W. J. Holland

FAMILY III. LYCAENIDAE (THE BLUES, THE COPPERS, THE HAIR-STREAKS) SUBFAMILY LYCAENINAE "Mark, while he moves amid the sunny beam, O'er his soft wings the varying lusters gleam. Launched into air, on purple plumes he soars, Gay nature's face with wanton glance explores; Proud of his varying beauties, wings his way, And spoils the fairest flowers, himself more fair than they."

Quoted as from Haworth by Scudder.

Butterfly.—Small, in both sexes having all feet adapted to walking. There is exceeding diversity of form in the various genera composing this family. Many of the genera are characterized by the brilliant blue on the upper side of the wings; in other genera shades of coppery-red predominate. The hair-streaks frequently have the hind wings adorned with one or more slender, elongated tails. In Africa and in Asia there are numerous genera which strongly mimic protected insects belonging to the AcrÆinÆ.

Egg.—The eggs are for the most part flattened or turban-shaped, curiously and beautifully adorned with ridges, minute eminences, and reticulations. Some of them under the microscope strongly resemble the shells of "sea-biscuits" with the rays removed (see p. 4, Fig. 7).

Caterpillar.—The caterpillars are for the most part slug-shaped, flattened. They are vegetable feeders, save the larvÆ of two or three genera, which are aphidivorous, feeding upon mealy bugs or plant-lice.

Chrysalis.—The chrysalids are short, compressed, attached at the anal extremity, with a girdle or cincture about the middle, closely fastened to the surface upon which pupation takes place.

Plate XXIX.

Genus EUMÆUS, HÜbner

Butterfly.—Medium size or small; dark in color, with the under side and the borders of the upper sides beautifully adorned with spots having a metallic luster. The palpi are divergent, longer in the female than in the male. The antennÆ are stout, rather short, with a gradually thickened club. The eyes are naked. The veins on the fore wing are stout. The accompanying cut gives a clear idea of the neuration.

Early Stages.—Nothing is known of these.

Three species are reckoned as belonging to the genus, two of them being found sparingly in the extreme southern limits of our fauna.

(1) EumÆus atala, Poey, Plate XXVIII, Fig. 22, ?, under side (Atala).

Fig. 128.—Neuration of the genus EumÆus.

Butterfly.—Easily distinguished by the figure in the plate from all other species except its congener E. minyas, HÜbner, which can be readily separated from it by its larger size. Expanse, 1.65-1.75 inch.

Early Stages.—These await description.

Atala is found in Florida and Cuba. Minyas occurs in southwestern Texas, and thence southward to Brazil.

Genus THECLA, Fabricius
(The Hair-streaks)

"These be the pretty genii of the flow'rs, Daintily fed with honey and pure dew."

Hood.

Butterfly.—Small or medium-sized; on the upper side often colored brilliantly with iridescent blue or green, sometimes dark brown or reddish; on the under side marked with lines and spots variously disposed, sometimes obscure in color, very frequently most brilliantly colored.

Various subdivisions based upon the neuration of the wings have been made in the genus in recent years, and these subdivisions are entitled to be accepted by those who are engaged in a comparative study of the species belonging to this great group. Inasmuch, however, as most American writers have heretofore classified all of these insects under the genus Thecla, the author has decided not to deviate from familiar usage, and will therefore not attempt to effect a subdivision according to the views of recent writers, which he nevertheless approves as scientifically accurate.

Egg.—Considerable diversity exists in the form of the eggs of the various species included under this genus as treated in this book, but all of them may be said to be turban-shaped, more or less depressed at the upper extremity, with their surfaces beautifully adorned with minute projections arranged in geometric patterns.

Fig. 129.—Neuration of Thecla edwardsi. (After Scudder.) Typical neuration of the genus.

Caterpillar.—The caterpillars are slug-shaped, their heads minute, the body abruptly tapering at the anal extremity. They feed upon the tender leaves of the ends of branches, some of them upon the leaves of flowers of various species.

Chrysalis.—What has been said concerning the chrysalids of the family applies likewise to the chrysalids of this and the succeeding genera. They lie closely appressed to the surface upon which they are formed, and are held in place by an attachment at the anal extremity, as well as by a slight girdle of silk about the middle. In color they are generally some shade of brown.

(1) Thecla grunus, Boisduval, Plate XXIX, Fig. 12, ? (Boisduval's Hair-streak).

Butterfly.—The wings are brown on the upper side, lighter on the disk; in some specimens, more frequently of the female sex, bright orange-tawny. On the under side the wings are pale tawny, with transverse marginal and submarginal series of small dark spots on both wings. Two or three of the marginal spots near the anal angle are black, each crowned with a metallic-green crescent. Expanse, 1.10-1.20 inch.

Early Stages.—These have, in part, been described by Dyar, "Canadian Entomologist," vol. xxv, p. 94. The caterpillar is short, flattened, the segments arched, the body tapering backward, bluish-green, covered with little dark warty prominences bearing tufts of hairs, obscurely striped longitudinally with broken, pale lines, and having a diamond-shaped shield back of the head. The chrysalis is thick and conformed to the generic type of structure. The color is pale green, striped and dotted with pale yellow on the abdomen. The caterpillar feeds in the Yosemite Valley upon the young leaves of the live-oak (Quercus chrysolepis).

The insect is found in California and Nevada.

(2) Thecla crysalus, Edwards, Plate XXIX, Fig. 11, ? (The Colorado Hair-streak).

Butterfly.—The wings on the upper side are royal purple, broadly margined with black. On the fore wings a broad oblique black band runs from the middle of the costa to the middle of the outer margin. At the inner angles of both wings are conspicuous orange spots. On the under side the wings are fawn, marked with white lines edged with brown. The orange spots reappear on this side, but at the anal angle of the hind wings are transformed to red eye-spots, pupiled with black and margined with metallic green. The hind wings are tailed. Expanse, 1.50 inch.

The variety citima, Henry Edwards, differs in being without the orange spots and having the ground-color of the under side ashen-gray. Specimens connecting the typical with the varietal form are in my possession.

Early Stages.—Unknown.

Found in southern Colorado, Utah, Arizona, and southern California.

(3) Thecla halesus, Cramer, Plate XXIX, Fig. 9, ? (The Great Purple Hair-streak).

Butterfly.—The hind wings have a long tail, and are lobed at the anal angle. The wings are fuscous, iridescent bluish-green at the base. The body is bluish-green above. On the under side the thorax is black, spotted with white, the abdomen bright orange-red. The wings on the under side are evenly warm sepia, spotted with crimson at their bases, glossed with a ray of metallic green on the fore wings in the male sex, and in both sexes splendidly adorned at the anal angle by series of metallic-green and iridescent blue and red spots. Expanse, 1.35-1.50 inch.

Early Stages.—All we know of them is derived from the drawings of Abbot, published by Boisduval and Leconte, and this is but little. The caterpillar is said by Abbot to feed on various oaks.

It is very common in Central America and Mexico; is not scarce in the hot parts of the Gulf States; and is even reported as having been captured in southern Illinois. It also occurs in Arizona and southern California.

(4) Thecla m-album, Boisduval and Leconte, Plate XXIX, Fig. 10, ? (The White-M Hair-streak).

Butterfly.—Smaller than the preceding species; on the upper side somewhat like it; but the iridescent color at the base of the wings is blue, and not so green as in halesus. On the under side the wings are quite differently marked. The fore wing is crossed by a submarginal and a median line of white, shaded with brown, the median line most distinct. This line is continued upon the hind wings, and near the anal angle is zigzagged, so as to present the appearance of an inverted M. Near the outer angle of the M-spot is a rounded crimson patch. The anal angle is deep black, glossed with iridescent blue. Expanse, 1.35-1.45 inch.

Early Stages.—All we know of this pretty species is based upon the account and drawings of Abbot made in the last century. We need better information. According to Abbot, the caterpillar feeds on astragalus and different oaks.

This species has been taken as far north as Jersey City and Wisconsin, and ranges southward as far as Venezuela. Its citadel is found in the live-oak hummocks of the Gulf States and the oak forests on the highlands of Mexico and more southern countries.

(5) Thecla martialis, Herrich-SchÄffer, Plate XXX, Fig. 18, ?, under side (The Martial Hair-streak).

Butterfly.—The insect figured in the plate, which may easily be recognized by its under side, has been determined by Dr. Skinner to be the above species. My specimens coming from the Edwards collection are labeled Thecla acis, ?. They were taken at Key West. A comparison with the under side of T. acis (see Plate XXIX, Fig. 38) will reveal the great difference. Expanse, 1.00 inch.

Early Stages.—Unknown.

Habitat, southern Florida and Cuba.

(6) Thecla favonius, Abbot and Smith, Plate XXIX, Fig. 22, ? (The Southern Hair-streak).

Butterfly.—The wings are dusky-brown above, with a small pale oval sex-mark in the male near the upper edge of the cell in the primaries. On either side of the second median nervule, near the outer margin of both wings, are bright orange-red patches, most conspicuous in the female. The hind wings near the anal angle are blackish, margined with a fine white line. On the under side the wings are marked much as in m-album, but in the region of the median nervules, midway between their origin and termination, is a rather broad transverse carmine streak, edged inwardly with dark lines. This is largest and most conspicuous in the female sex. Expanse, 1.00-1.15 inch.

Early Stages.—These have been described, in part, by Abbot and Smith and Packard. The caterpillar feeds on oaks.

Favonius is found in the Gulf States, and as far north as South Carolina.

(7) Thecla wittfeldi, Edwards, Plate XXIX, Fig. 19, ?; Fig. 20, ?, under side (Wittfeld's Hair-streak).

Butterfly.—The figures in the plate give a correct idea of both the upper and under sides of this insect. It is much darker in ground-color than any of its congeners. Expanse, 1.25-1.35 inch.

Early Stages.—Unknown.

The types which are in my possession came from the Indian River district in Florida.

(8) Thecla autolycus, Edwards, Plate XXIX, Fig. 13, ? (The Texas Hair-streak).

Butterfly.—On the upper side resembling favonius, but with the orange-red spots on the wings much broader, ranging from the lower radial vein to the submedian in the fore wings. The carmine spots on the under side of the wings are not arranged across the median nervules, as in favonius, but are in the vicinity of the anal angle, crowning the black crescents near the inner end of the outer margin. Expanse, 1.15-1.30 inch.

Early Stages.—Unknown.

This species is found in Texas, and is also said to have been found in Missouri and Kansas.

(9) Thecla alcestis, Edwards, Plate XXIX, Fig. 14, ? (Alcestis).

Butterfly.—Uniformly slaty-gray on the upper side of the wings, with the usual oval sex-mark on the fore wing of the male, and a few bluish scales near the anal angle. The ground-color of the wings on the under side is as above, but somewhat paler. A white bar closes the cell of both wings. Both wings are crossed by white lines, much as in m-album. The anal angle is marked with black, followed outwardly by a broad patch of iridescent greenish-blue scales. Between the end of the submarginal vein and the first median nervule is a black spot surmounted with carmine, edged inwardly with black; three or four carmine crescents similarly edged, but rapidly diminishing in size, extend as a transverse submarginal band toward the costa. Expanse, 1.25 inch.

Early Stages.—Unknown.

Alcestis is found in Texas and Arizona.

(10) Thecla melinus, HÜbner, Plate XXIX, Fig. 31, ?; Plate XXXII, Fig. 20, ?; Plate V, Fig. 39, chrysalis (The Common Hair-streak).

Fig. 130.—Neuration of Thecla melinus. (After Scudder.) Typical of subgenus Uranotes.

Butterfly.—Much confusion has arisen from the fact that this insect has received a number of names and has also been confounded with others. Fig. 31 in Plate XXIX represents the insect labeled humuli, Harris, in the Edwards collection; Fig. 20 in Plate XXXII represents the insect labeled melinus, HÜbner. There is a very large series of both in the collection, but a minute comparison fails to reveal any specific difference. Humuli of Harris is the same as melinus of HÜbner; and recent authors, I think, are right in sinking the name given by Harris as a synonym. This common little butterfly may easily be recognized by its plain slaty upper surface, adorned by a large black spot, crowned with crimson between the origin of the two tails of the secondaries. Expanse, 1.10-1.20 inch.

Early Stages.—These are in part well known. The caterpillar feeds on the hop-vine. Melinus is found all over temperate North America, and ranges southward into Mexico and Central America at suitable elevations.

(11) Thecla acadica, Edwards, Plate XXIX, Fig. 15, ?; Plate V, Fig. 35, chrysalis (The Acadian Hair-streak).

Butterfly.—The male is pale slaty-gray above, with some ill-defined orange spots near the anal angle, the usual oval sex-mark on the fore wing. The female is like the male above; but the orange spots at the anal angle of the hind wings are broader, and in some specimens similar spots appear on the fore wings near the inner angle. On the under side in both sexes the wings are pale wood-brown, adorned by a black bar at the end of the cells, submarginal and median bands of small black spots surrounded with white, and on the secondaries by a submarginal series of red crescents diminishing in size from the anal angle toward the outer angle. Near the anal angle are two black spots separated by a broad patch of bluish-green scales. Expanse, 1.15-1.25 inch.

Early Stages.—For a knowledge of what is known of these the reader may consult the pages of Scudder and Edwards. The caterpillar feeds upon willows.

It is found all over the Northern States, ranging from Quebec to Vancouver's Island. It seems to be very common on Mount Hood, from which I have a large series of specimens.

(12) Thecla itys, Edwards, Plate XXIX, Fig. 17, ? (Itys).

Butterfly.—The only specimen of this species known to me is figured in the plate. It is the type. Of its early stages nothing is known. It was taken in Arizona. Expanse, 1.25 inch.

(13) Thecla edwardsi, Plate XXIX, Fig. 27, ? under side; Plate V, Fig. 29, chrysalis (Edwards' Hair-streak).

Butterfly.—Dark plumbeous-brown on the upper side, with a pale sex-mark on the fore wing of the male. On the under side the wings are paler and a trifle warmer brown, with their outer halves marked with numerous fine white broken lines arranged in pairs, with the space between them darker than the ground-color of the wing. The usual black spots, green scales, and red crescents are found near the anal angle on the under side.

Early Stages.—For all that is known of these the reader will do well to consult the pages of Scudder. The caterpillar feeds on oaks.

The species ranges from Quebec westward to Colorado and Nebraska, being found commonly in New England.

(14) Thecla calanus, HÜbner, Plate XXIX, Fig. 26, ?; Plate V, Figs. 25, 27, chrysalis (The Banded Hair-streak).

Butterfly.—On the upper side resembling the preceding species very closely, but a trifle darker, and warmer brown. On the under side the wings are marked by fine white lines on the outer half, which are not broken, as in edwardsi, but form continuous bands. Expanse, 1.15 inch.

Early Stages.—The caterpillar feeds on oaks. The life-history is described with minute exactness by Scudder in "The Butterflies of New England," vol. ii, p. 888.

This insect has a wide range, being found from the province of Quebec to Texas and Colorado. It is common in western Pennsylvania.

(15) Thecla liparops, Boisduval and Leconte, Plate XXIX, Fig. 28, ?, under side; Plate V, Fig. 28, chrysalis (The Striped Hair-streak).

Butterfly.—Dark brown on the upper side, grayish below. The lines are arranged much as in T. edwardsi, but are farther apart, often very narrow, scarcely defining the dark bands between them. The spots at the anal angle are obscure and blackish. Expanse, 1.15 inch.

Early Stages.—Much like those of the allied species. Scudder, in "The Butterflies of New England," gives a full account of them. The caterpillar feeds on a variety of plants—oaks, willows, the wild plum, and other rosaceous plants, as well as on the EricaceÆ.

It ranges through the northern Atlantic States and Quebec to Colorado and Montana, but is local in its habits, and nowhere common.

(16) Thecla chalcis, Behr, Plate XXIX, Fig. 36, ?; Fig. 37, ?, under side (The Bronzed Hair-streak).

Butterfly.—On the upper side uniformly brown. On the under side dark, with a narrow submarginal and an irregular median transverse band, and a pale short bar closing the cell on both wings; a black spot at the anal angle of the secondaries, preceded by a few bluish-green scales. Expanse, 1.00-1.10 inch.

Early Stages.—Unknown.

Habitat, California and Utah.

(17) Thecla sÆpium, Boisduval, Plate XXIX, Fig. 33, ?; Fig. 34, ? (The Hedge-row Hair-streak).

Butterfly.—Almost identically like the preceding species, except that the wings on the upper side are a trifle redder, on the under side paler; the lines on the under side of the wings are narrowly defined externally by white, and the anal spots are better developed and defined on the hind wings. Expanse, 1.20 inch.

Early Stages.—Unknown.

This species is found throughout the Pacific States, and I am inclined to believe it identical with chalcis. If this should be proved to be true the latter name will sink as a synonym.

(18) Thecla adenostomatis, Henry Edwards, Plate XXIX, Fig. 25, ? (The Gray Hair-streak).

Butterfly.—Mouse-gray on the upper side, with a few white lines on the outer margin near the anal angle; hoary-gray on the under side, darker on the median and basal areas. The limbal area is defined inwardly by a fine white line, is paler than the rest of the wing, and on the secondaries is marked by a full, regularly curved submarginal series of small dark lunules. Expanse, 1.30 inch.

Early Stages.—Undescribed.

Habitat, California.

(19) Thecla spinetorum, Boisduval, Plate XXIX, Fig. 21, ? (The Thicket Hair-streak).

Butterfly.—Dark blackish on the upper side, with both wings at the base shot with bluish-green. On the under side the wings are pale reddish-brown, marked much as in the following species, but the lines and spots are broader, more distinct, and conspicuous. Expanse, 1.15 inch.

Early Stages.—This species is reported, so far, from Colorado, California, and Washington.

(20) Thecla nelsoni, Boisduval, Plate XXX, Fig. 8, ?, under side; Fig. 13, ? (Nelson's Hair-streak).

Butterfly.—Bright fulvous on the upper side, with the costa, the outer margins, the base, and the veins of both fore and hind wings fuscous. On the under side the wings are paler red, with an incomplete narrow white line shaded with deep red just beyond the median area, and not reaching the inner margin. This line is repeated on the hind wing as an irregularly curved median line. Between it and the outer margin on this wing are a few dark lunules near the anal angle. Expanse, 1.00 inch.

Early Stages.—I cannot discover any account of these.

The species has been found in California and Colorado.

(21) Thecla blenina, Hewitson, Plate XXX, Fig. 9, ?, under side (Hewitson's Hair-streak).

Butterfly.—Brown on the upper side, in some specimens bright fulvous bordered with brown. On the under side the wings are pale red, shot with pea-green on the secondaries and at the base of the primaries. The markings of the under side are much as in the preceding species, but the line on the hind wing dividing the discal from the limbal area is broader and very white, and the spots between it and the margin more conspicuous. Expanse, 1.12 inch.

Early Stages.—Unknown.

It is reported from Arizona and southern California. It has been named siva by Edwards, and the figure is from his type so labeled.

(22) Thecla damon, Cramer, Plate XXIX, Fig. 32, ?, under side; var. discoidalis, Skinner, Plate XXIX, Fig. 29, ?; Plate V, Figs. 30, 31, chrysalis (The Olive Hair-streak).

Butterfly.—On the upper side bright fulvous, with the costa, the outer margins, and the veins of both wings blackish, darkest at the apex. On the under side the wings are greenish, crossed on the fore wing by a straight, incomplete white line, and on the hind wing by a similar irregular line. Both of these lines are margined internally by brown. There are a couple of short white lines on the hind wing near the base, and the usual crescentic spots and markings on the outer border and at the anal angle. Expanse, .90-1.00 inch.

Fig. 131.—Neuration of Thecla damon, enlarged. Type of subgenus Mitura, Scudder.

Early Stages.—These have been described by several authors. The caterpillar feeds on the red cedar (Juniperus virginiana, LinnÆus). It is double-brooded in the North and triple-brooded in the South.

Damon ranges from Ontario to Texas over the entire eastern half of the United States.

(23) Thecla simÆthis, Drury, Plate XXIX, Fig. 39, ?, under side (SimÆthis).

Butterfly.—Resembling the preceding species, but the white band on the secondaries is straight, and the outer margins are heavily marked with brown. Expanse, .85-1.00 inch.

Early Stages.—Unknown.

This species occurs in Texas, Mexico, and southward.

(24) Thecla acis, Drury, Plate XXIX, Fig. 38, ?, under side (Drury's Hair-streak).

Butterfly.—The upper side of the wings is dark brown. The under side is shown in the plate. Expanse, .90 inch.

Early Stages.—Unknown.

This very pretty species is found in the extreme southern portions of Florida and the Antilles.

(25) Thecla cecrops, HÜbner, Plate XXX, Fig. 7, ?; Plate XXIX, Fig. 18, ?, under side (Cecrops).

Plate XXX.

Butterfly.—Dark brown, glossed at the base of the wings and on the inner margin of the secondaries with blue. The under side is well delineated in the plate. Expanse, 1.00 inch.

Early Stages.—These await description.

Cecrops is common in the Southern States, and has been taken as far north as West Virginia, Kentucky, and southern Indiana.

(26) Thecla clytie, Edwards, Plate XXX, Fig. 6, ? (Clytie).

Butterfly.—Blue above, with the apical two thirds of the fore wings black. The wings on the under side are white, with the usual marginal and transverse markings quite small and faint. Expanse, .90 inch.

Early Stages.—Unknown.

Habitat, Texas and Arizona.

(27) Thecla ines, Edwards, Plate XXIX, Fig. 35, ? (Ines).

Butterfly.—Much like the preceding species, but smaller, with the secondaries marked with blackish on the costa. On the under side the wings are slaty-gray, with numerous fine lines and a broad median dark shade on the hind wings, running from the costa to the middle of the wing. Expanse, .75 inch.

Early Stages.—Unknown.

Ines is found in Arizona.

(28) Thecla behri, Edwards, Plate XXX, Fig. 4, ?; Fig. 5, ?, under side (Behr's Hair-streak).

Butterfly.—Both sides are well displayed in the plate, and therefore need no particular description. Expanse, 1.10 inch.

Early Stages.—Unknown.

This species is found in northern California and Oregon, and eastward to Colorado.

(29) Thecla augustus, Kirby, Plate XXX, Fig. 15, ? (The Brown Elfin).

Butterfly.—Brown on the upper side; paler on the under side. The fore wings are marked by a straight incomplete median band, and the hind wings by an irregularly curved median band or line. Back of these lines toward the base both wings are darker brown. Expanse, .90 inch.

Early Stages.—These are not well known. Henry Edwards describes the caterpillar as "carmine-red, covered with very short hair, each segment involute above, with deep double foveÆ." The chrysalis is described by the same observer as being "pitchy-brown, covered with very short bristly hair, the wing-cases paler." The food-plant is unknown.

This species is boreal in its haunts, and is found in New England and northward and westward into the British possessions.

(30) Thecla irus, Godart, Plate XXX, Fig. 12, ?; Plate V, Figs. 32-34, chrysalis (The Hoary Elfin).

Butterfly.—Grayish-brown on the upper side. The wings on the under side are of the same color, paler on the outer margins, and darker toward the base. The species is subject to considerable variation. The variety arsace, Boisduval, has the hind wings marked with reddish near the anal angle, and the outer margin below marked with hoary-purple. The usual small crescentic spots appear on the outer margin of the hind wings, or they may be absent. Expanse, 1.10 inch.

Early Stages.—An epitome of all that is known is to be found in "The Butterflies of New England." The caterpillar feeds on young plums just after the leaves of the blossom have dropped away.

The species is rather rare, but has been found from the Atlantic to the Pacific in the latitude of New England.

(31) Thecla henrici, Grote and Robinson, Plate XXX, Fig. 21, ? (Henry's Hair-streak).

Butterfly.—Much like the preceding species on the upper side, but with the outer half of the wings broadly reddish-brown. The secondaries on the under side are broadly blackish-brown on the basal half, with the outer margin paler. The division between the dark and light shades is irregular and very sharply defined, often indicated by a more or less perfect irregularly curved median white line. Expanse, 1.00-1.10 inch.

Early Stages.—These have been described by Edwards in the "American Naturalist," vol. xvi, p. 123. The habits of the larva are identical with those of the preceding species.

It occurs from Maine to West Virginia, but is rare.

(32) Thecla eryphon, Boisduval, Plate XXX, Fig. 17, ?, under side (Eryphon).

Butterfly.—Closely resembling the following species both on the upper and under side of the wings, but easily distinguished by the fact that, on the under side of the fore wings, the inner of the two dark bands on the outer third of the wing is not sharply angulated below the third median nervule, as in T. niphon, but is more even, and in general parallel with the submarginal line. Expanse, 1.15 inch.

Early Stages.—These have not been described.

Eryphon replaces the Eastern T. niphon on the Pacific coast.

(33) Thecla niphon, HÜbner, Plate XXX, Fig. 11, ?; Fig. 22, ?, under side; Plate V, Figs. 38, 40, chrysalis (The Banded Elfin).

Butterfly.—Reddish-brown on the upper side. The under side is accurately depicted in the plate. Expanse, 1.10 inch.

Early Stages.—These have been elaborately described by Scudder in his great work. The caterpillars feed upon pine.

The Banded Elfin is found from Nova Scotia to Colorado, in the Northern States, where its food-plant occurs, but is never abundant.

Fig. 132.—Neuration of Thecla niphon, enlarged. Typical of subgenus Incisalia, Minot.

(34) Thecla affinis, Edwards, Plate XXX, Fig. 3, ?, under side (The Green-winged Hair-streak).

Butterfly.—On the upper side closely resembling the following species. On the under side the wings are uniformly bright green. Expanse, 1.00 inch.

Early Stages.—These await description.

The types came from Utah. I also have specimens from California.

(35) Thecla dumetorum, Boisduval, Plate XXX, Fig. 1, ?; Fig. 2, ?, under side (The Green White-spotted Hair-streak).

Butterfly.—Dark fawn-color above, sometimes tinged externally with reddish. On the under side both wings are green, the primaries having a short straight band of white spots on the outer third, and the secondaries a small white spot on the costa beyond the middle, and two or three conspicuous white spots near the anal angle. Expanse, 1.10 inch.

Early Stages.—The eggs are laid on the unopened flower-heads of Hosackia argophylla. This is all we know of the life-history.

The species ranges from Oregon and California eastward as far as Colorado.

(36) Thecla lÆta, Edwards, Plate XXIX, Fig. 23, ?; Fig. 24, ?, under side (The Early Hair-streak).

Butterfly.—The wings brown, glossed with bright blue above; on the under side pale fawn, with a band of pale-red spots on both wings about the middle, and a few similar spots on the outer and inner margins of the hind wings. Expanse, .75 inch.

Early Stages.—Only the egg, described and figured by Scudder, is known.

It ranges from Quebec to southern New Jersey, and westward to West Virginia, and has been taken on Mount Graham, in Arizona. It appears in early spring. It is still rare in collections.

(37) Thecla titus, Fabricius, Plate XXX, Fig. 10, ?; Fig. 14, ?, under side; Plate V, Fig. 37, chrysalis (The Coral Hair-streak).

Butterfly.—Uniformly gray-brown on the upper side. Some specimens of the female have a few red spots at the anal angle of the hind wing. On the under side the wings are colored as on the upper side; but the hind wings have a conspicuous submarginal band of coral-red spots on their outer third. Expanse, 1.30 inch.

Early Stages.—These have been well described by several authors. The fullest account is given by Scudder. The caterpillar feeds on the leaves of the wild cherry and the wild plum.

The insect occurs from the Atlantic to the Pacific, from Maine to Georgia. It is not very common.

There are some ten or more other species of this genus found in our fauna, but the species figured in our plates will suffice to give a good idea of the genus.

Fig. 133.—Neuration of Thecla titus, enlarged. Typical of subgenus Strymon, HÜbner.

Genus FENISECA, Grote
(The Harvesters)

"Upon his painted wings, the butterfly Roam'd, a gay blossom of the sunny sky."

Willis G. Clark.

Butterfly.—Small, bright orange-yellow, on the upper side spotted with black, on the under side more or less mottled and shaded with gray and brown, the markings of the upper side reappearing. The cut shows the neuration, which need not be minutely described.

Egg.—Subglobular, much wider than high, its surface smooth, marked with a multitude of very fine and indistinct raised ridges, giving it the appearance of being covered by very delicate polygonal cells.

Caterpillar.—In its mature stage the caterpillar is short, slug-shaped, covered with a multitude of bristling hairs, upon which it gathers the white exudations or scales of the mealy bugs upon which it feeds.

Fig. 134.—Neuration of the genus Feniseca, enlarged.

Chrysalis.—Small, brown in color; when viewed dorsally showing a remarkable and striking likeness to the face of a monkey, a singular phenomenon which also appears even more strikingly in chrysalids of the allied genus Spalgis, which is found in Africa and Asia.

But one species of the genus is known.

(1) Feniseca tarquinius, Fabricius, Plate XXVIII, Fig. 21, ?; Plate V, Figs. 45, 46, chrysalis (The Harvester).

Butterfly.—The upper side of the wings is well depicted in the plate. There is considerable variation, however, in the size of the black markings upon the upper surface, and I have specimens in which they almost entirely disappear. On the under side the wings are paler; the spots of the upper side reappear, and, in addition, the hind wings are mottled profusely with small pale-brown spots. Expanse, 1.30 inch.

Early Stages.—What has been said of these in the description of the genus will suffice for the species.

This curious little insect, which finds its nearest allies in Asia and Africa, ranges all over the Atlantic States from Nova Scotia to the Carolinas, and throughout the valley of the Mississippi.

Genus CHRYSOPHANUS, Doubleday
(The Coppers)

Mary Butts.

Butterfly.—Small butterflies, with the upper side of the wings some shade of coppery-red or orange, frequently glossed with purple. On the under side the wings are marked with a multitude of small spots and lines. The neuration of the wing is delineated in the figure herewith given, and needs no further description.

Egg.—The eggs are hemispherical, flattened on the base, the upper surface deeply pitted with polygonal or somewhat circular depressions.

Caterpillar.—The caterpillars, so far as known, are decidedly slug-shaped, thickest in the middle, tapering forward and backward, and having a very small head.

Chrysalis.—The chrysalids are small, rounded at either end, and held in place by a girdle of silk a little forward of the middle.

This genus is found in the temperate regions of both the New and the Old World, and also in South Africa.

(1) Chrysophanus arota, Boisduval, Plate XXIX, Fig. 1, ?; Fig. 2, ? (Arota).

Butterfly.—The plate gives a good idea of the upper side of the wings in both sexes. On the under side the fore wings are pale gray in the male and pale red in the female, with the outer margin lavender. The spots of the upper side reappear on the disk. The hind wings on the under side are purplish-gray on the inner two thirds and paler gray on the outer third, with many black spots on the disk, margined with white. Expanse, 1.10-1.25 inch.

Early Stages.—These have been partially described by Dyar in the "Canadian Entomologist," vol. xxiii, p. 204. The caterpillar feeds on the wild gooseberry (Ribes).

Arota is a Californian species.

(2) Chrysophanus virginiensis, Edwards, Plate XXVIII, Fig. 23, ?; Fig. 24, ? (The Nevada Copper).

Butterfly.—Allied to the preceding species, but easily distinguished by the submarginal white bands of crescent-shaped spots on the under side. These are particularly distinct on the hind wings. Expanse, 1.25-1.30 inch.

Early Stages.—Unknown.

Virginiensis, so named because the first specimens came from Virginia City, ranges in California, Nevada, and Colorado.

(3) Chrysophanus xanthoides, Boisduval, Plate XXVIII, Fig. 29, ?; Fig. 30, ? (The Great Copper).

Butterfly.—The student will easily recognize it by its larger size, it being the largest species of the genus in North America, and by its creamy-white under surface, spotted with distinct small black spots, in large part reproducing the spots of the upper side. Expanse, 1.50-1.65 inch.

(4) Chrysophanus editha, Mead, Plate XXVIII, Fig. 26, ?; Fig. 27, ? (Editha).

Butterfly.—This is a much smaller species than the last, which it somewhat resembles on the upper side. On the under side it is wholly unlike xanthoides, the wings being pale pearly-gray, pale ochreous on the outer margins, the spots of the fore wings black and of the hind wings ochreous, narrowly margined with white or fine black lines. Expanse, 1.10-1.25 inch.

Early Stages.—Entirely unknown.

This species is found in Nevada.

(5) Chrysophanus gorgon, Boisduval, Plate XXVIII, Fig. 35, ?; Fig. 36, ? (Gorgon).

Butterfly.—Somewhat like the preceding species, but with the fore wings of the male redder on the upper side, and of the female more broadly mottled with pale red, the spots in some specimens inclining to buff. The under side of the wings is white, marked with the usual series of black spots. The secondaries have a marginal series of elongated pale-red spots, tipped at either end with black. Expanse, 1.25-1.30 inch.

Early Stages.—We as yet know nothing of these.

Gorgon is found in California and Nevada.

(6) Chrysophanus thoË, Boisduval, Plate XXVIII, Fig. 31, ?; Fig. 32, ?; Plate V, Fig. 50, chrysalis (The Bronze Copper).

Butterfly.—The plate makes a description of the upper side of the wings unnecessary. On the under side the fore wing in both sexes is bright tawny-red, pale gray at the apex; the hind wings are bluish-gray, with a broad band of carmine on the outer margin. Both wings are profusely adorned with small black spots. Expanse, 1.30-1.40 inch.

Early Stages.—These are only partially known. The caterpillar feeds on Rumex.

It is not uncommon in northern Indiana, Illinois, and Pennsylvania, and ranges from Maine to Kansas and Colorado.

(7) Chrysophanus mariposa, Reakirt, Plate XXVIII, Fig. 37, ?; Fig. 38, ? (Reakirt's Copper).

Butterfly.—Small, with a broad dusky band on the hind wing of the male and on the fore wing of the female. The male is purplish-red above, the female bright red, with the usual spots. On the under side the ground-color of the fore wings is pale red, of the hind wings clear ashen-gray, with the characteristic markings of the genus. Expanse, 1.10 inch.

Early Stages.—Undescribed.

The insect ranges from British Columbia into northern California, Montana, and Colorado.

(8) Chrysophanus helloides, Boisduval, Plate XXVIII, Fig. 33, ?; Fig. 34, ? (The Purplish Copper).

Butterfly.—The male has the fore wings broadly shot with iridescent purple. The female is well delineated in the plate. On the under side the fore wings are pale red, the hind wings reddish-gray, with a marginal row of brick-red crescents. The usual black spots are found on both wings. Expanse, 1.15-1.30 inch.

Early Stages.—We know next to nothing of these.

The Purplish Copper is found in the Northwestern States from northern Illinois and Iowa to Vancouver's Island.

(9) Chrysophanus epixanthe, Boisduval and Leconte, Plate XXVIII, Fig. 28, ? (The Least Copper).

Butterfly.—The smallest species of the genus in North America. On the upper side the wings of the male are dark fuscous, shot with purple, and having a few red spots near the anal angle of the secondaries. The female on the upper side is pale gray, and more profusely marked with black spots. On the under side the wings are light gray, bluish at the base, and marked with the usual spots. Expanse, .85-.95 inch.

Early Stages.—Little is known of these.

This is a Northern species, ranging from Newfoundland, where it is common, to British Columbia, never south of the latitude of New England.

(10) Chrysophanus hypophlÆas, Boisduval, Plate XXVIII, Fig. 25, ?; Plate V, Fig. 49, chrysalis (The American Copper).

Butterfly.—This is one of the commonest butterflies in the United States. The figure in the plate will serve to recall it to the mind of every reader. It is abundant everywhere except in the Gulf States, and ranges as far north as Manitoba and the Hudson Bay region. Expanse, 1.00 inch.

Early Stages.—These have often been described. The caterpillar, which is small and slug-shaped, feeds upon the common sorrel (Rumex acetosella).

(11) Chrysophanus snowi, Edwards, Plate XXIX, Fig. 7, ?; Fig. 8, ? (Snow's Copper).

Butterfly.—This is a medium-sized species, easily recognized by the even, rather wide black border on both wings on the upper side, and the dirty-gray color of the hind wings on the under side. Expanse, 1.15-1.25 inch.

Early Stages.—Unknown.

Snow's Copper, which is named in honor of the amiable Chancellor of the University of Kansas, occurs in Colorado at high elevations, and is reported from Alberta and British Columbia.

(12) Chrysophanus rubidus, Behr, Plate XXIX, Fig. 5, ?; Fig. 6, ? (The Ruddy Copper).

Butterfly.—This is a rather large species. The male on the upper side is prevalently pale, lustrous red, with a narrow black marginal band and uniformly conspicuous white fringes. The upper side of the female is accurately depicted in the plate. On the under side the wings are shining white, the secondaries immaculate. Expanse, 1.30-1.50 inch.

Early Stages.—These are altogether unknown.

This exceedingly beautiful species is found in Oregon, Nevada, and Montana.

(13) Chrysophanus sirius, Edwards, Plate XXIX, Fig. 3, ?; Fig. 4, ? (Sirius).

Butterfly.—The male closely resembles the preceding species on the upper side, but is brighter red, especially along the nervules of the fore wings. The female on the upper side is dusky. On the under side the wings are whitish or pale gray, but the hind wings are not without spots, as in the preceding species, and carry the characteristic markings of the genus. Expanse, 1.20-1.30 inch.

Early Stages.—Unknown.

The species has been found from Fort McCleod, in British America, as far south as Arizona, among the North American Cordilleras.

THE UTILITY OF ENTOMOLOGY

All the forces of nature are interdependent. Many plants would not bear seeds or fruit were it not for the activity of insects, which cause the pollen to be deposited upon the pistil and the seed-vessel to be fertilized. Attempts were made many years ago to grow clover in Australia, but the clover did not make seed. All the seed required for planting had to be imported at much expense from Europe. It was finally ascertained that the reason why the clover failed to make seed was because throughout Australia there were no bumblebees. Bumblebees were introduced, and now clover grows luxuriantly in Australia, making seed abundantly; and Australian meats, carried in the cold-storage rooms of great ocean steamers, are used to feed the people of Manila, Hong-Kong, Yokohama, and even London.

A few years ago the orange-groves in southern California became infested with a scale-insect, which threatened to ruin them and to bring orange-growing in that part of the land to an unprofitable end. The matter received the careful attention of the chief entomologist of the United States Department of Agriculture, the lamented Professor C.V. Riley. In the course of the studies which he and his associates prosecuted, it was ascertained that the same scale-insect which was ruining the orange-groves of California is found in the orange-groves of Queensland, but that in Queensland this insect did comparatively small injury to the trees. Investigation disclosed the fact that in Queensland the scale-insect was kept down by the ravages of a parasitic insect which preyed upon it. This parasite, by order of the chief entomologist, was immediately imported, in considerable numbers, into southern California, and let loose among the orange-groves. The result has been most beneficial.

These are two illustrations, from among hundreds which might be cited, of the very practical value of entomological knowledge.

The annual loss suffered by agricultural communities through ignorance of entomological facts is very great. Every plant has its insect enemy, or, more correctly, its insect lover, which feeds upon it, delights in its luxuriance, but makes short work, it may be of leaves, it may be of flowers, it may be of fruit. It has been estimated that every known species of plant has five or six species of insects which habitually feed upon it. Where the plant is one that is valuable to man and is grown for his use, the horticulturist or the farmer finds himself confronted, presently, by the ravages of these creatures, and unless he has correct information as to the best manner in which to combat them, he is likely to suffer losses of a serious character. We all have read of the havoc wrought by the Kansas locust, or grasshopper, and of the ruin brought about by insects of the same class in Asia and in Africa. We all have heard of the Hessian fly, of the weevil, and of the army-worm. The legislature of Massachusetts has in recent years been spending hundreds of thousands of dollars in the attempt to exterminate the gipsy-moth. The caterpillar of the cabbage-butterfly ruins every year material enough to supply sauer-kraut to half of the people. The codling-moth, the little pinkish caterpillar of which worms its way through apples, is estimated to destroy five millions of dollars' worth of apples every year within the limits of the United States. And what shall we say of the potato-bug, that prettily striped beetle, which, starting from the far West, has taken possession of the potato-fields of the continent, and for the extermination of which there is annually spent, by the agricultural communities of the United States, several millions of dollars in labor and in poisons?

A few facts like these serve to show that the study of entomology is not a study which deserves to be placed in the category of useless pursuits. Viewed merely from a utilitarian standpoint, this study is one of the most important, far outranking, in its actual value to communities, the study of many branches of zoÖlogical science which some people affect to regard as of a higher order.

The legislature of Pennsylvania acted wisely in passing a law which demands that in every high school established within the State there shall be at least one teacher capable of giving instruction in botany and in entomology. The importance of entomology, while not perceived by the masses as yet, has been recognized by almost all the legislatures of the States; and not only the general government of the United States, but the governments of the individual commonwealths, are at the present time employing a number of carefully trained men, whose business is to ascertain the facts and instruct the people as to the best manner in which to ward off the attacks of the insect swarms, which are respecters neither of size nor beauty in the vegetable world, attacking alike the majestic oak and the lowliest mosses.

Genus LYCÆNA, Fabricius
(The Blues)

Butterfly.—Generally small, for the most part blue on the upper side of the wings, white or gray on the under side, variously marked with spots and lines.

What has been said in reference to the subdivision of the genus Thecla may be repeated in regard to the genus which we are considering. It has been in recent years subdivided by writers who have given close attention to the matter, and these subdivisions are entirely defensible from a scientific standpoint. Nevertheless, owing to the close resemblance which prevails throughout the group, in this book, which is intended for popular use, the author has deemed it best not to separate the species, as to do so presupposes a minute anatomical knowledge, which the general reader is not likely to possess.

Egg.—The eggs are for the most part flattened, turban-shaped (see p. 4, Fig. 7).

Caterpillar.—Slug-shaped, as in the preceding genera, feeding upon the petals and bracts of flowers, or upon delicate terminal leaves.

Chrysalis.—Closely resembling the chrysalids of the preceding genera.

This genus is very widely distributed in the temperate regions of both hemispheres. Many of the species are inhabitants of the cold North or high mountain summits, while others are found in the tropics.

(1) LycÆna fuliginosa, Edwards, Plate XXX, Fig. 16, ?, under side (The Sooty Gossamer-wing).

Butterfly.—Dark gray on the upper side in both sexes. On the under side the figure in the plate gives a correct representation of the color and markings. Expanse, 1.10 inch.

Early Stages.—Unknown.

The species occurs in northern California, Utah, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington.

(2) LycÆna heteronea, Boisduval, Plate XXXI, Fig. 13, ?; Fig. 14, ?; Plate XXXII, Fig. 19, ?, under side (The Varied Blue).

Butterfly.—On the upper side the male is blue, the female brown. On the under side the wings are white, with faint pale-brown spots on the hind wings and distinct black spots on the fore wings, more numerous than in L. lycea, which it closely resembles on the under side. It is the largest species of the genus, and the female reminds us by its markings on the upper side of the females of Chrysophanus. Expanse, 1.25-1.40 inch.

Early Stages.—These await description.

Heteronea ranges from Colorado to California, at suitable elevations among the mountains.

(3) LycÆna clara, Henry Edwards, Plate XXX, Fig. 26, ? (The Bright Blue).

Butterfly.—The figure in the plate is that of the type of the female, the only specimen in my collection. Expanse, 1.15 inch.

Early Stages.—These are entirely unknown.

The type came from southern California.

(4) LycÆna lycea, Edwards, Plate XXXII, Fig. 18, ?, under side (Lycea).

Butterfly.—The perfect insect is very nearly as large as L. heteronea. The male is lilac-blue on the upper side, with the margins dusky. The black spots of the under side do not show through on the upper side, as in L. heteronea. The female is dusky, with the wings shot with blue at their bases, more especially on the fore wing. There are no black spots on the upper side of the wings in this sex, as in L. heteronea. On the under side the wings are whitish. The spots on this side are well delineated in our figure in Plate XXXII. Expanse, 1.30 inch.

Early Stages.—These await description.

The butterfly is found in the region of the Rocky Mountains, from New Mexico to Montana.

(5) LycÆna fulla, Edwards, Plate XXX, Fig. 24, ?; Fig. 25, ? (Fulla).

Butterfly.—Smaller than the preceding species. The upper side of the male is not lilac-blue, but ultramarine. The female is almost indistinguishable on the upper side from the female of L. lycea. On the under side the wings are pale stone-gray, with a black spot at the end of the cell of the primaries and a large white spot at the end of the cell of the secondaries. The other spots, which are always ringed about with white, are located much as in L. icarioides (see Plate XXX, Fig. 29). Expanse, 1.15-1.20 inch.

Early Stages.—Unknown.

Fulla occurs in northern California, Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia.

(6) LycÆna icarioides, Boisduval (mintha, Edwards), Plate XXX, Fig. 29, ?, under side (Boisduval's Blue).

Butterfly.—The insect on the upper side closely resembles the preceding species in both sexes. On the under side it may be at once distinguished from the following species by the absence on the margin of the hind wings of the fine black terminal line, and by having only one, not two rows of submarginal black spots. There are other marked and striking differences, and the merging of L. dÆdalus, Behr, with this species, which has been advocated by some recent writers, is no doubt due to their lack of sufficient and accurately identified material. Expanse, 1.35 inch.

Early Stages.—Unknown.

This species, which is not common, is found in southern California.

(7) LycÆna dÆdalus, Behr, Plate XXXI, Fig. 11, ?; Fig. 12, ?; Plate XXX, Fig. 28, ?, under side (Behr's Blue).

Butterfly.—The wings of the male on the upper side are deep lustrous blue, with darker borders and white fringes. The wings of the female are brown, margined with reddish. The name oechaja was applied to this sex by Dr. Behr, before it was known to be the female of his L. doedalus. Expanse, 1.12 inch.

Early Stages.—These have not yet been studied.

DÆdalus is common in southern California.

(8) LycÆna sÆpiolus, Boisduval, Plate XXXI, Fig. 15, ?; Fig. 16, ? (The Greenish Blue).

Butterfly.—The male on the upper side has the wings blue, shot in certain lights with brilliant green. The female on the same side is dusky, with greenish-blue scales at the bases of the wings, and often with reddish markings on the outer margin of the hind wings. On the under side the wings are gray or pale wood-brown, with greenish-blue at their base and a profusion of small black spots margined with white. Now and then the black spots are lost, the white margins spreading inwardly and usurping the place of the black. Expanse, .95-1.10 inch.

Early Stages.—These await further study.

The species ranges from British Columbia to Colorado.

(9) LycÆna pheres, Boisduval, Plate XXX, Fig. 37, ?; Fig. 42, ?, under side (Pheres).

Butterfly.—The male is pale shining blue above, with dusky borders. The female is dusky, with a little blue at the base of the wings on the same side. Below, the spots on the fore wings are strongly defined; on the hind wings they are white on a pale stone-gray ground. Expanse, 1.20 inch.

Early Stages.—We know no more of these than we do of those of the preceding species.

Pheres has nearly the same range as soepiolus.

(10) LycÆna xerxes, Boisduval, Plate XXX, Fig. 43, ?, under side (Xerxes).

Butterfly.—The wings in both sexes are dusky above, shot with blue, more widely in the male than in the female. On the under side the wings are dark stone-color, with all the spots on both wings white, very rarely slightly pupiled with blackish. Expanse, 1.25 inch.

Early Stages.—Unknown.

The species is found in central California.

(11) LycÆna antiacis, Boisduval, Plate XXX, Fig. 35, ?, under side; Fig. 36, ?; Fig. 41, ? (The Eyed Blue).

Butterfly.—On the upper side the male is pale lilac-blue, the female dusky, heavily marked with blue at the base of the wings. On the under side the wings are deep, warm stone-gray. There is a single quite regular band of large-sized black spots on the fore wing beyond the middle, and a triply festooned curved band of similar spots on the hind wing. These spots are all margined with white. Expanse, 1.15-1.25 inch.

Early Stages.—These await description.

The insect is found in California.

(12) LycÆna couperi, Grote, Plate XXX, Fig. 34, ?, under side (Couper's Blue).

Butterfly.—The wings of the male above are pale shining blue, with a narrow black border; of the female darker blue, broadly margined externally with dusky. On the under side the wings are dark brownish-gray, with the spots arranged much as in L. antiacis, but with those of the hind wings generally white, and without a dark pupil. The series on the fore wing is usually distinctly pupiled with black. Expanse, 1.25 inch.

Early Stages.—Unknown.

The species is found in Newfoundland, Labrador, Anticosti, and westward and northward. It is a boreal form.

(13) LycÆna lygdamas, Doubleday, Plate XXXI, Fig. 17, ?; Fig. 18, ?; Plate XXX, Fig. 50, ?, under side (The Silvery Blue).

Butterfly.—The male has the upper side of the wings pale silvery-blue, narrowly edged with black; the wings of the female on the upper side are darker blue, dusky on the borders, with a dark spot at the end of the cell of the primaries. On the under side the wings are pale chocolate-brown, with a submarginal band of black spots, margined with white, on both wings, as well as a spot at the end of the cells, and one or two on the costa of the secondaries. Expanse, .85-1.10 inch.

Early Stages.—These are yet to be ascertained.

The insect is reported from Michigan to Georgia.

(14) LycÆna sagittigera, Felder, Plate XXXI, Fig. 19, ?; Fig. 20, ?; Plate XXX, Fig. 44, ?, under side (The Arrow-head Blue).

Butterfly.—The wings in both sexes are variable pale blue, dusky on the margins, with white fringes checkered with dusky at the ends of the veins. On the under side the wings are dark gray, profusely spotted, the most characteristic markings being a white ray in the cell of the hind wings, a broad submarginal band of white arrow-shaped markings on both wings, with a black spot at the tip of each sagittate maculation and a dark triangular shade between the barbs. These markings are not shown as they should be in Plate XXX, Fig. 44. They are only faintly indicated. Expanse, 1.25-1.30 inch.

Early Stages.—These await description.

This butterfly ranges from Oregon to Mexico, and eastward as far as Colorado on the mountains.

(15) LycÆna speciosa, Henry Edwards, Plate XXXII, Fig. 1 ?; Fig. 2, ?, under side (The Small Blue).

Butterfly.—Quite small; the male pale blue above, edged with dusky; the female dusky, with the inner two thirds shot with blue. The maculation of the under side is as represented in the plate. Expanse, .80 inch.

Early Stages.—Unknown.

Habitat, southern California.

(16) LycÆna sonorensis, Felder, Plate XXXI, Fig. 21, ?; Fig. 22, ? (The Sonora Blue).

Butterfly.—Easily distinguished from all other species of the genus by the red spots in the region of the median nervules on the upper side. Expanse, .87 inch.

Early Stages.—Unknown.

This lovely little insect is found rather abundantly in southern California and northern Mexico.

(17) LycÆna podarce, Felder, Plate XXXII, Fig. 15, ?; Fig. 16, ? (The Gray Blue).

Butterfly.—The male is grayish-blue above, with dusky margins, lighter on the disk of both the fore and hind wings. There are a few dark marginal crescents on the hind wings. On the under side the wings are very pale, profusely spotted, the spot at the end of the cell of the secondaries being large and whitish, without a pupil, the rest being black ringed about with white. The female is dark brown above, the fore wings having a black spot ringed about with yellowish at the end of the cell. Expanse, 1.05 inch.

Early Stages.—These have never been described.

The species is thus far known from California, Nevada, and Colorado. It is alpine in its habits.

(18) LycÆna aquilo, Boisduval, Plate XXXII, Fig. 9, ?; Fig. 10, ?, under side (The Labrador Blue).

Butterfly.—The male is dusky bluish-gray on the upper side; the female somewhat darker. It is easily distinguished from other species by the dark-brown shades on the under side of the secondaries. Expanse, .80 inch.

Early Stages.—Unknown.

It is found in Labrador and arctic America.

(19) LycÆna rustica, Edwards, Plate XXXII, Fig. 17, ?, under side (The Rustic Blue).

Butterfly.—Much like the preceding species, but a third larger, and brighter blue on the upper side of the wings of the male. On the under side the disposition of the spots and markings is precisely as in L. aquilo, but on the secondaries the dark spots and shades are all replaced by white on a pale-gray ground. Expanse, .90-1.00 inch.

Early Stages.—We are in complete ignorance as to these.

The butterfly is found in British America and on the Western Cordilleras.

(20) LycÆna enoptes, Boisduval, Plate XXX, Fig. 30, ?, under side; Fig. 51, ? (The Dotted Blue).

Butterfly.—The wings on the upper side are purplish-blue,—pale in the male, darker in the female,—bordered with dusky, more heavily in the female than in the male. The fringes are white, checkered with dusky at the ends of the veins. The female sometimes has the hind wings marked on the upper side with red marginal spots on the inner half of the border. On the under side the wings are pale bluish-gray, marked with a profusion of small black spots, those on the outer margin arranged in two parallel lines, between which, on the hind wings, are red spots. Expanse, 1.00 inch.

Early Stages.—Awaiting description.

Enoptes ranges from Washington to Arizona.

(21) LycÆna glaucon, Edwards, Plate XXX, Fig. 31, ?, under side; Fig. 39, ? (The Colorado Blue).

Butterfly.—Purplish-blue, closely resembling the preceding species, but having the black margin of the wings broader than in L. enoptes, with the dark crescents of the marginal series on the under side showing through as darker spots in the margins of the hind wings. The female has a band of orange spots on the margins of the secondaries. The two marginal rows of spots on the lower side of the wings are arranged and colored as in the preceding species. Expanse, 1.00 inch.

Early Stages.—Of these we must again confess ignorance.

Glaucon ranges from Washington into California, and eastward to Colorado, where it is quite common in the mountain valleys.

(22) LycÆna battoides, Behr, Plate XXXII, Fig. 11, ? (Behr's Blue).

Butterfly.—On the upper side paler blue than the preceding species, with the hind margin tinged with reddish, shining through from below, and small crescentic dark spots. On the under side the wings are smoky-gray, with all the black spots, which are arranged as in the preceding species, greatly enlarged and quadrate, and a broad submarginal border of orange on the hind wings. The female is like the male, but with more orange on the upper side of the hind wings.

Early Stages.—But little is, as yet, known of these.

The insect ranges from California and Arizona to Colorado.

(23) LycÆna shasta, Edwards, Plate XXXI, Fig. 23, ?; Fig. 24, ? (The Shasta Blue).

Butterfly.—The figures in the plate give a fairly good idea of the upper side of this species in both sexes, though the male is not quite so dark a blue as represented. On the under side the wings have the usual black spots, on a dirty-gray ground, and, in addition, on the hind wings there are a number of small marginal spots surmounted by metallic-colored bluish-green scales, somewhat like those found in some species of the genus Thecla. Expanse, 1.00 inch.

Early Stages.—So far as I know, these have never been described.

My specimens are all from Montana and Nevada. It is also reported from northern California, Oregon, and Kansas, though I question the latter locality.

(24) LycÆna melissa, Edwards, Plate XXXI, Fig. 25, ?; Fig. 26, ? (The Orange-margined Blue).

Butterfly.—The male on the upper side is pale blue, with a narrow black marginal line and white fringes. The female is brown or lilac-gray, with a series of orange-red crescents on the margins of both wings. On the under side the wings are stone-gray, with the usual spots, and on the secondaries the orange-colored marginal spots are oblong, tipped inwardly with black and outwardly by a series of metallic-green maculations. Expanse, .90-1.15 inch.

Early Stages.—We know very little about these.

It is found from Kansas to Arizona, and northward to Montana.

(25) LycÆna scudderi, Edwards, Plate XXX, Fig. 48, ?; Fig. 49, ?; Plate V, Fig. 41, chrysalis (Scudder's Blue).

Butterfly.—The commonest Eastern representative of the group to which the preceding four or five and the following three species belong. On the upper side the male cannot be distinguished from L. melissa; the female is darker and has only a few orange crescents on the outer margin of the hind wing. On the under side the wings are shining white, the spots are much reduced in size, the large orange spots found in L. melissa are replaced by quite small yellowish or ochreous spots, and the patches of metallic scales defining them externally are very minute. Expanse, 1.00-1.10 inch.

Early Stages.—These are accurately described by Dr. Scudder in his great work, "The Butterflies of New England," and by others. The caterpillar feeds upon the lupine, and probably other leguminous plants.

It is widely distributed through the basin of the St. Lawrence, the region of the Great Lakes, and northward as far as British Columbia, being also found on the Catskill Mountains. I have found it very common at times about Saratoga, New York.

(26) LycÆna acmon, Doubleday and Hewitson, Plate XXXI, Fig. 27, ?; Fig. 28, ? (Acmon).

Butterfly.—The plate gives a good representation of the male and the female of this pretty species, which may at a glance be distinguished from all its allies by the broad orange-red band on the hind wings, marked by small black spots. On the under side it is marked much as L. melissa. Expanse, .90-1.10 inch.

Early Stages.—Unknown.

It is found from Arizona to Washington and Montana.

(27) LycÆna aster, Plate XXX, Fig. 40, ?; Fig. 46, ?; Fig. 47, ?, under side (The Aster Blue).

Butterfly.—On the under side this species is very like enoptes and other allied species. The male looks like a dwarfed specimen of L. scudderi. The female is dull bluish-gray above, with black spots on the outer margins of the wing, most distinct on the secondaries, and, instead of a band of orange spots before them, a diffuse band of blue spots, paler than the surrounding parts of the wing. Expanse, .95-1.00 inch.

Early Stages.—These furnish a field for investigation.

The insect is reported thus far only from Newfoundland, from which locality I obtained, through the purchase of the Mead collection, a large and interesting series.

(28) LycÆna annetta, Mead, Plate XXXII, Fig. 13, ?; Fig. 14, ? (Annetta).

Butterfly.—The male closely resembles the male of L. melissa on the upper side. The female is paler than the male, which is unusual in this genus, and has a "washed-out" appearance. On the under side the markings are very like those found in L. scudderi. Expanse, 1.15 inch.

Early Stages.—Entirely unknown.

The types which I possess came from Utah.

(29) LycÆna pseudargiolus, Boisduval and Leconte, Plate XXXI, Fig. 6, ?; Fig. 7, ?; Plate XXX, Fig. 32, ?, under side; Plate V, Figs. 36, 43, 44, chrysalis (The Common Blue).

Butterfly.—This common but most interesting insect has been made the subject of most exhaustive and elaborate study by Mr. W.H. Edwards, and the result has been to show that it is highly subject to variation. It illustrates the phenomena of polymorphism most beautifully. The foregoing references to the plate cite the figures of the typical summer form. In addition to this form the following forms have received names:

(a) Winter form lucia, Kirby, Plate XXXI, Fig. 1, ?; Plate XXX, Fig. 20, ?, under side. This appears in New England in the early spring from overwintering chrysalids, and is characterized by the brown patch on the middle of the hind wing on the under side.

(b) Winter form marginata, Edwards, Plate XXXI, Fig. 2, ?; Fig. 3, ?; Plate XXX, Fig. 19, ?, under side. This appears at the same time as the preceding form. The specimens figured in the plate were taken in Manitoba. This form is characterized by the dark margins of the wings on the under side.

(c) Winter form violacea, Edwards, Plate XXXI, Fig. 5, ?. This is the common winter form. The spots below are distinct, but never fused or melted together, as in the two preceding forms.

(d) Form nigra, Edwards, Plate XXXI, Fig. 4, ?. The wings on the under side are as in violacea, but are black above. It is found in West Virginia and occurs also in Colorado.

(e) Summer form neglecta, Edwards, Plate XXXI, Fig. 8, ?; Fig. 9, ?. This is smaller than the typical form pseudargiolus, also has the dark spots on the under side of the wings more distinct, and the hind wings, especially in the female, paler.

(f) Southern form piasus, Plate XXXI, Fig. 10, ?. This form, which is uniformly darker blue on the upper side than the others, is found in Arizona.

There are still other forms which have been named and described.

Early Stages.—These have been traced through all stages with minutest care. The egg is delineated in this book on p. 4, Fig. 7. The caterpillar is slug-shaped, and feeds on the tender leaves and petals of a great variety of plants.

The range of the species is immense. It extends from Alaska to Florida, and from Anticosti to Arizona.

(30) LycÆna amyntula, Boisduval, Plate XXXII, Fig. 7, ?; Fig. 8, ? (The Western Tailed Blue).

Butterfly.—Closely resembling L. comyntas, of which it may be only a slightly modified Western form. Until the test of breeding has been applied we cannot be sure of this. The figures in the plate give a very good representation of the upper side of the wings of this species.

Early Stages.—But little has been found out concerning these.

It ranges from the eastern foot-hills of the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific in British America and the northern tier of Western States.

(31) LycÆna comyntas, Godart, Plate XXXI, Fig. 29, ?; Fig. 30, ?; Plate XXXII, Fig. 12, ?, under side; Plate V, Figs. 42, 47, 48, chrysalis (The Eastern Tailed Blue).

Butterfly.—The blue of the upper side of the male in the plate is too dark; but the female and the under side of the wings are accurately delineated. The species is generally tailed, but specimens without tails occur. Expanse, 1.00-1.10 inch.

Early Stages.—These are well known and have been fully described. The caterpillar feeds on leguminous plants.

This delicate little species ranges from the valley of the Saskatchewan to Costa Rica, and from the Atlantic to the foot-hills of the Western Cordilleras. It is common in the Middle and Western States, flitting about roadsides and weedy forest paths.

(32) LycÆna isola, Reakirt, Plate XXX, Fig. 33, ?, under side; Fig. 38, ? (Reakirt's Blue).

Butterfly.—The male on the upper side is pale lilac-blue, with the outer borders and the ends of the veins narrowly dusky. The female is brownish-gray on the upper side, with the wings at their base glossed with blue. In both sexes there is a rather conspicuous black spot on the margin of the hind wings between the first and second median nervules. The under side is accurately depicted in our plate, to which the student may refer. Expanse, 1.00 inch.

Early Stages.—Unknown.

The species occurs in Texas, Arizona, and Mexico.

(33) LycÆna hanno, Stoll, Plate XXXII, Fig. 3, ?, under side (The Florida Blue).

Butterfly.—Larger than the preceding species, on the upper side resembling L. isola; but the blue of the male is not lilac, but bright purplish, and the female is much darker. On the under side a striking distinction is found in the absence on the fore wing of the postmedian band of large dark spots so conspicuous in L. isola. Expanse, .85 inch.

Early Stages.—We have no information as to these.

The insect occurs in Florida and throughout the Antilles and Central America.

(34) LycÆna isophthalma, Herrich-SchÄffer, Plate XXXII, Fig. 4, ? (The Dwarf Blue).

Butterfly.—Light brown on the upper side in both sexes, with the outer margin of the hind wings set with a row of dark spots, which on the under side are defined by circlets of metallic scales. The under side is pale brown, profusely marked by light spots and short bands. Expanse, .75 inch.

Early Stages.—Up to this time we have learned very little concerning them.

The species occurs in the Gulf States and the Antilles.

(35) LycÆna exilis, Boisduval, Plate XXXII, Fig. 5, ? (The Pygmy Blue).

Butterfly.—On the upper side this, which is the smallest of North American butterflies, very closely resembles the foregoing species, but may be instantly distinguished by the white spot at the inner angle of the fore wing and the white fringes of the same wing near the apex. The hind wings on the under side are set with a marginal series of dark spots ringed about with metallic scales. Expanse, .65 inch.

Early Stages.—Unknown.

The Pygmy is found in the Gulf States and throughout tropical America.

(36) LycÆna ammon, Lucas, Plate XXXI, Fig. 31, ?; Plate XXX, Fig. 45, ?, under side (The Indian River Blue).

Butterfly.—The male is brilliant lilac-blue on the upper side; the female shining violet-blue, with very dark and wide black borders on the fore wings and one or two conspicuous black eye-spots near the anal angle of the hind wings, each surmounted by a carmine crescent. The figure in Plate XXX gives a correct representation of the under side. Expanse, .95-1.10 inch.

Early Stages.—Unknown.

This beautiful little insect is not uncommon in southern Florida, and also occurs in the Antilles and tropical America.

(37) LycÆna marina, Reakirt, Plate XXXI, Fig. 32, ?; Plate XXX, Fig. 27, ?, under side (The Marine Blue).

Butterfly.—The male, on the upper side, is pale dusky-lilac, the dark bands of the lower side appearing faintly on the upper side. The female is dark brown on the upper side, with the wings at the base shot with bright lilac-blue; the dark bands on the disk in this sex are prominent, especially on the fore wings. The under side of the wings is accurately depicted in Plate XXX and therefore requires no description. Expanse, 1.10 inch.

Early Stages.—Unknown.

Marina is found in Texas, Arizona, southern California, and southward.

(38) LycÆna theonus, Lucas, Plate XXXII, Fig. 6, ? (The West Indian Blue).

Butterfly.—The male is shining lavender-blue, this color glossing the dark outer borders of the wings; the female is white, with the outer costal borders heavily blackish, the primaries shot with shining sky-blue toward the base. On the under side the wings are crossed by dark bands of spots, arranged much as in L. marina, but darker. The hind wings, near the anal angle, have conspicuous eye-spots both above and below. Expanse, .80 inch.

Early Stages.—Unknown.

This lovely insect is found in the Gulf States and all over the hot lands of the New World.

SIZE

Size, like wealth, is only relative. The farmer who owns a hundred acres appears rich to the laborer whom he employs to cut his wheat; but many a millionaire spends in one month as much as would purchase two such farms. The earth seems great to us, and the sun still greater; but doubtless there are suns the diameter of which is equal to the distance from the earth to the sun, in which both earth and sun would be swallowed up as mere drops in an ocean of fire. In the animal kingdom there are vast disparities in size, and these disparities are revealed in the lower as well as in the higher classes. In the class of mammals we find tiny mice and great elephants; in the insect world we find beetles which are microscopic in size, and, not distantly related to them, beetles as large as a clenched fist. The disparity between a field-mouse and a sulphur-bottomed whale is no greater than the disparity in size which exists between the smallest and the largest of the beetle tribe. And so it is with the lepidoptera. It would take several thousands of the Pygmy Blue, LycÆna exilis, to equal in weight one of the great bird-wing butterflies of the Australian tropics. The greatest disparity in size in the order of the lepidoptera is not, however, shown in the butterflies, but among the moths. There are moths the wings of which do not cover more than three sixteenths of an inch in expanse, and there are moths with great bulky bodies and wings spreading from eight to nine inches. It would require ten thousand of the former to equal in weight one of the latter, and the disproportion in size is as great as that which exists between a shrew and a hippopotamus, or between a minnow and a basking-shark.

It is said that, taking the sulphur-bottomed whale as the representative of the most colossal development of flesh and blood now existing on land or in the sea, and then with the microscope reaching down into the realm of protozoan life, the common blow-fly will be ascertained to occupy the middle point on the descending scale. Man is, therefore, not only mentally, but even physically, a great creature, though he stands sometimes amazed at what he regards as the huge proportions of other creatures belonging to the vertebrates.