174 THE BUTTERFLIES OF THE 



rows of stout, fleshy, tapering black spines, and a minute 

 row over the feet. After three or four days it moults a 

 second time, when the color is black-brown, and this color 

 remains through the next stage, with sometimes a broken 

 yellow stripe along the side. To come to maturity it 

 moults four times. 



The mature larva is an inch in length, blackj'=*h brown 

 above and greenish brown beneath. Head black, cordate, 

 the sides high and rounded, and clothed with numerous 

 black hairs arising from black papillae. The spines 

 long, black, tapering, armed with short black hairs, each 

 springing from a shining black tubercle, except those of 

 the lowest row, which stand upon greenish or yellowish 

 tubercles. A black band runs along the base, with a 

 yellow stripe in the line of the lower lateral spines, and 

 a broken yellow stigmatal stripe. In some cases this is 

 ochre or reddish yellow. The back and sides are much 

 dotted with white. 



The chrysalis is similar in shape to M. Phaeton, with 

 five rows of conical tubercles on the abdomen. The 

 color varies extremely : some are wholly greenish yellow, 

 others pink-brown, others gray-brown ; with usually but 

 few dark markings. 



The food-plants are Diplopappus umbellatuSy Aster, 

 Actinomeris, and sunflowers. 



Maine to North Carolina and west, Mississippi Valley. 



50. Phyciodes Ismeria, Bd. — Lee. 



Expanse of wings from 1.3 to 1.5 inches. 



Upper surface much as in P. Nydeis, except that 

 most of the wing is black, there being some fulvous spots 

 near the base of the fore wings, a ftilvous band through 



