LEPIDOPTERA 



275 



The red spotted purple, Basilarchia astyanax. — The upper surface of 

 the wings is velvety indigo-black, tinged with blue or green. There are 

 three rows of blue or green spots on the outer third of the hind wings; 

 the spots of the inner row vary greatly in width in different individuals. 

 On the lower surface there is a reddish-orange spot on the discal cell of 

 the fore wings, and one on the discal vein; on the hind wings there are 

 two orange spots similarly situated, a third at the base of cell Ri and a 

 row of seven spots just within a double row of submarginal blue or green 

 spots. 



This species occurs throughout nearly the whole of the Eastern United 

 States south of the 43rd parallel of latitude. The larva feeds on many 

 plants; among them are plum, apple, pear, and gooseberry. 



The viceroy, Basil- 

 archia archippus. — The 

 wings vary in color from 

 a dull yellow orange tinged 

 slightly with brown to 

 a dark cinnamon color; 

 they are bordered with 

 black, and all the veins 

 are edged with the same 

 color (Fig. 475). The fringe 

 of the wings is spotted 

 with white, and the black 

 border on the outer mar- 

 gin contains a row of white 

 spots. 



This species is remarkable for its resemblance to the monarch, Danaus 

 archippus (Fig. 480). But aside from the structural characters separating 

 the two subfamilies which these butterflies represent, the viceroy can be 

 easily distinguished from the species it mimics by its smaller size, and by 

 the presence of a transverse black band on the hind wings. As Danaus 



archippus has been termed 

 the monarch, this species is 

 aptly called the viceroy. 



The larva (Fig. 476, a) 

 when full-grown is about 1-^ 

 inches in length. The body 

 is humped and naked, with 

 many tubercles. In color 

 it is dark brownish-yellow 

 or olive-green, with a pale 

 buff or whitish saddle on 

 the middle segment of the 

 abdomen. The tubercles 

 on the second thoracic 

 segment are club-shaped 

 and spiny. 



The larva of the viceroy feeds upon willow, poplar, balm of gilead, 

 aspen, and cottonwood. The species is two- or three-brooded and 

 hibernates as a partially grown larva in a nest made of a rolled leaf 

 (Fig. 476, c). This nest is lined with silk, and the leaf is fastened to the 



Fig 475. — Basilarchia archippus. 



Fig. 476. — Basilarchia archippus: a, larva, b, pupa, c, nest; 

 d, partly eaten leaf before rolled to form nest. (From Riley.) 



