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Vol. XXVIII. LONDON, JUNE, 1896. ' No. 6. 



THE LARGER SPECIES OF ARGYNNIS, AND THE 

 MYSTERY OF THEIR LIFE HISTORY. 



BY H. H. LYMAN, M. A., MONTREAL. 



Although the larger species of Argynnis which fly in the Eastern part 

 of this Continent are known in all their stages, through the most valuable 

 labours of Mr, William H. Edwards, there are certain problems in regard 

 to their life history which have baffled the efforts of all the entomologists 

 who have attempted to solve them. > 



On page 124, of Vol. VI. of Can. Ent,, Mr. Edwards wrote as 



follows : — 



" There are one or two points in the life history of the larger Argynnides that are 

 not yet clear. With us, Cybele male is on the wing from the 25th of May to the loth of 

 June, as I have noticed for several successive years. Probably Aphrodite nearly as soon, 

 and Diana first appears about the 20th of June. Shortly after the 1st of lune the female 

 of Cybele is to be seen, and both sexes abound in the clover fields. By the end of June 

 Cybele has become scarce, and the individuals to be seen have lost their freshness and 

 are broken and worn. It is certain that these early appearing females have not matured 

 eggs and laid them, because at no time from June to August will anything but rudi- 

 mentary eggs be found by dissecting, and the eggs do not become distinguishable to the 

 eye until August. They then mature rapidly, and in a few days attain full size. I am 

 confident that no eggs are laid till August. But about the first of that month, and all 

 along to near the end of it, there appear in great numbers both fresh males and females, 

 as if just from chrysalis, with no abrasion of the hairs on thorax between the wings, 

 which spot is the first to show wear. (I doubt if an Argynnis could fly two days with- 

 out thus giving evidence of it ) There are flying at the same time many worn individuals, 

 especially females. These last are the first to deposit their eggs, but shortly after, and 

 up to the time of frosts, the others also are in condition to do the same. I see no other 

 explanation of the appearance of these freshly emerged butterflies than that they have 

 formed part of the brood of caterpillars hatched the previous fall, some of which brood 

 yielded the butterflies that came out in May and June, and the remainder continued in 

 the larval or chrysalis state until August, and upon these last the perpetuation of the 

 species largely depends, for nine-tenths of the June flight must have been destroyed 

 long before August. If I am right the preparatory stages of the August Cybele must 

 consume eleven months out of the twelve." 



