How to Know the Butterflies

The Cornell classic that taught America to name what it saw: every eastern butterfly described from life, with its caterpillar, its food-plants, its habits — and how to pronounce its Latin.

HomeThe Nymphs › Harris's Butterfly (Cinclidia harrisii)

Harris's Butterfly (Cinclidia harrisii)

Cinclidia harrisii (Cin-clid'i-a har-ris'i-i) PLATE XXII, FIG. 5, 8 The upper surface of the wings of this species closely resembles in color and markings that of the butterflies of the genus Phyciodes. On the under surface the wings are fulvous, with the veins and transverse lines and bars black, and with pale yellow and silvery white spots. On the hind wings the median, transverse, white band is traversed by two black lines near the edges, so as to form three nearly complete bands. Expanse one and three-fourths inches.

CATERPILLAR.-Length nearly one inch; body orange in color ringed with black stripes, with a black line down the back, and ornamented with rows of black spines.

Food-plants. Asters.

When flying, this butterfly so much resembles the silver crescent that it is likely to be mistaken for it; however, the lower sides of the wings are much darker. The caterpillars have similar habits to those of the silver crescent. It is a New England species, seldom being found south of the 42d degree of latitude.

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