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1953
The Lepidopterists' News
53
FIELD AND TECHNIQUE NOTES
MIGRATION OF VANESSA CARYE
Driving westward over the Santa Rosa Mountains in southern California on March 29, 1952, the number of Vanessa carye Hbn. (the Western Lady) crossing in a northerly direction was quite striking. However, when we reached an altitude of about 3500 feet, it became obvious that we had encountered a true migratory movement of these butterflies. Any moment ten to twenty could be seen crossing the highway. At the highest point, just below 5000 feet, one hundred could be counted in less than three minutes flying over a narrow clearing. The butterflies flew low, fast, and unhesitatingly in a northerly direction. It was an unusual sight to see them cross patches of snow that were still deep in the depressions between the trees on the northern slopes.
Harry SlCHER, Loyola University, School of Dentistry, Chicago 12, 111., U. S. A.
A HYBRID LIMENITIS
Of all the genera of North American butterflies, the members of the genus Limeni-tis seem to be the most prone to hybridize in nature. Interspecific hybrids are known for many of the species, but, to the knowledge of the writer, the only published records of probable hybrids L. archippus Cramer and L. astyanax Fabr. (=L. arthemis astyanax) are those discussed by Scudder long ago {Butterflies of the Eastern United States and Canada, vol. 1: p. 283; 1889). The writer has recently obtained a specimen that is undoubtedly the result of such a cross.
The specimen was collected in September, 1948 (exact date unknown), at the Falls of the Ohio, Louisville, Jefferson County, Kentucky, by ROBERT STEILBERG and JERRY Smith, two naturalists in the Louisville area. The region in question is probably the best in the Louisville area for L. archippus. Large numbers are found there in the fall of the year around willows along the river bank. L. astyanax is also common there as well as elsewhere throughout the state.
The particular individual was collected in a somewhat battered condition with the margins of both front and hind wings somewhat frayed. Examination at the time of collecting was made by the present writer, but the specimen was placed in the collection of Smith & Steilberg. Last month I acquired the specimen in still a further battered condition due to the ravages of dermestids, but still in good enough condition to verify the identification.
Its description is as follows: The ground color above is a dark brownish-orange, rather intermediate in color between the two species. There is an orange sub-marginal band corresponding to the orange submarginal area*in L. archippus; the margins of the wings are as in L. astyanax; the veins above are slightly darkened, and the median dark band of L. archippus is faint but evident. The under side is very much like the upper, the sub-marginal orange band and dark veins present, except for the addition of the reddish spots of L. astyanax; these spots are represented by the ground color becoming orange from the dark brownish-orange ground color in the corresponding location of the spots of L. astyanax.
The specimen has been studied by JAMES R. MERRITT, of the University of Louisville, who agrees with the identification of the specimen as Limenitis archippus X astyanax.
BURT L. MONROE, Jr., Ridge Road, Anchorage, Ky., U. S.A.