COMMON BUTTERFLIES OF THE PLAINS OF INDIA. >H?. 



Segment 2 has a row of six tubercles on the front margin of which the- 

 lowest, subspiracular, is the longest and stoutest ; the next is the smallest and 

 situated in front of spiracle ; the subspiracular and spiracular tubercles arc 

 yellow, the rest shiny black and spincd. Segments 3 and 4 have a doi-^o-lateral 

 supraspLi-acular and subspiracular tubercle or spine-bearing pedicel ; segment 

 12 is similar but has 2 dorsal pedicels, one near hinder margin, one near front 

 margin ; segments \?> and 14 are each provided with a dorso-lateral pedicel. 

 Segments 5-11 are similar to segments 3 and 4, but have a dorsal pedicel in 

 addition. The little spines on the leg-bases are the same as described for 

 J.atJites. All the pedicels are stout, longly conical, rigid, about 1 mm. in 

 length and covered sparsely with irregularly disposed spinelets: all shiny blue- 

 black, the extreme bases of the front subspiracular ones of segments 3 and 4 

 ochreous. Spiracles are large, oval, raised with light centres and shiny black 

 borders. Body surface covered with minute erect, black hairs. The colour of 

 the larva is leaden black, with the neck orange ; a jet-black, narrow, dorsal 

 band, spotted finely with white ; a white dorsolateral and supraspicular small 

 spot on the hinder margin of each segment ; the bases of supra and sub- 

 spiracular orange-surrounded tubercles are bordered above with yellowish 

 white ; there is a yellow-white, narrow band running along and beneath the 

 subspiracular tubercles the whole length of body ; the whole spiracular region 

 is sparsely spotted with white : all these white spots mentioned are tubercular, 

 that is, are slightly raised and each bears a little hair ; true legs shiny black ; 

 prolegs blackish with an orange shade ; the belly is blackish purple. L : 30 

 mm.; B -• 5mm. 



Pupa. — Pupa is very much like the rest of those of the genus. It is perhaps 

 somewhat slenderer than those of /. almana and J. iphita. It is more or less 

 concolorous, being a slatey dull grey all over. In size it is somewhat smaller 

 than the other species. 



Habits, — The larva has the habits of the genus ; the full grown 

 larva is found in the early mornings lying along the stalks and stems 

 of upright plants in the places where its foodplant exists, for the plant 

 or plants it feeds on are generally fairly abundant in those localities ; 

 it probably feeds mainly at nights and retires to some hiding place 

 amongst the leaves and stems on or near the ground during the heat 

 of the day. The pupa is formed generally against the side of a stone 

 or rock low down, sometimes from a stalk or leaf, but this, it 

 has been observed, more rarely : this is due probably to the 

 perishable nature of the foodplauts. The butterfly is found most 

 commonly in the open plains, frequenting chiefly flat, stony, more or 

 less uncultivable lands, especially flat, wind-swept, low plateaux 

 of the plains. It is a strong, fast flier, but rarely rises high above the 

 ground, where it invariably rests ; nor does it fly far at any time. 



