THE COMMON BUTTERFLIES OF THE PLAINS OF INDIA. 4b I 



Hiuialay^is and in Assam, Burma, Malacca, Penang ; Orissa, the 

 Nilgiris and Ceylon. It is also found on the Western Gliats in 

 Belgaum and Kanara in Bombay from sea-level up to 3,000 feet. 



178. Aphnaeus lillacinus, Moore. — Male. Upperside : both wings broAVTi. Fore 

 wing : with the basal area, including the cell, pale lilacine-blue ; a blackish spot at 

 the end of cell. Hind wing : the basal and medial areas pale lilacine-blue, anal lobe 

 ochreous with a very small, silver-speckled, black spot. Underside : both wings : 

 pale brouaiish-ochreous. Fore wing : with two black rings in the cell, a band 

 at the end of the cell dilated beneath and extending obliquely to the submedian 

 nervure ; a ringlet spot beyond the end of the cell ; an upper, discal, inwardly 

 oblique, double ringlet-spot and a submarginal, broad, chain-like band, the lower 

 ends dusky : each traversed by a silvery streak. Hind wing with very indistinct 

 traces of darker-coloured, transverse, subbasal, discal and submarginal bands 

 which are traversed by silvery and black streaks ; anal spots minut* and 

 silver-speckled. The silvery streak traverses the middle of the markings, 

 except on the submarginal band of both wings where it extends along the border. 

 Female. Upper$ide : both wings dull brown and of course lacking the irrides- 

 cent, blue colour present in the male ; the wings broader, the outer margins 

 much more convex. Underside : both wings as in the male. Expanse : male, 

 28-35 mm ; female, 30-40 mm. 



The description is taken from de Xiceville's book. He says it is a vari- 

 able species, like all the rest and that it has been found only at Bholaghat, Malda, 

 Bombay and Mhow ; that it is '• quite peculiar, and has no near ally." Nothing 

 is known as to the transformations. 



179. Aphnaeus ictis, Hewitson. — Male. t^^periiV/e .• both wings purple violet- 

 brown or black ; lower discal areas glossed with brilliant ultramarine blue. Fore 

 wing: with a small, triangular, orange-red spot. Hind wing: with the anal 

 lobe also red, spotted with black. Underside : both wings pale, dull sulphur- 

 yellow, the transverse markings of a slightly darker ochreous-yeUow, all with a 

 black- bordered line and medial, silver streak ; exterior margins with a row of 

 slender, black spots. Female. Upperside : both wings brown, basal areas 

 greyish vinous-bro^ni. Fore wing : with the orange spot large, broad, obliquely 

 divided and occupying the discal area. Underside : as in the male. 



The above is Moore's description of the Ceylon insect contained in de 

 NiceviUe's book ; it is complementary to the following original descriptions of 

 Felder and Hewitson, written in 1868 and 1865, respectively : — ■ 



Male. — Smaller than the female of Hewitson ; with the fulvous spot on the 

 ujiperside of fore wing smaller or wanting ; the anal spot on the hind wing dull 

 and smaller. Underside : bro\raish, the transverse bands paler and broader ; 

 the anal spot of the hind wing also much smaller, rounded and obsolescent. 

 Female. Upp)erside : both wings rufous-brown. Fore wing : with a large, 

 medial, orange space, a spot in the cell, an oblique, transverse band in the 

 middle, a single spot near the costal margin, followed by a short band of two 

 spots and an oblique band (which borders the brown of the outer margin and 

 forms a triangle with the medial band), all dark brown. Hind wing : with the 

 space between and above the black anal spots orange. Underside : both wings 

 orange-yellow, with the transverse bands rufous, bordered narrowly with 

 rufous-brown, traversed by spots and lines of gold, the submarginal band 

 composed of minute brown spots. 



Antennse black, the shaft banded white at sides ; the club stout, rounded, 

 orange-tipped. Cilia in both sexes, above : white with fine, anteciliary, black 

 line ; below : sullied greyish. Palpi black above, sUvery at sides of second 

 joint at end, thorax greenish blue above ; abdomen red with a black, dorsal 

 line ; all light yellow below, the abdomen with long, slatey-blue hairs at 



