BRASSOLIN/R. 



I 99 



in the male of Discophora there is a large oval patch of raised 

 black scales just below the middle of the upper side of the 

 hind-wings. 



SUB-FAMILY VIII. BRASSOLIN^E. 



Egg. — Not yet described. 



Larva. — With horns on the head, and with pairs of erect 

 spines on the back of some of the segments, generally with a 

 bifid tail, feeding on monocotyledonous plants, and sometimes 

 forming a case for themselves. 



Pupa. — Very thick, but not spiny. 



Imago. — Of large size, often stout ; palpi rather long, hairy, 

 not widened ; wings b: oad, slightly scalloped, very rarely tailed ; 

 fore-wings rarely long ; cells closed ; hind-wings with a pre- 

 discoidal cell. Colours brown, tawny, orange, dull blue or 

 purplish, rarely bright blue. 



Range. — Exclusively confined to Tropical America. Only a 

 few genera have been described. 



Habits. — Twilight-flyers. This is an unusual habit in Butter- 

 flies, though there are several species of Nymphalituz, Morp/u'/uv, 

 Satyrince, and Lycccnida, which have been recorded as flying 

 at dusk or at night, either habitually or occasionally. 



Characteristics. — The typical genus, Brassolis, Fabricius, con- 

 tains species varying from three to five inches across the wings. 

 They are brown, with orange-tawny bands on the fore-wings, 

 and sometimes with borders of the same colour on the hind- 

 wings. The species of Opsiphancs, Westwood, much resemble 

 those of this genus, but are larger insects, with broader and 

 shorter fore-wings. 



One of the handsomest species of the family is Dynastor 

 napoleon, Doubl. and Hew. It measures five or six inches 



