THE SUBFAMILY LYCAENINAE. 793 



Distribution. The subfamily is represented in nearly equal numbers 

 on botli hemispheres, though two of its members, the Chrysophanidi and 

 Lycaenidi, are very much more numerous in the Old than in the New 

 World. "The oriental and neotropical regions," says Lang (Eur. butt., 

 74), are where they "chiefly abound and are most magnificent in coloring 

 and design ; some of those from South America, for instance, may be 

 fairly said to constitute some of the most beautiful objects in nature." 

 Like most large groups of butterflies, they are far more abimdant in the 

 tropics than in the temperate zones, but even in the latter, especially in 

 Europe, they form a large proportion of the species. A very few species 

 have been considered common to both hemispheres, but with how much 

 reason is doubtful ; many genera, however, have their representatives in 

 each. 



Greneral chciracteristics. The numerous species comprised in this 

 subfamily, says Trimen (Rhopalocera Africae Australis 217-8), 



though of small size, are, as a rule, remarkable for brilliancy of colouring and ex- 

 quisite variegation of marking. Richness of hue is, however, usually confined to the 

 upper surface, which in the male sex often presents one vivid field of metallic orange- 

 red or glistening blue, while in the female it is usually duller, varied with spots, or 

 much sufi"used with grayish or blackish, and occasionally wholly brown, presenting a 

 totally different aspect to that of the male. The under side, on the contrary, differs 

 but very little in the two sexes . . . ; it is commonly of some soft shade of gray or 

 brownish, marbled or streaked with transverse darker or paler lines, or with rows of 

 white-ringed spots, and is not unfrequently ornamented with very brilliant metallic 

 dots, usually on the hind wings. 



It may be added that the antennae are nearly always ringed with white, 

 and that a conspicuous rim of white scales encircles the eyes. Horsfield 

 (Descr. cat. lep. ins. mus. E. I. Co., 40) says: "the intermediate pair 

 [of legs] have on the thighs, in all genera, so far as I have observed, a 

 short, acute process about the middle" ; and illustrations are given in some 

 of his plates. Westwood, too (Mod. class, ins., ii : 358, fig. 100: 14), 

 gives a figure "exhibiting the femoral spur and tibial notch"; but these 

 are nothing more than an arrangement of the scales or hairs for the greater 

 mobility of the legs ; the denuded femora and tibiae show here no process 

 and no depression whatever. 



There is not a little protective resemblance to be seen in the markings, 

 especially of the under surface of the wings, in this subfamily, even in 

 our limited fauna. The early Theclidi, that alight on gray rocks and 

 dead sticks while the foliage is scant, with erect wings, can scarcely be 

 detected, so closely do the colors match the surroundings. The early 

 Lycaenidi appear in the time of violets and hepaticas, whose colors they 

 imitate, and Uhler has noticed how diflficult other species were to detect on 

 the flowers of a blue lupine which they frequented. The striped hair 

 streaks alight on leaves where just such lines as they exhibit are a part of 



