"Flusheth the rise with her purple favor,Gloweth the cleft with her golden ring.'Twixt the two brown butterflies waverLightly settle, and sleepily swing."Jean Ingelow.
"Flusheth the rise with her purple favor,Gloweth the cleft with her golden ring.'Twixt the two brown butterflies waverLightly settle, and sleepily swing."Jean Ingelow.
Jean Ingelow.
Butterfly.—The butterflies composing this genus are generally quite small. Their wings on the upper side are fulvous, or brown with black margins, spots, and lines upon the upper side of the wings, and with the under side of the wings reproducingthe spots of the upper side in paler tints. Of the spots of the under side of the wings one of the most characteristic is the pale crescent situated on the outer margin of the hind wings, between the ends of the second and third median nervules. This spot is frequently pearly-white or silvered. Structurally the butterflies of this genus may be distinguished from the preceding genus by the enlarged second joint of the palpi and the very fine, extremely pointed third joint. In the neuration of the wings and in their habits these butterflies closely approximateMelitæa.
Fig. 92.—Neuration of the genusPhyciodes.
Eggs.—The eggs are always higher than broad, with the surface at the base more or less pitted, giving them a thimble-like appearance. On the upper end in some species they have a few short, vertical ridges, radiating from the micropyle.
Caterpillar.—The caterpillar is cylindrical, marked with pale longitudinal stripes upon a darker ground, and adorned with tubercles arranged in regular rows. These tubercles are generally much shorter than in the genusMelitæa. The caterpillars do not, so far as is known, weave webs at any time.
Chrysalis.—The chrysalis is pendant, with the head slightly bifid. The dorsal region of the abdomen is provided with slight tubercles. The color is generally some shade of pale gray, blotched with black or dark brown.
This genus finds its principal development in South and Central America, which are very rich in species, some of them mimicking in a most marvelous manner the butterflies of the protected genusHeliconiusand its allies. The species found in the United States and Canada are for the most part not very gaily colored insects, chaste shades of brown, or yellow, and black predominating.
(1)Phyciodes nycteis, Doubleday and Hewitson, Plate XVII, Fig. 28, ♂,under side; Fig. 29, ♂; Fig. 30, ♁; Plate V, Fig. 19,chrysalis(Nycteis).
Butterfly.—On the upper side very closely resemblingMelitæaharrisi, for which it may easily be mistaken upon the wing. The under side of the hind wings is very different, and may at once be distinguished by the lighter color of the base of the wing,and the pale, silvery crescent on the outer margin. Expanse, ♂ 1.25-1.65 inch; ♁, 1.65-2.00 inches.
Egg.—The egg is half as high again as broad, marked with sixteen or seventeen vertical ribs above, and pitted about the middle by hexagonal cells. It is pale green in color.
Caterpillar.—The caterpillar undergoes four moults after hatching. In the mature stage it is velvety-black, with a dull orange stripe along the back, and purplish streaks on the sides. The body is studded with whitish spots, each giving rise to a delicate black hair, and is further beset with rather short, black, hairy spines.
Chrysalis.—The chrysalis is pearly-gray, blotched with dark brown.
The life-history of this species has been carefully worked out, and all the details may be found described in the most minute manner by Edwards and by Scudder.
The insect ranges from Maine to North Carolina, and thence westward to the foot-hills of the Rocky Mountains.
(2)Phyciodes ismeria, Boisduval and Leconte, Plate XVII, Fig. 24, ♂; Fig. 25, ♂,under side(Ismeria).
Butterfly, ♂.—Easily distinguished from all other allied species by the double row of small light spots on the dark margin of the fore wings on the upper side, and by the silvery, narrow, and greatly bent line of bright silvery spots crossing the middle of the hind wings on the under side.
♁.—The female is like the male, but larger and paler and all the spots on the upper side are pale fulvous, and not as distinctly white on the outer margin as in the male sex. Expanse, ♂, 1.15-1.35 inch; ♁, 1.35-2.00 inches.
Caterpillar.—The caterpillar, according to Boisduval and Leconte, is yellowish, with blackish spines and three longitudinal blackish stripes. The head, the thoracic legs, and the under side are black; the other legs are yellow.
Chrysalis.—According to the same authors, the chrysalis is pale gray, with paler light spots and nearly white dorsal tubercles.
This insect ranges over a wide territory from Canada to the Southern and Western States east of the Rocky Mountains.
(3)Phyciodes vesta, Edwards, Plate XVII, Fig. 17, ♂; Fig. 18, ♁; Fig. 19, ♁,under side(Vesta).
Plate XVII.
Butterfly, ♂.—On the upper side it closely resembles the winter formmarciaofPhyciodes tharos, Drury; but the blackmarkings are more evenly distributed. The under side is a pale yellowish-fulvous, and the black markings are slight.
♁.—The female is like the male, but paler. Expanse, ♂, 1.15 inch; ♁, 1.25 inch.
Early Stages.—The chrysalis has been described by Edwards in the "Canadian Entomologist," vol. xi, p. 129. This is all we know of the early life of the insect.
It is found in Texas and Mexico.
(4)Phyciodes phaon, Edwards, Plate XVII, Fig. 22, ♂; Fig. 23. ♁,under side(Phaon).
Butterfly, ♂.—The ground-color of the male is paler on the upper side than inPhyciodes tharos, and the black markings are much heavier. The median band on the fore wings is yellowish. The wings on the under side are yellow, shaded with fulvous on the primaries, on which the dark markings are heavy.
♁.—Like the male. Expanse, ♂, .90 inch; ♁, 1.25 inch.
Early Stages.—Unknown.
This insect inhabits the Gulf States, and has been occasionally taken in Kansas.
(5)Phyciodes tharos, Drury, Plate XVIII, Fig. 1, ♂; Fig. 2, ♁; var.marcia, Edwards, Plate XVIII, Fig. 3, ♂; Fig. 4, ♁; Plate V, Figs. 20-22,chrysalis(The Pearl Crescent).
Butterfly.—This very common and well-known little insect scarcely needs to be described. The upper side is bright fulvous, with heavy black borders; all the other dark markings are slight. The wings on the under side are paler, with the dark markings of the upper side showing through, and there are additional markings of brown on the hind wings. Expanse, ♂, 1.25 inch; ♁, 1.65 inch.
Early Stages.—The early stages of this insect have been worked out with the most extreme care by Mr. Edwards, and the reader who is curious to know about them should consult "The Butterflies of North America." Dr. Scudder also has minutely and laboriously described the early stages in "The Butterflies of New England." The egg is light greenish-yellow. The caterpillar, which feeds upon various species of aster and alliedCompositæ, is dark brown after the third moult, its back dotted with yellow, adorned with short, black, bristly spines, which are yellow at the base. The chrysalis is grayish-white, mottled with dark spots and lines.
This species is one of many dimorphic species, the winter formmarcia, which emerges in spring, having the under side brighter, and the light markings more conspicuous on that side than in the summer form, which has been calledmorpheus. Concerning all of this, and the way in which cold affects the color of butterflies, the reader will do well to consult the splendid pages of Edwards and of Scudder.
The pretty little Pearl Crescent ranges from southern Labrador to Florida; in fact, all over North America north of Texas and south of the region of Hudson Bay, except the Pacific coast of California.
(6)Phyciodes batesi, Reakirt, Plate XVII, Fig. 35, ♂; Fig. 36, ♁,under side(Bates' Crescent-spot).
Butterfly, ♂.—On the upper side much likeP. tharos, with the black markings very heavy. The under side of the hind wings is uniformly pale fulvous or yellow, with a row of faint submarginal brown spots.
♁.—Like the male. Expanse, ♂, 1.25 inch; ♁, 1.50-1.65 inch.
Early Stages.—Unknown.
This species ranges from New York to Virginia, and westward to Ohio.
(7)Phyciodes pratensis, Behr, Plate XVII, Fig. 37, ♂; Fig. 38, ♁,under side(The Meadow Crescent-spot).
Butterfly, ♂.—The butterfly resembles the preceding species on the upper side, but the ground-color is much paler and the black markings are not so heavy. The under side of the wings is pale fulvous, spotted with yellow.
♁.—The female has the black markings of the upper side heavier than the male, and all the spots pale yellow. The markings on the under side are heavier than in the male sex. Expanse, ♂, 1.15 inch; ♁, 1.40 inch.
Early Stages.—Unknown.
The range of this species is the Pacific coast from Oregon to Arizona.
(8)Phyciodes orseis, Edwards, Plate XVII, Fig. 31, ♂ (Orseis).
Butterfly, ♂.—The dark markings on the upper side are much heavier than in either of the two preceding species, and the fulvous spots are smaller, the marginal crescents more regular anddistinct. The markings on the under side are also much heavier than inP. batesiorP. pratensis.
♁.—The female is like the male, but all the dark markings are heavier and the pale markings lighter. Expanse, ♂, 1.35 inch; ♁, 1.60 inch.
Early Stages.—These remain to be described.
Phyciodes orseisranges from Washington Territory in the north to Mexico in the south.
(9)Phyciodes camillus, Edwards, Plate XVII, Fig. 32, ♂; Fig. 33, ♁; Fig. 34, ♂,under side(The Camillus Crescent).
Butterfly, ♂.—The male is more likeP. pratensis, but the light spots on the primaries are paler, on the secondaries brighter, fulvous. The dark markings on the under side are less pronounced than inpratensis.
♁.—The female is much like the male. Expanse, ♂, 1.30 inch; ♁, 1.50 inch.
Early Stages.—These are wholly unknown.
The species is reported from British Columbia, Colorado, Montana, Kansas, and Texas.
(10)Phyciodes mylitta, Edwards, Plate XVII, Fig. 40, ♂,under side; Fig. 41, ♂ (The Mylitta Crescent).
Butterfly, ♂.—Broadly bright fulvous on the upper side, with the dark markings slight; on the under side closely resemblingP. tharos, var.marcia, Edwards.
♁.—The female is like the male, but paler. Expanse, ♂, 1.15 inch; ♁, 1.25-1.50 inch.
Early Stages.—These have been described by Mr. Harrison G. Dyar in the "Canadian Entomologist," vol. xxiii, p. 203. The eggs are laid in clusters upon the thistle (Carduus). The caterpillar in its final stage after the fourth moult is black, yellowish below, with a faint twinned yellow dorsal line and faint lines of the same color on the sides. The spines, which are arranged in six rows, are black; those of segments four, five, and six, yellow. The chrysalis is dull wood-brown.
This species has a wide range in the region of the Rocky Mountains, extending from Washington to Arizona, and eastward to Colorado.
(11)Phyciodes barnesi, Skinner, Plate XVIII, Fig. 5, ♂ (Barnes' Crescent-spot).
Butterfly, ♂.—Very like the following species, with the lightfulvous of the upper side of the wings more widely extended, causing the dark markings to be greatly restricted. The figure in the plate is, in this species as in most others, that of the type, and I am under obligations to Dr. Skinner for kind permission to have the use of the specimen. Expanse, 1.75 inch.
The type came from Colorado Springs.
(12)Phyciodes montana, Behr, Plate XVII, Fig. 26, ♁,under side; Fig. 27, ♁ (The Mountain Crescent-spot).
Butterfly.—Upon the upper side the wings are marked much as inP. camillus, but are prevalently bright fulvous, with the dark markings quite slight in most specimens. On the under side the wings are pale yellowish-fulvous. The female usually has the secondaries crossed by a broad median band of very pale spots. Expanse, ♂, 1.25 inch; ♁, 1.50 inch.
Early Stages.—Unknown.
The habitat of this species is the Sierras of California and Nevada.
(13)Phyciodes picta, Edwards, Plate XVII, Fig. 20, ♁,under side; Fig. 21, ♂ (The Painted Crescent-spot).
Butterfly.—The butterfly in both sexes somewhat closely resemblesP. phaonon the upper side. On the under side the fore wings are red on the median area, with the base, the costa, the apex, and the outer margin pale yellow; the black markings very prominent. The hind wings on the under side are nearly immaculate yellow. Expanse, ♂, .80-1.10 inch; ♁, 1.10-1.25 inch.
Early Stages.—These may be found described with minute exactness by Mr. W.H. Edwards in the pages of the "Canadian Entomologist," vol. xvi, pp. 163-167. The egg is yellowish-green. The caterpillar moults five times. When mature it is about six tenths of an inch long, armed with seven principal rows of short spines, which appear to vary in color in the spring and fall broods, being light brown in the June brood and greenish-yellow in the October brood. The prevalent color of the caterpillar is some shade of yellowish-or greenish-brown, mottled with lighter and darker tints. The chrysalis is yellowish-brown. The food-plants of the caterpillar are various species of aster.
This species is found as far north as Nebraska, and is abundant in Colorado and New Mexico, ranging southward through Arizona into Mexico.
Plate XVIII.
Genus ERESIA, Doubleday
Butterfly.—Small butterflies, closely resembling the species of the genusPhyciodesin the neuration of the wings, and only differing from them in the outline of the outer margin of the primaries, which are more or less excavated about the middle. In the style of the markings they differ somewhat widely from the butterflies of the genusPhyciodes, notably in the absence of the crescents on the margins of the wings. The wings on the upper side are generally some shade of deep brown or black, marked with spots and bands of white or fulvous, the median band on the hind wings being generally more or less conspicuous. In the pattern of their markings they illustrate a transition from the genusPhyciodesto the genusSynchloë.
Fig. 93.—Neuration of the genusEresia, slightly enlarged.
Egg.—Hitherto undescribed.
Caterpillar.—Cylindrical, with seven rows of spines, one dorsal, and three lateral on each side; the spines are short, blunt, and armed with short bristles. The head is subcordate, with the vertices rounded. It moults four times.
Chrysalis.—Cylindrical, abdomen stout, head-case short, beveled, nearly square at top, the vertices pyramidal. There are three rows of small tubercles on the dorsal side of the abdomen.
The caterpillars so far as known feed upon variousCompositæ, asDiclippaandActinomeris.
The genus, which is somewhat doubtfully separable fromPhyciodes, and probably possesses only subgeneric value, is well represented in Central and South America. But three species are found in the faunal region of which this book treats.
(1)Eresia frisia, Poey, Plate XVII, Fig. 42, ♂ (Frisia).
Butterfly.—Upper side reddish-fulvous, clouded with fuscous at the base. On the basal area are waved black lines, separate on the hind wings, more or less blended on the fore wings. The outer border is broadly black. Between this border and the basal third the wing is crossed by irregular black bands, the spaces between which are paler fulvous than the base and the hind wings, those near the outer margin being whitish. Thesebands are continued broadly across the hind wings. The wings on the under side are fulvous, mottled with dark brown and white, and spotted with conspicuous white spots. The male and the female closely resemble each other. Expanse, 1.40 inch.
The early stages are wholly unknown.
The only locality within the limits of the United States in which this insect has been found is Key West, in Florida. It is abundant in the Antilles, Mexico, Central and South America.
(2)Eresia texana, Edwards, Plate XVIII, Fig. 8, ♁; Fig. 9, ♂,under side(The Texan Eresia).
Butterfly.—Black on the upper side of the wings, shading into reddish-brown on the basal area. The fore wings are spotted on the median and limbal areas with white, and the hind wings are adorned by a conspicuous median band of small white spots. On the under side the fore wings are fulvous at the base, broadly dark brown beyond the middle. The light spots of the upper side reappear on the lower side. The hind wings on the under side are marbled wood-brown on the basal area and the inner margin, darker brown externally. The white macular band of the upper side reappears on this side, but less distinct than above. Expanse, ♂, 1.25-1.50 inch; ♁, 1.60-1.75 inch.
Early Stages.—For the only account of the life-history of this species the reader is referred to the "Canadian Entomologist," vol. xi, p. 127, where the indefatigable Edwards gives us an interesting account of his original observations.
This insect ranges from Texas into Mexico. It has been confounded by some with a closely allied insect,Eresia ianthe, Fabricius, and to show the difference we have given in Plate XVIII, Fig. 12, a representation of that species, by means of which the reader will be enabled to mark the difference on the upper surfaces of the two species.
(3)Eresia punctata, Edwards, Plate XVII, Fig. 39, ♂ (The Dotted Eresia).
Butterfly.—A lengthy description of this little species is scarcely necessary, as the figure in the plate will suffice for its accurate determination. Nothing is known of its early stages. Expanse, 1.10 inch. It is found in New Mexico, Texas, Arizona, and Mexico. It has been recently declared to be identical withE. tulcis, Bates, an opinion I am not quite prepared to accept, butwhich, if correct, will force us, according to the law of priority, to substitute the name given by Bates for that given by Edwards.
Genus SYNCHLOË, Boisduval(The Patched Butterflies)
Butterfly.—Medium-sized or small butterflies, rather gaily colored, although the species found in the United States are not very brilliant. They may be distinguished structurally from the butterflies of the two preceding genera not only by their larger size and the spindle-formed third article of the palpi, which in the generaEresiaandPhyciodesis thin and pointed like a needle, but also by the fact that the lower discocellular vein of the fore wings is generally quite straight and not bowed or angled as in the before-mentioned genera.
Fig. 94.—Neuration of the genusSynchloë, enlarged.
Egg.—Similar in appearance to the eggs of the genusPhyciodes: obovoid, truncated, and slightly depressed at top, rounded at the bottom; the lower three fifths with shallow depressions; the upper part with about twenty-four light blunt-edged ribs. The eggs are laid in clusters upon the leaves ofHelianthus.
Caterpillar.—Varying in color, generally black or some shade of red or brown, covered with spines which are arranged as in the genusMelitæaand are thickly beset with diverging bristles. The caterpillar moults four times.
Chrysalis.—Shaped as in the genusMelitæa, light in color, blotched with dark brown or black spots and lines.
The genus is well represented in Central and South America. Some of the species are polymorphic, many varieties being produced from a single batch of eggs. The result has been considerable confusion in the specific nomenclature.
(1)Synchloë janais, Drury, Plate XVIII, Fig. 10, ♂ (The Crimson-patch).
Butterfly.—Fore wings black above, spotted with white; hind wings black above, marked in the center with a broad bandof crimson. On the under side the markings of the upper side of the fore wings are reproduced. The hind wings on the under side are black at the base and on the outer third; immediately at the base is a yellow bar; across the middle is a broad yellow band laved outwardly by red, upon which are numerous black spots. There is a marginal row of yellow spots and an inner row of smaller white spots on the limbal area. Expanse, 2.50-3.00 inches.
Early Stages.—What is known of these is contained in articles published by Mr. William Schaus, "Papilio," vol. iii, p. 188; and by Henry Edwards, "Entomologica Americana," vol. iii, p. 161, to which the reader may refer.
The habitat of the species is Texas, Mexico, and Central America. The insect is very variable in the markings both of the upper and under sides, and several so-called species are only varietal forms of this.
(2)Synchloë lacinia, Hübner, Plate XVIII, Fig. 11, ♂; formcrocale, Edwards, Plate XXIV, Fig. 8, ♂,under side; Fig. 9, ♂ (Lacinia).
Butterfly.—This is a protean species, a dozen or more well-marked varietal forms being produced, many of them from a single batch of eggs. The wings on the upper side are black; both primaries and secondaries are crossed about the middle by a band of spots, generally broken on the primaries and continuous on the secondaries. These spots in the typical formlaciniaare fulvous, and the bands are broad. In the formcrocalethe spots are white, the bands narrow. A great variety of intergrading forms are known and are represented in the author's collection, most of them bred specimens reared from the egg. On the under side the fore wings are marked as on the upper side. The hind wings on the under side are black, with a marginal row of spots, a transverse straight median band, a short basal band, and a costal edging, all bright straw-yellow; in addition there is a submarginal row of small white spots and a crimson patch of variable size at the anal angle. Expanse, ♂, 1.50-2.00 inches; ♁, 1.75-2.75 inches.
Early Stages.—These are described fully by Edwards in the "Canadian Entomologist," vol. xxv, p. 286.
Laciniaranges from Texas and New Mexico to Bolivia.
FAUNAL REGIONS
That branch of zoölogical science which treats of the geographical distribution of animals is known as zoögeography. None of the zoölogical sciences has contributed more to a knowledge of the facts with which zoögeography deals than the science of entomology.
Various divisions of the surface of the earth, based upon the character of the living beings which inhabit them, have been suggested. At the present time, however, it is agreed that in a general way five major subdivisions are sufficient for the purposes of the science, and we therefore recognize five faunal regions, namely, thePalæarctic, which includes the temperate regions of the eastern hemisphere; theIndo-Malayan, covering the tropics of Asia and the islands lying south of that great continent, including Australia; theEthiopian, covering the continent of Africa south of the lands bordering on the Mediterranean, and extending northward into the southern part of Arabia; theNeotropical, covering the continent of South America and the islands of the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico; and, finally, theNearctic, covering the temperate and polar regions of North America. The butterflies with which this volume deals are mostly nearctic species, only a few species representing the neotropical region being found as stragglers into the extreme southern portion of the United States.
These five faunal regions are characterized by the presence of certain groups of insects which are more or less peculiar to them. In the Palæarctic Region, for instance, we find a very great development of theSatyrinæ, of the generaArgynnis,Melitæa, andLycæna, and of the genusColias. The genusPapiliois but poorly represented, there being only three species found on the entire continent of Europe, and comparatively few in Asia north of the Himalayan mountain-ranges.
As soon as we pass from the boundaries of the Palæarctic Region into India there is discovered a great number of species of the genusPapilio. TheEuplœinæ, of various genera, swarm, and splendid creatures, magnificent in color, present themselves, replacing among theNymphalinæthe small and obscurely colored forms which are found among the mountains of Europe and on the great Asiatic steppes. In the Indo-Malayan Region oneof the most gorgeous of the papilionine genera is known asOrnithoptera. These great "bird-wing" butterflies are most brilliant in color in the male, and in the female attain an expanse of wing reaching in some species eight and even nine inches, so that it would be impossible to represent them in their natural dimensions upon a page such as that which is before the reader. One of these giants of the butterfly family, namedVictoriaafter her Majesty the Queen of England, is found in the Solomon Islands, and is probably the largest of all known butterflies. One specimen, belonging to the author, has an expanse of wing exceeding nine inches. Among the strangest of recent discoveries isOrnithoptera paradisea, which is found in New Guinea. The male has the hind wings produced in the form of a very delicate and slender tail; the upper surfaces of the wing are broadly marked with shining green and lustrous orange upon a velvety-black ground. The female is black with white spots, slightly marked with yellow, being obscure in color, as is for the most part characteristic of this sex among butterflies, as well as other animals.
The Ethiopian Region is rich in beautiful butterflies of the genusCallosune, which are white or yellow, having the tips of the anterior wings marked with crimson or purple. There are many scores of species of these which are found on the grassy park-like lands of southeastern Africa, and they range northward through Abyssinia into Arabia, and a few species even invade the hot lands of the Indian peninsula. In the great forests of the Congo and in fact throughout tropical Africa, the genusAcræa, composed of beautiful insects with long, narrow wings like the genusHeliconius, but for the most part yellow, rich brown, and red, spotted with black, abound. And here, too, are found some of the noblest species belonging to the great genusPapilio, among them that most singular and, until recently, rarest of the genus,Papilio antimachusof Drury, one specimen of which, among a dozen or more in the author's possession, has wings which exceed in expanse even those ofOrnithoptera victoria, though this butterfly, which seems to mimic the genusAcræa, has comparatively narrow wings, and they, therefore, do not cover so large an area as is covered in the case of the genusOrnithoptera.
In the Neotropical Region we are confronted by swarms of butterflies belonging to theIthomiinæ, theHeliconiinæ, and theAcræinæ, all of which are known to be protected species, andwhich are mimicked by other species among the butterflies and moths of the region which they frequent. A naturalist familiar with the characteristics of the butterfly fauna of South America can at a glance determine whether a collection placed before him is from that country or not, merely by his knowledge of the peculiar coloration which is characteristic of the lepidoptera of the region. The most brilliant butterflies of the neotropical fauna are theMorphos, glorious insects, the under side of their wings marked with eye-like spots, the upper side resplendent in varying tints of iridescent blue.
In the Nearctic Region there is a remarkable development of the generaArgynnis,Melitæa, andPhyciodes. There are also a great many species of theSatyrinæand of theHesperiidæ, or "skippers." The genusColiasis also well represented. The Nearctic Region extends southwardly into northern Mexico, at high elevations, and is even continued along the chain of the Andes, and there are species which are found in the vicinity of San Francisco which occur in Chili and Patagonia. In fact, when we get to the southern extremity both of Africa and of South America we find certain genera characteristic of the north temperate zone, or closely allied to them, well represented.
Genus GRAPTA, Kirby(The Angle-Wings)
Butterfly.—Medium-sized or small, characterized by the more or less deeply excavated inner and outer margins of the fore wings, the tail-like projection of the hind wings at the extremity of the third median nervule, the closed cell of the same wings, and the thick squamation of the palpi on the under side, while on the sides and tops of the palpi there are but few scales. They are tawny on the upper side, spotted and bordered with black; on the under side mimicking the bark of trees and dead leaves, often with a c-shaped silvery spot on the hind wings. The insects hibernate in the butterfly form in hollow trees and other hiding-places.
Fig. 95.—Neuration of the genusGrapta.
Egg.—The eggs are taller than broad, tapering upward from the base. The summit is broad and flat. The sides are marked by a few equidistant narrow longitudinal ribs, which increase in height to the top. A few delicate cross-lines are interwoven between these ribs. They are laid in clusters or in short string-like series (see p. 5, Fig. 10).
Caterpillar.—The head is somewhat quadrate in outline, the body cylindrical, adorned with rows of branching spines (see Plate III, Figs. 23, 27, 31-33, 38).
Chrysalis.—The chrysalids have the head more or less bifid. There is a prominent thoracic tubercle, and a double row of dorsal tubercles on the abdomen. Viewed from the back they are more or less excavated on the sides of the thorax. In color they are generally some shade of wood-brown or greenish.
The caterpillars feed for the most part upon theUrticaceæ, plants of the nettle tribe, such as the stinging-nettle, the elm, and the hop-vine, though the azalea and wild currants furnish the food of some species.
The genus is confined mainly to the north temperate zone.
(1)Grapta interrogationis, Fabricius, Plate I, Fig. 3, [male],under side; formfabricii, Edwards, Plate XIX, Fig. 1, [male]; form umbrosa, Lintner, Plate XIX, Fig. 2, [female]; Plate III, Fig. 23,larva, from a blown specimen; Fig. 27,larva, copied from a drawing by Abbot; Plate IV, Figs. 21, 22, 24-26, 40,chrysalis(The Question-sign).
Butterfly.—Easily distinguished by its large size, being the largest species of the genus in our fauna. The fore wings are decidedly falcate, or sickle-shaped, bright fulvous on the upper side, spotted and bordered with dark brown and edged with pale blue. On the under side they are mottled brown, shaded with pale purplish, and have a silvery mark shaped like a semicolon on the hind wings. The dimorphic varietyumbrosa, Lintner, has the upper side of the hind wings almost entirely black, except at the base. Expanse, 2.50 inches.
Early Stages.—These have been frequently described, and the reader who wishes to know all about the minute details of the life-history will do well to consult the pages of Edwards and Scudder, who have written voluminously upon the subject. The food-plants are the elm, the hop-vine, and various species of nettles.
This is one of our commonest butterflies. It is double-brooded in the Middle States. It hibernates in the imago form, and when the first warm winds of spring begin to blow, it maybe found at the sap-pans in the sugar-camps, sipping the sweets which drip from the wounded trunks of the maples. It ranges all over the United States, except the Pacific coast, and is common throughout Canada and Nova Scotia.
Plate XIX.
(2)Grapta comma, Harris, formdryas, Plate XIX, Fig. 3, ♂; formharrisi, Edwards, Fig. 4, ♂; Plate III, Fig. 38,larva; Plate IV, Figs. 27, 29, 30, 39, 46-48,chrysalis(The Comma Butterfly).
Butterfly.—Dimorphic, in the formdryaswith the hind wings heavily suffused with black, in the formharrisipredominantly fulvous. Expanse, 1.75-2.00 inches.
The caterpillars feed upon theUrticaceæ, and are very common upon the nettle. They vary greatly in color, some being almost snow-white. This species is found throughout Canada and the adjacent provinces, and ranges south to the Carolinas and Texas and over the Northwestern States.
(3)Grapta satyrus, Edwards, Plate XX, Fig. 1, ♁; Fig. 2, ♁,under side; formmarsyas, Edwards, Plate XIX, Fig. 14, ♂; Fig. 15, ♂,under side; Plate III, Fig. 33,larva; Plate IV, Figs. 41, 42,chrysalis(The Satyr).
Butterfly.—The species is so accurately depicted in the plates that a description is hardly necessary. The formmarsyasis smaller, brighter, and with the dark spots on the upper side of the hind wings reduced in size. Expanse, 1.75-2.00 inches.
The food-plant of the caterpillar is the nettle. It occurs occasionally in Ontario, and thence ranges west, being not uncommon from Colorado to California and Oregon.
(4)Grapta hylas, Edwards, Plate XIX, Fig. 7, ♂; Fig. 8, ♂,under side(The Colorado Angle-wing).
Butterfly.—The butterfly closely resemblesG. silenuson the upper side, but may easily be distinguished by the uniform pale purplish-gray of the lower side of the wings. Expanse, 2.00 inches.
The early stages are unknown. The insect has thus far been found only in Colorado, but no doubt occurs in other States of the Rocky Mountain region.
(5)Grapta faunus, Edwards, Plate XIX, Fig. 12, ♂; Fig. 13, ♂,under side; Plate III, Fig. 32,larva; Plate IV, Figs. 31, 33-35,chrysalis(The Faun).
Butterfly.—This species is readily recognized by the deep indentations of the hind wings, the heavy black border, and thedark tints of the under side mottled with paler shades. Expanse, 2.00-2.15 inches.
The caterpillar feeds on willows. It is found from New England to the Carolinas, and thence westward to the Pacific.
(6)Grapta zephyrus, Edwards, Plate XX, Fig. 5, ♂; Fig. 6, ♂,under side(The Zephyr).
Butterfly.—Fulvous, marked with yellowish toward the outer margins, the dark markings upon which are not as heavy as in the other species of the genus. On the under side the wings are paler than is the case in other species, reddish-brown, marbled with darker brown lines and frecklings. Expanse, 1.75-2.00 inches.
The caterpillar, which feeds uponAzalea occidentalis, is described and figured by Edwards in "The Butterflies of North America," vol. i.Zephyrusis found throughout the region of the Rocky Mountains, from Colorado to California, and from Oregon to New Mexico.
(7)Grapta gracilis, Grote and Robinson, Plate XIX, Fig. 10, ♂; Fig. 11, ♁,under side(The Graceful Angle-wing).
Butterfly.—A small species, rather heavily marked with dark brown or blackish on the upper side. The wings on the under side are very dark, crossed about the middle by a pale-gray or white band shading off toward the outer margins. This light band serves as a means of easily identifying the species. Expanse, 1.75 inch.
The early stages are unknown.
The species has been found on the White Mountains in New Hampshire, in Maine, Canada, and British America, as far west as Alaska.
(8)Grapta silenus, Edwards, Plate XIX, Fig. 5, ♂; Fig. 6, ♁,under side(Silenus).
Butterfly.—Larger thangracilis, and the wings more deeply excised, as infaunus. On the under side the wings are very dark, with lighter irrorations, especially on the fore wings. Expanse, 2.00-2.30 inches.
The early stages have never been studied. This species appears to be found only in Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia.
(9)Grapta progne, Cramer, Plate XX, Fig. 3, ♂; Fig. 4, ♂,under side; Plate III, Fig. 31,larva; Plate IV, Figs. 32, 37, 38,chrysalis(Progne).
Butterfly.—A rather small species, with light-fulvous fore wings, shading into yellow toward the outer margins; the dark markings slight, but deep in color. The secondaries are heavily bordered with black on the outer margin. On the under side the wings are very dark, variegated with paler shades, somewhat as inG. gracilis. Expanse, 1.85-2.00 inches.
The early stages have been quite fully described by various authors, and the reader may consult "The Butterflies of New England," vol. i, pp. 266-268, for a full account. The caterpillar feeds on the elm, but more commonly on various species of theGrossulaceæ, or currant tribe, wild or domesticated. It ranges from Siberia to Nova Scotia, and southward as far as Pennsylvania.
There are several other species ofGraptafound in our fauna, which are not delineated in this book; but they are rare species, of which little is as yet known. The types are in the collection of the writer, and if the reader finds any species which he cannot identify by means of this book the author will be pleased to help him to the full extent of his ability.
Genus VANESSA, Fabricius(The Tortoise-shells)
Fig. 96.—Neuration of the genusVanessa.
Butterfly.—Medium-sized insects, the wings on the upper side generally some shade of black or brown, marked with red, yellow, or orange. The head is moderately large, the eyes hairy, the palpi more or less heavily scaled, the prothoracic legs feeble and hairy. The lower discocellular vein of the fore wings, when present, unites with the third median nervule, not at its origin, but beyond on the curve. The cell of the primaries may or may not be closed. The cell of the secondaries is open. The fore wings have the outer margin more or less deeply excavated between the extremities of the upper radial and the first median, at which points the wings are rather strongly produced. The hind wings have the outer margin denticulate, strongly produced at the extremity of the third median nervule.
Egg.—Short, ovoid, broad at the base, tapering toward the summit, which is broad and adorned with a few narrow, quite high longitudinal ridges, increasing in height toward the apex. Between these ribs are a few delicate cross-lines. They are generally laid in large clusters upon twigs of the food-plant.
Caterpillar.—The caterpillar moults four times. In the mature form it is cylindrical, the segments adorned with long, branching spines arranged in longitudinal rows; the spines much longer, and branching rather than beset with bristles, as in the genusGrapta. It lives upon elms, willows, and poplars.
Chrysalis.—The chrysalis in general appearance is not unlike the chrysalis ofGrapta.
The genus is mainly restricted to the north temperate zone and the mountain regions of tropical lands adjacent thereto. The insects hibernate in the imago form, and are among the first butterflies to take wing in the springtime.
(1)Vanessa j-album, Boisduval and Leconte, Plate XIX, Fig. 9, ♁ (The Compton Tortoise).
Butterfly.—No description is required, as the figure in the plate will enable it to be immediately recognized. On the under side of the wings it resembles in color the species of the genusGrapta, from which the straight edge of the inner margin of the primaries at once distinguishes it. It is a very close ally of the EuropeanV. vau-album. Expanse, 2.60-2.75 inches.
The caterpillar feeds upon various species of willow. It is a Northern form, being found in Pennsylvania upon the summits of the Alleghanies, and thence north to Labrador on the east and Alaska on the west. It is always a rather scarce insect.
(2)Vanessa californica, Boisduval, Plate XX, Fig. 11, ♂ (The California Tortoise-shell).
Butterfly.—On the upper side deep fulvous, mottled with yellow, spotted and bordered with black. On the under side dark brown; pale on the outer half of the primaries, the entire surface marked with dark lines and fine striæ. Expanse, 2.00-2.25 inches.
Early Stages.—The larva and chrysalis have been described by Henry Edwards in the "Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences," vol. v, p. 171. The caterpillar feeds uponCeanothus thyrsiflorus.
This insect is a close ally of the EuropeanV. xanthomelas. It ranges from Colorado to California and as far north as Oregon.