270 



THE STUDY OF INSECTS 



The larvae feed on a species of snakehead, Chelone glabra; they are 

 gregarious in the fall and build a common nest in which they pass the 

 winter; but separate after hibernation. They are very striking in ap- 

 pearance. The head and first two thoracic segments are shining black 

 and the last three abdominal segments are black with two orange bands 

 around each. All the other segments have a ground color of orange with 

 various narrow transverse lines of black. This species occurs in Ontario 

 and the northern half of the United States east of the Rocky Mountains. 

 It is very local, the butterflies remaining near the bogs or moist meadows 

 where the food -plant of the larva is found. 



Fig. 467. — Vanessa alalania. 



THE ANGLE-WINGS 



To this group belong many of our best-known butterflies; there are 

 twenty-five species in our fauna. With these the outer margin of the 

 fore wings is usually decidedly angular or notched as if a part had been 

 cut away. A large proportion of the species hibernate in the adult state, 

 and some of them are the first butterflies to appear in the spring. Some 



of the hibernating species, how- 

 ever, remain in concealment till 

 quite late in the season. 



The red admiral, Vanessa at- 

 aldnta. — The wings are purplish- 

 black above. On the fore wing 

 there is a bright orange-colored 

 band beginning near the middle of 

 the costa, and extending nearly to 

 the inner angle ; between this and 

 the apex of the wing are several 

 white spots as shown in Figure 

 467 ; on the hind wing there is an 

 orange band on the outer margin inclosing a row of black spots. 



The larva feeds chiefly on elm, nettle, and hop. When first hatched it 

 folds together a half-opened leaf at the summit of the plant; when larger 

 it makes its nest of a lower expanded leaf. There are two broods; both 

 butterflies and chrysalids hibernate. This butterfly occurs over nearly 

 the whole of the European and North American continents. 



The painted beauty, Vanessa vir- 

 giniensis. — Figure 468 represents the 

 upper side of- this butterfly. The 

 darker parts of the wings are very dark 

 brownish black, the lighter parts a 

 golden orange, sometimes with a 

 pinkish tinge. In the apical portion 

 of the fore wings there are several 

 white spots as shown in the figure; 

 the largest of these, the proximal one, 

 is salmon or flesh-colored in the fe- 

 male. A characteristic feature of this Fia 468 " ~ Vanessa ™«»""™- 

 species is the presence of two submarginal eye-like spots on the lower side 

 of the hind wings. The larva feeds on everlasting {Antennaria) and 

 allied plants. This species occurs from Canada to South America. 



