_Early Stages._--Unknown.
The species ranges from southern Colorado to Arizona.
(3) =Erynnis sa.s.sacus=, Harris, Plate XLVI, Fig. 13, ? (The Indian Skipper).
_b.u.t.terfly._--The upper side of the male is as shown in the plate. The female is larger, the fulvous ground-color paler, the outer marginal shades darker, and the discal stigma is replaced by a dark-brown shade.
On the under side in both s.e.xes the wings are pale fulvous, with the spots of the upper side feebly reproduced as faint lighter spots. The fore wings in both s.e.xes are black at the base. Expanse, ?, 1.10-1.25 inch; ?, 1.25-1.35 inch.
_Early Stages._--The caterpillar, which is plumper than most hesperid larvae, feeds on gra.s.ses.
The insect ranges from New England to Georgia, and westward to Colorado.
(4) =Erynnis ottoe=, Edwards, Plate XLVI, Fig. 11, ?; Fig. 12, ?
(Ottoe).
_b.u.t.terfly._--Considerably larger than the preceding species. The wings of the male on the upper side are pale fulvous, narrowly bordered with black. The discal stigma is dark and prominent. The female has the wings on the upper side more broadly but more faintly margined with dusky. The wings of both s.e.xes on the under side are uniformly pale fulvous or buff, marked with dark brown or blackish at the base of the fore wings.
Expanse, ?, 1.35 inch; ?, 1.45-1.50 inch.
_Early Stages._--Unknown.
The habitat of this species is Kansas and Nebraska.
(5) =Erynnis metea=, Scudder, Plate XLVII, Fig. 33, ?; Fig. 34, ? (The Cobweb Skipper).
_b.u.t.terfly._--The upper side of the wings is fairly well represented in the plate, the male being a little too red, and the wings at the base and the discal stigma not being dark enough. On the under side the wings are brown, darker than on the upper side. The pale markings of the upper side are all repeated below as distinct pearly-white spots, and in addition on the hind wings near the base there is a curved band of similar white spots. Expanse, ?, 1.20 inch; ?, 1.25-1.30 inch.
_Early Stages._--We know as yet but little of these.
The species occurs in New England, New York, and westward to Wisconsin.
(6) =Erynnis uncas=, Edwards, Plate XLVII, Fig. 27, ?; Fig. 28, ?
(Uncas).
_b.u.t.terfly._--The upper side of the wings of both s.e.xes is well represented in the plate. On the under side in both s.e.xes the wings are beautifully marked with conspicuous pearly-white spots on a greenish-gray ground. The spots are defined inwardly and outwardly by dark olive shades and spots. Expanse, ?, 1.30 inch; ?, 1.55 inch.
_Early Stages._--We know nothing of these.
The insect ranges from Pennsylvania to Colorado and Montana.
(7) =Erynnis attalus=, Edwards, Plate XLVII, Fig. 23, ? (Attalus).
_b.u.t.terfly._--The male is fairly well depicted in the plate, but the light spots are too red. The female is larger and darker. On the under side the wings are dusky, with the light spots reproduced in faint gray.
Expanse, ?, 1.25 inch; ?, 1.45 inch.
_Early Stages._--Unknown.
The species occurs very rarely in New England, is found from New Jersey to Florida and Texas, and ranges westward to Wisconsin and Iowa.
(8) =Erynnis sylvanoides=, Boisduval, Plate XLVII, Fig. 44, ? (The Woodland Skipper).
_b.u.t.terfly._--The upper side of the male is well shown in the plate. The female on the upper side has less fulvous, the wings being prevalently fuscous, and the red color reduced to a spot at the end of the cell.
There is a median band of fulvous spots on both wings. On the under side in both s.e.xes the wings are quite pale gray, with the costa near the base and the cell of the primaries reddish. The primaries at the base near the inner margin are black. The spots of the upper side reappear, but are pale and faint. Expanse, 1.25-1.35 inch.
_Early Stages._--Unknown.
The species ranges along the Pacific coast from British Columbia to California, and eastward to Colorado.
(9) =Erynnis leonardus=, Harris, Plate XLVII, Fig. 35, ?; Fig. 36, ?
(Leonard"s Skipper).
_b.u.t.terfly._--Stouter and larger than the preceding species, and notably darker in coloring. The upper side of the wings is shown in the plate. On the under side the wings are dark brick-red. The primaries are blackish on the outer half, interrupted by the spots of the median series, which on the under side are large, distinct, and shade from pale fulvous to white toward the inner margin. The secondaries have a round pale spot at the end of the cell, and a curved median band of similar spots, corresponding in location to those on the upper side. Expanse, ?, 1.25 inch; ?, 1.35 inch.
_Early Stages._--These are only imperfectly known. The caterpillar feeds on gra.s.ses.
The b.u.t.terfly, which haunts flowers and may easily be captured upon them, ranges from New England and Ontario southward to Florida, and westward to Iowa and Kansas.
(10) =Erynnis snowi=, Edwards, Plate XLVII, Fig. 29, ?; Fig. 30, ?
(Snow"s Skipper).
_b.u.t.terfly._--The upper side of the wings of both s.e.xes is well represented in the plate. On the under side the wings are uniformly reddish-brown, with the primaries black at the base, and the median spots enlarged near the inner margin and whitish, as in the preceding species. The light spots of the upper side reappear below as pale spots, which are well defined on the dark ground-color. Expanse, 1.25-1.40 inch.
_Early Stages._--Unknown.
The species ranges from southern Colorado to Arizona.
Genus THYMELICUS, Hubner
_b.u.t.terfly._--The antennae are short, less than half the length of the costa; the club is stout and short, somewhat crooked just at the end.
The third joint of the palpi is conical, almost concealed in the thick vest.i.ture of the second joint. The neuration is given in the cut.
_Egg._--The egg is hemispherical, with the surface marked by irregular angular cells formed by slightly raised lines.
_Caterpillar._--The caterpillars feed on gra.s.ses. They are long and slender, thicker behind than before, covered with short hair. They are generally dark in color, and not green as are the caterpillars in most of the hesperid genera.
+--------------------------------------------------------------+ | | | EXPLANATION OF PLATE XLVII | | | | 1. _Pamphila mandan_, Edwards, ?. | | 2. _Ancyloxypha numitor_, Fabricius, ?. | | 3. _Oarisma garita_, Reakirt, ?. | | 4. _Oarisma poweshiek_, Parker, ?. | | 5. _Amblyscirtes vialis_, Edwards, ?. | | 6. _Amblyscirtes samoset_, Scudder, ?. | | 7. _Amblyscirtes aenus_, Edwards, ?. | | 8. _Amblyscirtes simius_, Edwards, ?. | | 9. _Copaeodes procris_, Edwards, ?. | | 10. _Copaeodes wrighti_, Edwards, ?. | | 11. _Copaeodes myrtis_, Edwards, ?. | | 12. _Hesperia scriptura_, Boisduval, ?. | | 13. _Hesperia centaureae_, Rambur, ?. | | 14. _Hesperia caespitalis_, Boisduval, ?. | | 15. _Hesperia xanthus_, Edwards, ?. | | 16. _Amblyscirtes textor_, Edwards, ?, | | _under side_. | | 17. _Hesperia nessus_, Edwards, ?. | | 18. _Hesperia montivaga_, Reakirt, ?. | | 19. _Hesperia domicella_, Erichson, ?. | | 20. _Limoch.o.r.es taumas_, Fabricius, ?. | | 21. _Poanes ma.s.sasoit_, Scudder, ?. | | 22. _Poanes ma.s.sasoit_, Scudder, ?. | | 23. _Erynnis attalus_, Edwards, ?. | | 24. _Polites peckius_, Kirby, ?. | | 25. _Polites peckius_, Kirby, ?. | | 26. _Polites mardon_, Edwards, ?. | | 27. _Erynnis uncas_, Edwards, ?. | | 28. _Erynnis uncas_, Edwards, ?. | | 29. _Erynnis snowi_, Edwards, ?. | | 30. _Erynnis snowi_, Edwards, ?. | | 31. _Atrytone taxiles_, Edwards, ?. | | 32. _Atrytone taxiles_, Edwards, ?. | | 33. _Erynnis metea_, Scudder, ?. | | 34. _Erynnis metea_, Scudder, ?. | | 35. _Erynnis leonardus_, Harris, ?. | | 36. _Erynnis leonardus_, Harris, ?. | | 37. _Atrytone zabulon_, Boisd.-Lec., ?. | | 38. _Atrytone zabulon_, Boisd.-Lec., ?. | | 39. _Atrytone pocahontas_, Scudder, ?. | | 40. _Thymelicus brettus_, Boisd.-Lec., ?. | | 41. _Thymelicus brettus_, Boisd.-Lec., ?. | | 42. _Polites sabuleti_, Edwards, ?. | | 43. _Polites sabuleti_, Edwards, ?. | | 44. _Erynnis sylvanoides_, Boisduval, ?. | | | | [Ill.u.s.tration PLATE XLVII.] | +--------------------------------------------------------------+
_Chrysalis._--I can discover no account of any observations made upon the chrysalids of this genus.
(1) =Thymelicus brettus=, Boisduval and Leconte, Plate XLVII, Fig. 40, ?; Fig. 41, ? (The Whirlabout).
_b.u.t.terfly._--The male on the upper side resembles _Hylephila phylaeus_, but may be distinguished by the broader and darker spots on the under side of the wings. The costal and outer margins of the secondaries are also generally more broadly bordered with fuscous than in _phylaeus_, a fact not shown in the specimen figured in the plate. The female is quite different from the female of _phylaeus_, as will be seen by a comparison of the figures of the two s.e.xes. Expanse, ?, 1.15 inch; ?, 1.25 inch.
_Early Stages._--These are only partially known. The caterpillar feeds on gra.s.ses.
[Ill.u.s.tration FIG. 167.--Neuration of the genus _Thymelicus_, enlarged.]
The insect is very rare in the North, a few specimens having been taken in New England and Wisconsin. It is found commonly in the Carolinas, and thence southward to the Gulf, and is abundant in the Antilles, Mexico, and Central America.