. <lnd 
~:? \", 
('. ((' . ) lul'l Aaro n . ::11. i,· . Nl'a r es l preYiolls · 
I.,· record e d ra n ge : Id a., C() ln. 
(' . ( (' h '".l) s i s ) ( ' I)(' /" I//I/lIS F'ab . . "alluilllo : ] 2. 
\' i i i. ?If) . ~ :; . \' . 


A note on engine vacuum for aspirating insects

McMullen, L. H.

Atkins, M. D.

A PORTABLE TENT-CAGE FOR ENTOMOLOGICAL FIELD STUDIES' 
L. H. McMuLLEN AND M . D. ATKINS 
Forr'st Biology Laboratory, Victoria , B.C. 
"!"he r equirements for cages in ento-
mological field work vary widely in 
accordance with the insect and host 
material under study. This paper de-
scribes the construction, advantages, 
and disadvantages of a lightweight, 
por table tent-cage developed during 
recent investigations of the Douglas-
fir beetle, D endroctonus pseudotsugae 
Hopk. It was designed to facilitate 
the study of the bark beetle and asso-
ciated insects with known populations 
in logs under field conditions. 
The tent cages shown in the accom-
panying illustrations are six feet long 
with sides and floor four feet wide, 
thus forming in cross section, an equi -
lateral triangle with a height of ap-
proximately three and one half feet. 
The floor is of IO-ounce canvas with 
four corner loops of the same material 
and a plastic-screen drain to prevent 
the accumulation of water. The walls 
are of 22-mesh netting with Y4 inch 
rope running beneath cotton tape 
along the apex and extending a s ties 
beyond each end . Nylon netting was 
found to be more durable than cotton 
mesh and has less tendency to stretch 
when damp. However, it deteriorates 
upon long exposure to sunlight, but 
this condition is seldom encountered 
in th e sh ade of the forest. 
A simple sleeve formed by three-
foot extensions of the nylon mesh 
from the walls and floor , closed by 
gathering and tieing with cord proved 
satidactory as a door (Fig. 1) . This 
system worked better than a design in 
which flaps from the walls and floor 
were rolled on dowels to effect closure 
(Fig. 2) . Further improvement might 
be made in the method of closing by 
employing inexpensive plastic zippers 
to fasten the fre e sides of a flap-type 
door. 
The cages are set up by staking the 
1 Contribution No. 568, Forest Biology Di vision , 
Research Branc h , De partm ent o f Ag ri culture , Ot· 
tawa , Canada. 
tarpaulin floor with pegs through the 
loops to a level area of ground between 
two trees and fastening the ties , add-
ing light rope if necessary, to the 
trees at or above breast height, de-
pending on the distance between the 
trees. Two pieces of 2" x 4" lumber 
placed under the tarpaulin floor pre-
vent the contents of the cage from 
pressing the canvas to the ground 
where it may rot. Short rollers about 
three inches in diameter help to ease 
the logs into the cages. The rollers , 
supported by the 2" x 4" wood beneath 
the flcor, are then blocked in place 
with wooden wedges, holding the log 
off the floor and permitting complete 
a ir circulation around it . 
These tent cages h ave one disad-
vantage when used in the Cariboo re-
gion of British Columbia. Rabbits and 
mice cause considerable damage to 
the material gath ered together where 
the cages a re closed. However, small 
tears can be repaired easily with 
patches of muslin applied on both 
sides of the netting with a rubber 
base cement between. 
These cages have been used suc -
cessfully for three years of Douglas-
fir beetle brood and population stUd-
ies. Although they could not be used 
during winter where snow may dam-
age them, they have a number of ad-
vantages . Since they weigh only four 
pounds and can be folded tightly (12" 
x 14" x 3" ) , several can be carried by 
one man into areas inaccessible by 
road. The accessories, such as pegs, 
rollers and floor supports, can be 
made readily from material available 
in the forest . Two men can erect a 
cage in five minutes. A cage will ac -
commodate a log five feet long and 
eighteen inches in diameter with suf -
ficient room available for one to enter 
and examine the experimental mate-
rial (Fig. 3). Manufactured cost per 
unit is about sixteen dollars on the 
West Coast. 
F
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. 
-r
 
{- 7.
 ::: :'
 "' :';1 '" z "" 


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