THE COMMON BUTTERFLIES OF THE PLAINS OF INDIA. 435 



in the same piano as that of segmont 2, roundly convex in its posterior 

 part, elightiy flattened laterally on the sides and there is very little 

 constriction behind thorax ; the abilonien is circular in transverse section 

 stout, thickest about segment 8, the end rounded with the last segments 

 sloping perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis of pupa : the last seymeuts 

 turned under, in no way prominent. Surface very iinely aciculate, shiny, 

 covered all over with short, erect, light hairs that are longest on segments 

 '2 and 14 ; wings naked, slightly striate. Spiracles of segment '2 indi- 

 cated by little linearly oval, white risings between the segment margins ; 

 the rest of the spiracles flush, oval, small, white. Colour of body is pinkish 

 white, the thorax anil segment 2 translucent-looking ; blotches of yellow- 

 red dorsally on anterior segments of abdomen ; a blotchy, black, dorsal line 

 the gland, a blotchy, lateral mark on segments 8, 9, hinder slope of thorax, 

 and dorsum of segment 2 also black ; a black spot on shoulder, two con- 

 joined, black spots laterally on segment 4 and a lateral row of tiny, black 

 dots on abdominal segments ; thorax head and wings dotted all over with 

 black. L : 7. omm. ; B : iJ. 2mm. H : 3. 2mm. 



flahits. — The eggs are laid singly on the young parts of the 

 plant : flowers, shoots, leaves ; the larva lives generally on the 

 undersides of the young leaves and is nearl}^ invariably attended 

 by ants. The pupation takes place anywhere : on a leaf or stalk, 

 in a crevice, &c., in the open; and the attachment is normal, viz., 

 by the tail and a body-band. L. pusjm is probably the most common 

 of the genus in India. De Niceville says : " except in Sikkim, 

 where the changes of season are very great, it is fairly constant" 

 in markings. •' It is somewhat rare in the outer ranges of the 

 Western Himalaj'as, becoming more plentiful eastwards ; in Sikkim 

 it is one of the very commonest ' blues ' met with. It occurs 

 eastward as far as Sibsagar in Upper Assam, also in Burma and 

 in the Andaman Isles. On the continent I have taken it in 

 Beerbhoom District ; it occurs at Parsinath , at Khaudalla on the 

 Western Ghats, in North Kanara, in Orissa, Ganjam, in the 

 Xilgiris, Ratnagiri, Cannanoi-e and in Ceylon." It is a low flj^irig 

 butterfly, but fairly strong on the wing, fond of sitting on the 

 ground to suck up moisture in damp places and on the leaves of 

 low plants or on trees near the ground. It is not exactly an insect 

 of the Plains, but has been taken out in the open fairly far away 

 from the Ghats in Bombay. Neither is it an inhabitant of deep, 

 shady, big jungles, preferring the clearings, sides of roads and open 

 hill-tops to ravines and damp places. It is fond of the sun and the 

 female may be found laying eggs on Cylista scariosa, a leguminous, 

 trailing, thin-stemmed plant with yellow, papilionaceous flowers 

 which is common by the sides of roads and in hedges. She walks 

 about the flower-heads when in bud and lays the eggs singly in the 

 axils of the stalks and bracts. The larva has also been found 

 on the young, red leaves of Iliptage madablota (^Comhretaceo', 

 Schleicliem trijwja {Sainndacece) and of the leguminous Xylia 

 dolahriforniis, both trees. It is only sought after by ants in a 

 perfunctory manner, although, in the case of C//^ts/a at least, there 



