Butterfly.—The upper side is accurately depicted in the plate. On the under side the wings are hoary. The spots of the upper side reappear, the lower spots of the primaries being partially lost in the broad honey-yellow tint which covers the inner margin of that wing. The secondaries are crossed by obscure dark-brown basal, median, and postmedian bands, portions of which are annular, or composed of ring-like spots. The anal angle is clouded with dark brown. Expanse, 1.50-1.60 inch.
Early Stages.—Unknown.
The species has been taken in considerable numbers in Arizona, and ranges thence southward into Mexico.
Genus EPARGYREUS, Hübner
Butterfly.—The antennæ have the club stout, gradually thickened, tapering to a fine point, and abruptly bent into a hook. The palpi are profusely covered with thick scales, in which the third joint is almost entirely concealed. The fore wing of the male is furnished with a costal fold; the hind wing is prominently toothed at the extremity of the submedian vein.
Egg.—The egg is elevated, hemispherical; that is to say, it is flattened at the base, rounded above, its height being almost equal to the width. It is marked by about ten narrow, greatly elevated longitudinal ridges, which sometimes fork below the summit, and between which are a multitude of fine cross-lines. The micropyle is greatly depressed.
Caterpillar.—The caterpillar closely resembles the caterpillar of the genus Eudamus, but the head is not as strongly bilobed.
Chrysalis.—The chrysalis likewise resembles the chrysalis of the genus Eudamus; the cremaster, however, is not as strongly hooked as in that genus.
(1) Epargyreus tityrus, Fabricius, Plate XLIII, Fig. 5, ♂; Plate II, Figs. 30, 31, 33, larva; Plate VI, Figs. 22, 25, 26, chrysalis (The Silver-spotted Skipper).
Butterfly.-This very common and beautiful insect may easily be recognized from the figure in the plate. The broad, irregular silvery spot on the under side of the hind wings distinguishes it at a glance from all other related species in our fauna. Expanse, 1.75-2.00 inches.
Early Stages.-These have been accurately described by several authors, and a very full account of them is contained in "The Butterflies of New England." The caterpillar feeds upon leguminous plants, and is especially common upon the Wistaria, which is grown about verandas, and on the common locust (Robinia pseudacacia). The caterpillar makes a nest for itself in the same manner as Eudamus proteus. Pupation generally takes place among fallen leaves or rubbish at the foot of the trees upon which the caterpillar has fed.
This butterfly has a wide range, extending to the Gulf, south of a line passing from Quebec to Vancouver, and ranging still farther south as far as the Isthmus of Panama. It is single-brooded in the North, and double-or triple-brooded in the South.
Genus THORYBES, Scudder
(The Dusky-wings)
Butterfly.—The club of the antennæ is not very heavy, hooked, the hooked portion about as long as the rest of the club. The palpi are directed forward, with the second joint heavily scaled, and the third joint very small. The fore wing may be with or without the costal fold in the male sex. The cut gives a correct idea of the neuration. The hind wing is evenly rounded on the outer margin, sometimes slightly angled at the extremity of the submedian vein.
Egg.—The egg is subglobular, somewhat flattened at the base and on top, marked with numerous fine and not much elevated longitudinal ridges. The micropyle covers the upper surface of the egg and is not depressed.
Caterpillar.—The caterpillar somewhat resembles that of the genus Epargvreus, but is relatively shorter, the head proportionately larger and more globular. The neck is greatly strangulated.
Chrysalis.—The chrysalis is somewhat curved in outline, with a strongly hooked cremaster and a prominent projection on the back of the thoracic region.
(1) Thorybes pylades, Scudder, Plate XLVIII, Fig. 6, ♁; Plate II, Figs. 25, 29, larva; Plate VI, Fig. 28, chrysalis (The Northern Dusky-wing).
Butterfly.—The upper side is represented correctly in Plate XLVIII. On the under side the wings are dark brown, shading into hoary-gray on the outer margins. The hind wings are crossed by irregular basal, median, and postmedian brown bands of darker spots, shaded with deeper brown internally. The translucent spots of the upper side reappear on the lower side of the fore wings. Expanse, 1.60 inch.
Early Stages.—These are elaborately described in the pages of Dr. Scudder's great work. The caterpillar feeds on clover, Lespedeza, and Desmodium.
This insect is found throughout the United States and Canada, but is not as yet reported from the central masses of the Rocky Mountain region. It probably, however, occurs there also in suitable locations. It is very common in New England.
(2) Thorybes bathyllus, Smith and Abbot, Plate XLVIII, Fig. 5, ♁; Plate II, Fig. 32, larva; Plate VI, Fig. 24, chrysalis (The Southern Dusky-wing).
Butterfly.—Easily distinguished from the preceding species by the much larger size of the translucent spots on the fore wings. Expanse, 1.40-1.50 inch.
Early Stages.—The habits of the larva are very similar to those of the preceding species, and the caterpillar feeds on herbaceous leguminosæ.
It ranges from the Connecticut Valley, where it is rare, southward along the coast and through the Mississippi Valley as far south and west as Texas.
(3) Thorybes æmilia, Skinner, Plate XLVI, Fig. 39, ♂ (Mrs. Owen's Dusky-wing).
Butterfly.—This little species, which may readily be identified by the figure of the type given in the plate, is as yet quite rare in collections. We know nothing of the early stages. The types were taken at Fort Klamath, in Oregon. Dr. Skinner named it in honor of the estimable wife of Professor Owen of the University of Wisconsin, the discoverer of the species. Expanse, 1.20 inch.
(4) Thorybes epigena, Butler, Plate XLVIII, Fig. 13, ♂ (Butler's Dusky-wing).
Butterfly.—Readily distinguished by its large size, the conspicuous white fringes of the hind wings on the upper side, and the broad white marginal band of these wings on the under side. Expanse, 2.00 inches.
Early Stages.—Unknown.
This insect is common in Arizona and Mexico.
Genus ACHALARUS, Scudder
Butterfly.—The antennæ and palpi are as in the preceding genus. The neuration is represented in the cut. The hind wing is slightly lobed at the anal angle; the fore wing may or may not be provided with a costal fold.
(1) Achalarus lycidas, Smith and Abbot, Plate XLV, Fig. 10, ♁, under side; Plate II, Fig. 23, larva; Plate VI, Fig. 21, chrysalis (The Hoary-edge).
Butterfly.—The general appearance of the upper side of the wings strongly recalls E. tityrus, but the hoary edge of the secondaries and the absence of the broad median silvery spot found in tityrus at once serve to discriminate the two forms. Expanse, 1.65-1.95 inch.
Early Stages.—What is known of them may be ascertained by consulting the pages of "The Butterflies of New England." The caterpillar is found on the leaves of Desmodium (Beggar's-lice).
The insect is rare in southern New England, and ranges thence southward and westward to Texas, being scarce in the Mississippi Valley north of Kentucky, and apparently not ranging west of Missouri.
(2) Achalarus cellus, Boisduval and Leconte, Plate XLV, Fig. 12, ♂ (The Golden-banded Skipper).
Butterfly.—The figure in the plate will enable the instant identification of this beautiful species, which, on the under side, has the hind wings banded much as in E. proteus. Expanse, 2.00 inches.
Early Stages.—What little we know of these is based mainly upon the observations of Abbot, and there is an opportunity here for some young naturalist to render a good service to science by rearing the insect through all stages from the egg. The habits of the larva are not greatly different from those of allied species.
A. cellus is found in the Virginias, and thence southward and westward to Arizona and Mexico. It is common in the Carolinas.
Genus HESPERIA, Fabricius
Butterfly.—The antennæ are relatively short; the club is stout and blunt at the tip. The palpi are bent upward, with the third joint buried in the scales covering the second joint. The hind wing is usually evenly rounded. In all the American species the male is provided with a costal fold. The neuration is represented in the cut.
Egg.—Hemispherical, ribbed.
Caterpillar.—The caterpillar is much like those which have been previously described, but is relatively much smaller.
Chrysalis.—The chrysalis has a somewhat blunt and not very distinctly developed cremaster.
(1) Hesperia domicella, Erichson, Plate XLVII, Fig. 19, ♂ (Erichson's Skipper).
Butterfly.—Allied to the following species, from which it is easily discriminated by the broad, solid white bands on both the fore and the hind wings. Expanse, 1.25 inch.
Early Stages.—Unknown.
H. domicella is found in Arizona, Mexico, and southward.
(2) Hesperia montivaga, Reakirt, Plate XLVII, Fig. 18, ♂; Plate VI, Fig. 35, chrysalis (The Checkered Skipper).
Butterfly.—The upper side is correctly delineated in the plate. The under side of the fore wings is much paler than the upper side, but with all the spots and markings of that side reproduced. The hind wings are creamy-white, crossed by median, postmedian, and marginal irregular bands of ochreous, somewhat annular spots. There is a triangular black spot at the anal angle of the secondaries. Expanse, 1.15 inch.
Early Stages.—We know little of these. The caterpillar probably feeds on malvaceous plants, as do most of the species of the genus.
The insect ranges from the Middle States to Arizona, and westward to the Rocky Mountains.
(3) Hesperia centaureæ, Rambur, Plate XLVII, Fig. 13, ♂ (The Grizzled Skipper).
Butterfly.—The upper side may easily be recognized by the help of the figure in the plate. On the under side the wings are darker than in the preceding species; the spots of the primaries reappear on this side, the submarginal curved row of spots coalescing to form a narrow white band, the white spot at the end of the cell flowing around the dark spot, which it only partly incloses on the upper side, and forming an eye-like spot. The hind wings are brown, scaled with green, and crossed by basal, median, and marginal bands of quadrate spots. The fringes are whitish, checkered with gray. Expanse, 1.15 inch.
Early Stages.—These await description.
This species, which originally was believed to be confined to Scandinavia and Lapland in Europe, and to eastern Labrador in this country, is now known to have a wide range in North America, extending from Labrador to the Carolinas on the Appalachian ranges, and occurring on the Rocky Mountains from British Columbia to southern Colorado.
(4) Hesperia cæspitalis, Boisduval, Plate XLVII, Fig. 14, ♁ (The Two-banded Skipper).
Butterfly.—On the upper side strongly resembling the preceding species, but the inner row of white spots on the hind wings is more complete. On the under side the fore wings are black, crossed by a double row of white spots, as on the upper side, these spots standing out conspicuously on the dark ground. The hind wings on the under side are more or less ferruginous, with the white spots more or less conspicuous. The fringes are checkered white and gray. Expanse, 1.00 inch.
Early Stages.—But little is known concerning these.
The species occurs in California, Oregon, and Nevada.
(5) Hesperia xanthus, Edwards, Plate XLVII, Fig. 15, ♂ (The Xanthus Skipper).
Butterfly.—Resembling the preceding species, but easily distinguished by the larger size of all the spots on the upper side of the wing and the paler under side, the secondaries being marked somewhat as in H. montivaga. Expanse, 1.00 inch.
Early Stages.—Hitherto undescribed.
The species has thus far been received only from southern Colorado, but undoubtedly will be found elsewhere in that portion of the land.
(6) Hesperia scriptura, Boisduval, Plate XLVII, Fig. 12, ♁ (The Small Checkered Skipper).
Butterfly.—Quite small. The hind wings on the upper side are almost entirely dark gray, the only white mark being a spot or two at the end of the cell. The fore wings are marked on this side as in the two foregoing species. On the under side the fore wings are blackish toward the base, with the costa, the apex, and the outer margin narrowly whitish. The hind wings below are pale, with an incomplete median band of white spots and broad white fringes, which are not checkered with darker color as in the preceding species. Expanse, .85 inch.
Early Stages.—Unknown.
The habitat of this species is southern Colorado, New Mexico, and Arizona.
(7) Hesperia nessus, Edwards, Plate XLVII, Fig. 17, ♂ (Nessus).
Butterfly.—This singularly marked little species, which probably might be separated from this genus on account of the slender and prolonged palpi, and no doubt would be by some of the hair-splitting makers of genera, I am content to leave where it has been placed by recent writers. It can be readily recognized by the figure in the plate, as there is nothing else like it in our fauna. Expanse, .80 inch.
Early Stages.—Unknown.
Nessus occurs in Texas and Arizona.
There are a few other species of this genus found within the limits of the United States, but enough have been represented to give a clear conception of the characteristics of the group, which is widely distributed throughout the world.
Genus SYSTASEA, Butler
Butterfly.—The palpi are porrect, the third joint projecting forward, the second joint densely scaled below. The antennæ are slender, the club moderately stout, somewhat bluntly pointed, bent, not hooked. The hind wings are somewhat crenulate, and deeply excised opposite the end of the cell. The fifth vein is lacking. In the fore wing the lower radial arises from a point nearer the upper radial than the third median nervule. The fore wings are crossed about the middle by translucent spots or bands.
Early Stages.—The early stages are unknown.
(1) Systasea zampa, Edwards, Plate XLVI, Fig. 1, ♂ (Zampa).
Butterfly.—The wings on the upper side are ochreous, mottled and clouded with dark brown. The primaries are marked about the middle and before the apex by translucent transverse linear spots. In addition there are a number of pale opaque spots on the primaries. The secondaries are traversed by a pale submarginal whitish line. The under side of the wings is pale, with the light markings of the upper side indistinctly separated. Expanse, 1.10-1.25 inch.
Early Stages.—Unknown.
This interesting little species occurs in Arizona and northern Mexico.
Genus PHOLISORA, Scudder
Butterfly.—The palpi are porrect, the second joint loosely scaled, the third joint slender and conspicuous. The antennæ have the club gradually thickened, the tip blunt. The fore wing is relatively narrow, provided with a costal fold in the case of the male. The cut gives a correct idea of the neuration.
Egg.—The egg is curiously formed, much flattened at the base, marked on the side with longitudinal ridges and cross-lines, these ridges developing alternately at their apical extremities into thickened, more or less rugose elevations, the ridges pointing inwardly and surrounding the deeply depressed micropyle.
Caterpillar.—Slender, with the head broad, rounded; the body stout, thickest in the middle, tapering toward either end, and somewhat flattened below.
Chrysalis.—The chrysalis is slender, very slightly convex on the ventral side, somewhat concave on the dorsal side behind the thorax. The wing-cases are relatively smaller than in the preceding genera.
(1) Pholisora catullus, Fabricius, Plate XLV, Fig. 4, ♂; Plate VI, Figs. 29, 36, 41, chrysalis (The Sooty-wing).
Butterfly.—Black on both sides of the wings, with a faint marginal series and a conspicuous submarginal series of light spots on the primaries in the male sex on the upper side, and, in addition to these, in the female sex, a faint marginal series on the secondaries. On the under side only the upper spots of the submarginal series of the primaries reappear. Expanse, .80-1.15 inch.
Early Stages.—The caterpillar feeds on "lamb's-quarter" (Chenopodium album) and the Amarantaceæ. It forms a case for itself by folding the leaf along the midrib and stitching the edges together with a few threads of silk. It lies concealed during the day and feeds at night. A minute account of all its peculiarities is given by Scudder in "The Butterflies of New England," vol. ii, p. 1519.
The insect ranges over the whole of temperate North America.
(2) Pholisora hayhursti, Edwards, Plate XLVIII, Fig. 16, ♁ (Hayhurst's Skipper).
Butterfly.—Easily distinguished from the preceding species by the somewhat crenulate shape of the outer margin of the hind wings, the white color of the under side of the abdomen, and the different arrangement of the white spots on the fore wings, as well as by the dark bands which cross both the fore and the hind wings on the upper side. Expanse, .90-1.15 inch.
Early Stages.—Our information as to these is incomplete.
The species ranges from the latitude of southern Pennsylvania westward and southward to the Gulf, as far as the Rocky Mountains.
(3) Pholisora libya, Scudder, Plate XLVIII, Fig. 14, ♂ (The Mohave Sooty-wing).
Butterfly.—Easily distinguished from the two preceding species by the white fringes of the wings and by the markings of the under side. The primaries on the lower side are dark, tipped at the apex with light gray, and in the female having the costa and the outer margin broadly edged with light gray. The hind wings are pale gray of varying shades, marked with a number of large circular white spots on the disk and a marginal series of small white spots. Expanse, ♂, .80-1.25 inch; ♁, 1.15-1.40 inch.
Early Stages.—These await full description.
This species is found from Nevada to Arizona, and is apparently very common in the Mohave Desert.
(4) Pholisora alpheus, Edwards, Plate XLV, Fig. 2, ♂ (Alpheus).
Butterfly.—This little species is nearer P. hayhursti than any of the others we have described, but may at once be recognized and discriminated by the checkered margins and white tip of the fore wing and the linear shape of the spots composing the submarginal and median bands on the upper side of this wing. The hind wings on the under side are marked with a number of light spots arranged in marginal and median bands.
Early Stages.—Unknown.
Alpheus occurs in Nevada, Arizona, and New Mexico.
There are four other species of the genus found in our fauna.
Genus THANAOS, Boisduval
(The Dusky-wings)
Butterfly.—The antennæ have a moderately large club, curved, bluntly pointed. The palpi are porrect, the third joint almost concealed in the dense hairy vestiture of the second joint. The neuration of the wings is represented in the cut. The fore wing in the case of the male always has a costal fold. The butterflies comprised in this genus are all, without exception, dark in color, in a few species having bright spots upon the hind wings.
The genus reaches its largest development in North America. The discrimination of the various species is somewhat difficult.
Egg.—The egg is somewhat like the egg in the genus Achalarus, but the micropyle at the upper end of the egg is relatively larger and not as deeply depressed below the surface. The sides are ornamented, as in Achalarus, by raised vertical ridges, between which are numerous cross-ridges; in a few cases the vertical ridges are beaded, or marked by a series of minute globose prominences, upon the edge.
Caterpillar.—The caterpillars are cylindrical, tapering from the middle forward and backward, marked with lateral and dorsal stripes, with the neck less strangulated than in the preceding genera.
Chrysalis.—Not greatly differing in outline from the chrysalis of the preceding genera, in most species having the outline of the dorsum straight on the abdominal segments, with the thoracic segments forming a slight hump or elevation; convex on the ventral side, the cremaster being usually well developed.
(1) Thanaos brizo, Boisduval and Leconte, Plate XLV, Fig. 7, ♁; Plate VI, Fig. 38, chrysalis (The Sleepy Dusky-wing).
Butterfly.—The band of postmedian spots on the fore wing is composed of annular dark markings, is regular, crosses the wing from the costa to the hind margin, and is reproduced on the under side as a series of pale-yellowish spots more or less distinct. The hind wings have a double series of faint yellow spots; these as well as the marginal spots of the primaries are very distinct on the under side. Expanse, 1.25-1.60 inch.
Early Stages.—The caterpillar feeds on oaks, Galactia, and possibly Baptisia. The life-history has been only partially ascertained, in spite of the fact that the insect has a wide range and is not uncommon.
Brizo occurs from the Atlantic to the Pacific, ranging from the latitude of New England to that of Arizona.
(2) Thanaos icelus, Lintner, Plate XLVIII, Fig. 17, ♂; Plate VI, Fig. 27, chrysalis (The Dreamy Dusky-wing).
Butterfly.—Prevalently smaller in size than the preceding species. The under side of the wings is paler than the upper side, and the outer third of both the primaries and secondaries is marked with a profusion of small indistinct yellow spots, which do not form well-defined bands as in the preceding species. On the upper side of the fore wing the median area is generally marked by a broad band of pale gray, but this is not invariably the case. Expanse, 1.00-1.20 inch.
Early Stages.—These have been described by Scudder. The caterpillar feeds on a variety of plants, as the aspen, oaks, and witch-hazel.
Icelus ranges across the continent from Nova Scotia to Oregon, and south to Florida and Arizona.
(3) Thanaos somnus, Lintner, Plate XLVIII, Fig. 2, ♂ (The Dark Dusky-wing).
Butterfly.—A little larger than the preceding species, especially in the female sex. The male is generally quite dark, the banding of the fore wing on the upper side obscured. The hind wings have a row of light marginal and submarginal spots, more distinct on the under side than on the upper. The female generally is light gray on the upper side of the wings, with broad median and submarginal bands of dark brown, tending to fuse or coalesce at a point near the origin of the first median nervule. Expanse, ♂, 1.25 inch; ♁, 1.50 inch.
Early Stages.—But little is known of these.
All of the specimens I have ever seen came from southern Florida.
(4) Thanaos lucilius, Lintner, Plate XLVIII, Fig. 10, ♂; Plate VI, Figs. 30-32, chrysalis (Lucilius' Dusky-wing).
Butterfly.—This species may be distinguished from T. pacuvius, a near ally, by the more mottled surface of the secondaries, which in pacuvius are almost solidly black; and from T. martialis, another close ally, by the absence of the purplish-gray cast peculiar to both sides of the wings of the latter species, and the less regular arrangement of the bands of spots on the upper side of the fore wings. The plate does not show these delicate but constant marks of difference as well as might be desired. Expanse, 1.20-1.40 inch.
Early Stages.—Dr. Scudder has fully described these. The caterpillar feeds on the columbine (Aquilegia canadensis).
Lucilius ranges from New England to Georgia, is common in western Pennsylvania and West Virginia, and extends westward at least as far as the Rocky Mountains.
(5) Thanaos persius, Scudder, Plate XLVIII, Fig. 1, ♂; Plate VI, Fig. 34, chrysalis (Persius' Dusky-wing).
Butterfly.—This is a very variable species, some specimens being light and others dark in color. There is scarcely any positive clue to the specific identity of the insect except that which is derived from the study of the genital armature of the male, which is a microscopic research capable of being performed only by an expert in such matters. The student may be pardoned if, in attempting to classify the species of this genus, and the present species in particular, he should grow weary, and quote a few biblical expressions relating to Beelzebub, the "god of flies." Expanse, 1.20-1.45 inch.
Early Stages.—The caterpillar feeds on willows. Scudder has with patient care described its life-history.
The insect ranges from New England southward, and inland across the continent to the Pacific.
(6) Thanaos afranius, Lintner, Plate XLV, Fig. 5, ♂ (Afranius' Dusky-wing).
Butterfly.—Closely related to the preceding species. The hind wings on the upper side in the male sex are almost solid black, the fringes paler. On the under side there is a double row of light spots along the margin of the hind wing in both sexes. The female is generally paler in color on the upper side than the male.
Early Stages.—Unknown.
All the specimens I have seen come from Arizona, where the thing is apparently common.
(7) Thanaos martialis, Scudder, Plate XLVIII, Fig. 4, ♂; Plate VI, Fig. 37, chrysalis (Martial's Dusky-wing).
Butterfly.—The upper side of the wings is paler than in most species, and has a distinctly purplish-gray cast. The fore wings are crossed by irregular bands of dark spots. The hind wings on the outer half are profusely mottled with small pale spots. All the light spots are repeated on the under side of both wings, and are more distinct on this side than on the upper. Expanse, 1.25-1.40 inch.
Early Stages.—These are partly known. The caterpillar feeds on Indigofera and Amarantus.
The species ranges from Massachusetts to Georgia, and westward to Missouri and New Mexico.
(8) Thanaos juvenalis, Fabricius, Plate XLVIII, Fig. 11, ♁; Plate VI, Fig. 33, chrysalis (Juvenal's Dusky-wing).
Butterfly.—Larger than the preceding species. The wings have a number of translucent spots arranged as a transverse series beyond the middle of the wing. They are far more distinct and larger in the female than in the male. The under side of the wings is paler than the upper side, and profusely but indistinctly marked with light spots. Expanse, 1.35-1.60 inch.
Early Stages.—For a full knowledge of these the reader may consult the pages of "The Butterflies of New England." The caterpillar feeds on oaks and leguminous plants of various species.
This insect ranges from Quebec to Florida, and westward as far as Arizona, where it appears to be common.
(9) Thanaos petronius, Lintner, Plate XLVIII, Fig. 7, ♂ (Petronius' Dusky-wing).
Butterfly.—Allied in size to the preceding species, but the translucent spots of the transverse band are not, as in that species, continued toward the inner margin, but terminate at the first median nervule. The outer third of the primaries is pale, the inner two thirds very dark. The under side of the wings of the male is uniformly dusky, slightly, if at all, marked with lighter spots. The under side of the wings of the female is less distinctly marked with light spots than is the case in allied species. Expanse, 1.50-1.75 inch.
Early Stages.—Unknown.
The species has thus far been found only in Florida.
(10) Thanaos horatius, Scudder, Plate XLVIII, Fig. 15, ♂ (Horace's Dusky-wing).
Butterfly.—Smaller than T. juvenalis, which it resembles in the long transverse series of translucent spots. It is, however, paler on the upper side of the wings, and more profusely mottled on the hind wing both above and below, though there is considerable variation in this regard. Expanse, 1.65 inch.
Early Stages.—The caterpillar probably feeds on the Leguminosæ. We know very little about the life-history of the species.
The butterfly ranges from Massachusetts to Texas.
(11) Thanaos nævius, Lintner, Plate XLVIII, Fig. 3, ♁ (Nævius' Dusky-wing).
Butterfly.—This insect is closely allied to T. petronius, but the translucent spots on the fore wing are smaller, and there is generally a light spot near the costa before the three subapical translucent spots.
Early Stages.—Unknown.
The habitat of this species is the region of the Indian River, in Florida.
(12) Thanaos pacuvius, Lintner, Plate XLVIII, Fig. 9, ♁ (Pacuvius' Dusky-wing).
Butterfly.—Small, with the fore wings on the upper side rather regularly banded with dark brown upon a lighter ground. The hind wings are almost solid black above, with the fringes toward the anal angle pure white. Expanse, 1.15-1.30 inch.
Early Stages.—Unknown.
This species occurs in Colorado, Mexico, and Arizona.
(13) Thanaos clitus, Edwards, Plate XLV, Fig. 8, ♁ (Clitus).
Butterfly.—Larger than the preceding species. The hind wings are solidly deep black, fringed broadly with pure white. The fore wings of the male are dark, of the female lighter. Expanse, 1.60-1.75 inch.
Early Stages.—Unknown.
The habitat of this species is Arizona and New Mexico.
(14) Thanaos funeralis, Lintner, Plate XLVIII, Fig. 12, ♂ (The Funereal Dusky-wing).
Butterfly.—Closely allied to the preceding species, of which it may be only a smaller varietal form. Expanse, 1.35 inch.
Early Stages.—Unknown.
Funeralis occurs in western Texas and Arizona.
The genus Thanaos is one of the most difficult genera to work out in the present state of our knowledge of the subject. The species are not only obscurely marked, but they vary in the most extraordinary manner. Except by a microscopic examination of the genital armature, which can be carried on only when the student possesses considerable anatomical knowledge and an abundance of material, there is no way of reaching a satisfactory determination in many cases.
COLLECTIONS AND COLLECTORS
In almost every community there is to be found some one who is interested in insects, and who has formed a collection. The commonest form of a collection is exceedingly primitive and unscientific, in which a few local species are pinned together in a glass-covered box or receptacle, which is then framed and hung upon the wall. Almost every village bar-room contains some such monstrous assemblage of insects, skewered on pins, in more or less frightful attitudes. As evidencing an innate interest in the beauties of natural objects, these things are interesting, but show a want of information which, as has been already pointed out, is largely due to a lack of literature relating to the subject in this country. In many of the schools of the land small collections, arranged more scientifically, have been made, and some of the collections contained in the high schools of our larger towns and cities are creditable to the zeal of teachers and of pupils. There is no reason why every school of importance should not, in the lapse of time, secure large and accurately named collections, not only of the insects, but of the other animals, as well as the plants and minerals of the region in which it is located. Every high school should have a room set apart for the use of those students who are interested in the study of natural history, and they ought to be encouraged to bring together collections which should be properly arranged and preserved. The expense is not great, and the practical value of the training which such studies impart to the minds of young people is inestimable.
The great systematic collections in entomology in the United States are for the most part in the hands of the museums and universities of the country. The entomological collections of the United States government at Washington are large and rich in interesting material. The collections possessed by Harvard College and the Boston Society of Natural History are extensive; so are also the collections of the American Museum of Natural History, the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia, and those of the Carnegie Museum in Pittsburgh. The collection in the latter institution is altogether the largest and most perfect collection of the butterflies of North America in existence, and covers also very largely the butterflies of the world, there being about twelve thousand species of butterflies represented, including representatives of all known genera.
The formation of great collections has always had a charm for those who have possessed the knowledge, the time, and the means to form them; and the ranks of those who are engaged in the study of butterflies include many of the most famous naturalists, among them not a few of noble rank. One of the most enthusiastic collectors in Europe at the present time is the Grand Duke Nicholas of Russia. The Nestor among German collectors is Dr. Staudinger of Dresden. In France M. Charles Oberthür of Rennes is the possessor of the largest and most perfect collection on French soil. In England there are a number of magnificent collections, aside from the great collection contained in the British Natural History Museum. These are in the possession of Lord Walsingham, the Hon. Walter Rothschild, Mr. F.D. Godman, Mr. Herbert Druce, Mr. H.J. Elwes, and others, all of whom hold high rank in the domain of scientific research.
There are many men who make the collecting of natural-history specimens a business. They are among the most intrepid and indefatigable explorers of the present time. The late Henry W. Bates and Mr. Alfred Russel Wallace were in early life leaders in this work, and we are indebted to their researches for a knowledge of thousands of species. Two of the most successful collectors who have followed in their footsteps are Mr. Herbert H. Smith and Mr. William Doherty, both of them Americans; Mr. Smith one of the most enthusiastic and successful explorers in South and Central America, Mr. Doherty the most diligent explorer of the Indo-Malayan Region. The story of the travels and adventures of these two men is a tale full of romantic interest, which, alas! has been by neither of them fully told.
Russell.
The Pamphilinæ found in our fauna fall into two groups.
Group A.—The antennæ are not greatly hooked and generally sharply pointed; the palpi have the third joint short and inconspicuous; the cell of the fore wing is always less than two thirds the length of the costa; the lower radial is somewhat nearer to the third median nervule than to the upper radial. The hind wing is often lobed. The lower radial in the hind wing is generally lacking. The male never has a costal fold on the fore wings, and but rarely is provided with a discal stigma.
But three genera belonging to this section of this subfamily are found in our fauna, namely, the genera Amblyscirtes, Pamphila, and Oarisma.
Group B.—The antennæ are sometimes curved, but never hooked, the palpi having the third joint minute, sometimes horizontally porrected. The cell of the fore wing is less than two thirds the length of the costa. The lower radial arises much nearer to the third median nervule than to the upper radial. The hind wing is elongated, but never tailed. The male is never provided on the fore wing with a costal fold, but is in many genera furnished with a discal stigma on the fore wing. When in a state of rest the majority of the species elevate their fore wings and depress their hind wings, an attitude which is peculiar to the insects of this group.
Genus AMBLYSCIRTES, Scudder
Butterfly.—The antennæ are short, with a moderately thick club, crooked at the end; the third joint of the palpi is bluntly conical, short, and erect. The costa of the fore wing is straight, slightly curved inwardly before the apex. The neuration is represented in the cut.
Egg.—Hemispherical.
Caterpillar.—Not differing materially in its characteristics from the caterpillars of other hesperid genera.
Chrysalis.—Somewhat slender, with the dorsal and ventral outlines straighter than in any of the preceding genera, and the dorsum very slightly elevated in the region of the thoracic segments.
(1) Amblyscirtes vialis, Edwards, Plate XLVII, Fig. 5, ♂; Plate VI, Fig. 40, chrysalis (The Roadside Skipper).
Butterfly.—This little species, an exceptionally bright example of which is represented in the plate, may be known by the dark color of the upper surface, almost uniformly brown, with a few subapical light spots at the costa. In the specimen that is figured these light spots are continued across the wing as a curved band, but this is not usual. The wings on the under side in both sexes are very much as on the upper side, save that both wings on the outer third are lightly laved with gray. Expanse, 1.00 inch.
Early Stages.—These have been described with minute accuracy by Dr. Scudder.
The Roadside Skipper ranges from Montreal to Florida, and westward as far as Nevada and Texas. It is not a common species in the valley of the Mississippi; it seems to be far more common in southern New England and in Colorado. At all events, I have obtained more specimens from these localities than from any others.
(2) Amblyscirtes samoset, Scudder, Plate XLVII, Fig. 6, ♂; Plate VI, Fig. 45, chrysalis (Pepper-and-salt Skipper).
Butterfly.—This little species on the upper side has the ground-color as in the preceding species; the fringes on both wings are pale gray. There are three small subapical spots on the fore wing, three somewhat larger spots, one on either side of the second median nervule and the third near the inner margin, and two very minute spots at the end of the cell. On the under side the wings are pale gray, the white spots of the upper side of the fore wing reappearing. The hind wing is in addition marked by a semicircular median band of white spots, a small spot at the end of the cell, and another conspicuous white spot about the middle of the costa. Expanse, 1.00-1.10 inch.
Early Stages.—The caterpillar apparently feeds upon grasses. We know as yet very little of the life-history of the insect.
It is found in Maine, New Hampshire, along the summits of the Appalachian mountain-ranges as far south as West Virginia, and is reported to be common in Wisconsin and Michigan.
(3) Amblyscirtes ænus, Edwards, Plate XLVII, Fig. 7, ♁ (The Bronze Skipper).
Butterfly.—This obscure little species has the upper side of the wings somewhat tawny. The markings, which are similar to those in A. samoset, are not white, but yellow. The wings on the under side are darker than in samoset. The spots of the fore wing are the same, but the spots on the under side of the hind wing are different, and form a zigzag postmedian transverse band, with a single small spot at the end of the cell, and another of the same size beyond the middle of the costa. Expanse, 1.00-1.20 inch.
Early Stages.—These are unknown.
The species occurs in western Texas and Arizona.
(4) Amblyscirtes simius, Edwards, Plate XLVII, Fig. 8, ♂ (Simius).
Butterfly.—The upper side of the male is correctly figured in the plate. The wings on the under side are quite pale; the spots of the fore wing reappear on the under side, and the fore wing is blackish at the base; the hind wing has the angle at the base broadly white, with a broad white blotch at the end of the cell, and a semicircular curved band of obscure spots traversing the middle of the wing. Expanse, ♂, .90 inch; ♁, 1.20 inch.
Early Stages.—Unknown.
The species was originally described from Colorado.
(5) Amblyscirtes textor, Edwards, Plate XLVII, Fig. 16, ♂, under side (The Woven-winged Skipper).
Butterfly.—This little species, the under side of which is accurately delineated in the plate, needs no description to characterize it, as its peculiar markings serve at once to distinguish it from all other species. Expanse, 1.25-1.45 inch.
Early Stages.—Unknown.
This little insect ranges from North Carolina southward to Florida, Louisiana, and Texas.
Genus PAMPHILA, Fabricius
Butterfly.—The antennæ are very short, less than half the length of the costa. The club is stout, elongate, and blunt at its extremity; the palpi are porrect, densely clothed with scales, concealing the third joint, which is minute, slender, and bluntly conical. The body is long, slender, and somewhat produced beyond the hind margin of the secondaries. The neuration of the wings is represented in the cut.
Egg.—Hemispherical, vertically ribbed, the interspaces uniformly marked with little pitted depressions.
Caterpillar.—The body is cylindrical, slender, tapering forward and backward; the neck less strangulated than in many of the genera. The body is somewhat hairy; the spiracles on the sides open from minute subconical elevations.
Chrysalis.—Not materially differing in outline and structure from the chrysalids of other genera which have already been described.
Only a single species belonging to the genus is found in North America.