COMMON BUTTERFLIES OF THE PLAINS OF INDIA. 88r. 



specimens with similar diagonal lined on segments 3-7 as in R. hordonia ; the head 

 and rest of the body are brown apple-green with the subspiracnjar ridge light, 

 white on segments I I and i2 ; the first pair of pro'^esses or projections are black 

 oil the outside margins ; there are white lateral points or lints on set^ments 2-5 ; 

 w black line from base of each proleg runs up the anterior part of it to the 

 sobspiracular ridge which is present also on segments 5 and ti ; belly lightish 

 green wiih a fine central dark line ; the colour may vary from light giey-green 

 to dark brown-red green. The length and breadth as for R. hordonia. 



rupa. — The pupa is not distinguishable from that of R. hordonia except that 

 the wing expansion is perhaps slightly more curved up, the sinus in front of 

 head perhaps slightly shallower. Length and breadth and colour as in that 

 species. 



Hahits. — Are like tho>e o^ hordonia but differ in that the larva lives 

 an opener life, notcntting leaflets in the same profusion as that species. 

 It pupates in a siniilai* manner. Both walk in a halting manner. 



Which of these two larvae produces true R. hordonia is still a moot 



point. We have called the first by the name for the time being. It 



is indeed rather difficult to find any difference between the insects 



produced by the two the more so since both butterflies are somewhat 



variable according to season in colour and heaviness of black markings. 



The mules have a sex- mark on the upperside of hindwing, about the 



middle of the costal area, which appears tc be darker in the second 



form than in the first, Further breeding will perhaps set the question 



at rest but at present it is impossible to say with certainty whether 



we have to do with different species or whether the larva is dimorphic. 



There seems to be little reason for this latter supposition for the 



larv£E are found in the same place at the sume seasons. The foodplants 



however differ for, while the first form is found only on Acacia 



pennata, Willd., with numerous small leaHets, the former affects 



Alhizzia oderatissima Benth. and Acacia concinna, Dc. also, the latter a 



similar creeper to the first but growing in damper localities and havmg 



Jess numerous, larger leaflets. Rahinda hordonia is spread over 



Continental India from the Himalayas to Travancore ; Assam ; 



Burma ; Tenasserim, extending into the Malayan subregion. 



Note. — For the uninitiated : the leaves of these Acacia creepers (all 

 extremely prickly or thorny) are said to be hipinnale, that is the 

 midrib bears a series of opposite bnuichlets or pinrice which bear in 

 their turn the leaflets, also opposite to each other and close together 

 while the pinnae are widely separated. 

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