Early Stages.—The caterpillar feeds on "lamb's-quarter" (Chenopodium album) and the Amarantaceæ. It forms a case for itself by folding the leaf along the midrib and stitching the edges together with a few threads of silk. It lies concealed during the day and feeds at night. A minute account of all its peculiarities is given by Scudder in "The Butterflies of New England," vol. ii, p. 1519.
The insect ranges over the whole of temperate North America.
(2) Pholisora hayhursti, Edwards, Plate XLVIII, Fig. 16, ♁ (Hayhurst's Skipper).
Butterfly.—Easily distinguished from the preceding species by the somewhat crenulate shape of the outer margin of the hind wings, the white color of the under side of the abdomen, and the different arrangement of the white spots on the fore wings, as well as by the dark bands which cross both the fore and the hind wings on the upper side. Expanse, .90-1.15 inch.
Early Stages.—Our information as to these is incomplete.
The species ranges from the latitude of southern Pennsylvania westward and southward to the Gulf, as far as the Rocky Mountains.
(3) Pholisora libya, Scudder, Plate XLVIII, Fig. 14, ♂ (The Mohave Sooty-wing).
Butterfly.—Easily distinguished from the two preceding species by the white fringes of the wings and by the markings of the under side. The primaries on the lower side are dark, tipped at the apex with light gray, and in the female having the costa and the outer margin broadly edged with light gray. The hind wings are pale gray of varying shades, marked with a number of large circular white spots on the disk and a marginal series of small white spots. Expanse, ♂, .80-1.25 inch; ♁, 1.15-1.40 inch.
Early Stages.—These await full description.
This species is found from Nevada to Arizona, and is apparently very common in the Mohave Desert.