Cambridge Entomological Club, 1874
PSYCHE

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V. G. Dethier.
Metamorphoses of Cuban Nymphalidae and Lycaenidae.
Psyche 48(2-3):70-78, 1941.

This article at Hindawi Publishing: https://doi.org/10.1155/1941/68725
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70 Psyche [June-Sept.
METAMORPHOSES OF CUBAN NYMPHALIDB
AND LYCAENIDBl
BY V. G. DETHIER
John Carroll University, Cleveland, Ohio å
This paper is intended to supplement an earlier communi- cation on the immature stages of Cuban diurnal Lepidoptera (Dethier, 1940). The three species of Nymphalidse and single species of Lycsenidse described below are four very common members of the Cuban fauna. Nevertheless, their early stages and oviposition habits are but imperfectly known.
Precis zonalis Folder & Felder
Egg. Biscay green. Height .75 mm. Greatest diameter .65 mm.
Eleven raised longitudinal ribs. In general appear- ance the egg resembles those of species of Anurtia. It is nearly round but seems squat due to the fact that the base is perfectly flat and the section of greatest diameter is nearer the base than the apex. The ribs are raised a greater height from the surrounding surface at the apex than else- where.
The surface of the egg applied to the plant is made up of microscopic polygonal areas.
First Instar. Head height .4 mm.; head width .4 mm. Smooth, shiny, and nearly black.
There are a few long
scattered hairs of the same color.
The arrangement of
these hairs is shown in Plate V Figure 1. The spherical
nature of the head and the shallowness of the apex are also shown. Body 2.5 mm. long. Amber yellow. The trans- parency of the integument allows the green coloring of plant material in the gut to be seen. Few long scattered black hairs. Most of these are recurved forward. No branched spines are present in this instar. The thoracic legs are the same color as the head. Spiracles same color as body.
Second Instcvr.
Head height .6 mm. ; head width .6 mm.
Shiny black. Same shape as in previous instar. Hairs more ,
1This work was aided by a Harvard University Fellowship. Psidie 48:70.78 (194 1). hup //psyche einclub org/48/48-070 html



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19411 Nymphalidae and Lycaenidae 71
numerous. Body 4.5 mm. long. Amber yellow suffused with green dorsally. Large branched spines present. A mid-dorsal row of spines occurs on the abdominal segments. A para-dorsal row occurs on all segments but the first thoracic, a suprastigmatal row on the third thoracic and all abdominal segments, a substigrnatal row on all segments but the first thoracic, and a prespiracular spine on the pro- thoracic segment. The thoracic spines are the largest. All spines and their spinules are black. All legs black. Spiracles amber yellow.
Third instwr.
Head height .8 mm.; head width .9 mm.
Shiny black. Surface smooth. Black hairs more numerous. Two small spines at apex bearing two large spinules and several small ones. Head now much wider in appearance. The distribution and relative lengths of the hairs are shown in Plate V Figure 5. Body 6.5 mm. long. Legs black. Body deep slate-olive. On the first thoracic segment and at the bases of the suprastigmatal and substigmatal spines there is a suffusion of buff-yellow. There is a slight tendency toward the same on the dorsal side of the anal segment. Ventral surf ace buff -yellow. Spines black. Spiracles buff - yellow.
Fourth Instar.
Head height .9 mm.; head width 1.1 mm.
Head similar to the previous instar with the following ex- ceptions: hair sockets yellow, clypeus yellow. Body 7.5 to 8 mm. long. Deep slate-olive dorsally. Abdominal legs and underside buff-yellow. Anal segment and prothoracic seg- ment suffused with buff-yellow dorsally. Spines and spin-
ules black. Arranged as in previous instar (cf. Plate VI Figure 7) . Spiracles buff -yellow.
Eggs laid July 13 hatched three days later, July 16. Each instar required three days.
The first moult took place
July 19, the second July 22, and the third July 25. Eggs were laid on either side of the leaves of Lipma. The female usually came to rest on the top of small plants with the result that eggs were seldom found anywhere but at this position. Anartia jatrophae jamaicensis Moeschler
Egg. Primrose yellow. Height .75 mm. Greatest diam- eter .60 mm. The egg of this species appears less squat than



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72 Psyche [ June-Sept;
that of A. lytrea chrys'opelea due to the fact that its height surpasses its diameter.
There may be eleven or twelve
longitudinal ribs.
The same female may lay eggs of both
types. In all other respects the eggs resemble those of the next species.
First Instar.
Head height .3 mm.; head width .38 mm.
Head shiny piceous. Nearly round. Few scattered black hairs. Plate V Figure 3 shows the locations and distribution of these hairs. Body 2 mm. long. Color before eating prim- rose yellow. After eating, parrot green. First abdominal segment orange. Body covered with scattered hairs arising from brown sclerites. Hairs long and microscopically ser- rate. Dorsally located hairs black. Forwardly recurved. Those below the subventral fold transparent and back- wardly recurved. The distribution of the hairs dorsal to the subventral fold on the prothoracic segment is shown in Plate VI Figure 1. On the cervical shield are located four pairs of hairs. Three of these are in a transverse line on the anterior edge of the shield. The fourth is on the pos- terior edge. Ventral to the shield proper is a sclerite bear- ing two hairs directed downward. The more anterior one is longer. The prespiracular wart bears a single hair. In the subventral position are located two small transparent hairs of equal length. Both are directed downward. The arrangement of the hairs on the fourth abdominal segment is shown in Plate VI Figure 2. Hairs i, iii, and v are in a straight lineå´an ii, iv, vi, vii, viii in a straight line on the posterior edge of the segment. v is ventral and slightly anterior to the spiracle. iv is directly posterior to the spiracle.
Hairs i to v are long and conspicuous. Hairs vi to viii are minute. Spiracles same color as body. Rimmed with fuscous.
Second Instar.
Head height .5 mm.; head width .55 mm.
Head shiny piceous, nearly black.
Region of ocelli black.
Large branched spines on apex of head slightly lighter in color than the surrounding surface. Spine stouter and more swollen distally than in the next species. Plate V Figure 6 shows the arrangement of the hairs of the head in this instar. Body 3.75 mm. long. Parrot green. Now covered with large black branched spines. These are distributed as



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19411 Nymphalidae and Lycaenidae 73
follows: a mid-dorsal row on all abdominal segments, a para-dorsal row on all segments (Plate VI Figure 6) but the prothoracic where there is a group of hairs, a suprastigmatal row on all segments, and a substigmatal row on all segments but the prothoracic. Here there is a prominent prespiracu- lar spine.
Spiracles same as before.
Eggs laid July 14 hatched four days later, July 18. The first instar required four days for completion; the second instar, four days. The food plant is Lippia. Anartia lytrea chrysopelea Hbn.
Egg. Light chalcedony yellow. Height .60 mm. Great- est diameter .75 mm. The greatest diameter lies nearer the base than the apex. Eleven raisd longitudinal ribs. These project a greater height from the surrounding surface at the apex of the egg than elsewhere. In profile they present a serrated appearance. This is not so evident as in the egg of Metamorpha stelenes insularis (Holland). The ribs are joined by many microscopic parallel cross striations which at the apex of the egg form the micropyle rosette and at the base are replaced by polygonal areas.
First Instar.
Head height .3 mm.; head width .38 mm.
Head shiny, light yellow green. Region of ocelli dark brown. Region of future head tubercles light brown. Few trans- parent hairs scattered over head. Body 2 mm. long. Gen- eral color light yellow almost cream.
First abdominal seg-
ment very dark maroon dorsally. Body covered with long microscopically serrate hairs. The basal two thirds of the dorsal prothoracic hairs are black, the distal ends trans- parent and colorless. The remaining dorsal hairs of the body are black on the basal third. All dorsal hairs forwardly recurved. Hairs below the subventral fold backwardly re- curved. The arrangement of the hairs on the prothoracic segment is shown in Plate VI Figure 3. Along the anterior edge of the cervical shield are four pairs of long forwardly recurved hairs arranged in a transverse line. Slightly posterior to the most lateral one and approximately dorsal to the spiracle is a short hair. There are two prespiracular hairs and the usual two hairs in the subventral position. The arrangement of the hairs on the fourth abdominal seg-



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74 Psyche [ June-Sept.
*
ment is shown in Plate VI Figure 4. Hairs i and iii lie at the anterior edge of the segment in a position more anterior than the spiracle. iv is posterior to the spiracle and v ventral to it. ii, iv, vi, vii, and viii lie in a line along the posterior edge of the segment. The hairs do not arise from conspicu- ous scleritized areas as in the preceding species. Legs same color as body. Spiracles with brown rims. Crochets uni- ordinal forming an elipse.
Second Instar. Head height .5 mm. ; head width .575 mm. Head smooth, clear chalcedony yellow. The spines and the region of the ocelli are dark brown to black. Plate V Figure 2 shows the head spines and the distribution of the hairs. Body 2.5 to 3 mm. long. Chalcedony yellow. Covered with large branched spines. Green from gut visible. Legs and spiracles same as in previous instar.
Third Instar.
Head height .7 mm. ; head width .9 mm.
Similar to second instar. Head spines longer and more con- spicuous (Plate VI Figure 11). Body 5 mm. long. Shiny empire green. Spines conspicuously black. Dsitribution of spines same as in previous instars.
Fourth Instar.
Head height 1 mm. ; head width 1.2 mm.
Head similar to previous instars. Lateral and ventral areas slightly suffused with green. Body 6 mm. long. Same color as before. Spines larger. Large branched substig- matal spines occur on all but the prothoracic segment. Here there is a prominent prespiracular spine (Plate VI Figure 5). Suprastigmatal branched spines occur on all segments. Those on the prothoracic and mesothoracic segments are more postspiracular in position. Branched para-dorsal spines occur on all but the first thoracic segment. The para- dorsal spine on the second thoracic segment is much reduced (Plate VI Figure 8). Mid-dorsal spines are found on all the abdominal segments. The surface of the body is finely rugose. The rugosities are deep maroon in color against a yellowish surface background. The green color of the body is due in great part to the color in the viscera. Legs same color as body.
Spiracles with black rims.
Eggs laid July 8 hatched July 12, four days later. The first instar required two days with moulting taking place July 14. The second instar required three days with moults



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19411 Nymphalidae and Lycaenidae 75
occurring July 17. The third instar required five days moulting occurring July 22. The female oviposited on species of Tradescantia and on Lippia.
The former was probably chosen by the female in error due to its proximity to the food plant. Larvae would not feed on it.
Eumaeus atala Poey
The larva and chrysalis of this species have been described in part by Scudder (1875). The following account deals primarily with the arrangement of setae and body colors, aspects not previously considered.
Last Jnstar. Head height 2 mm.; head width 2.5 mm. Head yellowish. Few minute scattered hairs. The distri- bution of these is shown in Plate V Figure 4. On the head the primary and secondary setae are indistinguishable. They are of little diagnostic value since they vary so greatly in number and position. Plate VI Figures 9 and 10 illus- trate the marked variation in the distribution of these head set= in different specimens of this species. The apex of the head is deeply indented. Surface smooth. Body 20 mm. long. General color brilliant crimson. First and last seg- ments yellowish. Legs, prolegs, and para-dorsal spines yellow. Spiracles light brown, spherical. Para-dorsal row of fleshy tubercles on every segment. Each bears three to five stiff black spines. The para-dorsal tubercles on the first and last body segments are not distinct. Body covered with much short brown secondary hair. A substigmatal row of fleshy protuberances crimson in color. Prothoracic seg- ment enlarged. Crochets triordinal, numbering approxi- mately thirty-three. Arranged in one interrupted band with a spatulate fleshy lobe arising near the interruption. Chrysalis. Length 15 mm. General color sienna. Scat- tered brownish spots.
Dethier, V. G. 1940. Life Histories of Cuban Lepidoptera. Psyche, 47 (1) : 14-26.
Scuddw, S. H. 1875. The structure and transformations of Eumaeus atala. M,em. Boston Soc. Nat. Hist., 2 (3) : 413-419.



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Psyche
[June- Sept.
Fig. 1.
Head of first instar larva of Precis zonalis Felder & Felder. Approximately x 58.
Fig. 2.
Head of second instar larva of Anartia lytrea chrysopelea Hbn. Approximately x 33.
Fig. 3.
Head of first instar larva of Anartia jatrophe jamaicensis Moesch. Approximately 5 65.
Fig. 4.
Head of last instar larva of Eumseus atala Poey. Approxi-
mately x 14.
Fig. 5.
Head of third instar larva of P. zonalis Felder & Felder. Approximately x 40.
Fig. 6.
Head of second instar larva of A. jatrophe jamaicensis. Ap- proximately x 48.
Fig. 1. Pro'thoracic segment of first instar larva, of Arzartia jatrophe jamaicensis Moesch. showing the arrangement of the setas dorsal to the subventral fold. A, anterior; P, posterior. Approximately x 100.
Fig. 2.
Fourth abdominal segment of first instar larva of A. jatrophe jamaicensis Moesch,
showing the arrangement of setee I
to V. A, anterior; P, posterior. Approximately x 100. Fig. 3. Prothoracic segment of first instar larva of Anartia lytrea chyrsopelea Hbn. showing the arrangement of the setas dorsal to the subventral fold. A, anterior; P, posterior. Approxinlately x 66.
Fig. 4.
Fourth abdominal segment of first instar larva of A. lytrea chrysopelea Hbn. showing the arrangement of setse I to V. A, anterior; P, posterior; S, subventral fold. Approximate-
ly x 90.
Fig. 5. Prespiracular spine from the prothoracic segment of fourth instar larva of A. lytrea chrysopelea Hbn. Approximately x 66.
Fig. 6. Para-dorsal spine from the first abdominal segment of second instar larva of A. jatrophe jamaicensis Moesch. Approxi- mately x 66.
Fig. 7. Para-dorsal spine from the first abdominal segment of fourth instar larva of Precis zonalis Felder & Felder. Approxi-
mately x 40.
Fig. 8. Para-dorsal spine from the second thoracic segment of fourth instar larva of A. lytrea chrysopelea Hbn. Approximately x 70.
Fig. 9. Clypeus of last instar larva of Eumsszis atala Poey showing the arrangement of setas.
Approximately x 30.
Fig. 10. Same.
Fig. 11. Spine from head of third instar larva of A. lytrea chrysopelea Hbn. Approximately x 90.




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19411 Nymphalidae and Lycaenidae 77
PSYCHE, 1941 VOL. 48, PLATE V
Dethier - Cuban Nymphalid~e and Lycaenidse



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Psyche
[June- Sept.
VOL. 48, PLATE VI
-
Dlethier - Cuban Nymphalidse and Lycaenidss



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Volume 48 table of contents