THE COMMA BUTTERFLY. 241 



body is cylindrical, black, thickly covered with streaks and dots of yellowish white; 

 the second segment is without spines, but with a row of yellowish tubercles in their 

 place; the third segment has four branching spine-;, all black, with a spot of dark 

 yellow at their base; and on the fourth segment are four spines, as there are on all 

 the others, excepting the terminal, .which has two pairs, one ijosterior to the other. 

 The spines are yellow, with blackish branches, excepting the terminal pair, which is 

 black; and there is a row of reddish ones on each side. The under surface is yellow- 

 ish gray, darker on the anterior segments, with a central line of blackish, and many 

 small, black dots. (Saunders.) 



The chrysalis is ash brown, with the head deeply notched ; and there are eight sil- 

 very spots on the back. The chrysalis state lasts from twelve to fourteen days. 



25. The progne grapta. »_ 



Grapta progne (Cramer). 



Late in June, eating the leaves, a more common spiny caterpillar than the preced- 

 ing, being white mottled with gray, the butterfly smaller than the foregoing and 

 marked with a reversed silver C or comma 

 in the middle of the hinder wings; but 

 one brood of butterflies appearing in 



July- 

 Regarding the number of broods, Mr. 

 D. S. Harris writes us from Cuba, 111. : 



On page 66 of Bulletin on Forest In- 

 sects, you state that Grapta progne (Cra- 

 mer) is single brooded. I have quite a 



number of the caterpillars about ready ^^^^^I 



to change into chrysalids. I also have ""V^ 



butterflies of this species which emerged ^'*'- 8*— Grapta progne -From Packard, 



from the chrysalis during the month of September, showing that they are double 

 brooded in this State. They are quite destructive this year. 



The larva is gray, mottled with whitish ; head white, with two black prickles. The 

 two upper long-branched prickles upon the second ring black; no spines on the pro- 

 thoracic segments ; those on the succeeding rings white, tipped with black ; their 

 branches white, toward the forward end of the body becoming more and more tipped 

 with black. (Fitch.) 



26. The comma butterfly. 

 Grapta comma (Harris). 



Another caterpillar closely resembling that of G. progne, but different in being of a 

 brownish-red color in front and white or pale yellow behind. 



The half-groion larva is black, with a yellowish stripe along the side from the third 

 segment to the tail, and with yellow stripes across the back, and spots of the same 

 color at the base of the dorsal spines, which are yellow, tipped with black. The 

 mature caterpillar is white, mottled or striped with gray or ashen, and with red spir- 

 acles (W. H. Edwards). It differs from the larva of G. progne in its brownish-red face, 

 and in being more yellowish on the abdominal segments. 



The cftr^sa/is is brownish-gray or white, variegated with pale brown and ornamented 

 with gold on the tubercles. 



Thehutterfly differs from the Progne in the hind wings having a black spot on their 

 center, as well as two others toward their base, and on their under side a central sil- 

 very curved mark like the letter C. Expanse of wings about two inches. It appears 

 in May, and a second brood iu July, August, and September. This caterpillar is more 

 common on the currant and hop. 

 5 ENT IG 



