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The Tawny Emperor
Chlorippe clyton (Chlo-rip'pe cly'ton) PLATE XXIX, FIG. 2, 4 This species agrees with the preceding in the structural features mentioned above. The wings are more or less obscure tawny, marked with blackish brown, and with pale spots. The arrangement of the spots is similar to that in the preceding species, except that the outer spot in cell Cu, of the fore wings is not brown and eyelike. Expanse of wings two to three inches.
The species is dimorphic; the dimorphism affects both sexes and is independent, so far as is known, of season, as there is only one brood each year. The typical form, Chlorippe clyton clyton, has a submarginal row of six eyelike spots on the hind wings. The second form, Chlorippe clyton proserpina, differs in having the hind wings darker and the submarginal row of eyelike spots wanting.
CATERPILLAR.-Length one and one-half inches. Head pale green with spines along the sides and two large branched tubercles on top. Body naked, with green, yellow and white stripes extending from head to forked tail. a Food-plant.-Hackberry.
The tawny and gray emperors must belong to different dynasty than does the goatweed emperor, for they resemble the latter in no particular to the unpractised eye. The front wings of the tawny resemble those of the fritillaries, and its hind wings remind one of the meadowbrowns. There is one form of the tawny emperor that has the upper side of the hind wings almost solidly brown.
The eggs are laid closely packed on a leaf, and the caterpillars when they first hatch arrange themselves side by side in a compact row; and beginning at the tip of a leaf eat backward, leaving behind them nothing but the hard, tough ribs. They are quite luxurious young princes and make silken paths for themselves wherever they go. After the third molt the eating class is broken up and each member goes off boldly and without concealment to try its fortune alone; at this stage it is a royal-looking caterpillar, and has a pair of antlers on its head that are truly magnificent.
The tawny emperor belongs to the South, although it has been found as far north as Ohio. It has only one brood per year, and the caterpillars when about half grown hibernate on the ground among the fallen leaves.