The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-10-20

DOUY.
On the underside the hind wings and
tips of the fOreWings are marbled with
light and dark wavy markings. 1t
comes from its winter hiding place late
in spring. lays'it its eggs IN June singly
on the upper side of leaves, avoiding
the veins. In five or six days a spiny
caterpillar is Matched, which feeds on
nettle leaves and grows a little over
an inch in length. This creature soon
climbs to the tOpmOst leaves, and. lin
ing one of them with silk, draws its
edges together to form a canopy, where
cit lives concealed, solitary and indo-
lent" 1t feeds at night on the sub
stance of the leaf forming it's house.
but spares the veiny framework. After
moulting, it takes another leaf and
makes a new canopy. somewhat differ
ent. After each moult it seeks a new
leaf, and as regularly proceeds to eat
itself out Of house and home, till il
finally passes into the chrysalis FORM
to emerge as a butterfly early in July.
These butterflies lay eggs that hatch
a second brood by September, and fly
about till the cold weather of October
drives them to find a hiding place till
spring. They may often be caught on
sliced apples drying in the sun. 1t is a
striking specimen, but its larvae have
parasite enemies that frequently de-
stroy them. The parasites are small
fiy-like and wasp-like creatures that
sting the caterpillar, laying an egg in
its body as they do so. The eggs hatch
into small maggots, which eat up their
host, and the butterfly fails.
How to Study Them.
Observation of the insect beautiful"
the moths and butterflies. and study of
the metaphysics of the lepidoptera, as
this group is called, may be begun in
the fall by all grades. These insects
are suited for closer study and rearing
to the work of the sixth grade. Notice
what plants the butterfly prefers, and
cage and rear any caterpillars found
feeding on these plants.
Good guide books for this study and
observation are: Scudder-Everyday
Butterflies (s1.50); Comstock-How to
Know the Butterflies; Weed-Nature
Biographies CS1.35); Comstock-Insect
Life (s1.7O; Holland-Butterfiy Book
$3.50; Dickerson-MOths and Butter
flies (s1.25). OF these, Insect Life is
preferable if only one is purchased,
since 1t covers the whole field of in
sects. Smaller books are: Weed-Sto-
ries of Insect Life, and Comstock-
Ways of the Six-Footed.
In using any of these books, it is a
great help to know which of the species
named therein occur commonly in Utah
and the Rocky mountains.
Common Utah Species.
We have. then, frequent in Utah,
the Monarch, Anosia plexippus, a milk
weed butterfly; the Viceroy, Basilar-
CHA disippa, that mimics the Monarch,
and is a willow frequenrer; the Tiger
Swallow Tail, PaDilio turnus, and
others; the Mourning Cloak, Vanessa
antiopa; the Admirals-the various
species of Basilarchia; the white Cab
bage butterfly; the Silver Spots, Ar
gynnis, silver spotted on the under
sides of the wings; the Angle Wings
and Satyrs, of the genus GraDta; the
Tortoise Shells, which, like the Mourn
ing Cloak, are of the genus Vanessa;
the Wood Nymphs, Of the genus Sa-
tyrus; the Metal Marks, of which The
Mormon IS one, Lemonias Mormos; the
Hair Streaks, of the genus Thecla; the
Sulphurs, of the genus Colias, and the
Shippers, resembling moths, that skip
over the grass.
Simple Laboratory Work.
Note the similar wings the difference
in their shape and size. and whether
the front or the hind wings are the
larger; observe the venation, or veiny
framework, that supports the wings;
look at the brilliant, powdery covering
of minute scales that gives the gloss
and color to the wings, and it may be
we'll to mention that the name of the
order, Lepidoptera, is derived from the
presence of these scales-Lepos, a scale.
and pteron, a wing. Look to see the
difference IN colOration between the up
per and the lower surfaces note that
in all butterflies the antennae, or
horns. are club shaped-a fact that dis
tinguishes them from the moths; OBJ
serve the prominent compound eyes,
and just above and near them, we may
see with lens the two simple eyes, or
ocelli.
The long sucking tube of butterflies
is to be contrasted with the biting
mouth parts of the grasshopper. Ex-
tending upward from the mouth and
terminating the face are two small pro-
jections-the labial palpi. Note the
small legs, one pair often very much
reduced.
University of Utah, Oct. 20, 1907
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