430 MELITAEA. By Dr. A. Seitz. 



On examining, however, on PI. 91, our figures oi Eresia, one might indeed take them to be a group of Helico- 

 nids, Acraeids and Ithomiinae. American Melitaea are distinguished by liaving the palpi very finely pointed, 

 the second joint being rather stout, but not swollen; in structure they resemble those of Phyciodes (Reuter). 

 It may be stated that the definition or limitation of these two genera is not at all the same with all writers, 

 in consequence of which a nuniber of intermediate genera have been created, such as Thessalia, Charydras, 

 Cinclidia etc., which in part contain species belonging to either genus. I consider as true Melitaea all the 

 more robust forms found in temperate North America, whereas the Phyciodes which being very numerous all 

 the way froni Texas to Patagonia, are represented in the North by but a few forms, may be regarded as their 

 southern representatives. 



As of Argynnis, thus we also fmd of Melitaea^ the largest species in America. In the Old world the larg- 

 est forms are those observed in Efistern Asia ; but even these are. especially as regards the volume of the body, 

 far surpassed by the gigantic American forms, such as we have represented on PI. 88 a, notwithstanding the 

 fact that the original from which the phaeton $ was figured, was artificially bred at Francfort, that is under ra- 

 ther unfavourable conditions. The differences between the Old and New world Melitaea are exactly those exi- 

 .sting between the European and American Lepidoptera in general, which I may sum up in these words: 

 In North America we find the species on the whole larger, less variable and much richer in individual numbers. 

 What the European collector on that continent is most forcibly struck by, is the astonishing number of butter- 

 flies assembling in many localities, the like of which may in Europe only be found in certain favourable places in 

 the higher Mountains. The larger size and more brillant colour of the Nearctic butterflies renders moreover 

 a day's catch a much more imposing and conspicuous sight than is the case in Europe or Western Asia. 

 But on close examination one finds that very often it contains but few diurnal species ; indeed in most places 

 in North America it would be no easy matter to gather hi one day say from 30 to 40 different species, 

 a result which in Central Europe would, in favourable localities, be attained without the least difficulty. 



The genus Melitaea ranges in America from Canada to Mexico, but does not by far advance, as far north 

 as Argynnis. In the Eastern States only two species are known, all others inhabit the South and West, 

 mostly California. Many species are, where they are found, among the commonest butterflies, occurring occasio- 

 nally in dense swarms, a fact never observed in Eastern species. Some few species were bred in Europe from 

 imported material. 



Head large, thick, eyes distented, palpi long, porrect or upturned, heavily clothed with bristly hair 

 beneath, with the second joint larger but not swollen, the third finely pointed. Antejinae about half as long 

 as the costa, occasionally somewhat less, ringed, thin and straight, with an oval, concave, rather spoon-shaped 

 club. Forefeet almost {gabbii) or quite naked (phaeton), the mesothoracic and hmdlegs stout and short, with 

 the tibiae moderately or quite feebly armed with spines, occasionally without them. Forewings bluntly triangu- 

 lar, the termen slightly curved, the apex rarely projected {leanira); the middle cell broad; subcostal five-bran- 

 ched, the first nervule arismg before, the second immediately behind the end of the cell, the third beyond 

 the middle of the wing; hindwings with the inner margin quite feebly concave; round, with rounded apex, and 

 acutely angled anally. Abdomen of some $$ unusually stout and heavy, especially in phaeton and chalcedon. — 

 Egg subcylindrical, truncated above and below, delicately fluted. Larva with short heavy fleshy spines covered 

 with short, bristly diverging hair; many species are gregarious when young, separating when older into troups 

 of 2 — 3; they feed upon Castileja, Diplopappus, Chelonia, Lonicera, Mimulus, Scrophularia and other lower 

 plants; mostly whitish or bluish marked with darker. 



phaeton. M. phaeton Drury (= phaetana Hbn., phaetoneta Godt., phaedon H.-Schdff., superba Streck., phaetusa 



Hulst, streckeri Edir.) (88 a). Black, with orange-brown spots in ths cell and before the termen and with 

 marginal rows of lemon-yellow spots; all the spots heavier underneath. The aboVe-mentioned synonyms refer 

 mostly to quite unessential variations in the extent of the spots. — Larva blackish, head and anal seg- 

 ment deep black, the middle segments clouded and tinged with reddish-brown, the spines and head glossy 

 black, venter rufous; hibernates in a common web, which is larger than a hand, but frequently is found 

 at some distance from the foodplant (Chelone, Lonicera ciliata, Viburum dentatum, Mimulus ringens, Gerar- 

 dia pediculata), so that one nmst assume that they wander about. After hibernating they disperse and pupate 

 m May. Pupa cream-white, of a bluish iridescence, finely dotted and spotted with black and orange. Imago 

 flies from the end of May to July; but smce stray specimens are found also in August and even September, 

 it seems that in certain localities a second or exceptionally a fall-brood exists. It frequents the proximity 

 of moist meadows, especially those near some woods, and is in certain localities exceedingly common; its flight 

 is slow, and it alights more frequently on leaves or on the ground than on flowers. $$ deposit their red eggs 

 in dense clusters, often 400 or more. — phaeton is the only Melitaea found ua the Eastern States. A remar- 

 kable fact is that several other species of butterflies superficially resembling M. phneton, such as the Pierid 

 Eucheira socialis (18 g) and the Nymphalid Morphels ehrenhergii (93 a) likewise live in a common web. 



chalcedon. M. chalcedon D6f/. and //e;/'. (88 a) is of the same, equally variable size as phaeton, tapper surface 



