98 



THE COMMON BUTTERFLIES OF THE PLAINS 



OF INDIA. 



(INCLUDING THOSE MET WITH IN THE HILL STATIONS 

 OF THE BOMBAY PRESIDENCY). 



BY 



T. R. Bell, i.i-.s. 



{Continued from -page 664 q/ Vol. XXV.) 



Part XXI. 



12. Genus — Jamides. 



Two very diflerent butterflies have been included in this genus of late. 

 Formerly it consisted of a single species, bochus. The genus Lampides con- 

 tained 9 species, one of which used to be called celianus ; this was changed 

 into celeiio and transferred to the genus Jamides. So, at present, there is 

 Jamiden bochus and Jannides celeno. The former is a medium-sized insect 

 with, in the male, the most brilliant, deep, metallic blue upperside ; the 

 latter somewhat larger, milky white above; the one rather quick in its 

 motions, the other rather weak and flimsy ; bochus occurring throughout 

 the whole of India, Ceylon, the Nicobars and Andamans ; away to, and 

 including Australia, Burma ; celeno having much the same distribution 

 except that it has not been met with in Australia or in the Nicobars, 

 Neither species inhabits Siud and desert regions and the latter is 

 found up to a height ot 5,00U', while the former afl'ects lower levels. They 

 are both fairly plentiful, wherever they occur, in the way of specimens 

 though, perhaps, celeno is the commoner of the two. The transformations 

 of both are known and will be found fully described below ; the larvte and 

 pupse are not very dissimdar and both are intermittently attended by ants 

 of ditt'erent species. The habits of the two butterflies are somewhat diflerent 

 as has already l>een mentioned ; both are occasionally to be ^een sucking 

 up moisture in damp ])laces, neither is particularly fond of flowers. Finally, 

 the larva of both species feed on the insides of pods of leguminous plants 

 as a matter of preference ; they will also eat leaves. 



150. Jamides bochus — Male (PI. G., Pg. 41) — Upperside^ fore wing: 

 'velvety jet-black ; base deep blue, beautifully metallic and shining, measured 

 on the dorsum this colour occupies three-fourths of its length from base, 

 its outer margin then curves upwards just past the apex of the cell, enters 

 into the bases of interspaces 10, 11 and 12 and fills the whole of the cell. 

 Hind wing: costal margin above subcostal vein and vein 7, and dorsal 

 margin narrowly fuscous black, a medial, longitudinal, pale streak on the 

 former; terminal margin narrowly edged with velvety black, inside 

 which in interspaces 1 and 2 is a slender, transverse, whitish line, with an 

 elongate, irregular, transverse, black spot above it in interspace 1 and a- 

 more obscure, similar spot in interspace 2; traces of such spots also are 

 present in some specimens in the anterior interspaces. Cilia of both fore 

 and hind wings black ; filamentous tail at apex of vein 2 black, tipped 

 with white. Underside: dark chocolate-l rown. Fore and hind wings: 

 transversly crossed by the following very slender, white lines all more or 

 less broken into short pieces. Fore ■ving : a short pair, one on each side 

 of and parallel to the discocellulars, a pale streak sometimes along the diss 

 cocellnlars themselves ; a single line in continuation of the outer of the 

 discocellular lines, extends down to vein 1. ; an upper discal pair of line- 



