1402 



THE BUTTERFLIES OF NEW ENGLAND. 



Described from 173 , 10 9 . 



Suffused aberration. Epargyueus tityrus obliteratus. Mr. Roland Tbaxter 

 has giveu me a remarkable male of this species taken near Boston. It measures but 23 

 mm. in length of fore wiug and the only markings on the upper surface are a single 

 very small square vitreous spot in the position of the upper of the normal preapical 

 spots ; and in place of the broad mesial band of spots, separated only by the nervures, 

 a perfectly straight series of three subequal, equidistant, rather faint roundish spots 

 of the normal color, one in the costo-subcostal interspace longer than broad, a quad- 

 rate larger one in the cell, and a similar, fainter, round one in the lower median inter- 

 space ; they are less than a quarter of the usual size ; the other two spots of the mesial 

 series as- well as the spot of the upper median interspace are wholly absent. Beneath, 

 the s.ame spots only are present on the fore wing, these of the mesial band larger and 

 more distinct, with faint traces of the two missing spots. The cliange on the hind 

 wing, however, is in the opposite direction : the minute spot at tlie base of the cell is 

 present and the mesial band, perhaps less intensely silvery than usual, is very broad; 

 its exterior border runs in a vaguely sinuate course subparallel to the hind border, but 

 a little nearer to it below than above, from the middle of the outer two thirds of the 

 costal to the middle of the outer third of the submedian nervure, beyond which a few 

 scales are scattered along the nervure toward the margin of the wing ; the Interior 

 border of the band extends between the same nervures from the middle of the basal 

 two-thirds of the costal to and beyond the first divarication of the median, with a deep 

 indentation in the upper part of the cell nearly to its tip. The upper part of the band 

 is thus double tlie iisu.al width. 



Accessory sexual peculiarities. The costal fold of the fore wing of the male 

 encloses two sorts of scales: one a rod-bristle (47:11b) of extreme tenuity, about 

 .025 mm. long, and very delicately flagellate at tip; the other an attenuated, very slen- 

 derly lanceolate, spatulate-tipped scale (,47: 11a) with a granular structure, generally 

 a little longer than the rod-bristles, which is about their longest, but varying greatly 

 in length, some being less than half as long as others. Perhaps minute, peg-like 

 androconia may have been overlooked. 



Egg. Furnished with from sixteen to nineteen vertical ribs, which are of equal 

 elevation throughout, every .alternate one running from the extreme base nearly or 

 quite to the micropylic basin, which is about .15 mm. in diameter, the others stopping 

 a little short of it near the middle of one side of the dome; at their widest these ribs 

 are .2 mm. apart; the interspaces are crossed by very delicate, straight, transverse 

 lines, .02 mm. apart, breaking the interspaces up into quadrangular cells, about ten 

 times as broad as high ; these lines as they cross the ribs cut them so as to give them 

 a beaded or denticulate appearance. Color of egg grass green. Height, .88 mm. ; 

 width, 1.01 mm. 



Caterpillar. First stage (73:8). Head (80:19) black-brown, nearly orbicular, 

 slightly subcordate, with a few white or colorless hairs; mouth parts nearly black. 

 First segment slightly dingier than the rest of the pale greenish yellow body, with a 

 faint testaceous indication of the coming shield, easily overlooked. Legs and prolegs 

 of color of the body. Length, 2.5 mm. ; breadth, .4 mm. ; length of bristles, .04 mm. 



Second stage. Head round, piceous, with white hairs; third joint of antennae 

 black, bristle white. Mouth parts blackish red. First thoracic segment dull vinous, 

 with a large, broad, black, dorsal shield, rounded at the sides. Rest of body dull green- 

 ish yellow from the contents of the intestine, with prolegs and legs, including claws, of 

 same color, the front pair of legs a little infuscated; hairs few, short, definitely dis- 



