Chlorippe celtis, the Hackberry butterfly, is smaller than most of the common four-footed butterflies, its expanse being less than two inches. The general color of the wings is gray, but the outer part of the fore wings is black with broken rows of white spots. There is a little red tinge about an eye-spot in the fore wing, and five such spots are located near the outer edge of the hind wing. The female is slightly larger than the male, and somewhat less pronounced in color. The eggs are deposited in clusters on the hackberry trees; the caterpillar bears a pair of antler-like appendages on its head; the chrysalis is stockily built, with the head deeply notched. The Hackberry butterfly is found in all the Southern States east of the Rockies, and has been reported as far north as southern Pennsylvania. It is double-brooded in the middle west, the last caterpillars hibernate and do not reach maturity until the next year.
THE SATYRINAE
The members of this subfamily are medium-sized, obscurely colored, forest-loving butterflies, conspicuous because of their peculiar manner of flopping about in the grass and low herbage.
Satyrus alope, the Wood-nymph butterfly, is a medium-sized grayish brown species, with a broad yellow band across the fore wing. This yellow area contains two eye-spots, dark with blue centers, and in the male there is a smaller eye-spot in the hind wing also. There is a good deal of regional variation in this species: specimens from the Northwest are often small and dark, with a reddish tinge on the lower side of the wings; while in those from northern New England and eastern Canada the yellow band is very dim, and the eye-spots are only vaguely indicated. The eggs are barrel-shaped, and are laid upon various kinds of grasses; the caterpillar has two slender diverging anal horns; the chrysalis is green, with a prominent tubercle on the thorax. The Wood-nymph is not a strong flyer, but flits about in a furtive, moth-like fashion; if pursued it will often close the wings and fall like a leaf into the grass. These butterflies are usually single brooded, and pass the winter in the larval state.
THE LIBYTHEINAE
The butterflies of this subfamily are easily recognized by the very long projecting palpi, which have the appearance of a beak or snout. Libythea bachmanni, the common Snout-butterfly, is a small, reddish brown species, with three or four white spots near the tip of the fore wing. The eggs are found upon Hackberry leaves; the caterpillar has a small head and two or three enlarged thoracic segments; the chrysalis has a sharply pointed head and a conical abdomen. This species probably spends the winter in the chrysalis condition.
THE GOSSAMER-WINGED BUTTERFLIES
The Lycaenidae is the family of delicate little butterflies known as “blues,” “coppers,” and “hair-streaks.” Metallic blue, red, and grey are the predominating colors, and the “hair-streaks” usually have an orange spot on the hind wings. The males of this family do not use the first pair of legs in walking, but the females walk with all six feet. The caterpillars are small and usually slug-shaped, and the chrysalids are held closely to some supporting object by a girdle of silk.
THE LYCAENINAE
Lycaena pseudargiolus is the common little blue butterfly found in every part of the United States except the far West. It is extremely subject to seasonal and geographic variations, seven or eight distinct varieties having been described. The wings of some specimens are almost black, others are a very pale blue, while still others combine the blue ground-color with a broad black border. The eggs are laid upon a great variety of plants; the caterpillars are very small and slug-shaped, and usually feed upon flowers instead of leaves. The caterpillar produces a sweet liquid which attracts ants, and it is said that these ants protect the caterpillar from minute parasitic flies which would otherwise destroy it.