Metamorphoses of Common Cuban Pyrginæ
International Journal of
BY V. G. DETHIER 0
0 John Carroll University , Cleveland, Ohio , USA
The four most common skippers of the subfamily Pyrgina found in Cuba are Goniurus proteus L., G. dorantes Stoll., Polygonus lividus Hbn., and Pyrgus syrichtus Fabr. The life history of G. proteus has been described repeatedly, and the immature stages of Cuban specimens are similar to those of North American specimens. In Cuba the larvm feed on .Clitorea, cultivated beans, and all native closely related Leguminosm. G. dorantes feeds on the same plants. P. lividus, which in Florida feeds on Piscidia piscipula, is found on species of Lonchocarpus in Cuba. The larvae found here differed slightly from those studied by Dyar (1897). For a description of the first instar of P. syrichtus the reader is referred to an earlier paper (Dethier, 1940).
Egg. Turtle green. Greatest diameter 1.0 mm. Height
.8 mm. Apex patterned with large prominent raised
reticulations. These gradually merge into many longitudinal ribs
extending to the flattened base.
First Instav. Head height .5 mm.; head width .6 mm.
Head shiny piceous to black, covered with few small, scat
tered, colorless, tapering hairs. Body length 2 to 3 mm.
Javel green to bright chalcedony yellow. Few scattered
lighter colored spots on body. Few short tapering hairs
arising from black tubercles arranged in paradorsal,
suprastigmatal, and substigmatal rows. Prothoracic legs fuscous.
Shield concolorous with head. Substigmatal area of shield
bright orange,
Second Instar. Head height .8 mm. ;head width .81 mm.
Head shagreened, almost black. Hairs shorter and more
numerous. With slight tawny tinge. Body length 3.5 mm.
Metamorphoses of Cu.ban Pyrginx
Light greenish yellow. Many lighter pale greenish yellow
spots scattered over the surface of the body. The numerous
short scattered hairs arise 2rom these. Slight bleaching of
shield in the mid-dorsal line. Numerous short hairs on
shield. Prothoracic legs fuscous. Hairs on anal plate black.
Third Instar. Head height 1.2 mm. head width 1.4 mm.
Head more roughly shagreened than before. Pronounced
rugosities at apex of vertex. Black. Body length 7 mm.
Javel green. Anterior edge of shield ochraceous orange,
posterior part fuscous Remainder of segment orange. No
other noticeable changes in the body.
Fourth Instar. Same as above.
Fifth Instar. Head height 2.4 mm. head width 2.7 mm.
Head very roughly shagreened. Apex of vertex with large
rugosities, larger near median line. Head 2uzzy and downy
in appearance due to the numerous short tawny hairs.
Eggs laid on the ood plant July 11 hatched July 14.
Each instar required from three to four days.
Polygonus lividus Hbn.
Second Instar. Head height .8 mm. head width .9 mm.
Head black, rugose. Few scattered light colored hairs.
Body length 6 ram. Dull green yellow. Mid-dorsal line
faint, darker green due to transparency there. Thin,
irregular, yellowish para-dorsals. Body sparsely dotted
with small yellow spots. Anal area suffused with yellow.
Third Instar. Head height 1.2 ram. head width 1.6 ram.
Head slightly more rugose. Not noticeably rougher at ver
tex than elsewhere. Body length 7 to 11 mm. Markings
same as before. General color meadow green. Para-dorsals
and spots bright chalcedony yellow.
Fourth Instar. Head height 2.0 mm.; head width 2.4
mm. Head black. Surface broken up into roughly
polygonal raised reticulations. Flat scale-like protuberances on
apex of head directed away from median line. Not so
pronounced as the rugosities in G. dorantes. Head very
flattopped. Scattered, very short, colorless hairs. Body
length 20 mm. Meadow green. All legs and ventral side
of thoracic segments bright chalcedony yellow. Shield
con
Psyc’he
Ma,rch-June
colorous with body. Meadow green mid-dorsal line due
to absence of the bright chalcedony yellow spots which cover
the rest of the body. Spiracles concolorous with body.
Larva nearly naked. Very few exceedingly small colorless
tapering hairs.
Each instar required four days.
Pyrgus syrichtus Fabr.
Second Instar. Head height .55 ram.; head width .57
ram. Widest at the level of the adfrontal punctures, nearly
fiat-topped. Piceous. Body length 3.5 ram. Very light
greenish. Legs and spiracles concolorous with body.
Shield concolorous with head. Many short, colorless, spatu
late hairs scattered over the surface of the body. Hairs
on subventral fold and anal plate tapering. All hairs
arising from prominent cream colored tubercles.
Third Instar. Head height .87 mm. head width .90 mm.
Head piceous, nearly black. More rugose than in oregoing
instar. Adorned with scattered colorless tapering hairs.
Length of body 6 mm. Shield smooth, piceous. Faded
fuscous mid-dorsal line. Six long, colorless, spatulate hairs
on either side of the median line in the anterior border of
the shield. The more lateral two are located dorsad and
slightly cephalad of the large circular brown spiracle. On
the posterior edge of the shield there (...truncated)