Genus Thecla Fabricius (the Hair-streaks)
Mostly small butterflies. On the upper side very often colored with iridescent blue, green, or purple, sometimes reddish or dark brown; on the under side marked with lines and spots variously arranged and often very strikingly colored. What has been said as to the eggs, larvæ, and chrysalids of the family apply as well to this as to many of the following genera, and need not be here repeated.
While students of this group have subdivided extensively, and with scientific propriety have erected a number of genera which are acceptable to specialists, there seems to the writer no need for going into these things in this book, as most of the distinctions drawn are too fine to be appreciated by any but specialists.
(1) Thecla halesus (Cramer), Plate LXXIX, ♂ (The Great Purple Hair-streak).
The upper side is deep purplish blue, as shown in our figure; on the lower side the thorax is black spotted with white, the abdomen orange-red; the wings warm sepia spotted with crimson at their bases, in the males glossed with a stripe of metallic green on the fore wings, and in both sexes adorned at the anal angle by spots of metallic green, red, and iridescent blue. Expanse 1.35-1.50 inch.
Common in Central America and Mexico, ranging north through the hotter parts of the Gulf States, and has been recorded from southern Illinois. Occurs in southern California and Arizona. The larva feeds on mistletoe.
(2) Thecla m-album Boisduval & Leconte, Plate LXXX, Fig. 1, ♂ (The White-M Hair-streak).
Smaller than the preceding species, bluer, and not inclined to greenish at base of wings on upper side; on under side fore wing crossed by a submarginal and a median line of white, continued on the hind wings, zigzagged at anal angle so as to look like an inverted M; near this is a rounded crimson patch; anal angle black glossed with blue. Expanse 1.35-1.45 inch.
Ranges from New Jersey and Wisconsin to Venezuela.
(3) Thecla crysalus Edwards, Plate LXXX, Fig. 2, ♂ (The Colorado Hair-streak).
Upper side as in our figure, under side marked with white lines edged with brown. Orange spots of upper side reappear below, but at anal angle are transformed into red eye-spots pupilled with black and margined with metallic green. Expanse 1.50 inch.
Ranges from Colorado to eastern Arizona.
(4) Thecla favonius Smith & Abbot, Plate LXXXI, Fig. 1, ♂ (The Southern Hair-streak).
On the under side the wings are marked much as in T. m-album, but in the region of the median nervules is a rather broad transverse carmine streak inwardly edged with dark lines. Expanse 1.00-1.15 inch.
Found in the Gulf States and as far north as South Carolina.
(5) Thecla wittfeldi Edwards, Plate LXXXI, Fig. 2, ♀, Type (Wittfeld’s Hair-streak).
On the lower side both wings are crossed beyond the middle by two parallel pale lines bordered with darker tints, and at the end of the cells have each a short whitish bar. The anal angle is adorned with blue scales, before which is a red eye-spot of large size, externally marked with black. Expanse 1.25-1.35 inch.
Found in the region of Indian River, Florida.
(6) Thecla autolycus Edwards, Plate LXXXII, Fig. 1, ♂ (The Texas Hair-streak).
The carmine spots on the under side of the wings are not arranged across the median nervules as in T. favonius, but are located in the vicinity of the anal angle crowning the black crescents near the inner end of the outer margin. Expanse 1.15-1.30 inch.
Ranges from Missouri and Kansas to Texas.
(7) Thecla melinus Hübner, Plate LXXXII, Fig. 2, ♀ (The Common Hair-streak).
This common little butterfly may easily be recognized by its plain slaty upper surface, marked by a large black spot crowned with crimson between the origin of the two tails on the hind wings. Expanse 1.10-1.20 inch.
The caterpillar feeds on hop vines. The insect is found throughout temperate North America, thence southward into Mexico and Central America on the highlands.
(8) Thecla grunus Boisduval, Plate LXXXIII, Fig. 1, ♂ (Boisduval’s Hair-streak).
Wings on the upper side are as shown in our figure, but tawnier. On the under side the wings are pale tawny with transverse marginal and submarginal rows of small dark spots on both wings. Two or three of the marginal spots near the anal angle are conspicuously black crowned with a metallic green crescent. Expanse 1.10-1.20 inch.
The larva feeds upon the leaves of the live-oak (Quercus chrysolepis). Found in California and Nevada.
(9) Thecla edwardsi Saunders, Plate LXXXIII, Fig. 2, ♂ under side (Edwards’ Hair-streak).
The caterpillar feeds upon the young leaves of various kinds of oak. The species ranges from Quebec westward to Colorado and is not uncommon in New England, New York, and western Pennsylvania.
(10) Thecla acadica Edwards, Plate LXXXIII, Fig. 3, ♂ (The Acadian Hair-streak).
The wings on the under side are pale wood-brown, with a black bar at the end of the cells, and submarginal and median bands of small black spots surrounded with white; on the hind wings there is a submarginal row of red crescents, growing smaller from the anal angle toward the outer angle. Near the anal angle are two conspicuous black spots separated by a broad patch of bluish green scales. Expanse 1.15-1.25 inch.
The caterpillar feeds upon willows. The insect ranges from Quebec to Vancouver Island.
(11) Thecla calanus Hübner, Plate LXXXIV, Fig. 1, ♂ (The Banded Hair-streak).
On the upper side resembling T. edwardsi, but warmer brown in color; on the under side wings are marked by fine white lines on the outer half, which are not broken as in T. edwardsi, but form continuous bands. Expanse 1.15 inch.
The larva feeds on oaks. The insect ranges from Quebec to Colorado and Texas, and is common in western Pennsylvania.
(12) Thecla liparops Boisduval & Leconte, Plate LXXXIV, Fig. 2, ♀, under side (The Striped Hair-streak).
Dark brown on the upper side. On the under side the lines are arranged much as in T. edwardsi, but farther apart, quite narrow, and scarcely defining the darker bands between them. The spots at the anal angle are obscure and blackish. Expanse 1.15 inch.
The larva feeds on oaks, willows, wild plum, and many other plants. The insect ranges from Quebec through the northern Atlantic States as far west as Montana and Colorado, but is never common.
(13) Thecla damon (Cramer), Plate LXXXV, Fig. 2, ♂, under side; var. discoidalis Skinner, Plate LXXXV, Fig. 1, ♂, upper side (Olive Hair-streak).
In our plate we have given in Fig. 1 a representation of the upper side of the form called discoidalis, which in the central part of the fore wing is broadly marked with reddish fulvous. In Fig. 2 we have a representation of the under side of typical T. damon. With the help of these figures the student may recognize both forms of the species.
The caterpillar feeds on the red cedar (Juniperus virginiana). It is double-brooded in the North and triple-brooded in the South. The species ranges from Ontario to Texas over the whole eastern half of the United States.
(14) Thecla simæthis (Drury), Plate LXXXV, Fig. 3, ♂ under side (The Brown-margined Hair-streak).
Closely resembling in many respects the preceding species, especially on the upper side, but the white band on the hind wings is straight and the outer margins are heavily marked with bright reddish brown. Expanse 0.85-1.00 inch.
This pretty species ranges from Texas well into South America.
(15) Thecla augustus Kirby, Plate LXXXV, Fig. 4, ♀ (The Brown Elfin).
Brown above, paler below. The fore wings on the lower side are marked by a straight incomplete median band; the hind wings by an irregular curved median band. Back of these lines toward the base both wings are darker brown. Expanse 0.90 inch.
The insect is found in New England, thence northward and westward into the British possessions.
(16) Thecla niphon (Hübner), Plate LXXXVI, Fig. 1, ♀, under side (The Banded Elfin).
The caterpillars feed upon pines. The insect ranges from Nova Scotia to Colorado in the Northern States, and is only found in pine woods, but is never very abundant.
(17) Thecla irus (Godart), Plate LXXXVI, Fig. 2, ♂ (The Hoary Elfin).
Grayish brown on the upper side, on the under side of the same color, but paler on the outer margins and darker toward the base; small crescents appear on the outer margins of the hind wings below, or they may be absent. Expanse 1.10 inch.
The larva feeds on young wild plums just after the petals of the flower have dropped away. The species ranges from the Atlantic to the Pacific in the latitude of New England.
(18) Thecla henrici Grote & Robinson, Plate LXXXVI, Fig. 3, ♀ (Henry’s Hair-streak).
Very much like the preceding species, but with the outer half of the wings laved with reddish brown. The hind wings on the under side are blackish brown; on the basal half of the outer margin paler, the division between the dark and light shades being irregular and sharply defined. Expanse 1.00-1.10 inch.
This species, like the preceding, feeds on young plums. It ranges from Maine to West Virginia, and is not very common.
(19) Thecla læta Edwards, Plate LXXXVI, Fig. 4, ♂ (Early Hair-streak).
Wings brown glossed with bright blue on the upper side; on the under side pale fawn, with a band of pale red spots on both wings about the middle, and a few similar spots on the outer and inner margins of the hind wings. Expanse 0.75-0.85 inch.
The species ranges from Quebec to southern New Jersey and westward and southward to West Virginia and Arizona. It is a rare species, and appears in the early spring.
(20) Thecla dumetorum Boisduval, Plate LXXXVII, Fig. 1, ♂, under side (The Green White-spotted Hair-streak).
Dark fawn above; on the outer third of the wings often shaded with reddish; on the under side both wings are green, the fore wings with a short band of white spots on the outer third; the hind wings with a white spot on the costa beyond the middle and two or three conspicuous white spots near the anal angle. Expanse 1.10 inch.
The eggs are laid on the buds of Hosackia argophylla. The insect ranges from Oregon and California eastward as far as Colorado.
(21) Thecla behri Edwards, Plate LXXXVII, Fig. 2, ♂, under side (Behr’s Hair-streak).
On the upper side the wings are broadly reddish fulvous on the disk, with the costa and outer margins of both wings broadly dark brown or black. The under side is accurately shown in our cut, and therefore needs no description. Expanse 1.10 inch.
This species is also found in Oregon and California, and ranges as far east as Colorado.
(22) Thecla titus (Fabricius), Plate LXXXVII, Fig. 3, ♂, under side (The Coral Hair-streak).
On the upper side uniformly gray-brown, although occasionally specimens of the female sex have a few red spots on the hind wing at the anal angle. On the under side the hind wings have a conspicuous submarginal band of coral-red spots, as shown in our cut. Expanse 1.30 inch.
The caterpillar feeds on the leaves of the wild cherry and wild plum. The insect ranges from the Atlantic to the Rocky Mountains and from Maine to the latitude of northern Georgia.
(23) Thecla clytie Edwards, Plate LXXXVII, Fig. 4, ♂ (Clytie).
The upper side of this pretty little insect is well delineated in our figure. On the lower side the wings are white, with the usual marginal and transverse markings quite small and faint. Expanse.90 inch. The species occurs in Texas, Arizona, and northern Mexico.