Butterfly.—Splendid purplish-red on the upper side. On the under side the fore wings are laved with bright yellow on the basal and inner marginal tracts, and the secondaries are dark brown, irrorated with blackish scales arranged in spots and striæ. Expanse, 2.75-3.00 inches.
Early Stages.—Unknown.
Portia occurs in the extreme southern part of Florida and in the Antilles.
Genus AGERONIA, Hübner
(The Calicoes)
[a]Fig. 112.]—Neuration of the genus Ageronia.
Butterfly.—The antennæ moderately long, delicate, terminated in a gradually thickened club. The eyes are naked; the palpi are compressed, only slightly porrect, not densely covered with scales. The neuration is alike in both sexes, the costal and the median veins greatly thickened toward the base. The first and second subcostals arise from before the end of the cell; the fourth and fifth subcostals arise from a common stem emitted from the third subcostal beyond the end of the cell. The cells in both the fore and hind wings are closed. The butterflies are of medium or large size, curiously marked with checkered spots, blue and white, with broad paler shades on the under side of the secondaries. They are rapid fliers and are said to alight on the trunks of trees with their wings expanded and their heads down. When flying they emit a clicking sound with their wings.
Early Stages.—Very little is known of these.
The chrysalids are slender and have two ear-like tubercles on the head.
This genus is, strictly speaking, neotropical. About twenty-five species have been described from Central and South America, some of them being exceedingly beautiful and rich in color. The two species credited to our fauna are reported as being occasionally found in Texas. I have specimens of one of the species which certainly came from Texas. I cannot be so sure of the other.