Habitat: Carolina (Drury). Georgia, Virginia (Bdv.).
Upper Side. Head, back, and abdomen dark brown; the latter striped on the sides with yellow. Two yellow lines, beginning at the palpi, encircle the eyes, and, running along the shoulders, end at the base of the inferior wings. Anterior wings brownish black; the external margin with small yellow crescents, above which are nine yellow round spots. Above this is another irregular row of yellow angular spots. Posterior wings brownish black, each with a tail. Above it are six yellow spots, reaching from the anal to the upper corner, with five small blue spots above them, above which a yellow irregular bar runs across the middle of the wing, having a black spot, whose upper edge is verged with blue, placed at the anal angle, with a small tinge of orange above and below it.
Under Side. Breast and thighs yellow. Abdomen striped with yellow and dark brown. Anterior wings brownish black, with the same yellow spots and marks as on the upper side. Posterior wings brownish black, with six yellow spots near the external edge, having a mark of orange in the middle of each, above which is a row of orange crescents joined together, whose upper edges are silver, and below each of them is a black circular spot, whose inner part is a fine shining blue, from whence appears a great number of powder-like gray spots. The anterior edge next the shoulders, has a small orange streak, near which an orange-coloured line begins, running parallel with the abdomen.
The caterpillar is described by Boisduval as living upon several species of Laurus, and of a green colour, with pale blue spots, and scarlet belly and legs, with a scarlet eye-shaped spot on each side of the third segment. The chrysalis is gibbous, ferruginous on the back, with the belly rose-coloured, and four rows of pale blue dots. I have reverted to Drury's specific name, which has certainly the priority, as appears from the dates which I have introduced amongst the synonyms. Dr. Boisduval has given another species of this genus under the name of Palamedes, described by Fabricius under that name, but considered by him to be a Nymphalis. This latter species must consequently receive a new denomination.
MELITÆA PELOPS.
Plate [XIX]. fig. 3. 4.
Order: Lepidoptera. Section: Diurna. Family: Nymphalidæ, Swains.
Genus. Melitæa, Fabr. Argynnis, Latr. God. Papilio (Pleb. rur.), Drury.
Melitæa Pelops. Alis subrotundatis, integerrimis, suprà fulvis nigro reticulatis; posticis subtùs carneis fusco undatis. (Expans. Alar. 1 unc.)
Syn. Papilio (Pleb. rur.) Pelops, Drury, App. v. 2.