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Sara
Butterfly.--The wings on the upper side in both sexes are shown in the figures above cited. On the under side the hind wings are marked with dark irregular patches of greenish-brown scales loosely scattered over the surface, and having a "mossy" appearance.
There are several forms which are regarded by recent writers as varieties and may probably be such. Of these we give the following:
(a) Variety reakirti, Edwards, Plate XXXII, Fig. 31, male; Fig. 32, female (Reakirt's Orange-tip) = flora, Wright, Plate XXXIV, Fig. 4, male; Fig. 5, female. This form hardly differs at all from the form sara, except in being smaller, and having the margins of the hind wings marked with dark spots at the ends of the veins.
(b) Variety stella, Edwards, Plate XXXII, Fig. 35, male; Fig. 36, female (Stella). The females of this form are prevalently yellowish on the upper side of the wings; otherwise they are marked exactly as the preceding variety.
(c) Variety julia, Edwards, Plate XXXII, Fig. 34, male; Plate XXXIV, Fig. 6, female, under side (Julia). The only distinction in this form is the fact that the black bar dividing the red apical patch from the white on the remainder of the wing is broken, or tends to diminution at its middle.
Early Stages.--Unknown.
The species, in all its forms, belongs to the mountain States of the Pacific coast. Flora, Wright, is regarded by Beutenmuller, who has given us the latest revision of the genus, as identical with sara. It comes nearer the variety reakirti than any other form, as will be seen by an examination of the plates which give figures of the types. Expanse, 1.25-1.75 inch.