The Butterfly Book: A Popular Guide to a Knowledge of the Butterflies of North AmericaHolland, W. J. (William Jacob)
Science
The Butterfly Book: A Popular Guide to a Knowledge of the Butterflies of North America
Holland, W. J. (William Jacob)
Butterflies -- North America
This species, which is found in California and Nevada, is subject to
extreme variation, and I have placed upon the plate one out of many
beautiful and singular aberrations which I possess.
(16) =Melitæa gabbi=, Behr, Plate XVI, Fig. 15, ♂ (Gabb's Checker-spot).
_Butterfly._--In the style of its markings on the upper side it almost
completely resembles _M. acastus_, but the dark markings are slighter,
giving the wings a more fulvous appearance. On the under side the bands
are narrower, defined more sharply with black, and pearly, almost
silvery white, whereas in _acastus_ they are pale yellowish-white, and
not so lustrous. Expanse, ♂, 1.20 inch; ♀, 1.50 inch.
_Early Stages._--Unknown.
The habitat of this species is southern California.
(17) =Melitæa harrisi=, Scudder, Plate XVII, Fig. 5, ♂; Fig. 6, ♀,
_under side_; Plate V, Figs. 17-18, _chrysalis_ (Harris' Checker-spot).
_Butterfly_, ♂.--Wings fulvous, black at the base and on the outer
margin, with five fulvous spots in the cell of the fore wing, two below
the cell; and three in the cell of the hind wing. The black border is
widest at the apex of the fore wing, and below this runs inwardly on the
veins. There are two white spots near the apex. At the anal angle on the
hind wing the border is somewhat divided so as to present the appearance
of two indistinct lines. On the under side the wings are fulvous, marked
with black bands and spots, and crossed by bands and crescents of pale
yellow, as is shown in the figure on the plate.
♀.--The female is much like the male. Expanse, ♂, 1.50 inch; ♀, 1.75
inch.
_Egg._--The eggs are lemon-yellow, in the form of a truncated cone,
with fifteen or sixteen vertical ribs, which are highest about the
middle.
_Caterpillar._--The matured caterpillar is reddish-fulvous, with a black
stripe on the back. Each segment is marked with one black ring before
and two black rings behind the sets of spiny tubercles with which the
segments are adorned. There are nine rows of spines, those above the
feet being quite small. The spines are black, tapering, and set with
diverging black hairs. The food-plants are aster and _Diplopappus
umbellatus_.
_Chrysalis._--The chrysalis is pearly-gray or white, blotched with dark
brown or black.
This choice little butterfly ranges from Nova Scotia to Wisconsin,
extending as far south as northern Illinois, and northward to Ottawa.
(18) =Melitæa elada=, Hewitson, Plate XVII, Fig. 2, ♂ (Hewitson's
Checker-spot).
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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