90 THE BUTTERFLIES OF THE WEST COAST 



Fig. 30, Male, Mount Shasta, Cal., August, 1890; Author. 

 b, Female underside, Mojave Desert, Cal., June 29, 

 1887; Author. 



Much has been written about this species, as to whether or not 

 it is distinct from Asterias ; it has been claimed to be merely a 

 transient and more or less variable form or variation of Asterias ; 

 obsolescent as to the macular yellow band, or melanic, in that the 

 yellow is more or less obscured by black. In the Coast States west 

 of the Sierra Nevada range of mountains neither Asterias nor 

 Asteroides is present to any considerable extent, but in the semi- 

 desert regions east of the great mountain range, and west of the 

 Rocky Mountains, Asterias is scantily if at all represented, while 

 Asteroides is not rare ; and it is said to be common in Mexico, and 

 further south to Costa Rica. 



In the jMojave Desert, where this second example b was taken, 

 they were rather common, flying about the grove of cottonwood 

 trees ; but Asterias was not present. Asterias is, therefore, the 

 Eastern, and Asteroides the Western and Southern, or desert 

 form. 



The preliminary stages are doubtless the same as for Asterias. 



31. Papilio Philenor. 



Plate IV; Figures 31, b. c. 



Fig. 31, Male, Sonoma County, Cal., May, 1894; Author. 



b. Female, Sonoma County, Cal., May, 1894; Author. 



c. Female underside, Sonoma County, Cal., May, 



1894 ; Author. 



Philenor, also, as well as the two preceding species, is chiefly 

 an Eastern butterfly, and is as yet scarce on the West Coast. In 

 all my travels over the Coast States I have scarcely ever seen this 

 butterfly, two or three times, only : once, in the year above named, 

 along the road between St. Helena and Calistoga, I saw them in 

 abundance, but the occurrence was extremely local. 



Philenor larvse are said to feed on Aristolochia, "the Dutch- 

 man's pipe," and a vine of this class is found, though rarely, be- 

 tween Monterey and Marin County, and also at Chico, and Red- 

 ding, and nowhere else has the vine been observed, though it must 

 be present at the locality where these butterflies were found. If, 

 therefore, as is likely, Philenor larvje feed exclusively on Aristo- 

 lochia, the butterflies will necessarily be much restricted in dif- 

 fusion. 



