THE TRIBE OF THE COPPERS ^55 



termingled with it, while through all — the cast skins, the 

 silken web, and even the hairs on the body of the cater- 

 pillar — there runs a woof of the woolly excretion — ef- 

 fectually concealing the larva from sight. 



The woolly aphids thus serve as the sole food of the 

 caterpillar during its brief life as a larva. Perhaps be- 

 cause of the pre-digested nature of its food, it is able to 

 mature much sooner than most butterfly larvae. In 

 about eleven days after hatching it is ready to change to a 

 chrysalis, having undergone during this period only three 

 moults, instead of at least four as with other caterpillars. 

 Each caterpillar then changes to a chrysalis which is re- 

 markable because the form and color of its back bears a 

 striking resemblance to the face of a miniature monkey. 

 It remains in this condition nearly a fortnight and then 

 emerges as a butterfly. 



In New England and the Northern states the short life 

 of the larva enables this insect to mature three broods 

 each season. Farther south there are probably more, for 

 this species is widely distributed in eastern North Amer- 

 ica, occurring from Nova Scotia to Georgia and west to 

 the Mississippi Valley. 



The American Copper 



Heodes hypophlaeas 



This little butterfly is one of the most generally abund- 

 ant insects in the northern part of North America. It 

 commonly occurs from ocean to ocean, from the Hudson 

 Bay region to the latitude of Georgia, and it flies freely 

 in city parks and village yards as well as in the more open 



