BRITISH AXD EUROPE AX BUTTERFLIES AXD MOTHS. 



of a solitary specimen at Bottisham Fen in 

 1S51. (Miller and Sketchley's "Fenland." 1878. 



P- 594-) 



P. rutilus, Wernb. the allied Continental 



species, is smaller and less brightly coloured 

 than dispar, and has no discoidal spot on the 

 fore wings of the male, and two instead of 

 three spots in the discoidal cell of the fore 

 wings of the female. The under side is grey 

 rather than blue, and the spots are smaller. 

 Moreover, the orange band near the hind mar- 

 gin, on the under side of the hind wings, is 

 •narrower. It is very local in Germany and 

 France, but commoner towards the east of 

 Europe. It is found in July and August 

 flying in damp meadows. The larva is green 

 with a paler lateral stripe, and feeds on spe- 

 cies of Rumcx. 



P. hippothoe, Linn. PI. IV. fig. 7. is fairly 

 common in Northern and Central Europe on 

 damp meadows ; it is, however, not found in 

 Britain. The female is brown. The larva is 

 green, with a darker dorsal stripe and two 

 paler lines on the sides. It feeds on several 

 species of Ritmex in June. The Alpine variety 

 eurybia, Ochs. is rather smaller, with the 

 borders of the wings in the male blacker and 

 narrower, and the female is darker. 



P. dorilis, Hufn. The wings are dark 

 brown in the male, with black spots. In the 

 female the centre of the wings is dull coppery, 

 with black spots. The hind wings are dark 

 brown in both se.xes, with a marginal orange 

 band marked with black spots. The under 

 side is grey, tinged with yellow in the male 

 and with orange in the female. It is common 

 in Central and Southern Europe throughout 

 the Summer on heaths and in meadows and 

 dry woods. The larva is grass-green with 

 lighter spots and short reddish brown hairs 

 or bristles. It lives on Rumex acetosa from 

 April to July. There are three or four broods 

 during the year. Var. subalpina, Speyer. 

 is found in Switzerland. The male is without 

 an orange band on the upper surface, and 

 the under side is without any orange tinge in 

 either sex. 



P. phlaeas, Linn. The Small Copper. 

 PI. IV. fig. 8. is common all over Europe on 

 roadsides, heaths, and fields. It is found through- 

 out the greater part of the Summer, there being 



several broods. The caterpillar is green, usually 

 with a delicate purplish pink stripe on the 

 back and sides. It feeds on various species 

 of Rnmex. 



P. helle, W. \". The fore wings are copper- 

 coloured, with black spots, and the hind 

 wings are dark brown with a marginal band 

 of copper. In the male the wings are shot 

 with a brilliant bluish violet. The fore wings 

 are bright orange on the under side, spotted 

 with black. It is found in Northern and 

 Central Europe, but not in the North-West, 

 and frequents damp meadows from May to 

 August. The caterpillar is yellowish green, 

 with a darker green stripe on the back and 

 sides. The head is yellow. It feeds on Poly- 

 gonum historta. 



Genus Lycaena, Fabr. 



These beautiful little butterflies fly in 

 meadows and woods in the heat of the day, 

 and may often be seen in large numbers on 

 roadsides in damp places. They are usu- 

 ally of a blue colour on the upper side of 

 the wings in the males, and brown in the 

 females. The under sides are grey, with 

 numerous eye-spots, forming a row beyond 

 the middle, and generally with others near 

 the base. Hind wings with one or two rows 

 of ocellated spots on the hind margin, often 

 enclosing an orange band. Some species have 

 short tails on the hind wings. The larvjE are 

 woodlouse-shaped, and feed chiefly on legu- 

 minous plants, both on the flowers and fruits. 

 They generally hide themselves during the 

 day. Most species hibernate. 



L. bcetica, Linn. The Tailed Blue. 

 PI. IV. fig. 9. Female ga. Under side gb. is 

 commonest in the South of Europe, but is 

 occasionally taken on the South coast of 

 England. Its time of appearance is July and 

 August. The larva varies from green or olive 

 to reddish brown, and has a dark stripe along 

 the back. It lives in the pods of the conunon 

 pea and various other leguminous plants. 



L. argiades, Pall. The Small Tailed Blue. 

 The male is violet-blue, the female brown 

 slightly tinged with violet, and blue at the 

 base. Both sexes have the fringes white, 

 and a short tail on the hind wings. The 

 Spring brood (polysperchon, l;!erg.) is smaller. 



