LEPIDOPTERA 283 



dark orange spot preceded by white at the anal angle. The under surface 

 is brownish-gray, and on this surface both wings are crossed by a com- 

 mon, narrow white stripe which forms a large W or reversed M on the 

 hind wings. 



This species occurs in the southern half of the United States. The 

 larva feeds on oak and on milk- vetch. 



THE COPPERS 



The coppers, as a rule, are easily distinguished from other gossamer- 

 winged butterflies by their orange-red and brown colors, each with a 

 coppery tinge, and conspicuous black markings. They are the stoutest 

 of the Lycasnidag. Among the exceptions to the more common coloring 

 of these insects are the following: In the male of Heodes epixanthe, a 

 small species which frequents cranberry bogs, the wings have a purple 

 tinge; and in Heodes heteronea, a species found from California to Colo- 

 rado, the male is blue. 



Eighteen species of the group are now listed in our fauna; the two 

 following will serve as examples: 



The American copper, Heodes hypophlceas. — This is the most common 

 of our coppers in the Northeastern States and in Canada. Its range 

 extends also along the boundary between the United States and Canada 

 to the Pacific Ocean, and southward into California; and in the east 

 along the Alleghany Mountains south to Georgia. The fore wings are 

 orange-red above, spotted with black, and with a blackish-brown outer 

 border; the hind wings are coppery -brown, with a broad orange-red 

 band on the outer margin; this band is indented by four black spots. 



The larva feeds on the common sorrel (Rumex acetosella). 



The bronze copper, Heodes thee. — ■ This is larger than the preceding 

 species, the wings expanding i| inches or more. In the male the wings 

 are coppery-brown above, spotted with black, and with a broad orange- 

 red band on the outer margin of the hind wings. The female differs in 

 having the fore wings orange-red above, with prominent black spots. 



This species occurs in the Middle and Western States from the Con- 

 necticut Valley to Nebraska. The larva feeds on curled dock (Rumex 

 crispus) . 



THE BLUES 



The blues can be distinguished from the other gossamer-winged 

 butterflies by the slender form of the body, and the blue color of the 

 upper surface of the wings of the males at least; in many species the 

 upper surface of the wings of the female is much darker than that of 

 the male. Thirty-eight North American species have been described; 

 but most of these occur only in the far West. This is a rather difficult 

 group to study owing to the fact that in several cases a single species 

 exists under two or more distinct forms, and also that the two sexes of 

 the same species may differ greatly. It often happens that two individ- 

 uals of the same sex but of different species resemble each other more 

 closely in the coloring of the upper surface than do the two sexes of 

 either of the species. 



The spring azure, Lyccena argiohts. — In this species the hind wings 



