FIFTH-STAGE CATERPILLAR

Plate6, figs.35.3();plate8,figs.44-48, 51,s^;^textfig.H,p.29

The

head capsule is

from

4.3 to 4.8

mm

wide atthe widest part, slightlybelowthemiddle,and4.8

mm

high

from

thetipof themandi- ble tothe

summit

of the lobe

on

the

same

side.

The

total length of freshly molted caterpillars just entering this stageisabout 23

mm. They

willpupate

when

24^to 25

mm

long and 5

mm

broad. Fully fedcaterpillarsare32to35

mm

longandunusually slender forcaterpillarsofthisgroup, being only_{5 to}6

mm

broad.

The

largestonefoundwas,

when

resting,30

mm

longand6.7

mm

broad.

The

headatthe

summit

of the lobesisminutelyroughenedwithfine,

more

or less irregular vermiculations.

Among

these are

numerous

well-separated, abruptly elevated mesa-like elevations withtheflattish top sloping

upward and

forward,orontheupperpart of the front of theheadoutward and

downward. From

theedge of the top of these mesa-like elevations 6 to 8 or

more

fine but prominent ridges run

downward

and,turning outward, jointhe general finevermiculation of the surface. These abrupt elevations, finally becoming irregular rugosetubercles, run

down

the sidesof theheadtothe

mouth

parts.

The

front of theheadbelowtheupperportions of the lobes isclosely vermiculated with very fineridges which atfirst are here

and

there gathered into knots, butlower

down become

evenly disposed over a minutely rugosesurface.

Above

the largeyellow spots inthevicinity of the frontal triangle and alsoover the spots themselves the ridges

become

paralleland wellspacedand run

downward

and inward toward the frontaltriangle,

making

withitanangle ofabout60°. Justabove theapexofthe frontaltriangleand oneachsideof themedian groove thereisanirregularshield-shaped area withasmall circularelevation in thecenter. There are

two more

similar circular elevations lower down, one oneither sideof the frontaltriangle.

On

the frontaltriangle thereisafinebutprominentmedianridge which initsupperquarter

is

somewhat

sinuouswithsidebranches runningofif

from

it,butinits

lower three-quarters is straight and regular with abroadbare space on either side.

Two

or three of the lines over the yellow spot run intothe frontaltriangle,herebending

downward

and runningparallel with the median carination to the lower edge.

The

head is thickl}- l)eset with slender hairs curving downw^ard. These

become

erect on the frontaltriangle,andover the yellow spots project

downward

and inwardtoward the

mouth

parts.

The

ocelliare arrangedin acurved line of four along the outerconcave edgeof theyellow spot, with a fifthopposite the middleof the

row

formingwith thefirstandthird

32

SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS

COLLECTIONS VOL. 95 in the curved row, counting

from

either end, approximately an equilateral triangle.

The

shield on the first thoracic segment bears

numerous

short hairs.

The

detached endsof the thoracic shieldareenclosedwiththe restof theshield ina thickpadof skinandarenot readilyidentifiable.

Above

the anterior to the largeprothoracic spiracle, inthe center of thedetachedendof thethoracicshield,isasmall,smooth,circular indurated spot surrounded byacircleof well-spaced hairswhich are distant

from

it

somewhat more

than its

own

diameter. This spot is directly "northeast^" of the spiracle onthe right side, and " north- west^" on the left. It is distant

from

the spiracle nearly the longer (vertical) diameterof thelatter

and

lies inaverticalplane about its shorterdiameterinadvanceof it.

There is another similar but less conspicuous spot below this, directly infrontof themiddleof thespiracle.

Directlybeneaththis,nearthe ventrolateralborder of thesegment and overthe base of thefirst pair of thoraciclegs, are

two

similar but larger spots with a diameter nearly twice as great. These are distant

from

the spiracle nearly twice its greater diameter and are abouthalftheir

own

diameterapart.

One

of

them

ishigher than, and inadvance of,the other.

Below

and anterior to the first abdominal spiracle

—

"southeast^"

onthe right side

and

^"southwest^"on the left

—

^{and distant}

^from

^it

aboutitsshorterdiameterisa similar spot of the

same

sizeasthetwo lastmentioned.

On

the segments following, thisspot is considerably lower,beingdistant

from

thespiracleabouttwiceitslonger diameter, the distance slowly increasing as the spiracles gradually decrease in sizeposteriorly.

On

the eighthabdominalsegmentthe spotisdirectly beneaththe enlargedspiracle,whichissituatedata higherlevel than thespiraclespreceding,

and

isdistant

from

itnearly twiceits longer diameter.

In the middle of the outer side of the large middle segment of eachof the prolegsisasimilar,but smaller,spot,that ontheterminal prolegsbeing largerthantheothers.

On

the ventral surface there are

two

similar spots on each of the

two

first abdominal segments ^situated one on either side on a line betweenthemiddle of the bases of thelastthoraciclegsandthe first prolegs,and there are

two

similarlysituatedonthesegment between those bearing the fourth pair and the terminal prolegs.

There

are also

two on

the dorsal sideof thelastsegment.

The body

isclothedwith very

numerous

but well-spacedshort,fine, pointed hairs,

among

which are

numerous much

longer, scattered,

NO. 7

THE GOLD-BANDED

SKIPPER

CLARK

₃₃ slender, and pointed transparent hairs that

become somewhat more numerous

onthelowerlateralborders of the segments,and

much more numerous

and darker on thedorsal surface of thelast segment.

The

prolegsbear

numerous

down-curvedhairsabout thefoot,and

many

on the basal portion.

The

ventralsurface has rather

numerous

scatteredhairs.

The

analfan (pi. 8,fig. 52) is longwedge-shaped,ventrallygently convex, with 18long, tapering, blunt teeth about the rounded distal edge.

From

thebase ofeach of these teeth a rounded ridge runsto the

narrow

base.

The

headin thisstage resemblesverycloselytheheadofEpargyreus tityrus, differing chiefly in its smaller size, in the longer and

more numerous

hairswith which it is clothed, in its darker color,and in itsyellow instead oforangespots.

The

headis claret

brown

with a large deep

chrome

spot between the frontal triangle

and

the ocelli oneither side.

The

border of the chrome-yellowspot adjoining theocelliisgently concave, following the curved line along which the ocelli are placed, the inner border is evenly rounded,andtheupper and lowerborders areflattened.

The

mandiblesand antennaeareshiningblack.

The

firstthoracicsegmentbearsasmoothclay-colored dorsal shield narrowly bordered in the middle third of the anterior margin with olive buff.

A

fine lineofolivebuffrunsacrossitinthemiddorsal line of thecaterpillar.

A narrow

groove nearthe posteriormargin ofthe shieldrunningnot quiteto theends on either side isdarkerin color thanthe rest of the shield.

The

remainderof the firstthoracic seg-

ment

isbright rosered,or roseredbelowand strawyellow above, the

two

colorsbeing dividedbyalinerunning

from

thelowerportion of thesidesoftheneckjustbehindthehead

backward

and

upward

to a point onthe second thoracic segment atthe level of the end of the thoracicshield.

The

dorsal portion of thebodyisapplegreen with

numerous

evenly distributed small sulphur-yellow dotswhichare darkestinthe anterior third,graduallybecomingpalerposteriorly.

The

dorsal surface is delimitedbyaconspicuous broadlateral line ofclearsulphur yellow. In themiddle of thebodythis lineissome- what widerthan the height of thedeep

chrome

spotsonthehead, but

it tapers to less than half this width at either end.

The

line is in realityinterrupted, being

composed

oneachsegmentofanirregularly bounded,but

more

orlesssquarish,

mark

followedbyabroadvertical dash of the

same

height orslightlyhigher,

which

inturnis followed bythreenarrowervertical linesof the

same

length orslightlylonger.

34

SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS

COLLECTIONS VOL. 95