83 



Family Lycaenidae 



The Lycaenidae are small pupae, between 8 and 15 mm. in length, 

 which have the general shape of arctians although they are generally 

 less curved on the ventral surface (Fig. 79). They retain a small 

 portion of the vertex on each side and the epicranial suture usually 

 touches the caudal margin of the head at the meson, making each half 

 of the vertex triangular. The lobes indicating the presence of pilifers 

 always meet on the meson except in the genus Feniseca. The antennae 

 always extend to the caudal margin of the wings and lie adjacent on 

 the meson, concealing the distal ends of the maxillae. The prothoracic 

 legs are shorter than usual, varying from two fifths to one third the 

 length of the wings. The mesothoracic legs are about half the length of 

 the wings and the metathoracic pair are never visible. The body is 

 usually quite free from projections or elevations, Feniseca being the 

 only exception known, and it bears small rounded tubercles on its 

 dorsal surface. The head is limited to the ventral surface of the 

 body, and the suture between it and the prothorax is located on the 

 cephalic margin of the body, sometimes forming a slight ridge. The 

 prothorax is longer than is usual in Papilionoidea, being about half as 

 long as the mesothorax. There is little, if any, motion possible be- 

 tween any of the abdominal segments, and they fit together so as to 

 form a smooth surface. Even the pupal skin after dehiscence shows 

 no separation of the abdominal segments. The surface of the thorax 

 and abdomen is covered with a reticulation of fine elevated lines with 

 small papillae at their intersections and usually in the spaces between. 

 These papillae usually bear cuticular appendages, of various types, 

 the most peculiar being the fungiform type of the genera Chrysopha- 

 nus and Heodes. There is no cremaster present in any member of 

 the family. The ventral surface of the abdomen frequently bears 

 groups of small hooked setae. The genital openings are usually ob- 

 scured. The anal opening is peculiar, in many forms being transverse 

 instead of longitudinal. The mesothoracic spiracles are closed by a 

 plug or plate which fills up the opening and usually presents a honey- 

 combedn appearance. The following table will serve to separate the 

 genera of Lycaenidae : 



a. Exposed portion of maxillae never more than three fifths the length 



of the wings ; cuticular appendages of the body never fungiform. 



b. Ventral surface of the body never with hooked setae eaudad of 



the anal opening; thorax and abdomen usually densely covered 



with spiculate cuticular appendages ; exposed portion of maxillae 



scarcely more than half the length of the wings. 



