The Moths and Butterflies 
441 
KEY TO FAMILIES OF BUTTERFLIES (LEPIDOPTERA WITH THE 
ANTENN/E FILIFORM, WITH A CLUB, OR KNOB, AT THE TIP). 
A. With the radius of the fore wings five-branched and with all of these branches 
arising from the discal cell (Fig. 634); club of antennae usually terminated by a 
recurved hook.(Skippers.) Superfamily Hesperiina. 
B. Head of moderate size; club of antennae large, neither drawn out at the tip 
nor recurved. Large skippers with wing expanse of 2 inches or more. 
Megathymid^e (p. 441). 
BB. Head very large; club of antennae usually drawn out at the tip and with a 
distinct recurved apical crook. If the crook is wanting, the species expand 
less than ij inches. Hesperiid^e (p. 442). 
AA. With some of the branches of radius of the fore wings coalesced beyond the apex 
of the discal cell (Fig. 635); club of antennae not terminated by a recurved hook. 
(The butterflies.) Superfamily Papilionina. 
B. Cubital vein of the fore wings apparently four-branched (Fig. 635); most of 
the species with tails on the hind wings. 
(The swallow-tails and parnassians.) Papilionid^e (p. 446). 
BB. Cubital vein of fore wings apparently three-branched (Fig. 636). 
C. With only four well-developed legs, the fore legs being unused, much 
shorter than the others, and folded on the breast like a tippet, except 
in the female of Hypatus; radius of fore wings five-branched (Fig. 636). 
(The brush-footed butterflies.) Nymphalid^e (p. 450). 
CC. With six well-developed legs; radius of fore wings, with rare exceptions, 
only three- or four-branched (Fig. 637). 
D. Medial vein of the fore wings arising at or near the apex of the 
discal cell (Fig. 637), except in Feniseca tarquinius, in which the 
wings are dark brown with a large fulvous spot on each. 
(The blues and coppers.) Lyclenid^e (p. 443). 
DD. Medial vein of the fore wings united with last branch of radius 
for a considerable distance beyond the apex of the discal cell (Fig. 
638); ground color white, yellow, or orange. 
(The whites and sulphurs.) Pierid^e (p. 444). 
The family Megathymidae, or giant-skippers, contains but one genus, 
Megathyma, represented by but five species, of which none is found outside 
of the southern and southwestern states. The best-known and most widely 
distributed species is the yucca-borer, M. yuccce , whose larvae live as bur- 
rowers in the roots of several species of yucca, and are from 4 to 6 inches 
long. The eggs are laid on the leaves and the young larvae spend a short 
time above ground in a cylinder made of a rolled leaf tied across with silk. 
Later they tunnel into the stem and downwards into the root, sometimes to 
a distance of 2 feet or more. When ready to pupate they crawl up to 
the chimney-like funnel at the top of the burrow and transform there. The 
moth expands 2\ inches, is deep umber-brown with a notched ferruginous 
band and other smaller blotches on the fore wings, and the hind wings with 
a ferruginous border. The other giant-skippers are of similar size and 
