cipris. 
alcestis. 
nausicaa. 
410 ARGYNNIS. By Dr. Tu. Lrenmann. 
paler than 3, the basal half suffused with a richer red than in cybele. Under surface of hindwings deep fer- 
ruginous, the band being almost entirely crowded out. Expanse: 3 2,0—2,2’’, 9 2,6”. — Egg, larva and pupa 
closely resemble those of cybele. The mature caterpillar has, however, a velvety-black spot at the base of 
each spine, making 6 longitudinal macular velvety bands. The chrysalis has the tubercles on the back shor- 
ter than in cybele, the basal segments party-coloured, not unicclorous as in that species. The pupal state 
lasts 17—27 days. aphrodite is common throughout the less elevated parts of Eastern Canada (Quebeck, Ontario, 
Nova Scotia) and of the Eastern United States, from Maine southward to Pennsylvania, and in the Alleghanies 
to West Virginia. In the West it is met with as far as Illinois. Very common in the Catskills (State of New 
York) up to an altitude of about 2000 ft., where it takes the place cf cybele; flying with A. atlantis at the 
end of June and in July in open woods and on ferest-meadows, and easily recognizeable, especially in bright 
sunshine, by the bright red tints. Like cybele, it has in the South two broods, in the northern States and 
Canada only one. It is not found in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, being replaced there by A. 
atlantis. 
A. cipris Hdw. (87 a) is a western, rather variable representative of the aphrodite group which it re- 
sembles in many respects. But aside from the larger size, the forewings are relatively longer and narrower than 
in aphrodite; the black markings of the upper surface in both sexes finer, the dusky clouding at the base of 
the wings less proncunced, and the general colouring brighter fulvous. On the under surface the forewing 
lacks in the ¢ the deep pinkish tinge of the base and inner margin, which distinguishes aphrodite. Both sexes 
have the inner %% of the hindwings deep cinnamon-brown, distally defined by a very narrow submarginal band 
of buff, deeply invaded proximally by rays of the dark ground-colour. Expanse: 2,8—3,2. Colorado, Utah, 
New Mexico; also Montana (Judith Mountain), Alberta and Assiniboia. Flies in Colorado from the end of June 
to the end of August. The life-history is not, known. 
A. alcestis Hdw. (87a) is regarded by some authors as a western variety of aphrodite, from which it 
may be most easily distinguished by the uniformly dark cinnamon-brown ground-colour of the under surface 
of the hindwings, reaching from base to termen, only interrupted by the silvery spots; the narrow buff sub- 
marginal band found in aphrodite is entirely wanting, or occasionally faintly indicated by a narrow streak of a 
paler subcolour. Spots large and well silvered. 2 above darker, more red and much more obscured at base 
than g; marginal lines broad, on the forewing partially confluent; submarginal spots heavy, as all other 
markings. Under surface of forewings fiery-red; apical area of forewings as well as the hindwings uniformly 
and deeply olive-brown or red-brown, very much as in g. All the spots large and, like the costa at the base 
and the inner margin, brightly silvered. Expanse: ¢ 2,2—2,55”, 2 up to 3,0”. — Egg conoidal, with about 
18 vertical ribs, very much like that of aphrodite. The larva takes 25—30 days to hatch and generally goes 
at once into lethargy; full-grown it is velvety-black, with concolorous spines that are yellow at the base. .Head 
black, yellowish behind. Feeds on violets and the wild pansy (V. tricolor). The pupa resembles in shape that 
of aphrodite, but is more slender, reddish-brown or grey, irregularly mottled and striped with black; abdo- 
minal segments slaty-grey, marked with black at the edges, which are provided with short, sharply angular 
points. Pupal state lasts 20 days. The range of alcestis comprises the middle West as far as the Rocky 
Mountains; in the prairies of northwestern Ohio and southern Michigan it begins to replace aphrodite which has 
here its westerly limits, extending to Colorado, Nebraska and Montana. It seems to be rather local and con- 
fined to a pretty narrow belt of Latitude, since specimens taken only a few miles farther north, in a timbered 
region, belong almost without exception to aphrodite (WorTHINGTON). Flies from the end of June till the end 
of August. 
A. nausicaa Hdw. (86 a) is likewise closely allied to aphrodite, which it replaces in Arizona. From 
its near allies aphrodite, alcestis, cipris and from the likewise similar halcyone it is, aside from the darker 
ground-colour, easy to distinguish by the much shorter and less prominent tuft of hair above the sub- 
costal nervule in the hindwing of the ¢, which in the other mentioned species is very plain. It is rather 
smaller in size than alcestis or cipris, about like aphrodite. Upper surface dusky reddish-brown, the submarginal 
lunules separated, the mesial band on the hindwings not continuous, but broken into separate spots. Under 
surface of the forewings pinkish-brown, the apex yellowish; submarginal spots lanceolate, the lower ones black, 
those next to the apex brown, the upper 6, as well as the subapical patches imperfectly silvered. Hindwings 
beneath cinnamon-brown, mottled with buff in the inner half; submarginal band buff, occasionally thinly sca- 
led with brown, narrow, but pretty clearly defined; the bright silvery spots small, but very distinct; the basal 
part of the costal margin likewise silvered. 9 approaching in size the 3, but with the black markings broader 
and heavier; the submarginal lunules enclosing on the forewing pale fulvous, sometimes almost white spots. 
Under surface of the forewings deeper red, the yellow apical area extending farther inwards, covering the outer 
corner of the cell; the silverspots larger. Expanse: 2,25—2,5’’. nausicaa is quite common in the mountain 
valleys of Arizona, at an altitude of from 6000—7300 ft., particularly in July and August. Originally it was 
Boe 
