The Butterfly Book Part 56

The caterpillar feeds on a great variety of plants, but has a peculiar preference for the leaves of various species of wild cherry (_Cerasus_).

The chrysalis is accurately portrayed in Plate VI, Figs. 1-4.

The metropolis of this species seems to be the wooded forests of the Appalachian ranges at comparatively low levels. It abounds in southwestern Pennsylvania, the Virginias, the Carolinas, Kentucky, and Tennessee. I have often found as many as a dozen of these magnificent b.u.t.terflies congregated on a moist spot on the banks of the Monongahela.

At Berkeley Springs, in West Virginia, I counted, one summer day, forty specimens hovering over the weeds and flowers in a small deserted field.

The movements of the b.u.t.terfly on the wing are bold and rapid. Its flight is das.h.i.+ng. Now aloft to the tops of the highest trees, now down in the shadows of the undergrowth, hither and thither it goes, often settling for a moment on some attractive flower, or staying its flight to quench its thirst on the sandy edge of a brook, and then away again over the fields and into the forests. In New England it is not very abundant, and in the Gulf States, while numerous, is still less common than about the head waters of the Ohio.

(5) =Papilio daunus=, Boisduval, Plate x.x.xVIII, Fig. 2, ? (Daunus).

_b.u.t.terfly._--This magnificent species, which is even larger than _turnus_ (the figures in the plate are greatly reduced), resembles the preceding species in color and markings, but may at once be distinguished by the two tails on the hind wing and the projection of the lobe at the a.n.a.l angle of this wing. It is found among the eastern valleys of the Rocky Mountain ranges, and descends into Mexico. In Arizona it is quite common. Expanse, 4.00-5.25 inches.

_Early Stages._--These have not yet been thoroughly studied, but what we know of them shows that the species is allied very closely to its immediate congeners, and the caterpillar feeds upon the same plants, princ.i.p.ally _Rosaceae_.

(6) =Papilio pilumnus=, Boisduval, Plate x.x.xVIII, Fig. 3, ? (Pilumnus).

_b.u.t.terfly._--Resembling the preceding species, but smaller, having the bands and black margins of the wings decidedly broader, and the lobe of the a.n.a.l angle of the hind wing so much lengthened as to give the wing the appearance of being furnished with three tails. Expanse, 3.80-4.30 inches.

+--------------------------------------------------------------+ | | | EXPLANATION OF PLATE XL | | | | 1. _Papilio asterias_, Cramer, ?. | | 2. _Papilio bairdi_, Edwards, ?. | | 3. _Papilio hollandi_, Edwards, ?. | | 4. _Papilio brucei_, Edwards, ?. | | 5. _Papilio brevicauda_, Saunders, ?. | | | | [Ill.u.s.tration PLATE XL.] | +--------------------------------------------------------------+

_Early Stages._--All we know of these is derived from the brief account given by Schaus in "Papilio," vol. iv, p. 100. Mr. Schaus says that the larva "feeds on laurel."

The insect is Mexican, and only occasionally occurs in Arizona.

(7) =Papilio thoas=, Linnaeus, Plate XLII, Fig. 4, ? (Thoas).

_b.u.t.terfly._--This species is readily distinguished from its near ally, _P. cresphontes_, by the greater and more uniform breadth of the median band of yellow spots traversing both the fore and the hind wing, and by the almost total absence of the curved submarginal series of spots on the primaries. There are other points of difference, but these are so marked as to make the determination of the species easy.

_Early Stages._--These have never been fully described, but we know that the caterpillar feeds upon the leaves of the lemon, the orange, and other plants of the citrus group.

_P. thoas_ is not common within the limits of the United States, where it is generally replaced by the following species; but it occasionally occurs in the hot lands of the extreme southern portion of Texas.

(8) =Papilio cresphontes=, Cramer, Plate XLII, Fig. 3, ?; Plate II, Fig.

16, _larva_; Plate VI, Figs. 8-10, _chrysalis_ (The Giant Swallowtail).

_b.u.t.terfly._--The princ.i.p.al points of difference between this and the preceding species, its closest ally, have already been pointed out, and are brought into view upon the plate.

_Early Stages._--These are quite well known. The caterpillar feeds upon _Ptelea_, _Xanthoxylon_, and various species of _Citrus_. It is very common in the orange-groves of Florida, where the people call the caterpillar the "orange-puppy," and complain at times of the ravages perpetrated by it upon their trees. It appears to have been gradually spreading northward, and in quite recent years has appeared at points in the Northern States where before it had never been observed. It has been recently taken in Ontario. It has become rather abundant in the vicinity of the city of Pittsburgh, where no observer had seen it prior to the year 1894. It is one of the largest and most showy species of the genus found within our faunal limits.

(9) =Papilio aliaska=, Scudder, Plate XLI, Fig. 1, ? (The Alaskan Swallowtail).

_b.u.t.terfly._--This interesting form of the species, known to entomologists as _Papilio machaon_, Linnaeus, and to every English school-boy as "the Swallowtail," represents a colonization from the Asiatic mainland of this insect, which is the sole representative of the genus on English soil. It differs from the English b.u.t.terfly by having more yellow on the upper side of the wings, and by having the tails of the secondaries much shorter.

_Early Stages._--Undoubtedly these are very much like those of the forms found in Europe and Asia, and the caterpillar must be sought upon umbelliferous plants.

Thus far this insect has been received only from Alaska, and is still rare in collections.

(10) =Papilio zolicaon=, Boisduval, Plate x.x.xVIII, Fig. 1, ? (Zolicaon).

_b.u.t.terfly._--This species is somewhat nearly related to the preceding, but may at once be distinguished from it by the broader black borders of the wings, the deeper black on the upper side, and the longer tails of the secondaries. The figure given in the plate is only two thirds of the natural size.

_Early Stages._--These have been fully described by Edwards, and are shown to be much like those of _P. asterias_. The caterpillar, like that of the last-mentioned species, feeds upon the _Umbelliferae_.

_Zolicaon_ ranges southward from Vancouver's Island to Arizona, and eastward to Colorado. It is more abundant in the valleys and foot-hills than on the sierras.

(11) =Papilio nitra=, Edwards, Plate XLI, Fig. 2, ? (Nitra).

_b.u.t.terfly._--This insect, which is still very rare in collections, is very nearly related to the preceding species, it having, no doubt, with the succeeding species, sprung from the same original stock as _zolicaon_ and _aliaska_.

_Early Stages._--Unknown.

The insect occurs in Montana and the portions of British America adjacent on the north.

(12) =Papilio indra=, Reakirt, Plate XLI, Fig. 3, ? (Indra).

_b.u.t.terfly._--Easily distinguished by the short tails of the secondaries, and the narrow bands of yellow spots on the wings closely resembling those found in the same location on the wings of _P.

asterias_, ?. Expanse, 2.50-2.75 inches.

_Early Stages._--These still await description.

_Indra_ occurs on the mountains of Colorado, Nevada, and California.

(13) =Papilio brevicauda=, Saunders, Plate XL, Fig. 5, ? (The Newfoundland Swallowtail).

_b.u.t.terfly._--There are two varieties of this species--one with bright-yellow spots, one with the spots more or less deeply marked with orange-yellow on the upper sides of the wing. The latter variety is represented in the plate. The form with the yellow spots is common on the island of Anticosti; the other occurs quite abundantly in Newfoundland. Expanse, 2.75-3.00 inches.

_Early Stages._--Both the caterpillar and the chrysalis show a very strong likeness to those of _P. asterias_. The larva feeds on umbelliferous plants.

The range of the species is confined to the extreme northeastern part of our faunal territory.

(14) =Papilio bairdi=, Edwards, Plate XL, Fig. 2, ? (Baird's b.u.t.terfly).

_b.u.t.terfly._--This form, the male of which is represented in the plate, is the Western representative of _P. asterias_, and is characterized in general by the fact that the size is larger than that of _asterias_, and the postmedian band of yellow spots is broader. The female is generally darker and larger than that s.e.x in _asterias_. Expanse, 3.25-3.50 inches.

_Early Stages._--Not unlike those of _P. asterias_. The caterpillar feeds upon _Umbelliferae_.

The seat of this species or form is Arizona, whence it ranges northward.

(15) =Papilio brucei=, Edwards, Plate XL, Fig. 4, ? (Bruce's b.u.t.terfly).

_b.u.t.terfly._--This species, which is thought to be the result of a union between _P. oregonia_ and _P. bairdi_, is found in Colorado. _Oregonia_ is, unfortunately, not represented in our plates. It flies in Oregon and Was.h.i.+ngton, where _P. bairdi_ is not found. In Colorado and adjacent regions meeting with the form _bairdi_, which ranges northward from Arizona, hybridization has occurred, and we have a fixed form breeding either toward _bairdi_ or _oregonia_. To this form, characterized by more yellow on the bands of the wings than in _P. bairdi_, and less than in _oregonia_, Mr. Edwards has applied the name _P. brucei_, in honor of Mr. Bruce of Lockport, New York, who has done much to elucidate the problems connected with the species. Expanse, 3.25-3.60 inches.

_Early Stages._--These have been fully described by Edwards. They are much like those of _asterias_, and the food-plants belong to the same cla.s.s.

Bruce's b.u.t.terfly is found quite abundantly in Colorado.

(16) =Papilio hollandi=, Edwards, Plate XL, Fig. 3, ? (Holland's b.u.t.terfly).

_b.u.t.terfly._--This species or form, which belongs to the Asterias-group, in the breadth of the yellow spots on the upper side of the wings holds a place intermediate between _P. bairdi_ and _P. zolicaon_, between which it has been suggested that it may be a hybrid, which has become fixed, and therefore a species. It is characterized by the fact that the abdomen is always striped laterally with yellow or is wholly yellow.

Expanse, 3.25-3.50 inches.