Genus ANARTIA Doubleday.
PL. XXXVII
Medium-sized butterflies, having a weak, hovering flight, and keeping near the ground. Palpi have the second joint thick, the third joint tapering, lightly clothed with scales. Fore wings rounded at apex, the outer and inner margins lightly excavated, cell closed by a feeble lower discocellular, which often is wanting, thus leaving the cell open. Outer margin of hind wings sinuous, produced at end of third median nervule, cell open. First and second subcostal nervules in fore wing fuse with costal.
There are four species of this genus, one of which occurs in the United States, the rest being found in tropical America.
(1) Anartia jatrophæ (Linnæus), [Plate XXXVII], ♂ (The White Peacock).
The figure we give will readily serve to identify this insect, which occurs in Florida and Texas, and ranges thence southward to Argentina. Expanse 1.75-2.00 inches.
Genus EUNICA Hübner
(The Violet-wings).
PL. XXXVIII
Rather small butterflies. Antennæ long and slender, with enlarged club, having two grooves. Third joint of palpi of female longer than that of male. The fore wing has the costal and median vein enlarged and swollen at the base. The upper discocellular vein is wanting, the cell is lightly closed. The hind wing is rounded, with its outer margin entire.
The species of the genus have the upper side of the wings dark brown or black glossed with violet, blue, or purple. Below the wings are very beautifully marked. There are about seventy species which have been described, all of them from the American tropics, two of which, however, come within our borders, Eunica tatila, occurring in Florida, and the following:
(1) Eunica monima (Cramer), [Plate XXXVIII], Fig. 1, ♂; Fig. 2, ♀ (The Dingy Purple-wing).
This obscure little butterfly represents its genus in Texas and Florida, and gives but a faint idea of the beauty of many of its congeners. It ranges southward and is common in Mexico and the Greater Antilles. Expanse 1.35-1.50 inch.
Genus CYSTINEURA Boisduval
(The Bag-veins).
PL. XXXIX
Small, delicate butterflies with elongated fore wings, having the costal vein much swollen near the base, somewhat as in the Satyrinæ. The upper discocellular is lacking in the fore wing, and the cell is feebly closed. Outer margin of the hind wing feebly crenulate; cell open; the two radials spring from a common point.
A number of species and local races have been described.
(1) Cystineura amymone Ménétries, [Plate XXXIX], ♂ (The Texas Bag-vein).
On the under side the gray markings of the upper side are replaced by yellow, and on the hind wings there is a transverse white band near the base and an incomplete row of white spots on the limbal area. Expanse 1.50 inch.
Ranges from Kansas southward through Texas into Central America.
Genus CALLICORE Hübner
(The Leopard-spots).
PL. XL
Small butterflies; the upper side of the wings dark in color marked with bands of metallic blue or silvery green, the lower side more or less brilliantly colored, the fore wings of some shade of crimson or yellow, banded near the apex, the hind wings silvery white or some pale tint, with circular bands of black enclosing round or pear-shaped black spots.
There are about thirty-five species of the genus thus far known, all of which are found south of our limits, except the one we figure.
(1) Callicore clymena Hübner, [Plate XL], Fig. 1, ♂, upper side; Fig. 2, ♀, under side (The Leopard-spot).
Found in Florida, but though quite common farther south, appears to be rather local and rare in the peninsula. Expanse 1.75 inch.
Genus TIMETES Boisduval
(The Dagger-wings).
PL. XLI
Medium-sized butterflies. Palpi moderately long, thickly clothed with scales, the last joint pointed. Fore wing usually somewhat falcate at apex, deeply excavated on outer margin; hind wing greatly produced at the end of the third median nervule, the wings being tailed in such a way as to make them resemble some species of Papilio. There is also a prolongation of the outer margin of the wing between the extremity of the submedian vein and the first median nervule. On the upper side the wings are generally dark in color, often marked with transverse bands and lines; on the lower side they are light in color, with pronounced darker bands.
Of the thirty species thus far known four occur within our territory, all of them being found far south.
(1) Timetes coresia (Godart), [Plate XLI], ♂, under side (The Waiter).
Easily recognized by the figure we give. As I stated in “The Butterfly Book” it deserves the trivial name I have given it, its black upper side and the white vest it wears suggesting the functionary who attends us at table. Expanse 2.50 inches.
Occasionally found in Texas.
Genus HYPOLIMNAS Hübner
(The Tropic Queens).
PL. XLII
Large butterflies, our species being one of the smallest of the genus. Palpi produced, heavily scaled, rising above the head. Fore wings excavated on the outer margin; costal and median veins stout; upper discocellular vein wanting, and lower discocellular feeble or lacking. Hind wings somewhat crenulate on the outer margin, the cell, which is relatively quite small, being feebly closed by an attenuated veinlet.
PL. XLIII
The genus, which is quite large, reaches its greatest development in the tropics of the Old World, and there is only one species in the western hemisphere, which may have been introduced in the old days of the slave trade. Most of the species are mimics and the strange thing is that the mimicking form is generally the female, which has the color and markings of some one or other of the milkweed butterflies of the African and oriental tropics. The female of our species patterns after the markings of Danais chrysippus, a common milkweed butterfly of Africa. This adaptation of species to the form and color of “protected” insects is of course not conscious. It is the result of a long evolution in past ages.
(1) Hypolimnas misippus (Linnæus), [Plate XLII], ♂; [Plate XLIII], ♀ (The Mimic).
Occurs in Florida, the Antilles, and northern South America. While very abundant in Africa, it seems to be scarce in the New World. The female differs greatly from the male on the upper side of the wings, but resembles that sex on the lower side. Expanse ♂, 2.50 inches; ♀ 3.00 inches.
Genus BASILARCHIA Scudder
(The White Admirals).
Rather large butterflies. Fore wings subtriangular, rounded at the apex, and lightly excavated on the lower two thirds of the outer margin. Hind wings rounded, somewhat crenulate. Egg nearly spherical (see [Plate C], Fig. f) pitted with large hexagonal cells. The caterpillar in its mature state cylindrical, with the second segment adorned with two prominent club-shaped tubercles, and the fifth, ninth, and tenth segments also having raised tubercles (see [Plate C], Fig. h). They feed upon oaks, birches, willows, and lindens, preferably the two latter. The caterpillars after hatching hibernate in little winter quarters, which they make out of the fragment of a small leaf, which they tie together with silken threads, and also secure to the twig by a few strands. The chrysalis has a projecting boss on the back; the head is either rounded or slightly bifid.
PL. XLIV
There are a number of species in the United States, several of which mimic other butterflies in a singular manner, B. disippus closely resembling Anosia plexippus. The caterpillars do not pupate until summer has come; the butterflies take wing when the lindens bloom.
(1) Basilarchia astyanax (Fabricius), [Plate XLIV], ♀ (The Red-spotted Purple).
Our figure gives a good idea of the upper side of the wings. On the lower side the wings are brown, banded with black on the margins, the inner row of marginal spots being red, with two red spots at the base of the fore wings, and four such spots at the base of the hind wings. Palpi white below; a white stripe along the sides of the abdomen. Expanse 3.00-3.25 inches. The egg and caterpillar are shown on [Plate C]. The caterpillar is found on a variety of plants, but most commonly on lindens, willows, and wild cherry trees.
PL. XLV
Found all over the United States and Canada, as far west as the Rocky Mountains, but not in the very hot lowlands of the Gulf region. Is said to occur on the uplands of Mexico.
Between B. astyanax and the following species, B. arthemis, there is more or less affinity. They represent two lines of evolution from a common ancestry, and there are evidences of atavic reversion to type constantly occurring in both forms. They even occasionally interbreed with each other, and hybrids are not altogether uncommon. The whole genus in fact is in a more or less plastic state, and well deserves the careful attention of biologists.
(2) Basilarchia arthemis (Drury), [Plate XLV], ♂ (The Banded Purple).
Our figure shows the upper side of the form which is most usual. It will be seen that there are red spots on the hind wings behind the white band. There is a variety called proserpina in which the white band becomes very narrow and the red spots almost or entirely disappear. When the white band and the red spots wholly disappear, as they sometimes do, it is almost impossible to distinguish this species from B. astyanax. Expanse 2.50-2.75 inches. The egg has “kite-shaped” cells. The caterpillar feeds on willows, hawthorns, and wild apple and plum trees.
PL. XLVI
Found in Canada, New England, and southward in Pennsylvania upon the higher ranges of the mountains. It is a northern form. It has not thus far been recorded from the western half of the continent, where it is replaced by a somewhat similarly marked, but larger, species, known as B. Weidemeyeri. The latter insect is found as far east as western Nebraska and Colorado. I have taken it very frequently in Wyoming about Laramie Peak, where it seems to be a common insect in the wooded canyons.
(3) Basilarchia disippus (Godart), [Plate XLVI], ♂; [Plate C], Fig. f, egg; Fig. h, larva. (The Viceroy).
PL. XLVII
Mimics Anosia plexippus. Range from Canada to the Gulf.
This is one of the most striking cases of mimicry which occurs in our fauna.
(4) Basilarchia lorquini (Boisduval), [Plate XLVII], ♂ (Lorquin’s Admiral).
Easily distinguished by white bar at end of cell of fore wing and red spot at apex. Expanse 2.25-2.75 inches.
Genus ADELPHA Hübner
(The Sisters).
PL. XLVIII
Cell of fore wing lightly closed, of hind wing open; outer margin of wings rarely excavated. The chrysalids have peculiar forms, having bifid heads and broad wing-cases; marked with metallic spots on a brown ground.
There are many species in tropical America, some of which are very showy; only one occurs within our limits.
(1) Adelpha californica Butler, [Plate XLVIII], ♂ (The Californian Sister).
The insect, well displayed in our figure, has an expanse of from 2.50-3.00 inches. The caterpillar feeds upon oaks. The range is through southern California, Nevada, southern Utah, Arizona, and Mexico.
Genus CHLORIPPE Boisduval
(The Emperor Butterflies).
Small butterflies generally of some shade of fulvous, with a submarginal row of eye-like spots on the hind wings, and in a few species with a similar spot on the fore wings. The apex of the fore wing is somewhat truncated and the lower two thirds is slightly excavated. Hind wings somewhat elongated posteriorly at the anal angle. Outer margins more or less crenulate. Eggs nearly globular, broad on top, ornamented with eighteen to twenty broad, but low, vertical ribs, between which are delicate crosslines; laid in clusters. Head of caterpillar squarish, crowned by two diverging spines on which are many little spinules. Back of the head there is a frill of spines. Body thickest at the middle, tapering fore and aft. Hind pair of pro-legs long and diverging. They feed upon hackberry trees ( Celtis). The chrysalis has a very remarkable arrangement of the cremaster, which is disk-like, studded with hooks; the whole so arranged that the pupa, when suspended, hangs with the ventral or belly side parallel to the supporting surface.
There are numerous species in the genus, many of them tropical and very brilliant, only two commonly occur in the northern portions of our territory, the others found within our limits being inhabitants of the Southern States.
PL. XLIX
(1) Chlorippe celtis Boisduval & Leconte, [Plate XLIX], Fig. 1, ♂ (The Hackberry Butterfly).
Under side grayish purple, with the spots and markings of the upper side reappearing. Female larger, and, as always is the case in the genus, with the fore wings not so pointed as in the male, and the ground-color paler. Expanse ♂, 1.80 inch; ♀, 2.10 inch.
Ranges from New Jersey west and south to the Gulf.
(2) Chlorippe clyton Boisduval & Leconte, [Plate XLIX], Fig. 2, ♂ (The Tawny Emperor).
A larger species than the preceding; tawnier on the upper side of the wings and lacking the red-ringed eye-spot on the fore wing. Female much larger than the male, paler in color, with the eye-spots on the hind wings black and conspicuous. Expanse ♂, 2.00 inches; ♀, 2.50-2.65 inches.
Occurs rather rarely in New England, and extends westward to Michigan, thence southward to the Gulf of Mexico.
PL. L
(3) Chlorippe flora Edwards, [Plate L], Fig. 1, ♂, Type (The Red Emperor).
Like C. clyton this species has no red-ringed eye-spot on the fore wing. The ground-color on the upper side is bright reddish fulvous; the hind wings are not heavily obscured with brown, as is the case in C. clyton, and the black ocelli stand forth very prominently upon the lighter ground. The hind wings are more strongly angulated than in any other North American species, and are solidly bordered with black. Expanse ♂, 1.75; ♀, 2.35 inches. Ranges from Florida westward along the borders of the Gulf of Mexico to Texas.
(4) Chlorippe alicia Edwards, [Plate L], Fig. 2, ♂, Type (The Buff Emperor).
Resembles C. celtis in having an ocellus in the fore wing, but it may at once be distinguished by its larger size in both sexes, the paler color of the wings on the upper side, which shade from pale fulvous at the base into light buff outwardly, upon which the eye-spots on the hind wings show up very prominently. Expanse ♂, 2.00; ♀, 2.50 inches.
The range of this species is the same as that of the preceding.
Genus HYPANARTIA Hübner
(The Banded Reds).
PL. LI
Medium-sized butterflies. Palpi well clothed with scales, the second and third joints very nearly of the same size, the latter blunt. Fore wings square at the apex, slightly excavated about the middle, the cell being closed by a stout lower discocellular vein, more or less continuous with the third median nervule. Hind wing strongly produced at the end of the third median nervule, rounded at the outer angle, with two short tooth-like projections before the anal angle.
There are less than a dozen species of the genus, most of which are South American, but there are two in Africa and one in Madagascar. Only one occurs within the United States, and is confined to the extreme south.
(1) Hypanartia lethe (Fabricius), [Plate LI], ♂ (The Orange-banded Red).
Occurs as a straggler in our fauna in the extreme southern part of Texas, but is very abundant farther south. Expanse 2.00 inches.