32 



BRITISH BUTTERFLIES. 



This habit of Melitaea maturna appears to be exactly parallel to 

 that of the American Cinclidia harrisii, the larvae of which are said to 

 desert their nests at the approach of winter, and hybernate in dried 

 leaves, etc., but the information available on this point is small. In 

 the spring, these larvae awaken early, and, though they spin no kind of 

 web, are rarely found alone, but may generally be seen in large 

 numbers on Doellingeria, sometimes as many as twenty on a single 

 stalk, often four or five on the same leaf (op. cit., p. 681). On the 

 other hand the habits of the larvae of Euphydryas chalcedon and 

 E. phaeton appear to be identical with those of M..aurinia,. etc., and the 

 observation (op. cit., pp. 699-700) that, " in the spring, the larvae of the 

 latter forsake their web, and, though still gregarious to a limited 

 extent, wander ceaselessly about, swarming over Lonicera and other 

 plants, seeking only the concealment of leaves and the underside of 

 sticks in their moultings or during storms, whilst, at other times, they 

 live fully exposed to view," reminds one much of the larvae of M. 

 cinxia, M. aurinia, etc., as also does the further observation that they 

 "do not seek protection by feeding at night, whilst their only sensi- 

 tiveness to danger is shown by the readiness with which they coil up 

 and drop to the ground when the plant on which they are is jarred." 

 The statement that " their movements are active " only applies in 

 part, however, to our British species. These latter agree, especially 

 when nearly fullfed, much more with the larvae of Phyciodes tharos, which 

 Scudder says (op. cit., p. 638) are very inactive and cannot be roused to 

 movement, and which, at the most, will coil themselves in a circle and 

 drop to the ground. This also is the case with the larvae of Charidryas 

 nycteis, which, if disturbed, loosen their hold and fall to the ground, 

 their bodies bent in a circle, and which, after lying motionless for a 

 few minutes, will, if not further disturbed, arouse themselves and 

 travel rapidly away to some place of concealment. 



The capacity of producing "forwards," in what is generally a 

 group with larvae of single-brooded habits, is markedly noticeable in 

 some species in more southern localities. In Melitaea parthenie, the 

 number of " forwards " is a very large one ; in M phoebe, M. didyma, and 

 M. cinxia, moderately large ; whilst in M. dictynna, M. athalia, etc., a 

 " forward" larva is a great rarity. As a result, there is considerable 

 variation in the length of the aestivating period leading up to hyberna- 

 tion, the larvae of both broods going through the winter in the same 

 stadium. Edwards is described (Scudder's Butts. New England, 

 p. 665) as stating that CJiaridryas nycteis is partially triple-brooded in 

 its southern habitats, about one-third of the larvae of the first brood 

 becoming dormant, i.e., two-thirds develop "forward" habits, of the 

 second brood about one-third develop "forward" habits, whilst the 

 whole of the third brood pass through the winter in the same stage as 

 the " laggards " of the first and second broods. 



It may be here interesting to note that the peculiar jerking motion 

 which one notices when the young larvae of our British species of 

 Melitaeids are alarmed, the head being jerked from side to side, the 

 larva clinging by its last segments to a leaf or stalk, is noted by 

 Scudder as occurring also in Cinclidia harrisii. One must add, 

 however, that this is not confined in any way to this family, but is 

 much more general, being common in certain Vanessid larvae, and also 

 in those of many moths. 



