Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences, Volume III, 1863-1867Various
Science
Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences, Volume III, 1863-1867
Various
California Academy of Sciences -- Periodicals; Science -- Periodicals
_Grapta Comma_ Harris.
I possess but one specimen of this Grapta. It was collected by
Dr. Hillebrand, in Yosemite Valley, during his late visit to
California. It agrees in all essential points with two other
specimens which I obtained through the kindness of Mr. W. H.
Edwards, of New York. The California specimen differs by a
somewhat lighter coloration on both sides, especially below
where the ground color passes into a yellowish brown, while in
the Eastern specimen it becomes a bluish gray. On the upper
side, also, the bluish coloration of the edge of the angulated
wings of the Eastern form is replaced by a yellowish tint.
I would be inclined to take _G. Comma_ for a local variety of
_G. C-album_, were it not for the caterpillar, which, according
to Mr. Harris, resembles that of _G. interrogationis_, and
is entirely without that strangely dimidiate coloration so
characteristic in _G. C-album_.
In _G. C-album_ I cannot find any difference between my
Californian and European specimens. Our vernal generation is
larger and somewhat lighter colored than any European specimens
I have ever seen. The caterpillar has a curious dimidiate
coloration, which I have never seen except in this species: the
fore part being white, the abdominal part yellow. I found it
on Urtica, but it will probably be found on other Urticaceous
plants, herbaceous as well as arborescent. _G. C-album_ is not
common in the immediate neighborhood of San Francisco, but it
is rather abundant in woody and mountainous districts.
The Atlantic States are richer in species of this genus than
either Europe or California, the two latter of which possess
the same number of species.
Europe. California. Atlantic Slope.
_G. C-album._ _G. C-album._ _G. C-album._
_G. Triangulum._ _G. Comma._ _G. Comma._
—— —— _G. Faunus._
—— —— _G. Progne._
—— —— _G. interrogationis._
VANESSA Fabr.
_Vanessa Californica_ Boisd.
The caterpillar of this species feeds on Ceanothus, and lives
socially like that of _V. Urticæ_ L., from which it differs
very little. It is of a velvety black, and the spines which
cover it are also black.
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