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The Banded Purple (Basilarchia arthemis)

Basilarchia arthemis (Bas-i-lar'chi-a ar'the-mis) PLATE XXVII, FIG. I The upper surface of the wings is velvety chocolate-black, marked with a conspicuous white bow extending from the middle of the costal margin of the front wings to near the anal angle of the hind wings. On the lower surface the wings are marked much as in the red-spotted purple with the addition of the white bow. Expanse of wings nearly three inches. CATERPILLAR.-Length one and one-fourth inches; color of the body, various shades of green and greenish brown with a saddle of pale buff, almost white. Its body is naked and humpy; a large pair of spiny tubercles ornament the second thoracic segment.

Food-plants. Birch, poplar, shadbush; it prefers black birch.

We have had an intimate acquaintance with two individual banded purples. One haunted a road over which we passed frequently on our wheels.

It is a beautiful road, bordered on one side by a high tree-covered bank, and on the other by a wide stream above the foaming waters of which the black and yellow birch love to lean. Every time we passed this spot we saw our banded purple spreading its white-banded, velvety wings in the patches of sunlight that filtered between the overhanging trees. It was always there and alone; as we approached it would flutter up over our heads but soon returned to the preferred place. The other banded purple took up its abode on a side hill covered with young ash-trees and larches very near our house. This one was particularly fond of flying up among the branches of a chestnut oak, in front of a second story window where we could watch it at our leisure the while it moved briskly about on the leaves. It spent the entire summer basking on the ground and promenading on the leaves in the sunlight, and thus day by day grew into our thoughts and finally into our affections. Mr. Scudder says when these butterflies are numerous they are very social, crowding against each other on moist ground much to the detriment of their handsome wings. Probably the species is rarer in our vicinity, for our experience has always been with lonely individuals who spent their whole lives within a radius of a few yards. While the broad, white band across the black velvety wings first attracts the eye to this species, the hind wings are beautifully iridescent with blue and green and often ornamented with dark red spots. On the under side of the wings the red spots and white bands show against a brown background. The species is double-brooded; and is essentially northern, being a Canadian species which extends a short distance into the northern part of the United States.

There he arriving, round about doth flie From bed to bed, from one to other border; And takes survey, with curious busie eye, Of every flowre and herbe there set in order; Now this, now that, he tasteth tenderly, Yet none of them he rudely doth disorder, Ne with his feete their silken leaves deface, But pastures on the pleasures of each place.

SPENSER.