Family 8.— LYCiENIDiE.* 



Lyc^enid^, Leach, E, Doubl. 

 Lycenides, Boisd, 

 LYCiENiTiE, Chenu, 

 EaYCiNiDiE (pars), Swains. 



POLYOMMATES, Boisd. 

 PoLYOMMATIDiE, SwaiuS. 



Imago. — Head of moderate size, or rather small ; eyes 

 often hirsute ; palpi usually rather long (in some Genera 

 very long), scaly, seldom or but slightl}' hairy, the terminal 

 joint slender, distinct ; antennce of very variable length, 

 sometimes very gradually but often abruptly incrassate. 

 Thorax markedly robust in many Genera, but generally of 

 moderate size. Wings large, of variable outline ; fore-doings 

 usually rather truncate, hind-margin rarely elbowed about 

 centre ; hind-ivings commonly produced about anal angle, 

 and often bearing from one to three tails on hind-margin, the 

 inner-margins often forming an incomplete groove about 

 abdomen ; discoidal cells apparently closed by almost obsolete 

 nervules. Legs rather short, often thick : fore-legs of $ 

 with imperfect tarsi, in many Genera consisting of hut one 

 long joint. Abdomen usually slender, sometimes very short. 



Larva. — Usually more or less onisciform, broadest and 

 thickest about middle, often with dorsal humps, or with 

 fasciculate tubercles. Head and feet very small. 



Pupa. — Short, thick, usually much rounded, without 

 angular projections. Attached by the tail, and by a belt of 

 silk round the middle ; or by the tail only (Dipsas sp. on 

 pi. XII of Horsf. and Moore's " Catalogue ") ; rarely buried 

 in earth (Thecla Quercus, Linn.) 



The numerous species comprised in the Family LYCiENiDi^, 

 though of small size, are, as a rule, remarkable for brilliancy 

 of colouring and exquisite 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 suffused with greyish or 



* The family Hrycinidce, mentioned in the Table of Families as represented 

 in South Africa, is omitted ; as of the two species, Padila tropicalis, Bjisd. 

 Sp., and Lemonias Pretus, Cram. Sp., which I was disposed to refer to that 

 group, the former seems more truly an aberrant Lycicaidean, and the latter, 

 given by Cramer as a native of the Cape, belongs to a genus so exclusively 

 South American that ihere seems but little doubt that Cramer was mis- 

 informed as to its habitat. 



Q 



