202 BULLETIN 15 7, U. S. NATIONAL MUSEUM 



(?. Uniform black with a few minute circular white dots on 

 the fore wings; size small, the fore wings less than 



15 mm. long (pi. 52, figs. 13, 14) Pholisora catullus (p. 208). 



a^ Hind wings above (as well as fore wings) with large and con- 

 spicuous white markings. 

 6*. White band on upper surface of wings just beyond the middle 

 composed of practically continuous spots each of which is 

 much broader than, usually at least twice as broad as, high 



(pi. 32, figs. 2, 3) Pyrgns tessellatus (p. 206). 



&'. White band on upper surface of wings just beyond the middle 

 composed of disconnected spots, which are no broader than 

 high (pi. 32, fig. 4) Pyrgus centaureae (p. 205). 



Genus EPARGYREUS Hiibner 



EPARGYREUS TITYRUS (Fabricins) 

 SlLVEB-SPOTTED SKIPPER 



Plate 50, Figure 5 



It is uncertain just what the butterfly recorded by Mr. Warden 

 as Pobpilio Tyn-hea really was. It seems most probable that the 

 specific name Tyrrhea was an error for tityrus. 



Occurrence. — Very abundant throughout the District and the sur- 

 rounding country. No other of the local butterflies is so generally 

 distributed as the silver-spotted skipper. Though occurring every- 

 where from dry open fields to the deepest and dampest woods, it is 

 most abundant where acacia trees are numerous, and about gardens 

 near houses draped with wisteria vines. 



The National Museum contains specimens from Washington, May 

 2, 1882 (C. V. Riley) ; July, 1920; bred from Wisteria March 23 

 and April 15, 1908 (F. W. Vedder) ; bred from Pueraria thuribergi- 

 ana July 8, 1912 (F. H. O'Neill) ; a specimen collected by Schaus 

 and Barnes; and a specimen from Anacostia, D. C. (T. J. Condit). 



Habits. — The flight of the silver-spotted skipper is extremely 

 rapid and so very irregular as to be difficult to follow with the eye. 

 It is the most energetic and the strongest on the wing of all the 

 local butterflies. But it has no great powers of endurance, and its 

 flights are rarely very long. It differs from all our other skippers 

 in flying high above the ground, usually from 2 to 4 feet, but some- 

 times as much as 10 feet or more. 



It is very fond of flowers, especially of the lilac and syringa, the 

 millnveeds, Japanese honeysuckle, butterflyweed, buttonbush, and 

 clover. It has a curious preference for pink or red flowers. It 

 prefers to visit flowers a yard or more above the ground, and there- 

 fore is seen more commonly in gardens and along shrubby roadsides 

 than in the open fields, though in the summer it seems to be entirely 

 at home on the red clover and in the early autumn on the thistles. 



