Genus Eresia 



Genus ERESIA, Doubleday 



Butterfly. Small butterflies, closely resembling the species of 

 the genus Phyciodes in the neuration of the wings, and only differ- 

 ing from them in the outline of the outer margin of the primaries, 

 which are more or less excavated about the mid- 

 dle. In the style of the markings they differ 

 somewhat widely from the butterflies of the genus 

 Pbyciodes, notably in the absence of the crescents 

 on the margins of the wings. The wings on the 

 upper side are generally some shade of deep brown 

 or black, marked with spots and bands of white 

 or fulvous, the median band on the hind wings 

 being generally more or less conspicuous. In the FIG. 93. Neu- 

 pattern of their markings they illustrate a transition ration of the genus 

 from the genus Phyciodes to the genus Synchloe. enlarged. S ' g * 



Egg. Hitherto undescribed. 



Caterpillar. Cylindrical, with seven rows of spines, one 

 dorsal, and three lateral on each side; the spines are short, blunt, 

 and armed with short bristles. The head is subcordate, with the 

 vertices rounded. It moults four times. 



Chrysalis. Cylindrical, abdomen stout, head-case short, bev- 

 eled, nearly square at top, the vertices pyramidal. There are 

 three rows of small tubercles on the dorsal side of the abdo- 

 men. 



The caterpillars so far as known feed upon various Composite?, 

 as Diclippa and Actinomeris. 



The genus, which is somewhat doubtfully separable from Phy- 

 ciodes, and probably possesses only subgeneric value, is well 

 represented in Central and South America. But three species 

 are found in the faunal region of which this book treats. 



(i) Eresia frisia, Poey, Plate XVII, Fig. 42, $ (Frisia). 



Butterfly. Upper side reddish-fulvous, clouded with fuscous 

 at the base. On the. basal area are waved black lines, separate 

 on the hind wings, more or less blended on the fore wings. 

 The outer border is broadly black. Between this border and 

 the basal third the wing is crossed by irregular black bands, the 

 spaces between which are paler fulvous than the base and the 

 hind wings, those near the outer margin being whitish. These 



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