Fig. III.—The Silver-Spotted Skipper (Epargyreus tityrus), a typical Hesperid. A, egg; B, mature caterpillar; C, pupa or chrysalis; D, imago.
THE HELICONIANS
This is a tropical subfamily, and has only one representative within the borders of the United States. Heliconius charitonius, the Zebra butterfly, is a slender, long-winged, black-and-yellow species common along the roadsides of southern Florida. This butterfly has such an evil taste and odor that no known animal will eat it. The eggs are deposited upon the passion-flower vine; the young larva is hairy, but the mature caterpillar is provided with a great number of branching spines. The chrysalis is dark brown and of an odd shape; it makes a peculiar creaking sound by moving its abdomen. Another interesting fact about this Zebra butterfly is that the males are attracted to female chrysalids, and may be seen hovering about waiting for their mates to emerge.
THE NYMPHALINAE
This is the largest of all the subfamilies, numbering more than a hundred and seventy species in the United States. They are mostly large or of medium size, and include many of the commonest and most conspicuous butterflies we have. One of the most interesting members of this group is Dione vanillae, the Red Silverspot. The wings are bright red on the upper surface, with black veins and markings; the under side shows a spangled effect of brown and silver. The wings are unusually long, and the butterfly has a disagreeable odor which protects it from its enemies; these and other facts have led some lepidopterists to class this butterfly with the Heliconians. The eggs are reddish brown in color, and are found on the passion-vine; the caterpillar is marked with orange and drab, and bears six rows of branching spines. The chrysalis has an unusual form due to a pronounced dorsal depression; it is usually a grayish tan in color. Dione vanillae is found in the whole southern half of the United States, being especially abundant about New Orleans, and in southern California. W. H. Edwards took a specimen at Coalburg, West Virginia, and it has been reported from as far north as Worcester, Mass.
Grapta interrogationis, the Question Mark butterfly, is common in all parts of the United States except the Pacific coast region. The upper sides of both wings are reddish brown, spotted with dark brown and edged with a faint violet color. The peculiar angular shape of the fore wings, and the little tails on the hind wings, are the outstanding characteristics of the Question Mark and its relatives. The under side of the wings shows a mottled light brown, like a dead leaf; on the under side of the hind wing is found the silver mark resembling a Greek interrogation point (something like the English semicolon) which gave the butterfly its name. The eggs are deposited on elm trees, hop-vines, and several kinds of nettles. The caterpillar is reddish in color, covered with branching spines. The chrysalis is brown or greenish, with a conspicuous protuberance in the thoracic region.
Vanessa antiopa, the Mourning Cloak butterfly, may be remembered as the first butterfly to be seen in the early Spring. The upper surface of the wings is a rich reddish purple, with a yellow border and a row of blue spots just inside it. The under side is gray, and blends perfectly with the dead twigs upon which the butterfly is accustomed to perch. The eggs are laid in clusters on the elm, willow, and poplar trees; the dark, spiny caterpillars live in small colonies, and spin a sort of web among the leaves of the food plant. The chrysalid is much like that of the Question Mark butterfly. In the autumn the Mourning Cloak crawls into a hollow tree or under a bit of loose bark and sleeps all through the winter, often flying in the Spring before the snow has melted, and long before the first leaves have appeared.
Junonia coenia, the Peacock butterfly, is a medium-sized butterfly with an expanse of about two and one-fourth inches. The large eye-spots on both wings give it a characteristic appearance, very different from any other butterfly in this country. It occurs in all parts of the United States, but is somewhat rare in the northern part of its range. The dark green eggs are deposited on various kinds of plantain; the caterpillar is dark and covered with spines; the chrysalis generally light brown, and has a conspicuous depression in the ventral thorax. This butterfly is conspicuous for its pugnacity; it will drive away any other species which chances to approach, and even dart at stones or other objects thrown in the air.
Basilarchia disippus, the Viceroy butterfly, looks very much like Anosia plexippus the Monarch, except for a single transverse black band on the hind wings. The eggs are laid upon willow or poplar leaves; the caterpillar has no spines, but there are two club-shaped appendages just back of the head; the chrysalis is light gray with brown spots, and has a fin-like projection on back of the thorax. The Viceroy spends the winter in the larval state. When cold weather sets in the caterpillar anchors a leaf to the twig by means of silken threads, then rolls himself up in the leaf and sleeps until the following Spring.