J87 



FAMILY LYCiENIDiE. 

 C* Blues" and "Coppers.") 



This family includes some of our smallest butter- 

 flies, so often seen in grass lands. The prevailing- 

 colours are blue and copper. 



Characters. — (1) Larvae short, thick, and slug- 

 like; caterpillars srtooth, or covered with short 

 hairs; usually feed at night, frequently gregarious. 

 Waterhouse and Lyell record: **The larva is almost 

 invariably flattened and slug-like, with the head 

 retractile and concealed while at rest. Posterior 

 segments usually with dorsal glands, which secrete 

 a liquid much prized by ants ; the ants consequently 

 attend the larvae, and in some cases shepherd them. 

 The larvae feed singly or gregariously and usually 

 by night, sheltering during the daylight in ants' 

 nests, under bark or stones, in curled leaves or 

 flower buds, or in crevices of the trunk of the food 

 plant." 



Type: "The imperial blue" {Jalmeniis evagoras). 

 This is a small, dainty butterfly, 1^ inches across 

 the wings. The upper surface is dusky brown, 

 with a large central area of silver blue. On the 

 hind pair is a bright orange patch above the tails. 

 They are low but rapid fliers. 



The larvae are almost black, or of a dull green, 

 marked with yellow, with a row of tubercles along 

 the upper surface. Ants are found running over and 



