Home › The Nymphs › The Mountain Silver-Spot

The Mountain Silver-Spot

Argynnis atlantis (Ar-gyn'nis at-lan'tis) PLATE XXI, FIG. 4 See description of the great spangled fritillary and the table above for the characteristics of this species.

CATERPILLAR.-Length one and one-half inches. It is very similar to the caterpillars of the silver spot and of the great spangled species, except that it is purplish in hue and the bases of the spines are light colored or pale.

Food-plant. Violets.

If our childish fancy about butterfly money were true this fritillary would carry on its wings the currency of the Dominion of Canada, for there is its home and it only visits our mountains and highlands.

While it so closely resembles the two preceding species in habits of caterpillars and in appearance, it may be distinguished from them by the unbroken black band that borders the front half of the front wings next to the fringe. In the other species this black band is broken by orange patches between the wing veins. The "coinage" on the lower surface of the hind wings shows off to a greater advantage, too, against a background of sepia than against cinnamon brown. Mr.

Scudder says that the male charms his lady-love by a sandalwood odor which he exhales from his front wings.

The species is single-brooded. It occurs in Canada and the northern half of the eastern part of the United States:

A butterfly, with golden wings broad parted, Nestling a rose, convulsed as though it smarted With over pleasure.