NO. 7 THE GOLD-BANDED SKIPPER CLARK 23 



and discolored dark brown, but we had never previously found any 

 evidence that the caterpillars of Rhabdoides cellus were attacked by 

 this disease. 



In the area in which we found it the butterfly was probably at 

 approximately its maximum abundance, for in midsummer every hog- 

 peanut plant on each of its long trailing shoots harbored at least one 

 group of caterpillars, and usually two or more. On many of the more 

 isolated and peripheral plants and shoots, and on such shoots as 

 climbed high above the general mass, all the leaflets except a few of 

 the largest near the base were entirely destroyed. 



On June i, 1935, W. Herbert Wagner found that the butterflies 

 had reappeared, having survived an unusually severe winter. 



The following account of the gold-banded skipper and its early 

 stages is based upon observations on 61 living butterflies, the majority 

 of which were caught, nearly 400 larvae representing all stages col- 

 lected and brought home, and about 200 eggs and empty egg shells. 



SEASON 



In the vicinity of Washington this butterfly first appears late in 

 May, flies through June, attaining its maximum shortly after the end 

 of the third week, and disappears soon after the first of July. The 

 second brood appears at the end of the third week in July, and the 

 butterfly continues on the wing uninterruptedly, though in constantly 

 diminishing numbers, until about the end of August. 



The eggs are deposited over a long period, so that at the time of the 

 disappearance of the first brood unhatched eggs, larvae in all stages, 

 and pupae are to be found. 



In July the butterfly is markedly less numerous than in June. Of 

 the six pupae raised in the house three produced butterflies in 14-16 

 days, and three others remained as pupae until the end of the season. 

 In view of the diminishing numbers of all stages of this butterfly 

 with advancing summer in the field there can be no doubt that in nature, 

 as well as under more or less artificial conditions, a very large per- 

 centage of the pupae from caterpillars of the second and succeeding 

 broods last over until the following spring, just as is the case with 

 Epargyreus tityrns and Achalants lyciades, and with the local species 

 of Thorybes and of Thanaos that have a second brood. 



The period of emergence of the second brood is very much longer 

 than that of the first brood. But the effect of this on the number of 

 butterflies on the wing at any one time is undoubtedly more than offset 

 by the relatively slight mortality in the younger stages as compared 

 with the heavy mortality among hibernating pupae. 



