The Butterfly Book Part 36

SUBFAMILY LIBYTHEINae (THE SNOUT-b.u.t.tERFLIES)

"What more felicitie can fall to creature Than to enjoy delight with libertie, And to be Lord of all the workes of Nature, To raigne in th' aire from th' earth to highest skie, To feed on flowres and weeds of glorious feature, To take whatever thing doth please the eie?"

SPENSER.

_b.u.t.terfly._--The b.u.t.terflies 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 Erycinidae.

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

Genus LIBYTHEA, Fabricius

(The Snout-b.u.t.terflies)

[Ill.u.s.tration FIG. 124.--Neuration of the genus _Libythea_.]

_b.u.t.terfly._--Rather small in size, with the eyes moderately large; the antennae 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 p.r.o.nounced.

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-b.u.t.terfly).

_b.u.t.terfly._--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 b.u.t.terfly 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-b.u.t.terfly).

_b.u.t.terfly._--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.

FAMILY II. LEMONIIDae

SUBFAMILY ERYCININae (THE METAL-MARKS)

"I wonder what it is that baby dreams.

Do memories haunt him of some glad place b.u.t.terfly-haunted, halcyon with flowers, Where once, before he found this earth of ours, He walked with glory filling his sweet face?"

EDGAR FAWCETT.

_b.u.t.terfly._--Small, the males having four ambulatory feet, the females six, in which respect they resemble the Libytheinae, from which they may readily be distinguished by the small palpi. There is great variety in the shape and neuration of the wings. The genera of this subfamily have the precostal vein on the extreme inner margin of the wing; in some genera free at its end, and projecting so as to form a short frenulum, as in many genera of the moths. In addition the costal vein sends up a branch at the point from which the precostal is usually emitted. This apparent doubling of the precostal is found in no other group of b.u.t.terflies, and is a strong diacritical mark by which they may be recognized. They are said to carry their wings expanded when at rest, and frequently alight on the under surface of leaves, in this respect somewhat approaching in their habit the pyralid moths. Many of the species are most gorgeously colored; but those which are found within our region are for the most part not gaily marked. They may be distinguished from the Lycaenidae not only by the peculiar neuration and manner of carrying the wings, but by the relatively longer and more slender antennae.

[Ill.u.s.tration FIG. 125.--Neuration of base of hind wing of the genus _Lemonias_: _PC_, precostal vein; _PC'_, second precostal vein.]

_Early Stages._--Comparatively little is known of these, though in certain respects the larvae and the chrysalis show a relationship to the Lycaenidae, with which some writers have in fact grouped them, but erroneously, as the writer believes.

+--------------------------------------------------------------+ | | | EXPLANATION OF PLATE XXVIII | | | | 1. _Libythea bachmanni_, Kirtland, ?. | | 2. _Libythea bachmanni_, Kirtland, ?, | | _under side_. | | 3. _Libythea carinenta_, Cramer, ?. | | 4. _Lemonias cythera_, Edwards, ?, | | _under side_. | | 5. _Lemonias cythera_, Edwards, ?. | | 6. _Lemonias virgulti_, Behr, ?. | | 7. _Lemonias mormo_, Felder, ?, | | _under side_. | | 8. _Lemonias nais_, Edwards, ?. | | 9. _Lemonias nais_, Edwards, ?. | | 10. _Lemonias duryi_, Edwards, ?. | | 11. _Lemonias palmeri_, Edwards, ?. | | 12. _Calephelis borealis_, Grote and Robinson, | | ?, _under side_. | | 13. _Calephelis borealis_, Grote and Robinson, | | ?. | | 14. _Calephelis nemesis_, Edwards, ?. | | 15. _Calephelis australis_, Edwards, ?. | | 16. _Calephelis coenius_, Linnaeus, ?. | | 17. _Lemonias zela_, Butler, ?. | | 18. _Lemonias zela_, Butler, ?. | | 19. _Lemonias cleis_, Edwards, ?. | | 20. _Lemonias cleis_, Edwards, ?. | | 21. _Feniseca tarquinius_, Fabricius, ?. | | 22. _Eumoeus atala_, Poey, ?, | | _under side_. | | 23. _Chrysopha.n.u.s virginiensis_, Edwards, ?. | | 24. _Chrysopha.n.u.s virginiensis_, Edwards, ?. | | 25. _Chrysopha.n.u.s hypophloeus_, Boisduval, ?. | | 26. _Chrysopha.n.u.s editha_, Mead, ?. | | 27. _Chrysopha.n.u.s editha_, Mead, ?. | | 28. _Chrysopha.n.u.s epixanthe_, | | Boisd.-Lec., ?. | | 29. _Chrysopha.n.u.s xanthoides_, Boisduval, ?. | | 30. _Chrysopha.n.u.s xanthoides_, | | Boisduval, ?. | | 31. _Chrysopha.n.u.s thoe_, Boisd.-Lec., ?. | | 32. _Chrysopha.n.u.s thoe_, Boisd.-Lec., ?. | | 33. _Chrysopha.n.u.s h.e.l.loides_, Boisduval, ?. | | 34. _Chrysopha.n.u.s h.e.l.loides_, | | Boisduval, ?. | | 35. _Chrysopha.n.u.s gorgon_, Boisduval, ?. | | 36. _Chrysopha.n.u.s gorgon_, Boisduval, ?. | | 37. _Chrysopha.n.u.s mariposa_, Reakirt, ?. | | 38. _Chrysopha.n.u.s mariposa_, Reakirt, ?. | | | | [Ill.u.s.tration PLATE XXVIII.] | +--------------------------------------------------------------+

Almost all of the species are American, and the family attains its highest development in the tropical regions of South America.

Genus LEMONIAS, Westwood

_b.u.t.terfly._--Small, brightly colored, the s.e.xes often differing greatly in appearance from each other. The eyes are naked. The palpi are produced, porrect; the last joint is short, thin, pointed, and depressed. The antennae are moderately long, provided with a gradually thickening, inconspicuous club. The upper discocellular vein is wanting in the fore wing. The middle and lower discocellulars are of equal length. The hind wing has the end of the cell obliquely terminated by the middle and lower discocellular veins. The apex of the fore wing is somewhat pointed, the outward margin straight. The outward margin of the hind wing is evenly rounded.

[Ill.u.s.tration FIG. 126.--Neuration of the genus _Lemonias_.]

_Egg._--Flattened, turban-shaped, with a small, depressed, circular micropyle, the whole surface covered with minute hexagonal reticulations.

_Caterpillar._--Short, flattened, tapering posteriorly; the segments arched; provided with tufts of hair ranged in longitudinal series, the hairs on the sides and at the a.n.a.l extremity being long, bent outward and downward.

_Chrysalis._--Short, suspended at the a.n.a.l extremity, and held in position by a silk girdle, but not closely appressed to the surface upon which pupation has taken place; thickly covered with short, projecting hair.

The citadel of this genus is found about the head waters of the Amazon, where there are many species. Thence the genus spreads northward and southward, being represented in the limits of our fauna by only a few species, which are found on the extreme southern borders of the United States.

(1) =Lemonias mormo=, Felder, Plate XXVIII, Fig. 7, ?, _under side_ (The Mormon).

_b.u.t.terfly._--The wings on the upper side are dark ashen-gray, with the primaries from the base to the limbal area, and inwardly as far as the bottom of the cell and the first median nervule, red. The wings are profusely marked with white spots variously disposed. The under side is accurately depicted in our plate. Expanse, 1.10 inch.

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

The Mormon is found in Utah, New Mexico, Arizona, and California.

(2) =Lemonias duryi=, Edwards, Plate XXVIII, Fig. 10, ? (Dury's Metal-mark).

_b.u.t.terfly._--The only specimen as yet known is the type figured in our plate. I doubt whether it is ent.i.tled to specific rank, and am inclined to believe it to be a form of the succeeding species in which red has replaced the greater part of the gray on the upper side of both wings.

Expanse, 1.25 inch.