ARGYNNIS. By Dr. A. Seitz. '^27 



The larvae of Argynnis often live well concealed, in contrast to the larvae of Melilaea, wliich usually 

 feed in day-time and do not conceal themselves. Almost without exception they can be fed up on Violaceae, 

 but many also accept Polygonum, Sanguisorba, Rubus and Spiraea. They hibernate and always keep close 

 to the ground. The larvae of some species (paphia) are known to migrate, fast crawling ArgijnnisAarvAe having 

 been found covering the roads in the woods. The pupae are suspended low above the ground, hanging rarely 

 more than 2 feet high on low plants or stalks and pieces of bark. The butterflies are very plentiful, except 

 at the boundaries of the area of distribution, occurring often in groat abundance and flying in meadows, on 

 slopes, clearings in the woods, at road-sides and on fields. Tlieir flight is usually rather fast, alternately darting 

 and buzzing, only the very large species having an undulating or sailing flight. They visit flowers of all kinds, 

 but especially scabious and thistles, and also drink on damp places on the roads, sometimes congregating in 

 numbers; at the exuding sap of trees, however, I have met with only one species in one single case (A. 

 anadyomene), the specimen having probably been attracted by a crowd of Vanessas. Most species are not 

 shy, being easy to catch, for instance on alpine pastures, brambles and thistles. 



As regards variation, the Argynnis show a decided tendency to melanism, like the Melitaeas. All inter- 

 gradations are known from specimens with a somewhat stronger development of the dots of the upperside 

 to examples in which the spots are merged together to large black central patches or in which even the whole 

 upperside is black. This kind of development may be accompanied by an increase in the silvery markings 

 on the underside, the under surface of the hindwing being sometimes all silvery, hardly interrupted by the 

 veins (valdensis, argyrrorhytes). Albinism may obtain in all parts of the upperside, even on both sides, but 

 may also be peculiarly modified. There occur for instance occasional specimens in which the ground-colour 

 has remained reddish yellow, while the black spots of the upperside are replaced by whitish ones. I have before 

 me also specimens fdia, paphia) Jn which the 4 wings bear large pale central patches, which are quite evenly 

 developed in shape and colour. ^Aberrations in the complicated pattern of the underside of the hindwing have 

 been found in nearly all the species. 



A. aphirape Hbn. (= eunomia Esp., tomyris Hbst.) (67f). Above pale reddish yellow, with a narrow black aphirape. 

 margin and small black submarginal lunules; the basal area separated from the central area by a black dentate 

 line and bearing heavy markings. The median area with but one very regular row of dots in the middle, at 

 the proximal side of which there are often feeble shadows in the ?. Hindwing proximally dull ochreous, with 

 yellowish macular bands near the base and in the middle. The distal area of the hindwing beneath light yellow, 

 with a row of small white-centred ocelli and thin hastate markings before the margin. In Germany, Holland, 

 and almost the whole of North Europe, especially Russia, and in Armenia. — asiatica Stgr. (67f) differs in the asiatica. 

 distal area of the hindwing beneath and the basal and median bands being white instead of pale yellow; in 

 Sibiria eastward to the coast of the Pacific. — ossianus Hbst. (67f) closely resembles the preceding above, ossianus. 

 but is much more prominently marked beneath, the forewing beneath lieing much more intensely marked with 

 black and the ground-colour between the silvery bands of the hindwing being cinnamon instead of leather- 

 yellow; the silver-markings of the marginal spots mucli more glossy, the oceUi before the margin much 

 larger, more blackish, with strongly silvery pupils. In Scandinavia, North Russia, and East Siberia. This 

 northern form is exceedingly variable, especially on the underside, wliich differs even in specimens from 

 the same locality. Mewes describes the following aberrations: ab. selenoides, resembles selene in the hind- selenoides. 

 wing beneath being brightly variegated; ab. decorosa, the underside on the contrary is unicolorous, darkened, decorosa. 

 with strongly developed silver-spots; ab. inops has the median band of the hindwing beneath several times inops. 

 interrupted by black; in ab. rudolphi on the other hand the underside has less black, only the veins being mdolphi. 

 distinctly dark; in ab. discalis the median band of the underside of the hindwing interrupts in several places discalis. 

 its external shadow; in ab. limbalis the outer half of the hindwing beneath is almost uniformly yellowish red limhalis. 

 with very few markings; in al>. basalis the basal band of the underside is strongly reduced or entirely absent; basalis. 

 in ab. cultrimacula the light basal spot is connected with the light median band. All these forms of ossianus cultrimacula. 

 intergrade, some being based on single specimens. — A further form of aphirape, obscura Stgr. (67f), has the obscura. 

 upperside 'so extended black that only very small spots remain of the ground-colour, which are also more 

 brownish; from North Finland. This is a constant form, occurring in both sexes, ab. aino Sahib., on the aino. 

 other hand, from the same country, represents an occasional case of melanism, the black markings of the upper- 

 side being partly confluent; tlie ground-colour is densely shaded with black between the silvery white bands 

 of the hindwing beneath. In ab. kullervo Sahib., likewise a melanotic form from Finland, the remnants of the kultervo. 

 ground-colour between the macular bands of the hindwing beneath are replaced by two deep black bands and 

 the black spots on the forewing beneath are confluent. In ab. Isabella Tengstr., from Finland, the ground Isabella. 

 colour is whitish on the upperside, honey-yellow beneath. — triclaris//6n. (= ossianus Bsd.) (67g), from Labrador triclaris. 

 and the central mountains of the United States, occurs also in Siberia according to Elwes and is to be united 

 with Graeser's „conspicuously paler" form from Nicolajevsk. The ground-colour is light reddish yellow and 

 very pure, the black markings' being prominent but very thin. The median area is pure yellowish red, with a 



