Butterfly.—The butterflies of this family are very readily distinguished from all others by their long projecting palpi, and by the fact that the males have four feet adapted to walking, while the females have six, in which respect they approach the ErycinidÆ.

Only one genus is represented in our faunal region, the genus Libythea.

Genus LIBYTHEA, Fabricius
(The Snout-butterflies)

Butterfly.—Rather small in size, with the eyes moderately large; the antennÆ with a distinct club at the end; the palpi with the last joint extremely long and heavily clothed with hair. The wings have the outer margin strongly excised between the first median nervule and the lower radial vein. Between the upper and lower radial veins the wing is strongly produced outwardly; the inner margin is bowed out toward the base before the inner angle. The costa of the hind wing is bent upward at the base and excised before the outer angle; the wing is produced at the ends of the subcostal vein, the third median nervule, and the extremity of the submedian vein. There is also a slight projection at the extremity of the first median nervule. Of these projections the one at the extremity of the third median nervule is the most pronounced. The cell of the primaries and of the secondaries is lightly closed.

Egg.—The egg is ovoid, nearly twice as high as wide, with narrow vertical ridges on the sides, every other ridge much higher than its mate and increasing in height toward the vertex, where they abruptly terminate, their extremities ranging around the small depressed micropyle. Between these ridges are minute cross-lines.

Caterpillar.—The caterpillar has the head small, the anterior segments greatly swollen and overarching the head. The remainder of the body is cylindrical.

Chrysalis.—The chrysalis is of a somewhat singular shape, the abdomen conical, the head sharply pointed, a raised ridge running from the extremity of the head to the middle of the first abdominal segment on either side, and between these ridges is the slightly projecting thoracic tubercle. On the ventral side the outline is nearly straight.

The caterpillar feeds upon Celtis occidentalis. Three species are reckoned as belonging to our fauna. It is, however, doubtful whether these species are in reality such, and there is reason to believe that the three are merely varietal forms or races, no structural difference being apparent in any of them, and the only differences consisting in the ground-color of the wings.

(1) Libythea bachmanni, Kirtland, Plate XXVIII, Fig. 1, ?; Fig. 2, ?, under side; Plate V, Figs. 23, 24, chrysalis (The Snout-butterfly).

Butterfly.—Easily distinguished from the following species by the redder color of the light spots on the upper side of the wings. Expanse, 1.75 inch.

Early Stages.—The generic description must suffice for these. They have been frequently described.

The butterfly ranges from New England and Ontario southward and westward over the whole country as far as New Mexico and Arizona.

(2) Libythea carinenta, Cramer, Plate XXVIII, Fig. 3, ? (The Southern Snout-butterfly).

Butterfly.—Much like the preceding species, but readily distinguished from it by the paler yellowish-fulvous light markings of the upper side of the wings. Expanse, 1.75 inch.

Early Stages.—These have not been carefully described as yet.

L. carinenta ranges from New Mexico into South America.