ARGYNNIS VI. 



ARGYNNIS ALCESTIS, 1-4. 



An/i/nnis Alcesli.i, Edw., Tr. Am. Eiit. Sue, V., p. 289. 187«. I<1., Can. Ent., Vol. XII., p. 69. 1879. 

 Worthington, Can. Ent., Vol. X., p. 37. 1878. French, Butt. East. U. S., p. 158. 1886. Scuddi-r, 

 Butt. N. E., Vol. III., p. 1802. 1889. 



M.\LE. — Expands about 2.8 inches. 



Upper side bright fulvous, but sHghtly obscured at base ; hind margins bor- 

 dered by two parallel lines, the spots on inner side of which, on primaries, are 

 lunate next apex, elsewhere serrate, on secondaries lunate, small ; other mark- 

 ings as in Aphrodite; the mesial band, on both wings, broken into separated 

 spots, which on secondaries are very small ; fringes of primaries alternately fus- 

 cous and yellowish, in equal parts, of secondaries yellowish, with fuscous at the 

 tips of the nervules. 



Under side of primaries bright cinnamon-red from base to margin, the apical 

 area of same hue as the hind wing, varying as that varies; the black markings 

 repeated ; the upper five, and often the sixth, submarginal spots silvered, and 

 two or three silver spots subapical. 



Secondaries of one color from base to margin, either dark chocolate-brown, as 

 in Idalla, or deep ferruginous-brown, with no mottling on the disk, and therefore 

 in contrast with the allied species Ai^hrodlte and Clpris ; occasionally, in the 

 middle of the space between the two outer rows of silver spots is a narrow strip 

 or a streak which shows a pale subcolor, but washed by the prevailing color of 

 the wing ; the spots well silvered ; the seven of the outer row sub-triangular, 

 edged on basal side with darker ferruginous ; the second row has the first three 

 and fifth and sixth nearly equal, sub-ovate, the fourth small, sub-triangular, the 

 seventh and eighth sub-lunate, the eighth sometimes wanting, or obsolescent ; in 

 the third row are five spots, the first sub-rotund, the second and fifth small, long 

 oval, the third sub-pyriform, large, divided, with a black edging on the basal 

 side of the outer segment, the fourth rather small, lunate ; all these, as well as 

 the spots of the second row, heavily edged with black on basal side ; in the cell 

 are either one or two round spots, and below cell an oval, all ringed black ; a 

 spot without black at base of cell, and another at base of subcostal interspace ; 

 also at the origin of costal interspace is an elongated silver spot edged with 

 black, and frequently the costal margin next base has very little or no silver ; 

 inner margin lightly silvered. 



Body above red-fulvous, brown tinted ; beneath, the thorax buff with fulvous 



