The text below is grayed out because it is not intended to be read. It is a necessarily imperfect OCR of the original and is only used by a search engine.
|
|
||
|
1959 Journal of the Lepidopterists' Society 221
MORE LARVAL FOODPLANTS FROM TEXAS by Roy O. Kendall
This is a partial list of larval foodplants from Texas which I have found during the past five seasons. Other larval foodplants from this State will be announced when botanical determinations have been completed. Unless otherwise specifically stated, all records herein are from Bexar County, Texas. Descriptions of new life histories resulting from these findings will appear in a later publication. The species of Lepidoptera have been arranged alphabetically under two headings (1) St. Augustine Grass, and (2) Larval Foodplants Other Than Grasses. At the end of this paper will be found a Chart of Larval Foodplants arranged alphabetically by plant family and genus.
1. St. Augustine Grass
St. Augustine Grass, Stenotaphrum secundatum Kuntze, may be found in the yards of urbanites throughout the Gulf States. My own yard is no exception. Aside from providing the home-owner with a desireable lawn, this grass is an important larval foodplant for certain species of Lepidoptera. Listed here are ten species whose larvae I have found will readily eat it. There must be many others.
Amblyscirtes celia Skinner
Amblyscirtes nysa Edwards
Atalopedes campestris Boisduval
Cisseps fulvicollis Hubner
Euptychia rubricata Edwards
Hylephila phyleus Drury
Lerema accius J. E. Smith
Lerodea eufala Edwards
her odea julia H. A. Freeman
Wallengrenia otho J. E. Smith
We shall now treat each of these species separately providing more detail. The larval foodplant referred to in each instance is Stenotaphrum secundatum unless otherwise named.
Amblyscirtes celia. On 29 April 1956 a female was observed ovipositing in nature; more than 20 additional eggs were deposited after capture. Another gravid female taken 6 September 1958 deposited about 15 eggs. In each instance immature stages were reared to maturity.'
Amblyscirtes nysa. On 1 April 1956 a female was seen ovipositing in nature. The west side of my house where the early afternoon sun shown upon the grass was the spot chosen. More than 25 additional eggs were deposited in captivity. Another female taken 18 March 1957 deposited 7 eggs. Still a
|
||
|
|
||
|
|
||
|
|
||
|
|
||||
|
222
|
Kendall: Texas foodplants
|
Vol.13: no.4
|
||
|
|
||||
|
third female taken 9 June 1958 deposited only 3 eggs. Lastly, a female taken 2 April 1959 laid a quantity of eggs. Adults, ex ovis, were obtained in each instance.
Atalopedes campestris. On 5 June 1956 a female was observed ovipositing in nature; this specimen deposited more than 70 additional eggs after capture. On 4 August 1956 another female was seen ovipositing; it laid 23 more eggs in the breeding cage. On 11 August 1956 a third was seen depositing eggs, but this one first deposited a single egg on Cynodon dactylon Pers. then moving a few feet away deposited another egg on Stenotaphrum secundatum. During the following three summers, 1957, 1958 and 1959 this species was observed depositing eggs on both these grasses without any particular preference. Larvae were reared to maturity in the first two instances cited.
Cisseps fulvicollis. Eggs were obtained from a female taken in copula 12 November 1958, Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana. Larvae feed readily on S. secundatum. Two successive broods were reared through on the same foodplant. Although this little moth is found in my own backyard where it is attracted to fluorescent blacklight, previous attempts to rear it had not been made.
Euptych;a rubricata. A gravid female deposited more than 50 eggs in the breeding cage on 7 May 1956. This species does not bond its eggs to the food-plant but simply drops them on the ground near it. Larvae ate with equal zest both Stenotaphrum secundatum and Cynodon dactylon. Again on 11 May 1958 a female readily oviposited in captivity. This time the larvae were fed only S. secundatum. Adults were obtained, ex ovis, in both instances.
Hylephila phyleus. On 26 June 1955 a female was seen ovipositing In nature; more than 15 additional eggs were laid in the breeding cage. Other females taken 7 July 1956 and 5 August 1956 deposited a quantity of eggs in captivity. Larvae were reared to maturity in each instance.
Lerema accius. On 3 July 1955 a female was observed depositing eggs in nature; 10 additional eggs were deposited after capture. Other females taken 11 June 1956, 1 October 1956 and 18 August 1958 deposited eggs in captivity. In each instance adults, ex ovis, were obtained.
Lerodea eufala. Females have not been observed, in nature, to deposit eggs. On five occasions however, females have readily oviposited for me in captivity and in each instance the larvae were reared to maturity. Eggs were obtained from different females on the following dates: 7 June 1956 more than 20; 29 June 1956, 18; 14 July 1956, 16; 26 May 1957 a pair taken in copula, female deposited a quantity of eggs; 27 September 1958, a few.
Lerodea julia. A female taken 28 September 1958 deposited 4 eggs on grass from the the spot of capture. On 30 September following, this same female deposited 5 more eggs on S. secundatum. Ten more eggs were deposited by it on 1 October 1958. Larvae readily ate S. secundatum and matured in due course.
Wallengrenia otho. A female taken 24 May 1958 deposited 15 eggs on grass from the spot of capture in Comal County, Texas. Larvae feed readily on S. secudatum and were reared to maturity. The case-bearing habit of this
|
||||
|
|
||||
|
|
||||
|
1959
|
Journal of the Lepidopterists' Society
|
223
|
||
|
|
||||
|
species is very interesting. I had placed conventional facial tissues in the container to facilitate cleaning. Much to my surprise these larvae cut circular discs from the paper, folded them over to form cases which they carried until outgrown at which time a larger one was fashioned from the same material. Pupation took place within the paper case, and adults emerged in due course.
2. Larval Foodplants Other Than Grasses
Antigonus pulverulenta Felder. Four larvae were found 6 May 1957 feeding on Wissadula holosericea (Sheele) Garcke. A pupa found 11 May 1957 emerged 15 May. Now I knew where to find this very interesting little skipper. From 19 to 31 May 1957 thirty-two eggs, 135 larvae, and 27 pupae were found on this foodplant. Also, 46 eggs were obtained from caged females. During the month of June 1957 three eggs and 157 larvae were found; 102 eggs were obtained from caged females. Two larvae were found 12 October 1957. During the month of April 1958 three eggs and 6 larvae were found. In September 1958 one egg and one pupa were found. By this time I had the larval foodplant growing in my own yard and it has been a pleasure seeing this skipper around my flowers ever since.
The larva lives in a shelter fashioned from the leaf by cutting and folding it over. This is the first task of the newly hatched larva. As it grows the shelter is enlarged accordingly. Finally, the larva pupates inside the shelter. Sometimes pupation takes place between two leaves which have been pulled together and held there by strands of silk. Notwithstanding the care this larva takes in protecting itself, all too often it falls prey to parasitism. More about this and the immature stadiums in a separate article.
Brephidium exilis Boisduval. Although this species has been taken many times during the past four years it wasn't until 4 October 1959 that my wife and T found it swarming at a spot along an old road where it crossed a dry creek. Tt was late afternoon and skies were cloudy so we didn't remain very long. We noticed that the greatest activity was centered around a very obnoxious weed, the identity of which was not known at the time. Several courting males were observed. Thirty specimens were taken within about 15 minutes. On 10 October 1959 we returned to the spot. It was about noon. Adults wrere even more abundant than a week earlier. We decided to sit on the ground near the "weed" and carfully observe what was going on. At the point of becoming dizzy watching these little butterflies dance around and through this weed, Chenopodium album Linnaeus, a female alighted, walked up and down a spike of buds a few times and then very rapidly laid an egg and was ofl again. I had no sooner announced my observations when my wife said she too had observed the same thing happen at the plant over which she maintained surveillance. Several other females were seen to oviposit, and a number of larvae were found before we departed an hour later. The larvae feed primarily on the buds and blossoms of this plant. Larvae blend perfectly with the mealy buds. We soon discovered the easiest way to find them was
|
||||
|
|
||||
|
.
|
||||
|
|
||||
|
|
||||
|
224
|
Kendall: Texas foodplants
|
Vol.13: no.4
|
||
|
|
||||
|
to follow ants which were tending the larvae for the honey-dew. Anyone not familiar with this larval foodplant will recognize it by the odor of stale urine as he walks through or brushes against the plant.
Celotes nessus Edwards. Four larvae of this species were found on Abut-ilion incanum (Link) Sweet 24 September 1956 in Medina County, Texas. The first adult from these larvae emerged 25 November 1956. All other records are Bexar County, Texas. On 14 March 1957 a gravid female was placed in a breeding cage containing A. incanum and Malvaviscus drummondii Torr. & Gray. Eggs were deposited on A. incanum only. Eggs were found on this foodplant in nature on 17-19 March 1957. Emergence of adults, ex ovis, follows: 16-20 May 1957 (20) ; 21-28 May 1957 (11) ; 1-10 June 1957 (9) ; and 18-21 June 1957 (2). Again on 12 October 1958 larvae were found in nature. On 28 May 1959 two females were seen ovipositing in nature on this plant; both were taken and placed in breeding cages. Each deposited more than 15 eggs. Immature stages were reared to maturity.
Chlosyne lacinia adjutrix Scudder. My first experience with larvae of this species was on 2 July 1955. It was found feeding on the Common Sunflower, Helianthus annuus L. It wasn't long before I was to learn that it would feed on plants other than Helianthus. A single larva was found 4 March 1956 feeding on Verhesina virginica L. in Comal County, Texas. It was reared to maturity. The 1957 collecting season brought swarms of this species to south-central Texas. It was 2 June 1957 that I found larvae feeding on both H. annuus and Ambrosia apt era DC. in Medina County, Texas. Thousands of larvae were to be found along the Medina River where the larval foodplants grow. Again on 21 July 1957 larvae were found feeding on A. ap-tera in Kendall County, Texas. These Giant Ragweeds were growing in sandy loam along the banks of the Guadalupe River. At the foot of these plants were numerous ant-lion (Neuroptera) pits. Caterpillars were so plentiful that not infrequently one would be crowded of! the plant only to disappear in one of the burrows where hungry ant-lions awaited. During the 1958 and 1959 collecting seasons adults were relatively scarce. A fairly large number of adults and larvae were found 17 October 1959 in Atiscosa County, Texas. Here the larvae were feeding on Helianthus cucumerif olius Torr. & Gray growing along the roadside and in uncultivated fields.
Colias (Zerene) cesonia Stoll. A female was observed ovipositing on Parosela pogonathera (A. Gray) Vail. 28 September 1958. For two years I had searched in vain for the local foodplant of this species and now that search was ended. Only one egg was deposited after capture. Another female was observed ovipositing on this plant in Medina County, Texas, 23 February 1959. Two more females were seen ovipositing on this plant 8 March 1959, and a third ovipositing on Parosela frutescens (A. Gray) Vail, the same day. Two of these females were taken and on 13 March 1959 obliged by depositing a quantity of eggs. Adults were obtained, ex oviSj but not before Microgasters had taken a heavy toll. I made the mistake of leaving the larvae unprotected for a few days. On 2 May 1959 two larvae were found in nature;
|
||||
|
|
||||
|
|
||
|
1959 Journal of the Lepidopterists' Society 225
both proved to be parasitized by Microgasters. This undoubtedly accounts for the relative scarcity of this species in Bexar and surrounding counties. Larvae were successfully reared to maturity on each of the foodplants named.
Copteodes minima Edwards. A female taken 20 June 1956 deposited a number of eggs on Cynodon dactylon Pers. Nine adults emerged, ex ovis, between 5-11 August 1956. On 10 March 1957 and 2 September 1958 females were observed ovipositing on C. dactylon in nature.
Erynnis funeralis Scudder & Burgess. On 28 March 1959 a female was observed ovipositing in nature on Vicia texana (Torr. & Gray) Small. A careful examination of other like plants in a 100-yard area along a road disclosed many eggs. Medicago hispida Gaertn. growing with the V. texana revealed no eggs. Another female taken 29 March 1959 readily deposited eggs in the breeding cage. On 23 May 1959 two larvae were found on Indigofera leptosepala Nutt. We also found eggs and larvae on this plant in Kerr County, Texas, 25 May 1959. Larvae were reared to maturity in each instance.
Hemiargus isola Reakirt. On 23 May 1959 larva* were found on Indigofera leptosepala Nutt. I observed a female ovipositing on the buds of this plant in Kerr County, Texas 25 May 1959. Careful examination of other plants revealed a number of larvae feeding on the buds and blossoms of this plant. Additional eggs and larvae were found at this same spot on 3 and 18 July 1959. Eggs were also found on this plant in Kendall County, Texas 19 July 1959. It is interesting to note that the larvae tend toward canabalism. Adults were obtained from these immature stages.
Lephelisca nemesis Edwards. On 11 August 1956 Mrs. Robert S. Blair Jr. brought me some larvae which she had found feeding on Clematis henryi Rehd. After rearing them through it was a pleasure to find they were L. nemi-sis. A female was placed in a container with Clematis drummondii Torr. & Gray on 1 October 1956; more than 50 eggs were deposited. Larvae readily ate the plant and matured in due course. Adults emerged as follows: 29 between 10-20 November 1956 and 14 between 21-29 November 1956. Again on 8 July 1957 a female deposited 30 eggs on this foodplant. A third female deposited 51 eggs 10 August 1957. In each instance adults were obtained, ex ovis. C. drummondii is a native plant found growing on every fence row in this area. It is here the collector should look to find adults and immature stages alike.
Leptotes cassius striatus Edwards. On 2 August 1958 a female was seen flying back and forth over cultivated bean vines, Phaseolus vulgaris L. which had been planted to attract Urbanus proteus L. females. Its movement and course of flight was a touch-and-go action. After observing this flight pattern for about one minute, I netted the specimen. About four inches of the end of a runner containing blossom buds was held inside the lower end of the net with the captured female. Within a few seconds she very carefully placed an egg between the buds in such manner that it was not perceptible to the naked eye. Two eggs were deposited while confined in this manner. A careful search of the bean vines revealed not only other eggs but small larvae feeding on the buds and blossoms. The first adult emerged, ex larva, 21 August 1958.
|
||
|
|
||
|
|
||
|
|
||
|
|
||||
|
226
|
Kendall: Texas foodplants
|
Vol.13: no.4
|
||
|
|
||||
|
Texola elada Hewitson. On 12 July 1959 a female was caged with a sprig of Siphonoglossa pilosella (Ness.) Torr. This plant grows in abundance in the area where more than 300 specimens were taken in 1957. This species has been found in the same area on repeated visits since that time. This female deposited six eggs on the twig provided two days after capture. Another female deposited two clusters of eggs on this plant on 26 July 1959. Larvae fed on this plant without hesitation and matured in due course.
Melitaa theona bolli Edwards. This species has been seen flying in very limited numbers during May, June and July for the past three seasons. It wasn't until this season the larval foodplant was known. On 30 May 1959 William A. Pluemer gave me a number of larvae which he had found feeding on Leucophyllum texanum Benth. The following day four pupae were formed, and on 8 June 1959 a pair were found in copula, ex larvis. Although 75 eggs were deposited, only one egg hatched and this larva died. Embyos failed to develop completely in the other eggs.
Nat kalis iole Boisduval. On 30 March 1958 a female was observed depositing eggs on Thelesperma trifidum (Poir.) Britton. On 15 March 1959 a female deposited eggs on this plant in captivity. Adults were obtained from eggs in each instance.
Phyciodes tcxana Edwards. On 24 May 1956 Mrs. Robert S. Blair, Jr. brought me a few larvae which had been feeding on one of her cultivated flowers, the name of which she could not remember. Tt wasn't until long after the larvae had perished that the plant was determined to be Jacobinia carnea Nichols. On 9 June 1956 she gave me two pupae, the larvae of which had been transformed to Bcloperone guttata Brandegee; one of them emerged this same dav. On 9 August 1959 four females were taken in Comal County, Texas. They were confined in glass jars with Siphonoglossa pilosella (Ness) Tor. and Bcloperone guttata. The following day four clusters of eggs were deposited one of which was on B. guttata. Additional eggs were deposited on each of the following four days. Larvae were fed S. pilosella, B. guttata, Ru-ellia occidentalis A. Gray, and Ruellia drummondiana (Ness.) A. Gray which they readily ate without showing preference for any one plant. Eggs from these females were preserved, together with 165 pupae and an equal number of larvae, and 479 adults were papered.
Phyciodes vesta Edwards. 25 October 1958 was the day this species was first observed ovipositing on Siphonoglossa pilosella. On 21 March 1959 a caeged female deposited a quantity of eggs on this same plant. Eggs are laid side by side in clusters. Again, another female deposited 61 eggs in captivity on 27 March 1959. Three females were observed ovipositing in nature on this plant in Kerr County, Texas, on 18 July 1959. A good number of eggs were found on other like plants in this county. A swarm of adults were seen in Comal County, Texas, on 9 August 1959. They were feeding on the blossoms of and courting over a large patch of this plant. One female taken at the spot deposited a quantity of eggs. Adults were obtained, ex ovis, in each instance cited.
|
||||
|
|
||||
|
|
||||
|
1959 Journal of the Lepidopterists' Society 227
|
||||
|
|
||||
|
CHART OF LARVAL FOODPLANTS
|
||||
|
|
||||
|
Plant Family
|
Plant Species
|
Lepidoptera
|
||
|
|
||||
|
Acanthaceae
|
Beloperone guttata
Jacobinia cornea
Ruellia drummondiana} occidentalis
Si phono glossa pilosella
|
Phyciodes texana Phyciodes texana Phyciodes texana Phyciodes texana Phyciodes vesta Texola elada
Chlosyne I. adjutrix
Nathalis iole
Chlosyne I. adjutrix
Chlosyne I. adjutrix
Brephidium exilis
Euptychia rubricata
Copceodes minima
Amblyscirtes celia
Amblyscirtes nysa
Atalopedes campestris
Euptychia rubricata
Hylephila phyleus
Lerema accius
Lerodea eufala
L erode a julia
Wallengrenia otho
Cisseps fuWicollis
Thorybes pylades
Hemiargus isola
Erynnis funeralis
Colias (Zerene) cesonia
Leptotes c. striatus
Erynnis funeralis
Celotes nessus Antigonus pulverulenta
Lephelisca nemesis
Precis lavinia ccenia Melitcea theona bo Hi
Kricogonia lyside
|
||
|
Asteraceae
Ambrosiaceae
Chenopodiaceae
Gramineae
|
Helianthus annuus, cucumerifolius Thelesperma trifidum Verhesina virginica
Ambrosia aptera
Chenopodium album
Cynodon dactyl on
Stenotaphrum secundatum
|
|||
|
Leguminosae
|
Dolicholus texensis Indigofera leptosepala
Parosela pogonathera, frutescens Phaseolus vulgaris Vicia texana
Abutilon incanum W'usadula holosericea
Clematis henryi, drummondii
Antirrhinum antirrhiniflorum Leucophyllum texanum
Porliera angustifolia
|
|||
|
Malvaceae
Ranunculaceae Scrophulariaceae
Zygophyllaceas
|
||||
|
|
||||
|
Precis lavinia ccenia Cramer. Five larvse were found 31 May 1957 feeding on Antirrhinum antirrhiniflorum (Poir.) Small. This is the climbing snapdragon that beautifies fence rows and bushes throughout this area. On 7 July 1957 five more larvae were found on this plant. In each instance adults were obtained, ex larvis.
|
||||
|
|
||||
|
|
||||
|
|
||||
|
|
||||
|
228
|
Kendall: Texas foodplants
|
Vol.13: no.4
|
||
|
|
||||
|
Kricogonia lyside Latreille. While on a field collecting trip with E. M. Kinch of Fort Worth, Texas, 31 March 1957, we stopped at a spot in Atascosa County, Texas, along U. S. Highway 281. Several females were seen ovipositing on Porliera angustifolia (Engelm) A. Gray. These egg-laying females had chosen plants well inside fenced property clearly marked "Posted Keep Out". Never having made a practice of climbing or crawling through fences I simply observed what was going on and waited somewhat impatiently until one came within reach of my net. A single egg was recovered. It hatched and was lost before we returned home a week later. At this same spot a larva was found wandering across the road. It pupated the following day and on 7 April 1957 a male K. lyside emerged. Up to the date of this writing it hasn't been convenient for me to return to this spot, but I hope to do so during the 1960 collecting season.
|
||||
|
|
||||
|
Acknowledgements
I should like to express my appreciation to Dr. Alexander B. Klots and Mr. H. A. Freeman for determining certain of the Lepidoptera named herein. I am very grateful to Mrs. Ellen Schulz Quillin, Director, Witte Memorial Museum for assistance in determining many of the larval foodplants. I am greatly indebted to my wife, Conway A. Kendall, for continual help in collecting.
References
Bailey, L. H., 1924. A Manual of Cultivated Plants. Macmillan Co., New York.
—~......., 1939. The Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture. Macmillan Co., New York.
Schulz, Ellen D., 1928. Texas Wild Flowers. Laidlaw Brothers, Chicago.
Small, J. K., 1913. Flora of Southeastern United States. Published by the Author.
Klots, Alexander B., 1951. A Field Guide to the Butterflies. Houghton Mifflin Co.,
Boston. Whitehouse, Eula, 1948. Texas Flowers in Natural Color. Published by the Author,
Dallas 5, Texas.
|
||||
|
|
||||
|
135 Vaughan Place, San Antonio 1, Texas, U. S. A.
|
||||
|
|
||||
|
|
||||
|
1964
|
Journal of the Lepidopterists' Society
|
163
|
||
|
|
||||
|
that crepuscular species are more likely to be attracted to light than are the day-flying species. Further, the writer has collected four nymph-alids, five pierids and one lycaenid at light — all of these normally considered to be diurnal in their habits; however, as pointed out earlier, a few species of Eurema (Pieridae) show crepuscular tendencies. The evidence thus far shows more diurnal species being attracted to light than the so-called crepuscular species.
The writer has never taken Papilio demoleus, Precis orithya, Danaus chrysippus, Gangara thyrsis and Talicada nyseus at light — species reported at light in India by other writers — but these records also support the theory that more diurnal species are attracted to light than are the crepuscular species. But, as Mr. Donahue has so well stated in this Journal of the Lepidopterists' Society, "Further observations and experimentation will undoubtedly aid in the interpretation of this interesting phenomenon" (Vol. 16: p. 135).
Since only certain species of moths are attracted to light and many others seem to have no attraction to light, it does not seem unreasonable to conclude that a few species of butterflies also may be attracted to light. The occurrence of so many species at light — and occasionally by the score — can scarcely always be due to some accidental disturbance of the butterflies when at rest.
In conclusion, it should be noted that at least twenty-two species of butterflies, representing seven of the major families, have been collected at light in India. The writer has collected seventeen species of butterflies at light in India representing five major families.
References
Donahue, Julian P., 1962. Observations and records of butterflies attracted to
light in India. Journ. lepid. soc. 16: 131-135. Shull, Ernest M., 1963. The butterflies of south Gujarat. Journ. Bombay not. hist.
soc. 60: no.3:597. Usman, S., 1956. Some insects attracted to light. Part III. Jour,n. Bombay nat.
hist. soc. 53: 482-484. Wynter-Blyth, M. A., 1957. Butterflies of the Indian region, xx+523 pp., 72 pis.
(27 col.). Bombay Natural History Society, Bombay.
|
||||
|
|
||||
|
CORRECTIONS
On p.227 and 228 respectively, of vol. 13, no. 4, of the Journal, Precis lavinia coenia should be ascribed to Hiibner and Kricogonia lyside to Godart. I am indebted to Mr. Cyril F. dos Passos for calling my attention to these errors. On p. 73 vol. 15, no. 1, of the Journal, the last sentence, second paragraph should read "overwinter in the larval stage".
Roy O. Kendall, 135 Vaughan Place, San Antonio 1, Texas.
|
||||
|
|
||||