The Butterfly Book Part 18

iv, p. 63; Wright, "Papilio," vol. iii, p. 123, and other authorities.

The egg is pale yellowish when first laid, pitted at the base, and ribbed vertically above. The caterpillar is black, with the bristling processes on the segments longer than in the preceding species. The chrysalis is pale gray, blotched with brown. The food-plants are _Mimulus_ and _Castileja_.

This very pretty species is apparently quite common in northern California about Mount Shasta. It is subject to variation, and I possess a dozen remarkable aberrations, in one of which the fore wings are solid black without spots, and the hind wings marked by only one central band of large yellow spots; another representing the opposite color extreme, in which yellow has almost wholly replaced the black and red. The majority of these aberrant forms are females. They are very striking.

(3) =Melitaea macglashani=, Rivers, Plate XVI, Fig. 3, ? (Macglashan's Checker-spot).

_b.u.t.terfly._--Larger than the preceding species, with the red spots on the outer margin bigger, the yellow spots generally larger and paler.

Expanse, ?, 1.85-2.00 inches; ?, 2.25-3.00 inches.

_Early Stages._--Unknown.

This insect is represented in the Edwards collection by a considerable series. They come from Truckee, California.

(4) =Melitaea colon=, Edwards, Plate XVI, Fig. 5, ? (Colon).

_b.u.t.terfly._--Of the same size and general appearance as _M. chalcedon_, with which I believe it to be identical, the only possible satisfactory mark of distinction which I am able to discover on comparing the types with a long series of _chalcedon_ being the reduced size of the marginal row of yellow spots on the upper side of the primaries, which in one of the types figured in the plate are almost obsolete. They appear, however, in other specimens labeled "Type." The learned author of the species lays stress, in his original description, upon the shape of the spots composing the band of spots second from the margin on the under side of the hind wings; but I find that the same points he dwells upon as diacritic of this species are apparent in many specimens of what undoubtedly are _chalcedon_. Expanse, 1.75-2.50 inches.

_Early Stages._--These have not been recorded.

The types came from the region of the Columbia River, in Washington and Oregon.

(5) =Melitaea anicia=, Doubleday and Hewitson, var. =beani=, Skinner, Plate XVIII, Fig. 13, ? (Bean's Checker-spot).

_b.u.t.terfly._--_M. anicia_ is a well-known Californian species, smaller than _M. chalcedon_, and with a great deal of red on the basal and discal areas of both wings upon the upper side. An extremely small and dark form of this species, found on the bleak, inhospitable mountain-tops about Laggan, in Alberta, has been named by Dr. Skinner in honor of Mr. Bean, its discoverer. The figure in our plate, which is taken from Dr. Skinner's original type, sufficiently defines the characteristics of the upper surface. Expanse, 1.50 inch.

_Early Stages._--The early stages of _M. anicia_ and its varietal forms are quite unknown.

_M. anicia_ is found in Colorado, Montana, Washington, and British America.

(6) =Melitaea nubigena=, Behr, Plate XVI, Fig. 6, ?; var. =wheeleri=, Edwards, Plate XVI, Fig. 9, ? (The Clouded Checker-spot).

_b.u.t.terfly._--Smaller than any of the foregoing species, and characterized by the much redder ground-color of the upper side of the wings, an extreme form being the variety _M. wheeleri_, in which the black ground-color is greatly reduced and almost wholly obliterated on parts of the primaries. There are other marks of distinction given in the figures in the plate which will enable the student easily to recognize this species, which is subject to much variation, especially in the female s.e.x. Expanse, 1.20-1.50 inch.

_Early Stages._--Mead, in the "Report upon the Lepidoptera of the Wheeler Survey," has described the caterpillar and chrysalis.

The species is common in Nevada.

(7) =Melitaea augusta=, Edwards, Plate XVI, Fig. 4, ? (Augusta).

_b.u.t.terfly,_.--This is another species in which red predominates as the color of the upper side, but it may at once be distinguished by the broad, clear red band on the secondaries, on either side of which are the marginal and outer median rows of yellow spots, and by the bands of yellow spots on the primaries, which are not so well marked in _M.

nubigena_. Expanse, ?, 1.50-1.75 inch; ?, 1.75-2.00 inches.

_Early Stages._--Unknown.

The habitat of this species is southern California.

(8) =Melitaea baroni=, Henry Edwards, Plate XVI, Fig 7, ? (Baron's Checker-spot).

_b.u.t.terfly._--This species closely resembles _chalcedon_ upon the upper side, but is smaller and much more heavily spotted with deep red on the upper side toward the base and on the median area of the wings. The bands of light spots on the under side are paler than in _chalcedon_, being white or very pale yellow, narrow, and more regular. Expanse, ?, 1.50-1.80 inch; ?, 1.60-1.90 inch.

_Early Stages._--These are in part given by Edwards, "The b.u.t.terflies of North America," vol. iii. The food-plant is _Castileja_. The young larvae have the same habit as those of _M. phaeton_ in the matter of spinning a common web in which to hibernate.

The species is found in northern California.

(9) =Melitaea rubicunda=, Henry Edwards, Plate XVI, Fig. 10, ? (The Ruddy Checker-spot).

_b.u.t.terfly._--Of the same size as _M. baroni_, from which it is most easily distinguished, among other things, by the tendency of the outer row of small yellow spots near the margin of the hind wings on the upper side to become greatly reduced, and in a majority of specimens to be altogether wanting, as in the specimen figured in our plate. Expanse, ?, 1.50-1.60 inch; ?, 1.80 inch.

_Early Stages._--For a knowledge of what is thus far known of these the reader may consult the "Canadian Entomologist," vol. xvii, p. 155. The caterpillar feeds on _Scrophularia_.

The range of this species is in northern California.

(10) =Melitaea taylori=, Plate XVI, Fig. 16, ? (Taylor's Checker-spot).

_b.u.t.terfly._--This insect resembles _M. baroni_, but is smaller, the red spots on the wings are larger and more conspicuous, and the light bands of pale spots more regular and paler in color, in many specimens being quite white. It looks at first sight like a diminutive edition of Baron's Checker-spot, and possibly is only a northern race of this species. Expanse, ?, 1.25-1.50 inch; ?, 1.50-1.75 inch.

_Early Stages._--Mr. W.H. Danby of Victoria, B.C., informs us in the "Canadian Entomologist," vol. xxi, p. 121, that the food-plant of this species is the ribwort-plantain (_Plantago lanceolata_, Linn.).

It is found on Vancouver's Island.

(11) =Melitaea editha=, Boisduval, Plate XVI, Fig. 8, ? (Editha).

_b.u.t.terfly._--Characterized by the considerable enlargement and the disposition in regular bands of the pale spots on the upper side of the primaries, and by the tendency to a grayish cast in the darker markings of the upper side, some specimens, especially females, being quite gray.

Expanse, ?, 1.50 inch; ?, 2.00 inches.

_Early Stages._--The food-plants, according to Henry Edwards, who described the caterpillar and chrysalis in the "Canadian Entomologist,"

vol. v, p. 167, are _Erodium cicutarium_, clover, and violets.

The habitat of this species is southern California.

(12) =Melitaea acastus=, Edwards, Plate XVI, Fig. 11, ?; Fig. 12, ?, _under side_ (Acastus).

_b.u.t.terfly._--With thinner and less robust wings than any of the species of the genus. .h.i.therto mentioned. It is prevalently fulvous upon the upper side, and on the under side of the hind wings heavily and somewhat regularly banded with yellowish-white spots, possessing some pearly l.u.s.ter. Expanse, ?, 1.50 inch; ?, 1.60 inch.

_Early Stages._--Unknown.

Common in Nevada, Utah, and Montana.

(13) =Melitaea palla=, Boisduval, Plate XVI, Fig. 13, ?; Fig. 14, ?, _under side_ (The Northern Checker-spot).

_b.u.t.terfly._--On the upper side resembling the preceding species, but with the median band of spots on the hind wings paler. On the under side the markings are different, as is shown in the plate. Expanse, ?, 1.50 inch; ?, 1.75 inch.

_Early Stages._--The larva and chrysalis were described by Henry Edwards, the actor naturalist, in the "Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences," vol. v, p. 167. The food-plant is _Castileja_.

The species ranges from California to Colorado, and northward into British Columbia.

(14) =Melitaea whitneyi=, Behr, Plate XVII, Fig. 7, ?; Fig. 8, ?, _under side_ (Whitney's Checker-spot).

_b.u.t.terfly._--The markings are much as in _M. palla_, the spots are lighter fulvous and larger than in that species, the yellow bands on the under side are more prominent, and the marginal spots have a silvery l.u.s.ter which is lacking in _M. palla_. The female has the yellow of the under side more prominent than is the case in the male s.e.x. Expanse, ?, 1.50 inch; ?, 1.70 inch.