, \
UBRARY OF TOE
UNIVERSITY OF IUIN0I8.
The Common Butterflies
AN OUTLINE FOR BUTTERFLY STUDY
ANNA BOTSFORD COMSTOCK
ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF NATURE STUDY CORNELL UNIVERSITY
The
LIBRARY
OF THE
UNIVERSITY OF iUiROIS
Comstock Publishing Company Ithaca, N. Y.
r
The Common Butterflies
Anna Botsford Comstock
Photo by Dr. R. W. Shufeldl
The Zebra Swallowtail
The summer form showing the long white-bordered tails
REPRINT FROM THE NATURE-STUDY REVIEW SEPTEMBER, 1917
Pholo by Dr. R. W. Shufeldt
Spice-bush Swallow-tail ( Papilio troilus ) ; male. (Nat. size on negative). The vine is the Bindweed, and the flowers are of the Butterfly Milkweed.
THE COMMON BUTTERFLIES
HE BUTTERFLIES afford ideal material ffor nature-study, and especially for inter- esting the pupils in the mastery of a group. In almost any locality outside of the large city, there may be found in the course of a season thirty or forty species of butterflies, and at least twenty of these are common. Because the number is so small, the species are easily learned and most of them may be identified while on the wing. The teacher should bear this point in mind for it is a great ad- vantage for a child to be able to identify a creature without having to kill it to make sure.
In 1 906 when the editor was conducting the Home Nature-Study Course for Cornell University, a butterfly leaflet was issued as a part of this course. This leaflet was very popular at the time and there are still many requests for it from teachers and pupils of many states although the leaflet has been long out of print. Therefore, it has seemed wise to reprint it with such additions as will make it applicable to a wider range than New York State for which the original was written.
A pleasure similar to that afforded by the sight of a beautiful flower is experienced when the eye rests upon a bright hued butter- fly. It may be balancing itself above its partner in beauty, the flower which gives it nectar, or it may be following the graceful curves of its path in the air, or if frightened it may zigzag by so swiftly that the eye only catches a bit of moving color; and although almost every one is attracted by these beautiful creatures, yet aside from two or three of the most common species very few people know their names or their habits. Yet each one of the butterflies has a most interesting life-history, and some of them are of great economic importance.
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NA T URE-ST UDY RE VIE W [13 :6— Sept., 1917
THE ECONOMIC IMPORTANCE OF BUTTERFLIES
For the most part butterflies are not injurious; although while in the caterpillar stage they feed upon vegetation, most species
live upon weeds of various kinds, and those that feed upon the leaves of trees rarely occur in such numbers as to do damage. The cabbage butterfly is a notable ex- ception; it came to us from Europe and is now a wide- spread pest that would work de-
The Black Swallowtail
Expanse three and one-half to four inches. Color strUction to the en- brownish-black, the front wings spotted with yel- low, the hind wings bearing yellow and blue spots, tire crop of cabbage There is a red eye-spot at the inner angle of the other crucifer-
hind wing.
ous garden plants
if left alone. The caterpillars of the black swallowtail occasionally occur in sufficient numbers to damage celery, and the young of the giant swallowtail do injury to the foliage of orange trees; occa- sionally the caterpillars of the mourning cloak do some damage to elms. However, all butterfly caterpillars are easily gotten rid of by spraying the foliage on which they are feeding with poisoned water. The benefits conferred by butterflies are only partially known and little appreciated. Very many flowers depend upon butterflies for carrying and bringing pollen. The black swallow- tail is especially beneficent in this respect. A large number of the species assist in cross pollinating the flowers of the plants on which their young feed and thus they pay back their debt. One little radical, the wanderer, has departed from the traditions of the butterfly family; its caterpillar feeds upon plant lice and thus is very helpful.
THE COMMON BUTTERFLIES
219
THE LIFE HISTORY OF A BUTTERFLY
The life-history consists of four stages :
First. — The eggs which are laid upon the food plant by the mother but- terfly; these eggs are often exquisite in color and beau- tifully ribbed and pitted so that when seen through the microscope they look like gems.
Second. — The caterpillars which hatch from these eggs and which feed upon the food plant until fully developed. Before reaching its full growth,
the caterpil- lar sheds its skeleton- skin four or five times; often this change of skin makes a change in the appearance and in the color of the caterpillar. Third. — The pupa state or
Caterpillar of Black Swallowtail in two stages of growth. , ■. •
The larger one has the scent organs protruding. cnrysaiis.
When the
caterpillar is full grown it sheds its old skin and appears in a very different form, that of the chrysalis or pupa. The pupae of the butterflies are never protected by a cocoon as are the pupae of moths. This is one of the chief differences
between moths and butter- Chrysalis of Black Swallowtail
Eggs of Black Swallowtail, enlarged.
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NATURE-STUDY REVIEW [13:6 — Sept., 1917
flies. The caterpillar, before it changes to a pupa, makes a button of silk and sometimes also a loop of silk by which the pupa is sus- pended. As the insect when in the pupa or chrysalis state is helpless and unable to move, it is, therefore, an easy prey to birds and other enemies; thus the chrysalis is usually inconspicuous and placed in some position where it is not easily detected by even the keenest eyes.
Fourth. — After a time the pupa skin is shed and from this comes the winged insect in all its beauty of color and form.
HOW TO STUDY THE BUTTERFLIES
The caterpillars may be found on their food plant and reared indoors. This requires a great deal of care in providing fresh food and in looking after the wants of the little prisoners. This is the best way to study the insects, as we thus become acquainted with the caterpillar and its habits and also the chrysalis; and when finally the winged insect emerges we may become familiar with its colors and markings before we set it free to carry on its work of perpetuating the species and of carrying pollen for the flowers.
Or we may catch a butterfly with a net without injuring it and let it loose in the room where we can study it at close range and get thoroughly acquainted with its size, form and colors. This is an excellent way.
The most common way of studying these insects but perhaps not necessarily the best, is to make a collection of but- terflies. This involves the catching of the insects in a net, and killing them in a cyanide bottle, or by pinching the thorax, and then spreading the wings carefully, letting them dry extended, and then placing the speci- mens in a box for safe keeping. Every beginner experiences great trouble in keeping such specimens free from the little pests
lllliil
Spreading Board
THE COMMON BUTTERFLIES
221
which destroy them. The boxes of insects in any museum have to be looked over carefully every month and such as are infested treated with the deadly fumes of some gas. Undoubtedly the best and cheapest way for amateurs to mount their insects in permanent form is to use the Riker mounts which consist of shallow cardboard boxes with glass covers and filled with cotton. The size of box large enough for most of our butterflies costs fifteen cents each, and they come in cases, a dozen in a case. The butterfly is spread and placed on the cotton, the cover put on and sealed with gum paper and the specimen is safe for all time. As there is a box for each, any specimen may be passed around and studied by itself.
Such a collection of butterflies is a great help to a teacher as she is thus able to bring a page from nature’s book into the schoolroom for the pupil’s enjoyment and enlightenment, means advise that the pupils themselves make a collection of insects, or that they be encouraged to do so.
While we do not advise the children to make collections of insects our reasons for doing so are based quite as much upon other grounds as upon that of developing cruelty in the child. The taking of life of the lower animals is a matter that had best not be too much dwelt upon before children, for we cannot be consistent in our teaching and they soon discover it. For who shall say that the cat which catches and eats the robin is more culpable than the person who eats lamb chop for breakfast, thus sacrific- ing the life of an innocent and playful creature to satisfy his appetite? And in the wider view of the Creator and his creatures, the life of a butterfly is no more sacred than that of the housefly or a mosquito. It is far safer to let these questions alone in our teaching and cultivate in the child an interest in the lives of the lower animals, thus bringing him into kindly relations with his little neighbors of the field, so that he will naturally respect their rights. It is the boy who knows the birds and loves them, who will not shoot them; it is the child who knows the butterfly by name and something of its interesting habits who will refrain from crushing the life out of its fragile body.
However, we by no
A Breeding Cage
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We cannot eradicate cruelty by punishment or repression; but we may crowd it out of the child’s character, by putting in its place little by little the humane and tender sentiments which inevitably follow a knowledge of the life and habits of even the lowest creature.
FIFTY COMMON BUTTERFLIES
In the following descriptions the measurement of the butterfly is made across the spread wings from tip to tip ; unfortunately, it was not practicable to have the pictures of all the butterflies natural size. It must be borne in mind that individual butterflies of the same species may vary in size somewhat. When the size of the caterpillar is given it means the fully grown larva just before it changes to a pupa.
THE SWALLOWTAILS
These are large handsome butterflies and get their name because of the prolongation of the hind wings in a manner suggesting the tail-feathers of a swallow. The caterpillars have a pair of scent organs just back of the head, which they can thrust out at will. These are supposed to protect them from the attacks of birds by rendering them disagreeable to smell and probably to taste.
The Tiger Swallowtail
Expanse, three and one-half to four inches. Colors pale straw-yellow marked with black. On the hind wing near the inner angle are blue and red spots.
THE COMMON BUTTERFLIES
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The Tiger Swallowtail. — This magnificent creature flies about leisurely and is fond of strong odors whether they be fragrant or otherwise. It is especially fond of to- #
bacco smoke and will often be seen following in the wake of a smoker.
The caterpillar has large eye-spots on the thorax, and it has a pretty habit of making a silken, spring mattress to rest upon when it is not eatiilg ; it makes this by weaving the web of silk across the leaf pulling the edges of the leaf slightly together. Food plants, ash, birch and poplar.
The Black Swallowtail. — This graceful insect is often found about our houses visiting the flower gardens. It is one of the most important pollen carriers
among the butterflies. The male is Caterpiilar ?f the Tiger
Swallow-tail resting on its silken mattress.
smaller than the female, and has two complete rows of yellow spots on both wings. The cat- erpillar is mostly black and spiny when young but later it is adorned with green and black crosswise stripes, the black stripes enclosing six yellow spots.
The Giant Swallowtail Food plants,
This greatest North American butterfly has an expanse of caraway, pars- five and one-half inches. It is black and marked with celery and
yellow bands diagonally across the wings and near the ; ’ outer border. Wild carrot.
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NATURE-STUDY REVIEW [13:6— Sept., 1917
The Giant Swallowtail. — This is the largest butterfly in North America. It is a southern species and its caterpillars attack the
leaves of citrus fruits. It is a disagreeable looking creature, colored to imitate bird lime, and when disturbed, erects its head, throws out its scent horns and fills the whole neighborhood with an almost unbearable stench. It also feeds upon prickly ash and lombardy poplar and is some- times found in the North.
Caterpillar of Giant Swallowtail.
The butterfly is magnificent and creates the greatest excitement when it appears in the Northern States as it sometimes does in late summer.
The Zebra Swallowtail. — The wings of the zebra are barred with blackish and greenish white which make it a striking butterfly. The length of its graceful tails is dependent upon the lateness of the sum- mer. It is common in the Southern States where it goes through several gen- erations each year. The caterpillar feeds upon pawpaw, spicebush and huckleberry.
The Green-clouded Swal- lowtail.— The wings are black; the front wings with a row of pale straw
colored spots near the . The Zebra Swallowtail
, ,i i The wings are barred with blackish and greenish
outer margin, tne nma white. Near the base of each tail-like pro- wings are powdered with longation of the wings is a blood red spot, and yellow -green or blue- beyond this are two purplish blue crescents.
green scales and each bears an orange spot at the middle of its front edge and one at the hind angle. Six pale crescents form an inside border to the hind wing. The tails to the wings are paddle- shaped and rather short. The caterpillar feeds upon spicebush
THE COMMON BUTTERFLIES
225
and sassafras. It has eye spots on its thorax. This species is common in the Southern States.
The Blue Swallowtail. — This is another black velvety butterfly with a blue shimmering sheen playing over its wings in the sun- shine. The fringe on the outer margin of its wings is alternately black and white and each wing may have a row of whitish spots just inside the border. The expanse of wings is from three and one- half to four and one-half inches. Its caterpillars feed upon Dutch- man’s Pipe, Virginia snake-root, and black bindweed. It is a common species in the South and might be taken for the green- clouded species except that it has no orange spots on the hind wings.
THE PIERIDS
THE WHITES
The Cabbage Butterfly. — This is the white butterfly common near every garden in which grows cabbage or its near relatives. We
had native species of cabbage butterflies which did compara- tively little damage to gardens, although they were found quite commonly prior to 1 8 70 ; but this emigrant Pieris rapce came to us from Europe getting its foothold in New York State in 1868. Now it has driven out all of our native species; they have literally taken to the woods and are found only occasionally flit- ting about the wild cruciferous plants. The velvety-green cat- erpillar of the cabbage butterfly is very destructive and is well known. It feeds on other cruci- ferous garden-plants but pre- fers cabbage.
The Cabbage Butterfly
Expanse an inch and three-quarters. Color white with black spots. Male above, female below.
THE ORANGE-TIPS
The orange-tips are seldom seen; they are smallish white butterflies marked with black and have the lower sides of the wings
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marbled and netted with green. Many of the species, especially the males, have the front wings tipped with orange which gives them the name. Most of the species are found in the far West, only two are occasionally found in the East.
The Flacate Orange-Tip. — This butterfly has the apex of the front wings prolonged into a hook shaped point. Only the males have the front wings tipped with orange. The caterpillar feeds on cress, shepherd’s purse and other crucifers.
THE YELLOWS
The Roadside Butterfly — This is the most common repre- sentative that we have of the yellows, and it may be seen in the
summer in great numbers flit- ting above the flowers of our roadsides, or settled for a social drink about some mud puddle in the road. Its caterpillar is small, green in color, and feeds on clover, vetch, lupine, etc. It is so well concealed by color that it is rarely found.
The Sleepy Yellow. — This butterfly has a wing expanse of not quite two inches. Its wings are bordered with a broad black band and the dark spot in front of the middle of the front wing extends up and down and is a mere line, looking like a closed eye. The caterpillars feed upon cassia, clover and senna. The species is common in the Southern States.
The Dog's Head. — The wide black border on the front wing of this butterfly outlines on the yellow a head that resembles that of a duck quacking more than that of any dog. However, the picture on the wing of the female is slightly like the profile of a poodle’s head. The black spot forms a large and startling eye. The cater- pillar feeds upon false indigo and clover. This species is abundant in the south western United States and Pacific Coast. Its wing expanse is about two and one-half inches.
The Little Sulphur. — This is a pocket edition of the roadside butterfly, marked like it except that it has a dot instead of a spot
The Roadside Butterfly
Expanse, one and three-fourths to two inches. Color bright, sulphur-yellow. Wings bordered with blackish. Spot on the fore wing black and on the v hind wing orange-yellow.
THE COMMON BUTTERFLIES
227
on the front wing. Its expanse is less than one and one-half inches. It is common in the Southern States and northward. Its caterpillar feeds upon cassia and other legumes, preferring the fine- leaved varieties.
The Orange Sulphur. — This species resembles the roadside butterfly in size and markings but is orange instead of lemon yellow. It is found abundantly in the Mississippi Valley. Its caterpillars feed upon clover, vetch, etc.
The Cloudless Sulphur. — This splendid butterfly, the most beautiful of all the yellows, has an expanse of two and one-half inches and looks like a California poppy floating off its stem. The male is pure yellow with no markings, but the female has just a suggestion of black border on the outer edge of her wings and a black spot in front of the middle of each front wing. It is a com- mon species in the Southern States, and late in the season pushes northward. The caterpillars feed upon cassia and other legumes.
THE NYMPHS
THE FRITILLARIES OR CHECKER-BOARD BUTTERFLIES
These are reddish-brown butterflies with many black spots on the upper sides of the wings giving them a checkered appearance; and with many silver spots on the lower sides of the wings. When we were children we used to call these round, silver spots “ butterfly money,” and it was one of our pastimes to gently seize one of these butterflies when we found it sucking nectar from some thistle blossom and count its money before we let it go.
The Gulf Fritillary. — This is a bright copper butterfly that bears some resemblance to the monarch since its veins in the outer por- tions of the wing are black. It has an expanse of two and one-half to three inches. It can always be distinguished from other butter- flies by the form of the silver spots on the lower side of the wing which are bar-shaped rather than coin- or crescent-shaped. The caterpillars are spiny and feed upon the leaves of the passion flower. The species is found in the South from the Atlantic to the Pacific.
The Regal Fritillary. — This is the most magnificent of all the fritillaries, having an expanse of from three and one-half to four inches. Its front wings are copper color with dark borders, but its hind wings are black with yellowish or light spots. Underneath, the front wings are orange and the hind wings are a rich olive brown
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NATURE-STUDY REVIEW [13:6— Sept., 1917
ornamented with nearly thirty large silvery white spots. While in general it resembles the great spangled fritillary and the silver-spot, the black hind wings distinguish it from these species.
The Great Spangled Fritillary Expanse about three inches. Color orange (which fades to a dull brown late in the season) marked with black, the wings shading to brown next to the body. Undersides of the wings of the Great Spangled at the left; of the Silver Spot at the right.
The Great Spangled Fritillary and the Silver Spot Fritillary. — These two are of the same size and marked very similarly. The only way to distinguish the two species is to study the lower side of the hind wings ; in the great spangled species there is a broad, buff band inside the silver spots that border the wings ; it is one-fourth as broad as the wing itself. This band is very much narrower in the silver spot. The caterpillars of these species are velvety black and spiny, and feed on the leaves of violets.
THE COMMON BUTTERFLIES
229
The Variegated Fritillary.
— This is another southern species and it has the real fritillary markings on the upper sides of the wings; there are no silver spots on the lower sides of the wings which are marbled with brown and white. It has awing expanse of two and one-half inches. Its cater- pillar is thorny and feeds upon passion flower, mandrake, violet and some other plants.
The Silver Bordered Fritillary and the Meadow Fritillary. — These are two little fritillaries which resemble each other very much, but
may be easily separated by the fact that the silver bordered has the silver spots on the lower side of the hind wings, while the meadow has not a butterfly dollar on its wings anywhere. The cat er- pillars of these species are small, mottled green and spiny. They feed upon violets.
THE CRESCENT SPOTS
The Silver Crescent and the Pearl Crescent. — These are two little butterflies which may be distin- guished from other orange-yellow, small butterflies because there is so much of brown or black ugon the wings that it is hard to tell whether that or the orange is the ground color. The lower sides Silver Borderfd Fritillary of the wings are much paler than
above; Meadow Fritillary, below, above and are marked with vari- Expanse, one and three-quarters .
inches. Color orange-yellow spot- oussnadesof yellow in most com-
ted with black The underside pHcated patterns. The cater- of wings shows the meadow at
the right. pillars of these species are black
The Variegated Fritillary The wings are copper red crossed near the center with a paler band and the mark- ings are blackish; no silver spots on lower side of wings.
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NATURE-STUDY REVIEW [13:6— Sept , 1917
marked with yellow or orange, spiny, and feed on sunflowers, asters and other composite plants.
The Baltimore. — Thisisanother crescent spot, but is very strik- ing in appearance. It is found near swampy places. Its cater- pillar is black and orange banded and striped and spiny. The caterpillars of one brood live together like a happy family,
The Baltimore
Expanse two inches. Color black with outer marginal row of reddish-orange spots and two parallel rows of very pale yellow spots.
Pearl Crescent,
Silver Crescent.
Expanse one and one-half inches. Color orange-yellow with black markings.
weaving leaves around them- selves for protection; a queer thing about them is that during late summer the whole brood suddenly stops eating voluntarily and waits for win- ter to pass, although sur-
rounded by plenty of food. The food is snakehead.
THE ANGLE WINGS
These butterflies are so called because the edges of their wings
look as if they were cut in charp notches and scalloped with a pair of scissors; they are among our most interest- ing and beautiful butterflies.
The American T ortoise Shell. — This striking butterfly some- times passes the winter as an adult and sometimes as a chrysalis. Its caterpillar is black with greenish sides and sprinkled with white raised
The American Tortoise Shell Expanse two inches. Wings blackish crossed by a broad band of orange brown which shades to yellow on the inner side.
THE COMMON BUTTERFLIES
231
spots; it is spiny. The caterpillars of the same brood live together feeding on the lower sides of the leaves which they fasten together making a protective abode. The food plant is nettle.
The Compton Tortoise. — This butterfly resem- bles very much the polygonias even having the ‘ embroidered” initial on the lower side of the hind wings.
However, it dif- fers in one par- ticular. The hind margin of the front wings is straight and not
incurved. Its caterpillar is greenish in color more or less speckled with lighter color. It has black, bristly spines and the caterpillars of the same brood feed in a flock. The food plants are birch and willow.
The Mourning Cloak. — This but- terfly which is well known in Europe is very common here. It winters as a but- terfly and is the earliest of all our butterflies to ap- pear in the spring. Its caterpillar is velvety black cov-
The Mourning Cloak ered with white
Expanse two and one-half to three and one-half . A A A
inches. Color purplish-brown appearing black raised dots, and a when flying. The wings have a broad, yellow row of red spots border sprinkled with brown and just inside the , ... . j r
border a row of blue or lavender spots. along the middle ot
the back. It has
rows of black spines. It feeds on elm, willow, poplar and other trees.
The Compton Tortoise
Expanse two and one-half inches, mottled with dark red and ochre yellow, like the colors of a tortoise shell. A white spot is on the front of each wing near the tip. The hind wings on the lower side each bear a small L-shaped silvery or white mark.
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NATURE-STUDY REVIEW [13:6— Sept., 1917
The Buckeye. — This is a
southern butterfly that pushes
northward late in the season.
It has two eye spots on each
front and hind wing, a large
one and a small one. The
small one on the front wing is
“Boo!” often indistinct. Its general
The Buckeye . . , £
color is brown with a tew
copper red markings; there is diagonal yellow band across each
front wing. A very similar species is common on the Pacific Coast.
The caterpillar is dark gray with lengthwise yellow stripes and
spotted with yellow and orange. It is ornamented with branching
spines. It feeds upon gerardin, figworts, snapdragon and plantain.
THE THISTLE BUTTERFLIES
Three of the angle wings are caked the thistle butterflies because they are particularly fond of the nectar of thistle blossoms, and each one bears on the lower side of the wings a band of rich rose- color, which well matches the color of the thistle flowers.
The Red Admiral. —
This is one of our most striking and beautiful butterflies. The wings beneath are beautifully mottled and the front wings bear a diagonal band of rich rose-red.
Its caterpiller is dull yellow, mottled with black with a yellow stripe along the side; it has many spines. It feeds upon nettles and hops.
The Painted Beauty and the Cosmopolite. — These two species resemble each other very much ; each has the hind half of the front wing colored rose-pink on the lower side ; on the hind wing of the painted beauty are two eyespots while on the cosmopolite there are five or six smaller ones in a row. The caterpillar of the painted
The Red Admiral
Expanse a little less than two and one-half inches. Color purplish-black with white spots near the tips of the front wings. Orange-red band across front wings and bordering middle part of hind wings.
THE COMMON BUTTERFLIES
233
beauty is velvety black with cross lines of yellow and with a row of white spots on each side back of the middle. It has bristly
The Painted Beauty, above, The Cosmopolite, below, showing under sides of wings at the right.
Expanse of wings about two and one-half inches.
spines; it feeds upon everlasting and allied plants. The cosmo- polite caterpillar is mottled, greenish-yellow with black and yellow stripes along the side. It has bristling yellow spines ; its food plants are thistle, willow and everlasting. The cosmopolite has the widest distribution of any of our butterfly species. It is found in every part of the world except South America and the Arctic regions.
THE POLYGONS
These are distinguished from the other butterflies not only by the sharp notches and angles of the edges of the wings, but also by having the hind margin of the front wing cut out in a graceful curve. Each species has on the lower side of the hind wing near the center an initial or punctuation mark wrought in silver, this mark varying with the species. The flight of the polygons is very
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NATURE-STUDY REVIEW [13:6— Sept., 1917
erratic ; they dash about making quick angles so that the eye cannot follow them. While the upper sides of the wings are bright orange red and quite striking, the lower sides of the wings are mottled in dull colors so that they resemble dead leaves or grass. All one of these butterflies has to do to become invisible when resting on the ground, is to close its wings above its back, and it is then almost impossible for the eye to detect it. The Violet Tip. —
This is the largest of the polygons and the most graceful in form of all but- terflies. It winters as an adult. The caterpillar is yel- lowish-brown with irregular spots and marks of lighter color. It has many branching spines, one pair being on the top of the head. It feeds on elm, hop, nettle, linden and hackberry.
The Hop Merchant. — This looks on the upper side like a dwarf violet tip, for the margins of the wings are tinged with violet. It hibernates as a butterfly and is one of the earliest that we see in the woods in the spring. Its cater- pillar is about an inch long, dark brown or greenish with blotches and lines and adorned with thorny spines one pair of which is on the
head. It feeds on hops, The Hop Merchant
. mi Expanse two inches. Color bright orange-red
nettle and elm. 1 he with black spots. The borders of the chrysalis is a beautiful wings dark brown shading off to violet at the ... , i -,i margin. The “initial” on the lower side
Object ornamented with of the hind wings is like a badly made G.
The Violet Tip
Expanse two and one-half to three inches. Color rich orange red spotted with black. The margins of the wings and tails violet color. The hind wing bearing a large silver semicolon on the lower side, shown at the right.
THE COMMON BUTTERFLIES
235
knobs that shine like the precious metals. There is a superstition that if these knobs are golden the price of hops will be high; if they are silver, the price will be low.
The Green Comma.— ^ This always hibernates as a butterfly. It may be distinguished from the gray comma, which it very much resembles, by the green tinge quite noticeable in the darker mark- ings of the upper side of wing, and by the amount of olive green and the very different pattern on the lower side of the wings, and a quite different initial which is much like that of the hop merchant. Its caterpillar is a little more than an inch long, reddish or yellowish in color with a large patch of white on its back. Its branching spines are light colored. It eats the leaves of black birch, willow, alder, currant and gooseberry.
The Gray Comma. — This butterfly always hibernates as an adult and appears early in the spring. It especially frequents orchards.
The Gray Comma
Expanse about two inches. Color orange-red with black spots brownish borders to the wings. The under sides of the wings are “pepper and salt” arranged in wavy lines.
The “initial” a delicate wide-angled L.
Its caterpillar attains the length of an inch and has a body yellow- ish-brown marked with greenish-black. It has many branched spines one pair being on tjie head. It feeds on currant, gooseberry, and elm.
THE SOVEREIGNS
These butterflies are noted for the very interesting habits of the caterpillar which are omitted here. The caterpillars when fully grown are so covered with humps that they look most grotesque. On the front end of the body is borne a pair of tiny tubercles that look like pompons. The chrysalis has a projection which resem- bles a Roman nose.
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The Banded Purple or White Admiral. — This beautiful and striking butter- fly is quite local in its habits and spends its whole life near the same spot. It frequents shady roads. Its cater-
pillar feeds upon birch, poplar and shadbush.
The Red-Spotted Purple. — This is not so common in the North as the banded pur- ple. There is a form which is hybrid between the two showing the trace of the
The White Admiral or Banded Purple Expanse about .three inches. Color velvety chooolate- blaclc; the broad white band across the wings distinguishes it from other species.
white band across the front wings,
The Red-Spotted Purple
Expanse about three inches. Upper surface of wings vel- vety indigo-black tinged with blue or green iridescence. The border rows of spots on the hind wings a light iridescent blue. The wings on the undersides show many red spots.
while the hind wings are usu- ally like those of this species. Its caterpillar
feeds upon plum, thomapple and others.
The Viceroy. — This butterfly has forsaken the dark uniform of its family and has put on the dress of the monarch. This disguise affords it protection from the birds because the monarch is very1 distasteful to them, and they have learned to avoid all butterflies which look like it. The black band across the hind wings of the viceroy distinguishes it readily from the monarch. It is also a
THE COMMON BUTTERFLIES
237
Photo by Dr. R. W, Shufeldt.
The Viceroy
Wings orange bordered with black in which is a row of white spots. Veins black. Black band across hind wing.
238
NA T U RE-STUD Y RE VIE W [13 :6— Sept. , 1917
smaller butterfly. (See figure on page 237.) Its caterpillar feeds upon willow and poplar.
THE EMPERORS
The Goatweed Emperor. — This handsome orange red butterfly
can be distin- guished from all others by the gracefully ex- tended tips of the front wings and the equally striking points on the hind wings. It is a middle western and southern species. Its cat- erpillar is gray It feeds upon goatweed.
The Goatweed Emperor
The wings are bright-orange margined with brown with an irregular paler band just inside the brown margins.
and encrusted with little tubercles.
THE MEADOW BROWNS
These are brown butterflies which do not attract much attention from the uninitiated, but are very much loved by any real student
of butterflies.
The Blue-eyed Grayling and the Dull-eyed Grayling. — These two species blend into each other, the blue-eyed being the southern form and the dull- eyed the northern form. The only difference between the two species is that the dull- eyed grayling lacks the broad yellow band on the front wings, but almost every grade be- tween the two species may be found. The caterpillar attains the length of over one and one- third inches. It is green in
The Blue-Eyed Grayling Expanse two to two and one-half inches. Color dull brown with broad yellow bands crossing the front wings outside the middle. In this band are two black eye-spots, with little blue centers; small dark eye-spots on each hind wing.
THE COMMON BUTTERFLIES
239
color with yellowish stripes along each side. The body is covered with down, otherwise smooth. The rear end is forked. It feeds on grass.
The Eyed-brown. — This delicate fawn-colored butterfly repays well a little closer attention. Each velvety brown spot which ornaments the upper surface of the wings has a white center like a bull’s eye on the lower surface. The caterpillar at- tains the length of one and one-fourth inches, is greenish in color and striped lengthwise.
It is not only forked at the rear end, but has a pair of red horns at each end of the body; The Eyed-Brown
it hibernates when about Expanse about two inches. Color pale
mouse-brown with a row oi tour vel- vety brown spots along the border of the front wing and five or six smaller spots on the hind wing.
half grown. It feeds on the coarser grasses and sedges.
The Little Wood Satyr. — This is a jolly little butterfly frequenting the shade of thickets and groves. It is single brooded and appears early in the season. The caterpillar is pale greenish brown and downy with blackish lengthwise stripes and it feeds upon grass.
TEE MILKWEED BUTTERFLIES
The Monarch. — This magnificent butterfly is a monarch indeed. The birds will not touch it and so it is afraid of nothing. Its flight is leisurely and extends over long distances. It does not winter with us, but comes to us each year from the South. In the fall it may be seen migrating back in flocks. Its caterpillar is banded crosswise with narrow black and yellow stripes. At either end of the body is a pair of whip-lash like organs ; it attains the length of two inches. It feeds on milkweed; the chrysalis is plump and
Little Wood Satyr Wings nearly uniform dark brown. The small pupils of the eye-spots often double. Each eye-spot ringed with pale yellow.
240
NATURE-STUDY REVIEW [13:6— Sept., 1917
A Monarch Caterpillar
The Queen. — This is a Florida species. Its wings are chocolate brown bordered with black. The front wings are sprinkled with white dots inside the margins. The viceroy in Florida imitates the queen in color.
comparatively smooth, of an exquisite green color orna- mented with dots of shining gold. (See figure on first page.)
A Monarch Chrysalis
THE LONG-BEAKS
These butterflies are easily distinguished by their long beak-like palpi which are from one-fourth to one-half as long as the body —
only two species are found in the United States.
The Snout-butterfly. — This little butterfly looks as if it had had its front wing tips snipped off with curved scissors. It sometimes oc- curs in swarms but is usually rather , The Snout-Butterfly rare. It haunts river banks and orange patches and white spots, marshy places. Its caterpillar feeds
upon hackberry.
THE GOSSAMER WINGS
These are our smallest butterflies, few of them measuring more than an inch across the expanded wings. They include the hair streaks, coppers and blues.
THE COMMON BUTTERFLIES
241
THE HAIR STREAKS
These little butterflies are distinguished from others by the long tail-like prolongations of the hind wings. They are usually dark brown with delicate striped markings on the lower surface of the wings; some species are brilliantly marked with metallic blue or green. About fifty species occur in North America. A table for determining the common species is given in How to Know the Butterflies p. 217.
The Gray Hair Streak. — This frisky little brown butterfly has a bright orange-spot on the hind wings and one or two white tipped tails; it also has orange on the tip of its antennae and its head. Its caterpillar is less than a half an inch long and slug-shaped, and is naked and reddish-brown. It feeds upon the fruit and seeds of hop, hawthorne, hound’s tongue and St. John’s wort.
The Banded Hair Streak. — This is our commonest hair streak. It frequents open- ings in the woods especially scrub oak clear- ings ; though dull in color it has on the inside at the tip of the hind wings a blue patch with an orange patch on each side of it.
Its caterpillar is slug-shaped, half an inch long, grass-green in color and feeds on oak, hickory and butternut eating holes in the leaves; it winters as a newly-hatched caterpillar.
THE COPPERS
These are distinguished from the other gossamer wings by their orange-red and brown colors.
The Wanderer. — This lovely little butterfly is usually found near alders. Its caterpillar is rather wide in the middle and pointed at each end, about one-half inch in length; its color is brown marked with brownish stripes. It differs from the caterpillars of other butterflies in that it is not vegetarian, but lives instead, upon the woolly plant-lice which infest the alder and thus is a very good friend to this tree. For figure see next page.
The American Copper. — These jolly midgets flit about over lawns almost always playing with each other and sometimes even daring to play with us as we cross their path. The caterpillar is
The Banded Hair-
streak
Expanse one and one- fifth inches. Color dark brown or black- ish; lower side of the wings grayish with rows of black spots margined with white. Blue spot with orange spot on each side of it on the hind angle of the lower wing.
242 NAT. URE-STUDY REVIEW [13:6— Sept., 1917
slug-shaped, a half an inch long, dull rosy-red in color; it feeds on sorrel.
The Wanderer
Expanse a little over an inch. Color dark brown with large irregular orange-yellow patch in the central part of the fore wing and a similar patch on the outer half of the hind wing.
The American Copper Expanse about an inch. Color of front wings red with black spots and borders; hind wings coppery- brown with broad orange-red band on the outer margins.
THE BLUES
The Spring Azure. — This bit of a blue butterfly comes to us early in the spring and seems like a promise of blue skies and sunshine. Its caterpillar is two-fifths of an inch in length, slug-shaped, whitish
bordered more or less with black.
with dark brown head. It lives on the flowers of dogwood, sumac, spiraea and others. A remarkable thing about the caterpillar is that it bears an organ on the back which exudes honeydew; ants feed upon this and protect the caterpillar.
THE SKIPPERS
There is a family of insects usually included with the butterflies called Skippers. These are usually small dark brown or dull yellow and may be distinguished from the butterflies by the fact that the antennae are either hooked at the tips or bent at an angle. The character which distinguishes butterflies from moths most readily is that the butterflies always have antennae which are enlarged at or toward the tips. Knobbed antennae they are called; while the antennae of moths may be straight and simple or feather-like. The
THE COMMON BUTTERFLIES
243
antennae of the Skippers are enlarged like those of the butterflies
toward the tip, but the knob is very bent or hooked. The Skippers have heavy bodies and are very agile in flight. The caterpillars of the Skippers are absurd looking crea- tures, the neck being very
The Silver Spotted Skipper Above the Nest of its Caterpillar Color chocolate brown — the front wings marked with yellow and the lower wings marked with white on under side. Its caterpillar forms a nest by fastening together the leaflets of locust leaves.
small and the head very large. They usually live concealed in a folded leaf or in a nest made of a few leaves fastened together. There are about two hundred species of Skippers in America
north of Mexico and they are very difficult to determine except in the case of some of the larger and well marked species. In one sub-family which are largely of tawny or orange brown color, there is an oblique dark patch across the front wing. To another sub-family belong most of the blackish or dark brown or dusky winged Skippers often dotted with white or lighter yellow and which have a little fold along near the front border of the front wing.
A male skipper with a diagonal “brand” across the front wings. Many of these are coppery yellow and brown in color.
The main thing for the beginner in the study of butterflies to achieve is to know a Skipper when he sees it and to be able to say at once, ‘ this is a skip- per and not a butter- fly.”
W
A ma'e skipper with a fold near the front margin of the wing. Most of the species are dark brown marked with white or translu- cent angular spots.
COLOR KEY TO THE COMMON BUTTERFLIES
Based upon a Laboratory Exercise in Nature-Study at Cornell University By Helen M. Hess
A. Large butterflies — strikingly black and yellow. Hind wings with tails.
B. Wings yellow, margined with black with four black bars across the front wing. Expanse 3-3^ in.
Tiger Swallowtail— Turnus form BB. Wings black above, yellow beneath with broad diagonal band of yellow from tip of front wing across base of hind wing. A row of striking yellow sub-marginal spots across hind wings and merging into diagonal band on fore wing. Wing expanse 4-5 in. Giant Swallowtail. BBB. Wings black, with double row of yellow marginal spots on front wing, the inner row making a yellow band across the hind wing. Wing expanse 2^-3 in.
Black Swallowtail , male
AA. Butterflies mostly black. Wing expanse 2-3^ in.
B . Hind wings with tails.
C. Front wings black with pale spots near outer margin in
single row and often rather inconspicuous.
D. Hind wings with blue spots or green inside the outer row of yellow spots.
1 . Often six crescent shaped spots along the outside
of the hind wing. The lower and especially upper one orange. The others yellowish.
Tiger Swallowtail — Glaucus form.
2. The pale marginal spots along outer margin of
hind wing all the same color. An orange spot at the middle of front margin and two orange spots near inner angle of hind wing. Green-clouded Swallowtail, female.
DD. The hind wings greenish and with only one orange spot at inner angle of hind wing.
Green-clouded Swallowtail , male. DDD. Hind wings metallic dark blue. No orange spots on upper side. On the lower side the marginal row of spots orange below, pale above.
Blue Swallowtail.
244
hess] COLOR KEY TO THE COMMON BUTTERFLIES
245
CC. Front wings with double row of yellow spots.
1. Hind wing with yellow band across the middle.
Black Swallowtail , male.
2. Hind wing with a row of blue spots between the
outer and inner row of yellow spots.
Black Swallowtail, female.
BB. Hind wings without tails.
C. Wings with white markings.
1. With wide white band across the middle of both
wings.
Banded Purple or White Admiral.
2. With band across only the front wings.
The Hybrid Purple.
3. Diagonal red band across front wings which are
spotted with white near tips. Orange red border to hind wings.
Red Admiral.
4. Wings bordered with orange yellow spots and
outer third checkered with cream white. Rather small.
The Baltimore.
5. Small blackish butterflies, peppered with white,
with tips of antennae bent. Belong to the family of
Skippers.
CC. Wings with no white markings.
1. Hind wings with border of three rows of blue or
greenish spots, and underneath a border of seven orange spots just within a double row of blue or green spots'.
The Red-spotted Purple.
2. Wings with brownish tinge with broad border of
pale yellow. Just inside the border a row of blue or purplish spots.
The Mourning Cloak.
AAA. Butterflies with general color of copper red or brick color.
B. Large, with wing expanse of 2 to 4 inches.
C. Veins completely outlined with black.
1. With no transverse black band across hind wing.
The Monarch.
246
NATURE-STUDY REVIEW [13:6— Sept., 1917
2 . With transverse black band across hind wing.
The Viceroy.
CC. Veins outlined with black near outer border. Large silvery spots on underside of hind wing.
The Gulf Fritillary.
CCC. Veins not outlined in black. Wings coppery, checkered and spotted with black. Inner half of wings dark brown . N o white markings .
D. Under sides of hind wings with large silver spots.
1 . A broad buff band inside the border of silver spots
on lower side of hind wing.
The Great Spangled Fritillary.
2. A narrow buff band inside the outer row of silver
spots on border of under surface of hind wing. The band not so wide as the silver spots in border.
The Silver-spot Fritillary.
DD. Under side of the wings marbled in yellowish and browns.
The Variegated Fritillary.
CCCC. Front wings coppery, checkered with black. Hind wings black with lighter spots. Very large butterfly. Expanse 4 inches. The front yrings orange beneath, the hind wings olive brown with about thirty large silvery white spots.
The Regal Fritillary.
CCCCC. Orange red with tips of front wings prolonged with curved points and with short tail on hind wing.
1. Narrow margin of brown borders the wings. A
small dark spot in middle of margin of front wing. Goatwecd Emperor , male.
2 . Broad border of brown with paler orange inside it,
and brown spots inside this pale band.
Goatweed Emperor , female.
CCCCCC. Copper red and black butterflies with tips of front wings blackish, spotted with white.
D. Hind half of lower side of front wings rose color.
1. Lower side of hind wing showing two eye-spots within the border.
The Painted Beauty.
hess] COLOR KEY TO THE COMMON BUTTERFLIES
247
2. Lower side of hind wing showing four eye-spots . within the border.
The Cosmopolitan.
DD. Copper red, diagonal band across front wings, which is vivid rose red below; red border to hind wing. Red Admiral.
BB. Smallish copper red or copper yellow and black butter- flies. Wing expanse from C/2 to 1^4 inches.
C. Copper red checkered with black above. Edges of wings not notched.
1. Lower side of hind wing with silver spots.
Silver-bordered Fritillary.
2. Lower side of wings with no silver spots.
Meadow Fritillary.
CC. Orange with black border and many black irregular markings. Margin of wings not notched. Lower side of wings marbled with yellows and browns.
1. A distinct narrow yellow line bordering lower
sides of wings.
The Silver Crescent.
2. No distinct yellow line bordering lower sides of
wings. The Pearl Crescent.
CCC. Copper red and black butterflies. The edges of the wings notched and under sides of wings marbled browns of different shades.
D. With a white “initial” at center of lower side of hind wing.
1. The initial of two silvery marks, a crescent white line and a dot. Wings above bordered with lavender
The Violet Tip.
2. The outer third of the lower surface of the wings variegated with olive green. The initial a C or a G.
The Green Comma.
3. Outer third of the lower surface of the wings variegated with wood brown. The initial also a C or a G.
The Hop Merchant.
248
NATURE-STUDY REVIEW [13:6— Sept., 1917
4. The marbled surface of the under side of the wings crossed by many fine ashen lines. The initial an L. The Gray Comma.
DD. With no initial on hind wings.
1 . Wings blackish with a broad oranged red band marking the outer half of both wings.
The American Tortoise Shell.
BBB. Very small copper red or coppery yellow butterflies, not expanding over one inch.
1. Front wings copper red, spotted with black and outer margin blackish. Hind wings dark with bright copper outer border.
American Copper.
2 . Front wings dark brown with large irregular orange
yellow patch over the middle. The hind wings brown with orange yellow patch extending for- ward from hind margin. The Wanderer.
A AAA. White butterflies.
B . With front wings tipped with black.
1. With two spots on front wing.
Cabbage Butterfly , female.
2. With one spot on front wing.
Cabbage Butterfly , male.
3 . With black blotch at middle of margin of front wing.
Olympia Orange Tip.
BB. With front wings prolonged at tip to a hook.
1. Wings tipped with orange.
Falcate Orange Tip, male.
2. Front wings bordered with delicate black spots.
Falcate Orange Tip, female.
A A AAA. Butterflies conspicuously yellow.
B. With tails to the hind wings.
1 . Large, with black border and four black bars extend- ing back from front margin of front wing.
Tiger Swallowtail, Turnus form.
BB. Hind wings without tails. Expanse 2 inches or less.
C. With black border on outer margin of wings.
D. Lemon yellow.
1. With outer black border unbroken.
Roadside male.
hess] COLOR KEY TO THE COMMON BUTTERFLIES
249
2. With black border on front wing broken with
yellow spots. Roadside female.
3 . With deep black border outlining the profile of a
head, and with black base to front wing.
The Dog's Head.
4. With outer border unbroken. A small butterfly
only one inch in expanse.
Little Sulphur.
DD. Orange yellow butterflies.
1 . The black border unbroken and with oval spot at
center of front wing near margin.
Orange Sulphur.
2. Black border unbroken in male but fading out on
the hind portion of the hind wings in the female. Spot at middle of front wing, near margin a mere line.
The Sleepy Yellow.
CC. Lemon yellow with no solid black border. Large butter- fly 2}4 inches in expanse.
1. With black spots bordering the wings and with
round spot at the front middle of front wing.
Cloudless Sulphur , female.
2 . With no black spots of any kind, just pure yellow.
Cloudless Sulphur , male.
AAA AAA . Butterflies conspicuously brown or gray.
B. Rather large with an expanse of 2 to 2% inches, with no tails on hind wings.
C. With one large eye-spot and one very small one on front wings, and with one large and one small eye-spot on hind wings.
1 . Diagonal band of yellow across tips of front wing and two copper red bars extending back from the margin of front wing. Copper red near margin of hind wing.
The Buckeye.
CC. With two equal sized eye-spots on front wings. Expanse 2 inches.
1. With the eye spots on the front wing set in a band of yellow.
The Blue Eyed Grayling.
NATURE-STUDY REVIEW [13:6— Sept., 1917
2. With no band of yellow surrounding eye-spots on front wing.
Dull Eyed Grayling.
3. The eye-spots on front wing each surrounded by yellow ring or set in yellow patch.
Hybrid Grayling.
With two equal spots on front wing. Expanse D/i inches. With two eye-spots on hind wings and some- times a smaller one.
Little Wood Satyr.
With four small eye-spots in a row on front wings. With five small eye-spots along margin of hind wing.
The Eyed Brown.
BB. Small butterflies with thread-like tails or with short pro- jections on hind wings.
The Hair Streaks.
BBB. Small butterflies without projections on hind wings. With rather heavy bodies and antennas bent at the tip.
The Skippers.
AAAAAAA. Butterflies blue or marked conspicuously with blue. B. Small butterflies mostly blue.
C. Without tails to hind wings.
1. Lower sides of wings pale ash gray. Expanse about one inch. The Spring Azure.
CC. With tail-like prolongation to hind wings.
Hair Streaks.
B B . Large black butterflies without tails to hind wings , marked with double row of blue spots near border of hind wings.
The Banded Purple.
BBB. Large butterflies with tails to hind wings.
1. Black butterflies, sheen on hind wings blue or
greenish blue. Blue Swallowtail.
Green-clouded Swallowtail .
2 . Black butterflies with blue spots on hind wings.
Glaucus form of Tiger Swallowtail. Black Swallowtail , female.
BBBB. Black butterfly with slight tail like prolongation on hind wings. With yellow border and row of blue spots inside of it.
cca
cccc.
Mourning Cloak.
Swallowtails
Pierids
Check list of Fifty- Common Butterflies
Nymphs
" Tiger Black Zebra Giant
Green-clouded
Blue
" Whites Cabbage Orange tips Falcate
u Yellows
Roadside Sleepy Yellow Dog’s Head Little Sulphur Orange Sulphur Cloudless Sulphur
Fritillaries
- Great Spangled Silver spot Regal
Gulf
Variegated
Meadow
- Silver-bordered
Crescent
Spots
Angle-
wings
r Pearl Silver u Baltimore
Mourning Cloak American Tortoise Compton Tortoise Buckeye
I Red Admiral
Thistle
Butterflies
Painted Beauty Cosmopolite
{Violet Tip Hop Merchant Gray Comma Green Comma
Meadow
Browns
The Milkweed Long Beaks
The Gossamer Wings
{Banded purple Hybrid purple Red-Spotted purple Viceroy
- Emperors j Goatweed Emperor
{Blue-eyed Grayling Dull-eyed Grayling Eyed Brown Little Wood Satyr / Monarch 1 Queen
{ The Snout Butterfly
/ Gray Hair Streak Hair Streaks \ Banded Hair Streak
W- | America? Copper
[ Blues ^ Spring Azure
Photo by Dr. R. W. Shufeldt
Two Monarch Butterflies on Goldenrod
The Mourning Cloak caterpillars are sociable even when changing to chrysalids
HOW TO KNOW THE BUTTERFLIES
A Manual of the Butterflies of the Eastern United States, by
JOHN HENRY COMSTOCK
Emeritus Professor of Entomology, Cornell University AND
ANNA BOTSFORD COMSTOCK
Assistant Professor of Nature Study, Cornell University
This work contains descriptions of 152 species and varieties of butterflies. This includes all of the species and their named varieties found in the eastern half of the United States ex- cepting a few extremely rare forms.
There are 45 plates with 312 figures showing the insects in their natural colors and 49 figures in the text.
The work is written in popular form without being super- ficial, and will serve as a Baedeker among Butterflies to the casual observer or the close student of this most pictur- esque phase of nature.
The Comstock Publishing Company
Ithaca, New York
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With outline drawings of birds by Louis Agassiz Fuertes on watercolor paper
TREE NOTES - - - - - - -A. B. Comstock
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With outline drawings of 60 insects on watercolor paper
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