Pyrameis Hunteri Fab.
This species seems to have, in California, but one generation. It is not common. I have found it only in the latter part of the season, and have not yet succeeded in finding the caterpillar. The genus Pyrameis has the widest range of all the genera of this family. It extends through all latitudes from the Arctic regions to the Cape of Good Hope and Cape Horn. On the northern hemispheres it is best represented in California, which country possesses one peculiar species in addition to all three of Europe and the Eastern Slope of the United States.
| California. | Eastern Slope. | Europe. |
|---|---|---|
| P. Atalanta. | P. Atalanta. | P. Atalanta. |
| P. Carye. | —— | —— |
| P. Cardui. | P. Cardui. | P. Cardui. |
| P. Hunteri. | P. Hunteri. | —— |
Junonia Hubn.
Junonia Cænia Boisd. et Lee.
Several generations. Caterpillar not yet found in California. From this enumeration of California Vanessidæ we find, 1st. That with the exception of V. Californica, there is not yet found any species of this group peculiar to our State, for even P. Carye exists as well in Chili as here, and is also said to have been found in Brazil. This circumstance is more striking since our Argynnidæ and Meliteæ prove altogether local; none of them being identical with Eastern species, unless a Melitæa, of the type of Mylitta, should be found identical with a form found in Texas. 2. The genera of this group, north of the Tropic of Cancer, are essentially amphigeic, the European Arachnia being almost the sole exception. But, as it were, to compensate this, the tropical amphigeic genus Junonia, wanting in Europe, extends, on our continent, to high latitudes. 3. As regards the number of specks, the genus Grapta predominates at the Eastern Slope, Vanessa in Europe, Pyrameis in California, and our own Junonia is counterbalanced in Europe by our Arachnia.