Plate V. fig. 1.
ORDER: Lepidoptera. SECTION: Diurna. FAMILY: Nymphalidæ, _Swains_.
GENUS. CYNTHIA, _Fabr. Stephens_. Vanessa p. _Latr. et God._ Papilio
(Nymph. Gemmat.), _Drury, Fabricius_.
CYNTHIA HUNTERA. Alis subangulatis dentatis fulvis, nigro variegatis;
anticis apice productis albo maculatis; posticis infra ad basin griseo
reticulatis, ad extimum ocellis duobus magnis notatis. (Expans. Alar. 2
unc. 9 lin.)
SYN. Papilio (Nymph.) Huntera, _Fab. Syst. Ent. p._ 499. _No._ 240.
_Herbst. Pap. t._ 178. _f._ 5. 6. _t._ 179. _f._ 1. 2. _Abbot and Smith,
Ins. Georgia, vol._ 1. _tab._ 9.
Papilio (Nymph. Gemm.) Cardui Virginiensis, _Drury, App. v._ 2.
Papilio Iole, _Cramer, Pap._ 1. _pl._ 12. _f._ E. F.
Papilio Bella Donna Virginiana, _Petiv. Gaz. Dec._ 4. _tab._ 33. _fig._
5.
HABITAT: New York, Maryland, Virginia (_Drury_). Brazil to Georgia (_Enc.
Méth._).
_Upper Side._ The base of the wings tawny orange; the anterior, dentated
and angulated; the tips and external edges are brownish black, on which
are five white spots near the external angle, the largest being round.
The remainder of the wings is of a fine orange brown, with several black
marks thereon, near the anterior edges. The posterior wings are a little
dentated, and of a brown orange colour like the anterior, having five
black spots placed near the external edge of each, two of which being
larger than the rest have blue centres, below these is a black border,
with a row of brown-orange crescents running along the middle. The cilia
is black and white.
_Under Side._ The anterior wings at the base are greyish, beyond which
they are beautifully adorned with rose-coloured and black marks, having
three white spots on each near the external edge, with several clouds and
marks of different colours placed at the tips and anterior edges. The
posterior wings are of a beautiful agate colour, with many lines and
narrow bars branching from, and intersecting one another under different
directions (like lines in a map), so as to form spots and clouds of
different shapes. Each wing has two eyes placed near the external edge,
one larger than the other, the pupils being of a blueish hue and the
irides black, the small one having a yellow circle within it; below
these, a purple line runs parallel with, and near to the external edge.
The caterpillar of this insect is described by Drury as being green, with
black rings round the body, and as feeding about New York upon the wild
balsams, appearing about the latter end of July, or beginning of August.
Once in about five or six years they are exceedingly plentiful, at other
times very scarce; a peculiarity also noticed in the very nearly allied
European species, Cynthia Cardui (the Painted lady), of which species,
indeed, Drury appears to have regarded it as a geographical variety.
The caterpillar, according to Abbot, is of a brown colour, with the
incisions, and a {11}lateral line yellow; it has also two dorsal lines,
formed of alternately white and red points; the head is black, and the
spines, with which the body is armed, are of the prevalent colour of the
surface. It feeds upon the Gnaphalum obtusifolium. The chrysalis is rather
yellow, with black spots, and is assumed towards the end of April or
beginning of May. The butterfly appears at the end of about ten days. It
continues breeding during the summer, and is very commonly seen sucking up
moisture from damp places near houses. The caterpillar folds and spins the
leaves together, in the same manner as the English Painted lady, Cynthia
Cardui.