Genus Adelpha 



I seemed to grow cold as I listened 



To the words that these butterflies spoke; 

 With fear overcome, I was speechless and dumb, 



And then with a start — 1 awoke!" 



Ella Wheeler Wilcox. 



Genus ADELPHA, Hu'bner 

 (The Sisters) 



Butterfly. — This genus is very closely allied to the preceding, 

 and is the South American representative of Basilarcbia. The 

 only difference which is noticeable structurally is in the fact that 

 the eyes are hairy, the palpi not so densely clothed with scales. 

 The prothoracic legs of the males are smaller 

 than in Basilarcbia. The cell of the primaries 

 is very slightly closed by the lower discocel- 

 lular vein, which reaches the median a little be- 

 yond the origin of the second median nervule. 

 The outer margin of the fore wing is rarely 

 excavated, as in Basilarcbia, and the lower 

 extremity of the hind wing near the anal 

 angle is generally more produced than in the 

 last-mentioned genus. 



Early Stages. — The life-history of the genus 

 has not been carefully worked out, but an 

 account has been published recently of the 

 caterpillar of the only species found within 

 our fauna, which shows that, while in general Fig. 109.— Neurationof 

 resembling the caterpillars of the genus Basil- the g enus ^delpba. 

 arcbia, the segments are adorned with more branching spines 

 and with short fleshy tubercles, giving rise to small clusters of 

 hairs. 



The chrysalids are of peculiar form, with bifid heads and 

 broad wing-cases. They are generally brown in color, with me- 

 tallic spots. The only species in our fauna is confined to southern 

 California, Arizona, and Mexico. 



(1) Adelpha californica, Butler, Plate XXII, Fig. 2, $ (The 

 Californian Sister). 



Butterfly. — Easily recognized by the large subtriangular patch 

 of orange-red at the apex of the primaries. In its habits and 



187 



