Genus Adelph* 
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 — I awoke ! ” 
Ella Wheeler Wilcox. 
Genus ADELPHA, Hubner 
(The Sisters) 
Butterfly. —This genus is very closely allied to the preceding, 
and is the South American representative of Basilarchia. 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 Basilarchia. 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 Basilarchia , 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 S enus Adel P ha - 
archia, the segments are adorned with more branching spines 
and with short fleshy tubercles, giving rise to small clusters of 
hairs. 
The chrysalids are of a 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 
