Genus Atrytone 
Fig. 
Neuration of the 
genus Atrytone , 
enlarged. 
Egg. —The egg is hemispherical, somewhat broadly flattened 
at the apex, covered with small cells, the inner surface of which 
is marked with minute punctulations. 
Caterpillar. —The caterpillar feeds upon com 
mon grasses, making a loose nest of silk for 
itself at the point where the leaf joins the stem. 
The head is small; the body is cylindrical, thick, 
tapering abruptly at either end. 
Chrysalis. —Covered with delicate hair; the 
tongue-case free. 
(i) Atrytone vitellius, Smith and Abbot, Plate 
XLVI, Fig. 6, $ (The Iowa Skipper). 
Butterfly. —The male on the upper side is as 
shown in the plate. The female on the upper side 
has the hind wings almost entirely fuscous, very 
slightly yellowish about the middle of the disk. The fore wings 
have the inner and outer margins more broadly bordered with fus¬ 
cous than the male, and through the middle of the cell there runs 
a dark ray. On the under side the wings are bright pale yellow, 
with the inner margin of the primaries clouded with brown. Ex¬ 
panse, $, 1.25 inch; $, 1.45 inch. 
Early Stages. —Very little is known of these. 
The species ranges through the Gulf States, and northward in 
the valley of the Mississippi as far as Nebraska and Iowa. It 
seems to be quite common in Nebraska, and probably has a wider 
distribution than is reported. 
(2) Atrytone zabulon, Boisduval and Leconte, Plate XLVII, 
Fig- 37 > & i Fig- 38, $ (The Hobomok Skipper). 
Butterfly. — The upper side of both sexes is shown in the plate. 
The color on the disk of the wings is, however, a little too red. 
On the under side the wings are bright yellow, with the bases and 
the outer margin bordered with dark brown. Expanse, $, 1.25 
inch; $ , 1,50 inch. 
Early Stages. —The caterpillar feeds upon grasses. The life- 
history has been described with minute accuracy by Dr. Scudder. 
The species ranges from New England to Georgia, and west¬ 
ward to the Great Plains. It is very common in Pennsylvania, 
Virginia, and the valley of the Ohio. 
Dimorphic var. pocahontas, Scudder, Plate XLVII, Fig. 39, 9 . 
This is a melanic, or black, female variety of %abulon , which is 
364 
