Blackmore, E. H.

English

Journal of the Entomological Society of British Columbia

16 B. C. ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY NOTES ON GEOMETRIDAE NEW TO BRITISH COLUMBIA By E. H. Blackmore, Victoria, B.C. This is the fourth year in succession that I have presented you with a paper under a similar title. Each yeAr I am in hopes that I have come to the end of the new additions to the list , but after another season's work, I always seem to find some species and varieties that have not been previously recorded. The present paper embraces two species and eight varieties new to science that have been described during the past twelve months, and four species and three varieties new to British Columbia, making a total of . six species and eleven varieties to be added to the li st as a result of last 'year's investigations. L will take the new species and varieties first. N omenia obsoleta Swett. When rearranging the collection of the rate Captain R. V. Harvey, I came across three specimens that were labelled Venusia cambrica Curtis. Although bearing a strong super-ficial resemblance to this species they seemed rather small, and on further e~amination I found that they were all taken in ApriL Now as cambrica 'does not emerge until about the first of July, I knew at once that· it could not be that species. Upon further examination under a ~icros~ope I found that in the males the antennae were somewhat different, being unipectinate, while in cambrica they are bipectinate and in pearsaili filiform ciliate. As they evidently did not belong to either 6f these two genera, they naturally fell into the genus Nomenia, which is Closefy . allied .' As we had no . representative of this genus in British €6Iumbia, I concluded that it was new and sent it to Mr. L. W. Swett, who verified my conclusions 'and named it obsoleta. This name is rather appropriate, as I have not seen it anywhere else with the exception of cine in the Provincial Museum; which was taken in the same month and year-April, 1908. . . I have worked this district thoroughly for the past five seasons, but have not taken anything approaching it, so that I am afraid it has di sa ppeared. Diastictis andersoni Swett. This species was taken by Mr. E. M. Anderson at Atlin, B.C., in 1914, and was at first thought to be a luteous form of occiduaria Pack., but the extra-discallines are differently curved and there is no trace of any yellow shading. It is closely allied to inceptaria Walk., specimens of which I have from Michigan. Hydriomena californiata ab niveifascia Swett. In Capt. Harvey's collection there were several specimens of Hydriomena under the name of californiata. On looking them over, I found two which were quite distinctive from the others, and which have been named as above. The chief points of distinction are the silvery white bands which replace the ordinary red shadings and smoky bands of the typical form. PLATE II. Fig. S. Xanthorhoe defensaria form gigantaria Swett. (Paratype mal e) . Fig. 6. Xanthorhoe defensaria form gigantaria Swett. (Allotype female). Fig. 7. Xanthorhoe defensaria form conciliaria Swett. (Paratype male ). Fig. 8. Xanthorhoe defensaria form conciliaria Swett. (Allotype female) . Fig. 9. Xanthorhoe defensaria form thanataria Swett. (Paratype male). Fig. 10. Xanthorhoe defensaria form thanataria Swett. (Paratype female). Fig. 11. Xanthorhoe defensaria fo rm mephistaria Swett. (Paratype male). Fig. 12. Xanthorhoe de fens aria form suppuraria Swett. (Paratype male) .. ," PROCEEDINGS, 1917 17 The above three in·sects were described 10 the Can. Ent. , Vol. XLV III. , page 249 et seq. (July, 1916). The next in order is the genus Xanthorhoe, a genus we have been working on for some considerable time. When I started to collect geometers seriously in the spring of 1912, I was much struck with the amount of variation that occurred in three species of this difficult but interesting genus. I determined to pay special attention to this group, with the result that in 1913 and 1914 I collected something over 300 specimens of this genus. The three groups mentioned are the defensaria group and what are known as the fossaria-pontiaria group and the munitata-convallaria group. Taking the defensaria group first, I sorted them out into series gov-erned by the date of their appearance and the differences in maculation. I then sent them to Mr. Swett, who agreed in the main with my separa-tion, with the result that the following four well-marked varieties were described by him in the Can. Ent., Vol. XLVIII ., page 349 et seq. (October, 1916) . X. defensaria var. gigantaria Swett, w hich is the large spring form occurring at the end of April: It is distinguished by its large size, heavy markings, and wide bands. X. defensaria var. conciliaria Swett. This is a very distinct form and is easily recognized by the basal and outer areas of the fore wings being a deep ochre and the median band of a reddish chocolate colour. It flies along with, and at the same time as, typical defensaria. X. defensaria var. thanataria Swett. This is a small and stunted form which occurs later in the fall , generally in September and October. It is possibly a third brood, but this cannot be definitely stated until it is bred. In fact, the whole of this group may have to be revised again, when the life histories of the various form s are worked out and the genitalia studied. X. defensaria var. suppuraria Swett. This is a beautiful variety and a very distinct one, the broad black band contrasting sharply with the lighten ashen colour of the fore wings. This median band is subject to a variation in colour from reddish black to a deep jet black, and is really a melanistic form. This is the rarest of all the varieties and occurs in April. I may say here that the study of the fossaria-pontiaria group has just been completed and three new species have been discovered, which will be described in the Can. Ent. at an early date. This leaves us the munitiata-convallaria group to work on during the present year, and which we hope to complete before our next annual meeting. We now come to the Dysstroma citrata-mulleolata group. Citrata Linn and its varieties I treated of in our Proceedings No.4, N.S., page 44 et seq., 1914, and mulleolata I spoke of in the paper I read before you 18 B. C. ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY at our last annual meeting. A more complete revision of this group has just been given by Mr. Swett in the Can. Ent., Vol. XLIX., page 64 et seq. (February, 1917), wherein he has described the three following new aberrations: Dysstroma mulleolata ab sobria Swett. This is a form which has the median band solid black and is the rarest form of all. So far I have only taken one specimen and that is the type which is in the collection of Mr. Swett. D. mulleolata ab subumbrata Swett. In this form, which is a transi-tion stage between the black-banded and the white-banded forms, the black central band has begun to break up into greyish spots and shad-ings, especially at the costal and inner margins. Of this ' form I took four specimens in 1914 and two in 1915, but have not seen it since. D. mulleolata ab ochrofuscaria Swett. Of this form I have only taken one, and that is the type taken on the 27th June, 1915. Mr. G. O. Day took a female at Quamichan Lake in 1908, which has been made a paratype, as also is a male taken by Mr. A. W. Hanham in the same district in 1910. I believe Mr. Hanham has also one or two more of them. I am not quite so sure of this latter being a variety of mulleolata. The course of the extra-discal line is different, and there are one or two other minor points which make me think that it may be a distinct species when its life history is worked out together with a study of the genitalia. This concludes the list of species and varieties new to science which have been described from Br,itish Columbia during the past twelve months. Turning to those geometers which I have discovered during the past year as being new to British Columbia, the first to claim our attention is Hydriomenia furcata var. peric1ata Swett. I found this interesting geometer resting on the outside of my house on April 4th, 1916. It was described from a single male taken at San Francisco in 1909, and seems to be of very rare occurrence. Stamnodes topazata var. albida B. & McD. where the deep ocherous colour of topazata gives place to a creamy white. This speci-men was taken by our energetic librarian, Mr. Williams Hugh, and is rather illustrative of what is generally known as fisherman's luck. Mr. Hugh was over in Abbotsford for a few days in the early part of April last year, and one day seeing a few geometers flying about, he caught half a dozen with his hat, and brought them back with him in a matchbox. Five 'of them were the common M. gratulata, and the other a new addition to the list. I am only sorry that the numbers were not reversed. Our thanks are due to Mr. Hugh for putting a new record on our lists in such a lucky manner. . Sciagraphia orillata Walk., taken by Mr. Anderson at Penticton on May, 1913. This was placed as a synonym of continuata Wlk. by Dr. PROCEEDINGS, 1917 19 Dyar in 1902, but is a distinct species, a very excellent figure of which is given in Packard's Monograph, Plate IX., Fig. 75. Sciagraphia meadiaria Pack., taken by Mr. W. Newcomb at Chil-cotin in June, 1914. This one was rather damaged, but we are glad to have the record of it. This group sadly needs revising, but unfortunately our material in this group is very limited. Macaria praeatomata Haw. This pretty species was taken by Mr. Downes at Armstrong in 1915. It is accurately figured by Packard in his Monograph on Plate X., Fig. 18. The name will probably fall before bicolorata Fab., as I believe the two species are the same. Packard had never seen a specimen of bicolorata, which was described from Vir-ginia in 1794. Praeatomata, while not common, is widely distributed throughout the New England States. Diastictis decorata Hulst. ' A specimen of this species was taken by Mr. Anderson at Lillooet in July, 1916. This species was described from specimens taken by Dr. Barnes at Platte Canyon, Colorado, in 1896. Alcis sulphuraria var. baltearia Hulst. This pretty variety was taken by Mr. Downes in June, 1915, and also by Mr. Anderson at Lillooet, 27th June, 1916. I have specimens exactly like this one, taken at San Diego, Cal., in July. This concludes the list of those that we are absolutely certain of as being new to British Columbia, although there are a few more yet to be correctly placed. We seem to have quite a number of intermediate forms in this Province, perhaps it would be better to say local races, and until these are bred and their life histories worked out, it cannot be definitely ascertained what their relationships are to closely allied species, appearing in other parts of the country. Author's Note (July, 1918).-Since the above paper was written, many new facts have come to hand which makes it necessary to add the following notes and remarks: Nomenia obsoleta Swett. On looking over the collection of Mr. G. O. Day, of Duncan, in September, 1917, I found that he had four specimens of this species amongst his material, all taken in the Duncan district. Showing how' rare this species is, not more than one specimen was taken in anyone year, the dates of capture being March 20th, 1914; April 16th, 1915; May 7th, 1916; and April 3rd, 1917. I was extremely glad to get these records, as I had feared that the species was extinct. Xanthorhoe defensaria form thanataria Swett, . and Xanthorhoe defensaria form suppuraria Swett. These two forms have both been placed in the synonymy by Messrs. Barnes and McDunnough in their New Check List. In the case of thanataria they are probably correct, as in my opinion it is only a partial third brood which is produced in those season's having a long, dry fall. The food plant at that time of the year being much less succulent, thus producing a small stunted form 20 B. C. ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY with narrower bands. As regards suppuraria I must entirely disagree with them in placing it as a synonym of mephistaria Swett. They are seasonal forms, are quite distinct both in size and width of median bands, and I have never known them to intergrade. In my opinion suppuraria bears the same relation to mephistaria that gigantaria bears to typical defensaria. Hydriemena furcata var. peric1ata Swett. There is some doubt as to the status of this specimen, either Mr. Swett has misidentified it, or the reference to furcata is incorrect. At the time I took the specimen in question I recognized that it was different to any that I had taken pre-viously. I read over carefully the published descriptions of this group, and it seemed to me that it agreed very closely with peric1ata. At a later date I sent it to Mr. Swett, who confirmed my identification, remarking that "it is very nearly like type." Messrs. Barnes and McDunnough in "A Review of the genus Hydriemena Hub." (Cont. Lep. No. Amer., Vol. IV., No.1), state that Mr. Swett has examined the unique male type (of peric1ata) and informs them that unfortunately the uncus is broken off but that the basal portion is rather narrow and suggests that of furcata. Recently I have examined my specimen under a binocular, and find that the uncus is of the shape which is characteristic of the quinquefasciata group, and which materially differs from the shape of the uncus in the furcata group. Until such times as further nimotypical specimens of peric1ata can be obtained, the refer-ence to furcata cannot be considered as entirely conclusive. For the present I shall list it with a question mark as follows: H. furcata (?) var. peric1ata Swett. Hydriemena californiata var. niveifascia Swett. Messrs. Barnes and McDunnough have associated this form with irata Swett, instead of californiata Pack., on account of the similarity of the male genitalia which differs considerably in the two species named. This variety is now known as H. irata form niveifascia Swett. Dysstroma mulleolata Hulst. It is rather doubtful if our large Van-couver Island form is the true mulleolata. The type locality in Hulst's description is given as Colorado, whilst the type specimen in the Hulst collection at Rutger's College, N.J., is labelled ·"Washington," so it is questionable whether this so-called "type" represents the true mulleolata of Hulst. Again, Mr. Weiss who compared a specimen of the large Van-couver Island form with this so-called "type" (which is in very poor condition), may have misidentified it, as this large form, typical truncata Huf., and citrata form punctum-notata Haw. are practically alike in maculation. It is more than likely that the Hulst specimen, if the locality label is correct, is really con specific with the latter-named form. I wish to thank . Mr. F . Kermode, our Honorary President and Director of the Provincial Museum, for the loan of the cuts, from which Plates II. and Ill. were made to illustrate this paper. E . H . B. PLATE III. Dysstrorna rnulleolata Hulst. Victoria, B.C. (Blackmore) (New to British Columbia.) • Dysstrorna rnulleolata form oehrofusearia Swett. Victoria, B.C. (Blacki:nore) ( New to science.) Hyd1·iomena f1~reata race per'ielata Swett, Victoria, B.C. (Blackmore) (New to British Columbia.) Venusia obsoleta Swett. Goldstream, B.C. (Harvey coll.). ( New to science.) Dysstrorna rnulleolata form suburnbrata Swett. Victoria, B.C. (Blackmore) ( New to science.) Hesperurnia sulphuraria form baltearia Hulst. Armstrong, B.C. (Downes) . (New to British Columbia.) H yd1·iornena irata form niveifaseia Swett. Victoria, B.C. (Harvey coll.). (New to science.) !tarne andersoni Swett. Atlin, B.C. (Anderson). (New to science.) PLATE III. 

Notes on Geometridae new to British Columbia

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Notes on Geometridae new to British Columbia

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Journal of the Entomological Society of British Columbia