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
_Egg._--The egg is spindle-shaped, thickest at the middle, tapering at
the apex and at the base, generally attached by an enlarged disk-like
expansion to the point on which it is laid. The upper extremity is
rounded; the sides are marked by small vertical ridges, between which
are delicate cross-lines.
_Caterpillar._--The caterpillars strongly resemble in appearance those
of the preceding genus, from which, superficially, they cannot be
distinguished by any anatomical peculiarities. They feed upon
_Leguminosæ_, and especially upon clover (_Trifolium_).
_Chrysalis._--The chrysalids do not generally differ in appearance from
the chrysalids of the genus _Meganostoma_, though the wing-cases do not
form as high a keel-shaped projection from the ventral side as in that
genus.
This genus is very extensive, being represented throughout the temperate
regions of both hemispheres, and also occurring in the cooler portions
of South America, especially along the ranges of the Andes. One species
is found in temperate South Africa. The brightly colored butterflies,
which are sometimes found congregating in immense numbers in moist
places, are familiar objects, and swarm upon the clover-fields and by
the roadside in the summer months throughout the United States.
(1) =Colias meadi=, Edwards, Plate XXXVI, Fig. 5, ♂; Fig. 6, ♀ (Mead's
Sulphur).
_Butterfly._--The wings on the upper side are orange, greenish on the
under side. The discal spot on the lower side is centered with green.
Expanse, 1.75 inch.
_Early Stages._--The life-history has been written by Edwards, and may
be found in the pages of the "Canadian Entomologist," vol. xxi, p. 41.
The larva feeds on clover.
The species is alpine in its habits, and is found in Colorado from nine
to twelve thousand feet above sea-level.
(2) =Colias elis=, Strecker, Plate XXXVI, Fig. 13, ♂; Fig. 14, ♀
(Strecker's Sulphur).
_Butterfly._--This species is discriminated from the preceding
principally by the narrower black margins on the wings of the male and
the more abundant yellow maculation of the borders in the female.
Expanse, 1.55-1.90 inch.
_Early Stages._--Closely resembling those of the preceding species, of
which it may be only a varietal form.
The habitat of the species is on the lofty peaks of the Western
Cordilleras.
(3) =Colias eurytheme=, Boisduval, Plate XLVIII, Fig. 18, ♀; Plate
XXXIII, Fig. 5, ♂, _under side_; Plate II, Fig. 1, _larva_; Plate V,
Fig. 53, _chrysalis_ (Eurytheme).
_Butterfly._--This species has been made in recent years the
subject of exhaustive study, and has been discovered to be strongly
polymorphic--that is to say, liable to great variation. Not only does
albinism assert itself in the production of white forms, but there are
many seasonal and climatic forms. We are not yet through with our
studies, and there is doubtless much more to be ascertained. The figures
cited above represent the typical form of the species. We have given,
in addition to these, the following forms:
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