Genus Cœnonympha Westwood (the Ringlets)
Small butterflies. Costal, median, and submedian veins of fore wing strongly swollen at base. Both wings evenly rounded on outer margin. Egg conical, rounded at the bottom, truncated, with low ribs and cross-lines near the top. The caterpillar has a globular head and cylindrical body, which tapers backward from about the middle, and on the last segment has two cone-like backward projections. Chrysalis straight ventrally, convex dorsally, with a rounded keeled eminence over the thorax, pointed at the end; green or drab, marked with darker spots.
The genus is found throughout the north temperate zone, and we have in our fauna a number of species and varieties, most of which are confined to the Pacific Coast and to Alaska.
(1) Cœnonympha ochracea Edwards, Plate LXV, Fig. 1, ♂ (The Ochre Ringlet).
Glossy ochreous yellow above, without dark markings except as those of lower side faintly show through. On under side the fore wing has an eye-spot near apex, and the hind wing has a submarginal row of incomplete eye-spots, which in some specimens is wanting. Ground-color of under side of fore wings as above; of hind wings gray, interrupted about middle by a lighter band, and lighter rays about the cell near base. Expanse 1.25-1.50 inch. Ranges from British Columbia to Arizona eastward to Kansas and Nebraska.
(2) Cœnonympha inornata Edwards, Plate LXV, Fig. 2, ♂ (The Plain Ringlet).
Reddish ochraceous on upper side with outer margin of fore wings and hind wings laved with darker. On the under side there is an ocellus near the apex of fore wing and on the hind wing, which is dark gray, a yellow curved mark beyond the cell and a couple of pale yellow spots near the anal angle. Expanse 1.25-1.50 inch.
Occurs in Montana, Minnesota, Ontario north of Lake Superior, thence eastward to Newfoundland.