94 SOUTH-AFRICAN BUTTERFLIES. 



differs in its licavier structure generally (especially in the bulk of the 

 thorax), acute fore-wings, slight projection of hind-wings about anal 

 ano-le, and possession of three tufts of hairs on the hind-margin of the 

 hind-wings. In form and in under-side pattern Lycccnesthcs bears 

 much likeness to Deudorix, but wants the anal-angular lobe and 

 linear tail on the hind-wings, and has longer palpi (especially in the 

 ^). Most of the species exhibit on the upper side various tints of 

 violaceous or purple, much reduced or absent in the duller females, but 

 some of the West- African forms {Leptincs, Luzoncs, and Lacharcs, of 

 Hewitson) present, instead of any shade of those colours, a large spot 

 of orange-yellow in one or both wings. The under side in these and 

 some other West-African species more resembles that of the Telicanus 

 group of Lyccaia. 



Eighteen of the twenty - six known species are African, three 

 Indian, and two Austro-Malayan. The locality " Cayenne," recorded 

 by Butler {Gat. Fah. Lcp.^ p. i88) for L. Moncus (Fab.), requires 

 confirmation. Six species have been discovered to inhabit Southern 

 Africa ; and of these three {Amarah, Larydas, and Sylvanus) are 

 widely spread over both African Tropics, one {Otacilici) extends into 

 the Southern Tropical region, and two {Liodcs and Livida) appear to 

 be peculiar to South Africa. L. Amarah is very different from the 

 rest in the singular glittering grey of its upper side ; Larydas, 

 Sylvanus, and Liodcs all have in the ^ an upper side of glossy dai'k- 

 purple, and in the $ a discal space of pale violaceous and whitish 

 marked with fuscous spots ; Ofacilia has a rather bright violaceous 

 field in the $, replaced by cupreous-brown in the ^ ; and Livida is in 

 both sexes dull shining ochreous-grey faintly shot with bluish. 



All the six species are found on the eastern side of South Africa, 

 but only four of them have been met with in the Cape Colony, and of 

 these but two {Liodcs, Hewits., and Otacilia, Trim.) reach the western 

 districts. Larydas, Cram., and Sylvanvs, Dru., have not occurred to 

 the south and west of Natal, but Amarah, Guer., extends to Grahams- 

 town, and Livida, Trim., seems hitherto to have been taken only near 

 that place and in some of the adjacent eastern districts. 



I have not seen living Sylvanus or Larydas, but have captured the 

 other species, and found all the four to be very active, alert, little butter- 

 flies, resembling altogether in motion and habits the well-known Thccla 

 group in Europe. They visit flowers freely, and are also much given 

 to basking in the sunshine on the leaves of bushes or young trees. 



167. (1.) Lycsenesthes Amarah, (Guerin). 



§ Pohjommatus Amarah, Gucr., Lefcbv. Voy. Abyss., vi. p. 384, pi. 11, ff. 



5, 6 (1847). 

 9 Lyccma Amarah, Wallgrn., Lcp. Rliop. Caffr. (K. Sv. Vet.-Akad. Handl., 

 ' 1857), p. 40. 



