NYMPHALINAE; EUPTOIETA. By Dr. A. Serrz. 403 
3. Subfamily: Nymphalinae. 
Group A: Argynnidi. 
Here we meet for the first time with a group of Nymphalids represented also in the Palaearctic Region*). 
Therefore I refer to what has been said, in Vol. I, p. 211 ff., about the Argynninae under ‘“‘Tribus**) 
Argynnidi’. Also in this, the American part, we combine for simplicity’s sake the genera Phyciodes, Eresia, 
Chlosyne, separated by REUTER as Melitaeidi, with the true Argynnidi. In the far North of America repre- 
sentatives of the Argynnis-group, sometimes separated as Brenthis or Boloria, not only play the same part as 
in the Old World, but frequently even belong to the same species, advancing here as well as there among all 
Diurna farthest to the Arctic North. Farther South we see the Brenthis flying side by side with typical Ar- 
gynnis, being more and more superseded by these, which, together with Melitaea, prevail in Southern Canada 
and the United States. Still farther South, in the southern United States, it is Hwptoieta which, less by the num- 
ber of species than of individuals, takes the lead, Welitaea being replaced by Phyciodes and Chlosyne. The latter 
genus prevails throughout Mexico and Central America, and the gorgeous, mostly jetblack Chlosyne are, by 
virtue of their enormous abundance and their almost unique variability, quite characteristic of the butterfly- 
fauna of the countries lying to the south of the tropic of cancer. Farther South their place is taken by the generi- 
cally most closely allied Phyciodes and Hresia which, especially in the tropical forest-zone of South America, have 
developed an enormous number of forms, being thus the largest American Nymphalid genus. In the far South, 
in the Argentine Pampas and Patagonia, the Huptoieta reappear which in the Tropics had completely disappea- 
red, and finally the ring is closed again in the Chilean Andes by Brenthis. Thus we may illustrate the occurrence 
in America of the principal groups of Argynnidi by the following scheme ; 
60° N. L. Brenthis 
Brenthis. 
459 N. L. Brenthis, Argynnis, Melitaea 
359 N. L. Euptoieta, Phyciodes 
259 N. L. Phyciodes, Chlosyne 
10° N. L. Chlosyne 
0 Phyciodes, Chlosyne, Eresia 
15° §. L. Phyciodes, EHresia 
30° 8. L. Phyciodes, Euptoveta 
L 
40° §. 
1. Genus: Euptoieta Doi. 
Although numbering only 3, perhaps even only 2 species, this genus plays an important part by 
its enormous abundance of individuals. They closelyresemble Argynnis, with which they also anatomically 
agree very well, so that neither DousLepay nor FeLpER or REUTER succeeded in separating them in a natural 
way. Like the true Argynnis, they have the head uncommonly large and thick, so that in regularly set speci- 
mens the base of the costa touches the eyes. These latter are on either side of the broad frons enormously 
distented, naked (i. e. without rough hair); tongue strong, distinctly coloured, the antennae suddenly termina- 
ted by a conspicuous club which after drying appears flat. Palpi large and long, porrect, distented, thickly 
covered with rough, bristly hair. The forewings have the costal margin, especially at the base, strongly 
curved downwards. All the cells are closed, but in the hindwing the lower discocellular is so feeble that it 
can hardly be seen and, indeed, has frequently been overlooked; in the forewing the upper discocellular strongly 
curved inwards. The hindwing is remarkable on account of the almost rectilinear costal margin, in conse- 
quence of which the apex is almost as pointed as in Brenthis. — Alsoin the earlier stages it closely approaches 
Argynnis; especially the shortness of the blunt, stout spines of the larva, and the completely rounded ante- 
rior part of the pupa remind us of Argynnis and Melitaea. Its distribution is rather curious. ZH. claudia is 
found in the northern United States, being replaced farther South by hegesia; on the Isthmus we meet, quite 
locally, bogotana, and again, quite in the far South, claudia reappears, hardly changed at all; thus we find, 
advancing from the North to the South, the following species: claudia — hegesia — bogotana — claudia. 
E. claudia Cr. (= columbina Godt., daunus Host.) (85 a). The upper surface fulvous in the outer half, 
faintly suffused with olive-green in the inner half; through the discus a paler, yellow-ochreous band. The 
*) Only among the Cethosia which belong to the Heliconiinae, we find one species touching the limits of the Pa- 
laearctic Region in the South-East. Cf. Vol. I, p. 343. : 
**) In Vol. L we divided the Nymphalidae into ‘‘Tribus’’, several of which were united into aSubfamily; in that way 
the Argynnidi came, together with the Vanessidi, into the subfamily Vanessinae. We here drop all further subdivisions, 
treating the Argynninae as an independent subfamily. 
claudia. 
