The Butterfly Book Part 53

(9) _Colias pelidne_, Boisduval, Plate x.x.xV, Fig. 14, ?; Plate x.x.xVI, Fig. 15, ?; Fig. 16, ? (The Labrador Sulphur).

_b.u.t.terfly._--The male on the upper side is pale yellow, with a greenish tinge on the hind wings; the black borders are narrow; the fringes are pink. The female on the upper side is white, with very little or no black on the outer borders, the black marking being confined to the apex of the fore wings. On the under side the wings are much as in _C.

interior_, and it is possible that the two forms are varieties of one and the same species. Expanse, 1.60-1.85 inch.

_Early Stages._--Little is known of these.

_Pelidne_ is rather abundant in Labrador at the proper season, and ranges thence westward and northward in boreal America.

(10) =Colias nastes=, Boisduval, Plate x.x.xVI, Fig. 11, ?; Fig. 12, ?

(The Arctic Sulphur).

_b.u.t.terfly._--Easily recognized in both s.e.xes by the pale-greenish tint of the wings and the tendency of the outer border of the fore wings of the male to become divided, like those of the female, by a band of pale spots. Expanse, 1.50-1.65 inch.

_Early Stages._--Unknown.

This is an arctic species, which is found in Labrador, Greenland, the far North in British America and Alaska, and on the summits of the Rocky Mountains in British Columbia.

(11) =Colias behri=, Edwards, Plate x.x.xVI, Fig. 17, ? (Behr's Sulphur).

_b.u.t.terfly._--This very rare little species may be easily recognized by the dark-greenish tint of the upper side of the wings and the light spot on the upper side of the hind wings. The female has the outer borders dusky like the male, the dusky shade running inward on the lines of the veins and nervules. Expanse, 1.50 inch.

_Early Stages._--We know little of these.

The insect has. .h.i.therto been taken only at considerable elevations among the Western Sierras, and the peaks and lofty meadows about the Yosemite Valley have been until recently the cla.s.sic locality for the species.

There are a number of other species of the genus _Colias_, and numerous varieties which have been named and described from the western and northwestern portions of our region; but it requires almost as much skill to distinguish them as is required to discriminate between the different species of willows, asters, and goldenrods, among plants, and we do not think it worth while to burden the student with an account of these, and of the controversies which are being waged about them. If any reader of this book becomes entangled in perplexities concerning the species of _Colias_, the writer will be glad to try to aid him to correct conclusions by personal conference or correspondence.

Genus TERIAS, Swainson

(The Small Sulphurs)

"Hurt no living thing: Ladybird, nor b.u.t.terfly, Nor moth with dusty wing, Nor cricket chirping cheerily, Nor gra.s.shopper so light of leap, Nor dancing gnat, nor beetle fat, Nor harmless worms that creep."

CHRISTINA ROSSETTI.

+--------------------------------------------------------------+ | | | EXPLANATION OF PLATE x.x.xVI | | | | 1. _Meganostoma eurydice_, Boisduval, ?. | | 2. _Meganostoma eurydice_, Boisduval, ?. | | 3. _Meganostoma caesonia_, Stoll, ?. | | 4. _Meganostoma caesonia_, Stoll, ?. | | 5. _Colias meadi_, Edwards, ?. | | 6. _Colias meadi_, Edwards, ?. | | 7. _Colias ariadne_, Edwards, ?. | | 8. _Colias ariadne_, Edwards, ?. | | 9. _Colias keewaydin_, Edwards, ?. | | 10. _Colias keewaydin_, Edwards, ?. | | 11. _Colias nastes_, Boisduval, ?. | | 12. _Colias nastes_, Boisduval, ?. | | 13. _Colias elis_, Strecker, ?. | | 14. _Colias elis_, Strecker, ?. | | 15. _Colias pelidne_, Boisduval (_labradorensis_, | | Scudder), ?. | | 16. _Colias pelidne_, Boisduval (_labradorensis_, | | Scudder), ?. | | 17. _Colias behri_, Edwards, ?. | | | | [Ill.u.s.tration PLATE x.x.xVI.] | +--------------------------------------------------------------+

_b.u.t.terfly._--Small b.u.t.terflies, bright orange or yellow, margined with black. They are more delicate in structure and have thinner wings than most of the genera belonging to the subfamily of the _Pierinae_. The outer margin of the wings is generally straight or slightly rounded, though in a few species the apex is somewhat ac.u.minate. The outer margin of the hind wings is generally rounded, though in a few species it is ac.u.minate.

[Ill.u.s.tration FIG. 148.--Neuration of the genus _Terias_.]

_Egg._--Strongly spindle-shaped, pointed and rounded at the base and at the apex, much swollen at the middle, its sides marked by numerous broad but slightly raised vertical ridges.

_Caterpillar._--The caterpillars are small, relatively long, cylindrical, with the head quite small, the thoracic segments somewhat larger than the others, giving the anterior portion of the body a slightly humped appearance. They feed upon leguminous plants.

_Chrysalis._--The chrysalis is compressed laterally, with the head pointed and the wing-cases forming a deep, keel-shaped projection on the ventral side, more p.r.o.nounced than in any other genus except _Catopsilia_.

There are an immense number of species belonging to this genus scattered through the tropical and subtropical regions of both hemispheres. Many of the species are dimorphic or polymorphic, and much confusion has arisen, especially in relation to the Oriental species, on account of the great tendency to the production of seasonal varieties, many of which are strikingly different from one another.

(1) =Terias gundlachia=, Poey, Plate x.x.xVII, Fig. 1, ? (Gundlach's Sulphur).

_b.u.t.terfly._--This species is easily recognized by the orange-yellow tint of the upper side of the wings and the sharply pointed hind wings.

Expanse, 1.80 inch.

_Early Stages._--We know nothing of these.

The species is found in Texas, Arizona, Mexico, and Cuba.

(2) =Terias proterpia=, Fabricius, Plate x.x.xVII, Fig. 2, ? (_Proterpia_).

_b.u.t.terfly._--Even deeper orange than the preceding species. The hind wings are, however, less pointed; the veins and nervules are black at their ends, and the costal margin of the fore wings is evenly bordered with black, which does not run down on the outer margin as in _T.

gundlachia_. Expanse, 1.50-1.75 inch.

_Early Stages._--Unknown.

_Proterpia_ is found in Texas, Arizona, and Mexico.

(3) =Terias nicippe=, Cramer, Plate x.x.xVII, Fig. 3, ?; Fig. 4, ?; Fig.

5, var. =flava=, ?; Fig. 6, ?, _under side_; Plate II, Fig. 6, _larva_; Plate V, Figs. 51, 52, _chrysalis_ (Nicippe).

_b.u.t.terfly._--The plate gives so full a presentation of this common species as to make a lengthy description unnecessary. It is subject to considerable variation. I have specimens of many varying shades of orange and yellow, and a few albino females. The orange form depicted in Plate x.x.xVII, Figs. 3 and 4, is typical. The form _flava_ is not uncommon. Expanse, 1.50-2.00 inches.

_Early Stages._--These are not as well known as they should be in view of the excessive abundance of the insect in long-settled parts of the country. The caterpillar feeds upon _Ca.s.sia_ in preference to all other plants, but will eat other leguminosae.

_Nicippe_ is very rare in New England, but is common south of lat.i.tude 40 as far as the Rocky Mountains, and ranges over Cuba, Mexico, and Guatemala, into Venezuela and even Brazil. It fairly swarms at times in the Carolinas, Tennessee, Kentucky, and southern Indiana and Illinois. I have encountered clouds of it on the wing near Jeffersonville, Indiana, and thence north along the lines of the Pennsylvania Railroad as far as Seymour. It is not common in western Pennsylvania, but in former years was taken rather frequently about Pittsburgh.

(4) =Terias mexicana=, Plate x.x.xVII, Fig. 7, ?; Fig. 8, ?, _under side_ (The Mexican Yellow).

_b.u.t.terfly._--Easily distinguished from all other species in our fauna by the pointed hind wings, margined on the outer border with black, and by the heavy black border of the fore wings, deeply excised inwardly, recalling the fore wing of the species of the genus _Meganostoma_.

Expanse, ?, 1.75 inch; ?, 1.85 inch.

_Early Stages._--We do not, as yet, know much about these.

_T. mexicana_ is very common in Arizona, and occurs also in Texas. It is abundant in Mexico.

(5) =Terias damaris=, Felder, Plate x.x.xVII, Fig. 9, ?; Fig. 10, ?, _under side_ (Damaris).

_b.u.t.terfly._--Allied to the preceding species, but readily distinguished from it by the less deeply excised outer border of the fore wing, by the fact that the black outer margin of the secondaries extends inwardly beyond the angulated point of the wing, and by the different color and style of the markings of the lower side. Expanse, 1.35-1.65 inch.

_Early Stages._--Unknown.

_Damaris_ occurs in Arizona, and thence ranges south into Venezuela.

(6) =Terias westwoodi.= Boisduval, Plate x.x.xVII, Fig. 11, ? (Westwood's Yellow).

_b.u.t.terfly._--Pale yellow or orange-yellow, with a narrow black border on the fore wings, beginning on the costa beyond the middle, and not quite reaching the inner angle. On the under side the wings are pale yellow, immaculate, or at the apex of the fore wing and the outer angle of the hind wing broadly marked with very pale reddish-brown. Expanse, 1.75-2.00 inches.