SUBFAMILY LIBYTHEINÆ (THE SNOUT-BUTTERFLIES) "What more felicitie can fall to creature Than to enjoy delight with libertie, And to be Lord of all the workes of Nature, 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 ration of the genus ends of the subcostal vein, the third median nerLibythea. vule, 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 FIG. 124. Neu 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, ô, 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, ô (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. FAMILY II. LEMONIIDÆ SUBFAMILY ERYCININÆ (THE METAL-MARKS) "I wonder what it is that baby dreams. Do memories haunt him of some glad place He walked with glory filling his sweet face?” Butterfly.-Small, the males having four ambulatory feet, the females six, in which respect they resemble the Libytheinæ, 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 butterflies, and is a strong diacritical mark by which they may PC PC 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 Lycænidæ not only by the peculiar neuration and manner of carrying the wings, but by the relatively longer and more slender antennæ. Early Stages. -Comparatively little is known of these, though in certain respects the larvæ and the chrysalis show a relationship FIG. 125.- Neuration of base of hind wing of the genus Lemonias: PC, precostal vein; PC', second precostal vein. |