208 BULLETIN 15 7, U. S. NATIONAL MUSEUM 



Mr. Shoemaker has a specimen taken in the District on August 

 20, 1902, and Mr. Schonborn's specimens are dated August 12 and 

 September 3. The National Museum collection contains a female 

 collected on hollyhock by Dr. F. H. Chittenden on June 27, 1916. 



Genus PHOLISORA Scudder 



PHOLISORA CATULLUS (Fabricius) 



Pigweed Skippee 



Plate 52, Figures 13, 14 



Occurrence. — Locally frequent, or even common, being found 

 wherever the common pigweed {ChenopodkiTn alhuni) grows, and 

 casually in open country elsewhere. It is common about farms and 

 along roads through fields, and throughout Washington in neglected 

 gardens and in untidy back yards and vacant lots. I have seen stray 

 individuals in the Department of Agriculture and Smithsonian In- 

 stitution grounds and in Lafayette Park. 



Habits. — This little skipper is very quick in all its actions. It flies 

 very rapidly in an irregular zigzag 3 or 4 inches above the ground, 

 weaving its way in and out among the higher plants. It is very 

 aggressive, and frequently attacks the much larger, but much less 

 agile, individuals of the various species of Thanaos, causing them 

 evident distress. On the other hand, I have seen one, a female which 

 was sunning itself in the road, put to flight by a fly somewhat smaller 

 than a house fly that suddenly lit on the ground about 2 inches to 

 the left of it. 



This butterfly pays much less attention to flowers than most skip- 

 pers, and therefore appears to be less common than it really is. In 

 feeding the wings are partially expanded. When resting the wings 

 are partially expanded, but when sunning itself the butterfly often 

 sits with the wings fully extended and their outer margins touching 

 the ground. 



Seasons. — The pigweed skipper appears toward the end of April, 

 and in a few days becomes common. A second brood begins to 

 become evident in the last half of July, and there is a third brood 

 in August and September. Individuals are to be seen on the wing 

 throughout the summer. 



The National Museum collection contains three specimens taken 

 by P. M. Johnson in July, 1912, in Washington, one from Washing- 

 ton found on July 16, 1916, on Amar^anthus^ and one from the Dis- 

 trict taken on July 27, 1899. Mr. Schonborn's specimens are dated 

 May 3, June 4, and July 16, 1888. 



Caterpillar. — The caterpillar is very pale green with a brown head, 

 and resembles that of related skippers. It feeds especially on the 



