768 



AN INTRODUCTION TO ENTOMOLOGY 



dark and a pale orange; paler and duller next the base, marked with 

 transverse black lines and dots, and transverse series of steel-colored 

 spots. The wings expand from 25 to 30 mm. 



This is a rare butterfly; it has been taken in New York, New 

 Jersey, West Virginia, Michigaif, and Illinois. 



Family LYC^NID^ 



/?4-^S 



The Gossamer-winged Butterflies 



The family Lycanidce includes butterflies which are of small size 

 and delicate structure. In size they resemble the smaller Hesperiidae; 

 but they can be distinguished at a 

 glance from the skippers, as they 

 present an entirely different appear- 

 ance. The body is slender, the wings 

 delicate and often brightly colored, 

 and the club of the antenna straight. 

 The antennas are nearly always 

 ringed with white; each is situated 

 very closely to the edge of an eye, 

 often flattening it; they are not in 

 pits; and a conspicuous rim of white 

 scales encircles the eyes. 



An easily-observed combination 

 of characters by which the members 

 of this family can be distinguished is 

 the absence of one or two of the 

 branches of radius of the fore wings, 

 this vein being only three- or four- 

 branched, and the origin of vein Mi 

 of the fore wings at or near the apex 

 of the discal cell (Fig. 979). In all 

 other butterflies occurring in our 

 fauna in which radius is only three- 

 or four-branched (except Parnas- 

 sius),VQ.\n Ml of the fore wings coal- 

 esces with radius for a considerable 



distance beyond the apex of the discal cell. An exception to the 

 characters of the Lycsnidae is presented by Feniseca, as indicated in 

 the table of families, p. 739. 



A characteristic of this family is that while in the female the front 

 legs are like the other legs, in the male they are shorter, without 

 tarsal claws, and with the tarsi more or less aborted. 



The caterpillars of the Lyca?nidae present a very unusual form, 

 being more or less slug-like, reminding one of the larvasof the Eucle- 

 idas. The body is short and broad; the legs and prolegs are short 

 and small, allowing the body to be closely pressed to the object upon 

 which the insect is moving — in fact some of the species glide rather 



Fig. 979. — Wings of Heodes thoe. 



