The Butterflies and Moths of Teneriffe

Appendix D.

ALPHABETICAL INDEX OF GENERA AND SPECIES. DESCRIPTION OF PLATES.

PREFACE.

When the author left England, in the autumn of 1892, for a winter’s sunshine in Teneriffe, it was by no means her intention to write on the Lepidoptera of that Island. Soon after her arrival, however, she was struck by two things; the want of any sort of interesting out-door occupation (other than somewhat desultory riding expeditions) experienced by her companions in exile, and the absence of any account of the Lepidoptera of the Canary Islands, which would enable collectors to name their specimens. It is her hope that the present publication may be, at least to some extent, the means of remedying these deficiences.

To a detailed description of the Lepidoptera of Teneriffe, so far as they are at present known, an introductory chapter has been added, for the benefit of novices in the study and collection of butterflies and moths.

Those, for whom fresh air and a certain amount of exercise are essential, can hardly find any more health-giving or light interesting occupation than the practical study of Entomology.

This study lends an interest to excursions which might otherwise be tedious, and leads the collector into all sorts of beautiful and picturesque unexplored nooks and corners of the Island, which to the ordinary traveller are quite unknown. Many visitors hardly ever extend their wanderings farther than the Carretera (the one high road in Teneriffe), and have no idea of the many beauties to be seen, or of the interest that may be found in studying the Botany, as well as the Entomology, of this most charming of the “Summer isles of Eden lying in dark-purple spheres of sea.”

All the species and varieties of Teneriffe butterflies, with the exception perhaps of three, are found between the months of November and May; so that anyone staying there for the winter and spring months may procure a tolerably perfect collection; more especially as the different species found in Teneriffe are but twenty-nine, so far as is at present known, all of which are now described. The author has been fortunate enough to add four of these to the number previously known to exist in the Island.

The most complete collection of moths which came under notice is in the possession of Dr. Zorolo, of Villa Orotava, and this numbers about seventy species and varieties. Forty-one moths are described out of some fifty which were collected and studied by the author; and a list of twenty-one others, chiefly small and of little interest to the amateur collector, is appended.

Almost all the facts and particulars relating to the life history of the Lepidoptera are the result of the personal experience of the author, who is also responsible for the drawings from which the illustrations have been reproduced.

It is believed that the Lepidoptera of the other six Islands are largely similar to those of Teneriffe. (See Appendix A.)

The author desires to offer her best thanks to Señor Don Ramon Gomez, of Puerto Orotava, for his kindness and courtesy in placing his large collection of Lepidoptera at her disposal for study and illustration.

The Rev. O. A. Benthall has kindly given information upon specimens which he has netted and observed; and the author is also indebted to Dr. Zorolo, of Yilla Orotava, who has lent one or two rare specimens for illustration. Kind assistance in naming some specimens has been given by A. G. Butler, Ph.D., F.L.S., F.Z.S., and Mr. W. F. Kirby, F.L.S., F.E.S., of the British Museum; and Mr. Bethune Baker, F.E.S., has been good enough to name some of the smaller moths.

A. E. H. W.

November 1893.

INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER.

Many persons who know little or nothing about butterflies may be tempted to make a collection of them when they find themselves in a semi-tropical land, which yields in great profusion such beautiful creatures, whose brilliant colouring when grouped together has so pleasing an effect. To such, a slight sketch of the life of a butterfly may not be unacceptable.

Butterflies and moths belong to the order Lepidoptera or Scale-winged insects. The different stages of growth of these insects are called the--

=Ovum.= =Larva.= =Pupa.= =Imago.= Egg. Caterpillar. Chrysalis. Butterfly.

The body consists of three parts: the head, the thorax, and the abdomen. There are two pairs of wings, the upper and the lower; or, as they are generally called, the fore and the hind wings. These are covered with a downy substance, like feathered scales, which are most beautiful when seen under a microscope, and vary much in form. It is in these that the colouring-matter resides, which gives the beautiful colour to different species. Lepidoptera have six legs; in some, however, the fore-legs are so short and inconspicuous that the insect almost appears to have only four legs. The proboscis or trunk is a long flexible double tube through which the animal sucks the juices of the flowers; it is curled up under the thorax like a watch-spring, and expands at will. It varies much in length both in moths and butterflies. The antennæ are the horns or feelers of the insect, and are believed to contain the organs of smell. They vary much in size and thickness, and are most important as regards the classification of the different species of Lepidoptera. They are generally of considerable length in a butterfly, increasing in thickness at the end till a sort of long knob is formed.

Moths are distinguished from butterflies by a few simple characteristics, which can be seen at a glance.

First, with some few exceptions, of which the Humming Bird Hawk moth is one, moths are always found on the wing at dusk, or at night, whereas butterflies take their flight by day. Secondly, the moth either folds its wings close to its side or else spreads them out flat. The butterfly, when at rest, as a rule keeps its wings straight up, face to face, or else keeps up a fluttering motion, continually putting them in this position. Thirdly, the body of a butterfly is small at the waist, while that of the moth is larger, and of a more uniform size. The antennæ are the most distinctive feature, those of the moth being fine and long, and having no knob at the end. In some species they are short and finely feathered the whole length, terminating in a sharp point; this feature is generally distinctive of the male sex; the Rufescens moth being an example. The Skipper family have antennæ like the butterfly, but the body of a moth.

The butterfly or moth lays its egg (not more than a pin’s head in size) on that particular plant or tree on which the caterpillar, that it will shortly become, feeds. These look of much the same form to the naked eye, but when magnified they are seen to be of many different shapes, some being conical, others round, angular and many sided, &c., &c. The colours also of the eggs are various, but most frequently they are yellow, green, or greenish white. A microscopic examination of these will prove both interesting and instructive.

The caterpillars, as soon as they emerge from the eggs, the time of which varies with different species, at once commence to eat, and continue to do so voraciously till they turn to the pupa state. This being the case, they must be constantly supplied with fresh food when kept in captivity, once certainly, if not twice a day. There are, however, one or two varieties which cease to eat, and lie in a semi-dormant state for some time before taking the form of a chrysalis; the caterpillar of the Exoleta moth is an example of this. The greatest cleanliness, together with good ventilation, freshness of food, and regularity in feeding, are essential to keep all caterpillars in health.

If we watch the creature feeding, we shall observe that it takes the leaf edgeways between its two fore-feet, ceaselessly moving its head up and down, and taking a large piece of leaf at each mouthful. Some moth-caterpillars are night-feeders, and so hide themselves under the thickest leaves on which they feed, or else bury themselves in the earth till night comes again.

Cannibal caterpillars are to be found on the potato-plants; they are of rather a reddish brown colour, from an inch and a half to two inches in length. The author was not very fortunate in rearing them to the moth-stage; it is said that they should be fed on the young larvæ, and possibly the specimens had caterpillars to feed on that were too old. There is room for interesting experiments in Teneriffe on one, if not more, species.

Many of the caterpillars are most beautifully coloured and marked. Those of the Hawk-moth are usually the most brilliant, but, at the same time, they are most delicate, and require the greatest attention as regards freshness of food, ventilation, and cleanliness.

Some larvæ shed their skins twice only, others moult seven times; but the majority effect this change four or five times. This is rather a laborious process for them, and sometimes proves fatal. During the process they cease feeding, but commence again with renewed vigour after the change has taken place. The colourings and markings of the new coat often vary from those of the one cast off, and an experienced entomologist can tell the age of the caterpillar by the colour and texture of the skin in many varieties. When the creature has passed through the larva and arrived at the pupa state, it has at first a soft and tender skin, through which parts of the future butterfly can be clearly seen; this soon hardens, however, and forms a case impervious to rain or other atmospheric influences.

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