I 
LEPIDOPTERA. 399 
phalinae. The color of the wings is sometimes black, with 
red and yellow spots; but it is usually fulvous, with the fore 
wings broadly margined, especially at the apex, with black, 
and crossed by many irregular lines of black. About fifty 
species occur in this country. 
The Baltimore, Euphydryas phaeton (Eu-phyd'ry-as pha'- 
e-ton).—The wings above are black, with an outer marginal 
row of dark reddish-orange spots, and parallel rows of very 
pale yellow spots; on the fore wings a third row is more or 
less represented. The wings expand two inches or more. 
The larvae feed on a species of snakehead ( Chelone 
glabra) ; they are gregarious, and build a common nest by 
weaving together the leaves of their food-plant. The species 
occurs in Ontario and the northern half of the United States 
east of the Rocky Mountains. It is very local, the butter¬ 
flies remaining near the bogs or moist meadows where the 
food-plant of the larva is found. 
The butterflies of the genus Phyciodes (Phy-ci-o'des) and 
the allied genera abound throughout our country. They are 
of small size, and of a fulvous color, 
heavily marked with black. Each 
species varies considerably in mark¬ 
ings, and different species resemble 
each other quite closely, making 
this a difficult group for the begin¬ 
ning Student. Figure 47O repre- Fig. wo.—Phyciodes nycteis. 
sents a common species. 
II. The Fritillaries (Frit'il-la-ries) or the Argynnids (Ar- 
gyn'nids).—This group includes butterflies varying from a 
little below to somewhat above medium size. The color of 
the wings is fulvous, bordered and checkered with black, but 
not so heavily bordered as in the crescent-spots. The lower 
surface of the hind wings is often marked with curving rows 
of silvery spots. This is a large group containing many 
species, which are extremely difficult to separate. More 
than fifty species occur in America north of Mexico. The 
larvae feed upon the leaves of violets. 
