Table Of Content1
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584 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. 94 (1997)
Aluteridae, and descriptions ofseven new species. Jones, S. & M. Kumaran (1980): Fishes ofthe Laccadive
Ann. Mag. nat. Hist. (11)8:325, text-fig. 6. Archipelago: 683, fig. 581.
Jones, S. (1969): Catalogue offishes from the Laccadive Munro, Ian S.R. (1955): Themarineand freshwaterfishes
Archipelago in the reference collections of the ofCeylon: 274, pi. 53.
Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute. Bull. Smith, J.L.B. (1953): The sea fishes ofSouthern Africa:
Cent. Mar. Fish. Res. Inst. 8: 31 1138 (onlyParamonacanthus bamardi pi. 88.
),
27. PIERIS BRASSICAE LINNAEUS (LEPIDOPTERA: PIERIDAE) IN DELHI
There are numerous records ofthe Large its appearance on the plains of India indicate
Cabbage White (Pieris brassicae L.) from the several gaps in our knowledge.
plains adjoining the Himalaya. It appears Several authors have observed that this
sporadically and has been recorded from insect breeds freely on cruciferous plants in the
Amritsar (Sanders 1930), Peshawar and plains during the cold weather and early hot
Fatehgarh (Peile 1937), Lucknow, (Rhe Philipe, weather. It has been recorded on the wing
1902) and “E. Bengal, Behar” (Maxwell-Lefroy between late October and late May but there are
1909). no records between June and early October.
Recently, Rose and Venkatesh (1995) bred Presumably, the weather is too warm during this
the species inPatialafrom eggs collected locally. period. This observation has led to the
Donahue (1967) predicted the appearance assumption that brassicae is only a sporadic
ofthis butterfly in Delhi. On 10th April, 1996, migrant on the plains.
found a female brassicae beside the road south In other parts ofits range, this butterfly is
of Yusuf Sarai in New Delhi. The specimen is known to be capable of surviving severe and
worn and the abdomen is flaccid, indicating that prolonged winter conditions in the pupal stage.
oppositionhadtakenplace. On 13th April, 1996, There is no work on the tolerance of the
I saw a male ofthe species in aprivate garden in diapausing pupae to severe summer conditions
Defence Colony andon 15thApril, 1996, another experienced ontheplains ofIndia. Ifit is proved
male in the company of Catopsiliapyranthe L. that the pupae cannot tolerate the heat, then the
at Dhaulakuan, in the scrub at the intersection traditional explanation ofthe appearance ofthis
ofRidge Road and Sardar Patel Marg. insect on the plains will hold true. On the other
In India, it has been suggested that these hand, if pupae can survive the summer heat, it
insects migratefromthehillsforthe cold weather indicates the need for work to clarify whether
and early hot weather, breed on cultivated brassicae is actually aresident on theplains or a
Cruciferae and returntothehillsforthe summer, sporadicmigrant. Inanyevent, we have aninsect
although no return flight has been observed that is either repeatedly attempting colonisation
(Maxwell-Lefroy, 1909; Wynter-Blyth, 1957). but failing, or has established a very tenuous
Femalebutterflies ofthis species, fertilised foothold on the plains, so tenuous that when
butwithout mature eggs, are capable oftravelling compared with its fecundity in the hills and the
400 km without food in a few days. The stations cooler parts of its range, its scarcity has led to
onthe plains where brassicae hasbeenrecorded, the impression that it is a migrant.
i.e. Peshawar, Amritsar, Patiala, Lucknow and
now Delhi, are well within the dispersal range April 15, 1997 PETER SMETACEK
from Himalayan breeding grounds. Jones Estate, Bhimtal,
However, perusal of the literature Nainital,
concerning the early stages ofthis butterfly and U.P-263 136.
1 . .
MISCELLANEOUS NOTES
585
References
Donahue, J.P. (1967): An annotated list ofthe butterflies Rose, H.S. & G. Venkatesh, (1995): Notes onthe biology
ofDelhi. J. Bombay nat. Hist. Soc. 64(1) 22-48. ofPieris brassicae (Linnaeus)(Pieridae: Lepidoptera)
:
Maxwell-Lefroy, H. ( 909): IndianInsectLife. Reprinted on a new host plant Cassiafistula (Caesalpiniaceae).
by Today & Tomorrow’s Pubishers, Delhi. J. Bombay nat. Hist. Soc. 92(3): 430-431
A
Peile, H.D. (1937): guidetocollecting butterfliesofIndia. Sanders, D.F. (1930): Occurence of Colias hyale hyale
Staples Press, London. andPieriscanidiaindicaintheplains.J. Bombaynat.
Rhe-Philipe, G.W.V. De (1902): The butterflies of the Hist. Soc. 34: 591
Lucknow District. J. Bombay nat. Hist. Soc. 14: 481- Wynter-Blyth, M.A. (1957): Butterflies of the Indian
493. Region. Bombay Natural History Society, Bombay.
THE NOTODONTID MOTH CYPHANTA CHORTOCHLORA HAMPSON
28. IN
KUMAON, NORTH INDIA
The taxon Cyphanta chortochlora was the specimens examined have the following
described by Hampson (1892) from a male additionalfeatures; theforewing is excised along
specimen. The distribution is given as the dorsumbeyond the brown mark on the inner
“Himalayas”. The use of inverted commas basal area, much in the manner as the genus
stresses the uncertainty of the specimen’s Calyptra (Noctuidae) but unlike the other
origin. In the same work, the range of the member ofthe genus,Cyphantaxanthochlora. In
genus Cyphanta Walker, which includes addition to the black speck at the end ofthe cell
another species, C. xanthochlora, is given as ofthe forewing, there is a smallerblack speck in
Sikkim, implying that Hampson believed that the middle of the cell and an incomplete series
C. chortochlora occured there. of black specks along the termen, those on the
Three specimens ofC. chortochlora have upper halfmore prominent.
been recorded from Jones Estate in the Bhimtal Onthe underside, the dark postmedial line
valley, Nainital district. The elevation is is obscure on the forewing of one specimen but
m
ca. 1500 above msl. The dataonthe specimens, prominent onboththe other specimens. The cilia
all males, is as follows: of the forewing are green and of the hindwing
26.ix. 1991; 28.ix.1995; 29.ix. 1995. ochreous.
Forewing length 2.5 cm. The flight isfluttering, unlikethe swift and
Further specimens were observed but not purposeful flight of most Notodontids.
A
collected. specimen was collected in
Joshimath, Garhwal, at an elevation of 2300 m April 15, 1997 PETER SMETACEK
in August, but the specimen was destroyed in Jones Estate, Bhimtal,
storage by museum beetles. Nainital 263 136
Besides matching Hampson’s description, Uttar Pradesh
References
Hampson, G.P. (1892): TheFaunaofBritishIndiaincludingCeylonand Burma, Moths, Vol. 1 . Dr. W. Junk, TheHague,
reprint 1976.
A NEW NAME FOR HECALUSMORR1SONI RAMASUBBARAO & RAMAKRISHNAN
29.
Ramasubbarao and Ramakrishnan (1990) H. morrisoni, andH. pusae. Perusal ofliterature
published three new species, Hecalus ghaurii, revealed that the name Hecalus morrisoni is
