Genus PYRRHANÆA Schatz
PL. LV
Medium-sized butterflies. Front wings falcate at apex; hind wings tailed at end of third median nervule. Costal margin of fore wing angulated at base, inner margin straight. Upper side of wings generally fulvous or red; lower side mottled and marked so as to resemble dried leaves. Egg spheroid, flattened at base, depressed on top, marked with a few rows of raised points about summit. Caterpillar with head globular, first segment behind it much smaller than head; body cylindrical tapering behind. Chrysalis short, stout, keeled on sides; cremaster globular at tip, and so arranged as to cause the chrysalis to hang at a slant.
This is a large genus characteristic of the American tropics. The larvæ feed on euphorbiaceous and lauraceous plants, after the third moult making hiding-places for themselves by rolling up leaves and tying them with silk. There are three species in the United States, two of which we figure.
PL. LVI
(1) Pyrrhanæa andria (Scudder), [Plate LV], ♂ (The Goatweed Butterfly).
Bright red above, margins dusky; on under side gray dusted with brown scales. Females marked by incomplete pale bands on the limbal area. Expanse ♂, 2.50; ♀, 3.00 inches. Larva feeds on Croton capitatum. Ranges from Illinois and Nebraska to Texas.
(2) Pyrrhanæa morrisoni (Edwards), [Plate LVI], ♀ (Morrison’s Goatweed Butterfly).
More brilliantly and deeply red on upper side than preceding species. Both male and female have the wings with bands of lighter color on the limbal area, but these are not solid, as in the female of P. andria, but made up of spots, as shown in the figure. Expanse 2.25-2.50 inches.
Found in Arizona and Mexico.
The genus which is here engaging our attention is one which is wonderfully well represented in the New World, where it takes the place of the magnificent insects belonging to the genus Charaxes of the tropics of the Old World. On the under side they closely mimic dried leaves. This assimilation to the color of dead leaves is protective.
Genus AGERONIA Hübner
(The Calicoes).
PL. LVII
Medium or moderately large-sized butterflies. Costal and subcostal fused near base; cells of both wings closed. Upper side of wings curiously marked with checkered spots, generally some shade of blue with white; under side with broad paler shades: white, yellow, or red. They are rapid fliers, alight on the trunks of trees head downward, wings expanded against the bark of the tree. When they fly they make a clicking sound with their wings. The manner in which this sound is produced is a mystery. Bates in his A Naturalist on the Amazons writes about it but gives no explanation. In my rambles in tropical forests I have heard it as the insects gyrated above my head, but I do not know how the sound is made.
There are about thirty species of the genus in tropical America, two of which are occasionally found in southern Texas.
(1) Ageronia feronia (Linnæus), [Plate LVII], ♂ (The White-skirted Calico).
The ground-color of the under side is broadly white, while that of the other species in our fauna, A. fornax, is yellow. They may thus be easily told apart.
Genus VICTORINA Blanchard
(The Malachites).
PL. LVIII
Large butterflies, conspicuously marked with pale green spots surrounded by darker color. On the under side the wings are paler, and have a satiny lustre, the edges of the light spots on this side marbled with brown. Neuration of fore wing singular in that the upper and lower discocellulars are wanting and the radials seem to spring from the lower side of the subcostal before the middle; the third median is strongly bowed upward. Hind wing tailed at end of the third median nervule.
There are five species of the genus thus far known, all belonging to the American tropics, one of which occurs in Florida and Texas.
(1) Victorina steneles (Linnæus), [Plate LVIII], ♂ (The Pearly Malachite).
There is no need of an elaborate description of this species, as it is the only one of its genus in our borders, and the figure we give is fully recognizable. Expanse 3.50-4.00 inches.
Subfamily SATYRINÆ
(The Satyrs).
Butterflies generally of medium size, obscure in color, their wings, especially on the under side, ornamented with dark eye-like spots, pupilled in the centre with a light point and ringed around with one or more circles of lighter color. They have a weak flight, dancing about in the herbage and often hiding among grasses and weeds. Most of them are forest-loving, but some live on the summits of bleak and cold mountains, others on the verge of arctic snows, and some on the prairies. Veins of the fore wings generally greatly swollen at the base, thus enabling them to be distinguished from almost all other butterflies. Eggs subspherical, somewhat higher than broad, ribbed on the sides, particularly at the apex, and rounded at the base. Caterpillars, when they emerge from the egg, have their heads much bigger in diameter than the rest of the body, but as they mature they lose this feature, and generally taper from the middle of the body in either direction. Anal pro-legs bifurcating, thus readily distinguished from all other caterpillars, except those of the genus Chlorippe. They feed upon grasses and sedges, concealing themselves in the daytime and coming forth to feed at night. Chrysalids short and stout, plain both in color and outline.
There are about sixty species of Satyrinæ in the region with which this manual deals, falling into ten genera. We shall only deal with the commoner species.
Genus DEBIS Westwood
(The Eyed Nymphs).
PL. LIX
This is a large genus, especially well represented in Asia and the Indo-Malayan region. Dr. S. H. Scudder set apart the two species we have in our fauna from the Asiatic forms, under the new name Enodia, but I have never been able to see any good reason for this, and keep the generic name as it has long stood. The creation of new genera upon the basis of slight differences is to be deprecated and avoided.
(1) Debis portlandia (Fabricius), [Plate LIX], ♂ (The Pearly Eye).
PL. LX
The butterfly which is well depicted in our figure has a series of beautiful ocelli on the under side. There is no great difference between the sexes. In the Northern States it is single-brooded, in the South it is double-brooded. Expanse of wing 1.75-2.00 inches.
The caterpillar feeds on grasses. The insect ranges from Maine to the Gulf, and westward to the Rocky Mountains.
(2) Debis creola Skinner, [Plate LX], ♂ (The Creole).
Easily distinguished from the foregoing by the elongated patches of dark raised scales upon the fore wings. Expanse 2.25 inches. The specimen figured is a paratype received from the author of the species.
Ranges from Florida to Mexico along the Gulf.
Genus SATYRODES Scudder
(The Grass-nymph).
PL. LXI
This genus was erected by its author to receive the single species, which we figure. As there is no likelihood of mistaking it for anything else, we forego a long generic description.
(1) Satyrodes canthus (Boisduval & Leconte), [Plate LXI], ♀ (The Grass-nymph).
The butterfly always haunts meadows and hides among tufts of tall grass in moist places. It is quite common in New England and Canada, and is found in the cool regions of the Appalachian uplift as far south as North Carolina. It has a peculiar jerking flight, and is easily captured. Expanse 1.65-1.90 inch.
The caterpillar feeds on grasses, and its early stages and transformations have often been described.
Genus NEONYMPHA Westwood
(The Spangled-nymphs).
Small butterflies, rather obscure in color. Both fore and hind wings evenly rounded; the fore wings with the costal and median veins much swollen at the base. Antennæ short without a distinctly defined club. Egg globular marked with polygonal cells. Caterpillar with a large head, bifid above, and produced as two cones thickly studded with little raised projections. Chrysalis comparatively long, pointed at the head, with a blunt tubercle on the thorax; green.
Some writers maintain that this genus is identical with the genus Euptychia Hübner, which contains over one hundred species, principally found in the American tropics. Seven species are found in our region, of which we shall delineate five.
PL. LXII
(1) Neonympha gemma (Hübner), [Plate LXII], Fig. 1, ♂, under side (The Gemmed Brown).
The upper side of the wings are mouse-colored, with a couple of twinned dark spots on the outer margin of the hind wings. On the under side the wings are reddish gray, marked with irregular rusty lines, and at the point where the dark spots appear upon the upper side there is a row of silvery spots. Expanse 1.25-1.35 inch.
Ranges from West Virginia to Mexico.
(2) Neonympha phocion (Fabricius), [Plate LXII], Fig. 2, ♀ (The Georgian Satyr).
A trifle larger than the preceding species, which it closely resembles above, but from which it may at once be distinguished by the form of the markings of the lower side of the hind wings, which are depicted in our illustration. Expanse 1.25-1.45 inch.
Ranges from southern New Jersey to the Gulf as far west as Texas. Very common in Georgia.
PL. LXIII
(3) Neonympha eurytus (Fabricius), [Plate LXIII], ♂ (The Little Wood-satyr).
Readily distinguished from the other species in our fauna by the two well-developed eye-spots on the fore wings, as well as on the hind wings on the upper side. Expanse 1.75 inch.
The caterpillar and chrysalis are pale brown, the latter marked with darker brown.
Ranges from New England and Ontario to Georgia and westward to Kansas and Texas.
PL. LXIV
(4) Neonympha sosybius (Fabricius), [Plate LXIV], Fig. 1, ♂ (The Carolinian Satyr).
Upper side unspotted dark mouse-gray. On the under side the wings are paler, crossed by three lines, one defining the basal, the second the median area, and the third just before the outer margin. Between the last two are rows of ocelli, which are obscure, except the first on the fore wing and the second and last two on the hind wing. Expanse 1.25-1.50 inch.
Ranges from the latitude of New Jersey southward through the lower half of the Mississippi Valley to Mexico and Central America.
(5) Neonympha rubricata Edwards, [Plate LXIV], Fig. 2, ♂. Type (The Red Satyr).
Most nearly related to N. sosybius, but readily distinguished by its much redder color, and by having but one eye-spot on the upper side of the fore wing. Expanse 1.40-1.75 inch.
Found in Texas, Arizona, Mexico, and Central America.
Genus CŒNONYMPHA Westwood
(The Ringlets).
PL. LXV
Small butterflies. Costal, median, and submedian veins of fore wing strongly swollen at base. Both wings evenly rounded on outer margin. Egg conical, rounded at the bottom, truncated, with low ribs and cross-lines near the top. The caterpillar has a globular head and cylindrical body, which tapers backward from about the middle, and on the last segment has two cone-like backward projections. Chrysalis straight ventrally, convex dorsally, with a rounded keeled eminence over the thorax, pointed at the end; green or drab, marked with darker spots.
The genus is found throughout the north temperate zone, and we have in our fauna a number of species and varieties, most of which are confined to the Pacific Coast and to Alaska.
(1) Cœnonympha ochracea Edwards, [Plate LXV], Fig. 1, ♂ (The Ochre Ringlet).
Glossy ochreous yellow above, without dark markings except as those of lower side faintly show through. On under side the fore wing has an eye-spot near apex, and the hind wing has a submarginal row of incomplete eye-spots, which in some specimens is wanting. Ground-color of under side of fore wings as above; of hind wings gray, interrupted about middle by a lighter band, and lighter rays about the cell near base. Expanse 1.25-1.50 inch. Ranges from British Columbia to Arizona eastward to Kansas and Nebraska.
(2) Cœnonympha inornata Edwards, [Plate LXV], Fig. 2, ♂ (The Plain Ringlet).
Reddish ochraceous on upper side with outer margin of fore wings and hind wings laved with darker. On the under side there is an ocellus near the apex of fore wing and on the hind wing, which is dark gray, a yellow curved mark beyond the cell and a couple of pale yellow spots near the anal angle. Expanse 1.25-1.50 inch.
Occurs in Montana, Minnesota, Ontario north of Lake Superior, thence eastward to Newfoundland.
Genus EREBIA Dalman
(The Alpines).
PL. LXVI
Rather small butterflies, dark in color, with eye-spots on the wings, most numerous on the under side. Veins of fore wing thickened at base; lower radial in some cases projected inwardly into the cell at point of origin. Outer margin of both wings evenly rounded. Egg subconical, ribbed, the ribs often intersecting each other. Larva with globular head, body tapering backward, last segment bifurcate. Chrysalis convex dorsally and ventrally, humped on thorax, produced at head, light brown or ashen gray.
The genus is arctic and confined to the far north, or to the summits of high mountains, which have an arctic climate. There are many species in the northern hemisphere, of which we select two for representation.
(1) Erebia discoidalis Kirby, [Plate LXVI], Fig. 1, ♂ (The Red-streaked Alpine).
Easily distinguished from all other species in our fauna by the plain dark wings streaked on the costa and suffused over the outer three fourths of the middle of the fore wings with dark red or maroon. Expanse 1.75-2.00 inches.
Habitat region of Hudson Bay, thence westward to Alaska and southward among snowy peaks of British Columbia. Probably found on high mountains of Idaho and Montana.
(2) Erebia epipsodea Butler, [Plate LXVI], Fig. 2, ♂ (The Common Alpine).
The upper side is shown in our cut; the under side repeats the markings of the upper side more or less clearly, and besides has on the hind wing a broad, curved, median, blackish band. Expanse 1.75-2.10 inches.
Ranges from the alpine summits of New Mexico northward at suitable elevations to Alaska, where it is common.
Genus GYROCHEILUS Butler
(The Blackamoors).
PL. LXVII
Medium-sized butterflies, very dark in color, with eye-spots on fore wings, and hind wings bordered with brown. There is only one species found in our region, and a detailed account of its structure may therefore be spared.
(1) Gyrocheilus tritonia Edwards, [Plate LXVII], ♂ (The Arizona Blackamoor).
Upper side shown in our figure. The under side is much the same, except that the submarginal band is purplish red sprinkled with white and dark brown scales, and has on the inner side a row of imperfectly developed eye-spots partially ringed about on the side of the base by yellow. Expanse 2.25-2.50 inches.
Occurs in southern Arizona and northern Mexico.