LEPIDOPTEKA. 399 



phalinae. The color of the wings is sometimes black, with 

 red and yellow spots ; but it is usually fulvous, with the fore 

 wings broadly margined, especially at the apex, with black, 

 and crossed by many irregular lines of black. About fifty 

 species occur in this country. 



The Baltimore, EupJiydryas phaeton (Eu-phyd'ry-as pha'- 

 e-ton). — The wings above are black, with an outer marginal 

 row of dark reddish-orange spots, and parallel rows of very 

 pale yellow spots; on the fore wings a third row is more or 

 less represented. The wings expand two inches or more. 



The larvae feed on a species of snakehead {Che lone 

 glabra) ; they are gregarious, and build a common nest by 

 weaving together the leaves of their food-plant. The species 

 occurs in Ontario and the northern half of the United States 

 east of the Rocky Mountains. It is very local, the butter- 

 flies remaining near the bogs »or moist meadows where the 

 food-plant of the larva is found. 



The butterflies of the genus PJiyciodes (Phy-ci-o'des) and 

 the allied genera abound throughout our country. They are 

 of small size, and of a fulvous color, 

 heavily marked with black. Each 

 species varies considerably in mark- 

 ings, and different species resemble 

 each other quite closely, making 

 this a difficult group for the begin- 



, -!->• , „„ Fig. 470. — Phyciodes nycteis. 



ning student. figure 470 repre- 

 sents a common species. 



II. The Fritillaries (Frit'il-la-ries) or the Argynnids (Ar- 

 gyn'nids). — This group includes butterflies varying from a 

 little below to somewhat above medium size. The color of 

 the wings is fulvous, bordered and checkered with black, but 

 not so heavily bordered as in the crescent-spots. The lower 

 surface of the hind wings is often marked with curving rows 

 of silvery spots. This is a large group containing many 

 species, which are extremely difficult to separate. More 

 than fifty species occur in America north of Mexico. The 

 larvae feed upon the leaves of violets. 



