PSYCHE. 



THE CHRYSALIS OF FENISECA TARQUIXIUS. 



BY SAMUEL H. SCUDDER, CAMBR I DGE, MASS. 



In Psyche for January, 1S93 (Vol. 

 vi) Dr. W. J. Holland gave a greatly 

 enlarged figure of the chrysalis of Spal- 

 or/s s-signata of West Africa to show 

 the extraordinary likeness a slightly 

 oblique aspect of the creature bore to 

 a human or rather a simian face. 

 This was the more curious because, 

 as pointed out by him, a similar like- 

 ness had before been remarked in the 

 chrysalis of our own Feniseca tarquin- 

 ius, by Mr. Edwards and Miss Morton ; 

 and because in both cases the larva is 

 aphidivorous — an exceedingly e.xcep- 

 tional carnivorous habit for the cater- 

 pillars of butterflies. The original 

 paper by Mr. Edwards, including Miss 

 Morton's observations, will be found 

 in the Canadian Entomologist for Aug- 

 ust, 1SS6 (vol. xviii). The simian 

 resemblance has also been shown in 

 an Indian Spalgis in the Journ. Bom- 

 bay Nat. Hist. Soc, Vol. S, pi. A. 



In the early part of last August Lt. 

 Wirt Robinson, U. S. A., sent me in 

 alcohol from Hot Springs, Va., a chry- 

 salis of Feniseca which he had found 

 on the under side of a maple leaf and 

 suggested that it would furnish an 

 opportunity for a drawing which should 

 show " the perfect resemblance which 

 it bears to a face." I follow my 

 friend's suggestion and show herewith 



on the plate (3) opposite this page the 

 result. The view, as will be seen, is 

 dorsal and taken obliquely from in 

 front and at one side, as this brings out 

 best the characteristic features, and it 

 is, moreover, nearly the same point of 

 view as that used by Dr. Holland for 

 Spalgis. The resemblance is not so 

 striking nor so grotesque as thei-e, nor 

 is the expression so leering, but it can 

 hardly be overlooked and is certainly 

 extremely curious. A dorsal view of 

 Feniseca also enlarged was given in the 

 Entomological News for September, 

 1S96 (vol. vii), but seems to be less sat- 

 isfactory than a partially lateral view. 



It may be added that Lt. Robinson 

 found the larva feeding upon aphid 

 colonies on the twigs of maple at Hot 

 Springs, the species being doubtless 

 Pemphigus aceris Monell. It has 

 heretofore been found principally in 

 the colonies of the alder plant-louse, 

 Schizonetira tessellata, but also in 

 those of Pemphigus fraxinifolia and 

 P. imbricator of the ash and beach 

 respectively. The larva has also been 

 fed in captivity on aphides from other 

 plants, and as it has been reported as 

 occurring on still other plants may 

 doubtless have a considerable range of 

 aphid diet and probably be found any- 

 where on colonized plant lice. 



