THE COMMON BUTTERFLIES 01 THE PLAINS 01 INDIA. 483 



The above is de Niceville's description. He goes on to quote Butler : " Allied 

 to Spindasis (Aphnceus) acamas, Klug, and to S. epargyrus, Eversmann. Larger ; 

 the male differing from both on the upperside in the whitish costal area of the 

 fore wing and both sexes dift'ering in the darker bands on the wings. Underside : 

 chalky-white instead of cream-colour, aU the markings darker and edged with 

 black ; the submarginal band of the hind wing is not angulated as in S. acamas 

 and the hind wing itseK is longer." Butler says hypargynis represents acamas 

 in N. W. India, that Colonel Swinhoe got it in Karachi and Chaman, Major 

 Yerbuiy at Cambellpore and he finally concludes that there are thi-ee constant 

 local races : hypargyrus, acamas and epargyrus. De Niceville is not inclined to 

 Ijelieve that acamas is distinct from hypargyrus. 



AU of which again goes to prove that the species of this genus are extremely 

 liable to variation. A. hypargyrus is common in Sird and is recorded from 

 Chaman, South Afghanistan, Bhooj. It is evidently confined to the more or 

 less desert parts of the N. W. of India. 



The following life history of the species is taken from a note by Captain F. C. 

 Fraser, M.D., I.M.S., published at page 529 of J. B. N. H. S., vol. XX, part 2, 

 which is accompanied by a black and white plate representing the imago male, 

 female and underside, the larva, pupa and egg as well as some details of the 

 larval structure : — 



Egg. — " The egg shown in the plate, fig. 1, is the size of the head of a Xo. 10 

 entomological pin and is not unlike the spineless shell of Echhnis escidentus. It 

 is dome-shaped, flattened on the re sting surface and presents a pit at the apex of 

 the dome. The upper surface is mammellated and finely pitted between the 

 mammeUar processes. In colom- it is a dead white and is an exceedingly beauti- 

 ful object under a lowpower microscope." 



Larva. — " The larvae appear first as tiny, hairy, mahogany-red creatures. The 

 head from iii'st to last moult is jet-black. The hair of the first skin is coarse and 

 white with the exception of eight black hairs which project horizontally back 

 from the rear of the 13th segment. The full-grown larva is a prettier object than 

 the generality of its class. Fawn is the prevailing colour, but the mahogany- 

 red tint persists on the first three segments and on the dorsum of the 11th, 12th 

 and 13th ; there is, however, a small patch of fawn on the sides of first two 

 segments. There are fine, double lines of mahogany-red along the back and 

 sides and a row of dots of the same colour extending from the 4th to the 

 10th cegment. On the dorsum of the 2rd segment is a shiny, black, chitinous 

 plate beneath which the head of the larva is retracted when alarmed. On the 

 back of the 12th segment two fleshy pillars surmoiuited by three stiff bristles 

 arranged in an equilateral triangle. These pillars are hoUow and from them 

 project fine hairs ; when the larva is irritated a fleshy tongue is flickered in 

 and out of these with great rapidity very much in the manner of a snake's tongue. 

 A diagram of these pillars is shown in fig. 2, the latter representing the tongue 

 projected and showing the fine hairs attached to its tip. The larva viewed 

 imder the microscope shows a remarkable arrangement of star-like, fleshy 

 processes which cover the entire skin so closely as to form a complete, net-like 

 coat. Fig. 3 shows a portion of the skin at the site of one of the lateral spots, 

 viewed from above ; and it will be observed that the colouration is confined to the 

 stellate processes. Fig. 4 shows them in profile." 



Pupa.- — ' ' The pupa is blackish or dark-brown in colour. The headis roimded 

 and stands out in relief frcm the body by reason of the very prominent 

 shoulders. The abdomen tapers gradually." 



Habits. — " A hypargyrus (Butler) is confined to N. W. India, 

 Sind and Afghanistan in particular. These notes are made from 

 specimens captured on the wing or bred from ovse at Hyderabad, 



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