COMMON BUTTERFLIES OF THE PLAINS OF INDIA. 641 



Genus-XEPTIS. 



A. Hindwing uiulorside : transverse aubbasal band 



and postdiscal series of spots always more or less 



margined with black. Exp. 1*75" — 2'8" eurynome. 



B. Hindwing nnderside : this band and spots not 



margined with black — 



a. Underside hindwing : a round dark spot in the 



cell. Exp. -i-S"— 2-75" jumhah. 



b. Underside hindwing : no dark spot in cell. 



Exp. 2-5" — 3 columella. 



N. eurynome will be found everywhere except in desert places ; its 

 larva feeds upon the leaves of wild pea. N. jumhah is more of a hill 

 species but is not rare : its larva feeds upon a great many different 

 plants. N. columella is a hill species restricted to forest areas but has 

 been taken at Mahableshwar and will probably be found at Matheran 

 and in Thana ; its larva feeds upon Leguminosece. There is another 

 species occuring in Kanara : N. hampsoni which is very like N. eury- 

 nome except that the bands are not margined with black ; and differs 

 from N. columella in the subbasal white band of hindwing extending 

 to the costal margin : and from N. jumhah in wanting the spot in cell 

 on underside of the hindwino- • its larva feeds on Trema orientalu, 

 Blume, as a rule. According to the key of genera all our Neptis 

 are banded black and white. But there is one species found in the 

 Kanara Ghats which is banded black and tawny like a Rah'mda from 

 which it may be distinguished at once, however, by the underside not 

 being striated. It can be separated from Pantoporia inarUj the female 

 of which is the only other insect it might be mistaken for, by the cell 

 of both fore and hindwing being open while in the genus Pantoporia 

 the cell of the hindwing only is open. This tawny and black-banded 

 species is N. viraja and its larva feeds on Dalhergia voluhilis, Roxb., 

 a climbing species of Blackwood. 



Genus— CYRESTIS. 



Only one species. Exp. 2*25" — 2'75" ...... .. thyodamas. 



This insect is commonly known as the Map-Butterfly : it is found 

 everywhere in the hills where the climate is not too dry and 

 along the coast south of Bombay. The larva ;ind pupa are abormal 

 in shape and the food plant is the common Banyan tree (Ficus 

 indica, L.). 



