172 CYRESTIS. By H. Stichel. 



of species is reduced to a minimum. The whole of the Palearctic territory harbours only a small percentage of 

 the partly very closely allied forms, the majority of these Palearctic ones being found in the south-eastern districts 

 adjoining" the Oriental Region. In true northern countries there occur but very few though imposing species, 

 appearing usually in a modest number of specimens. 



Moi-phologically the Limenitinae are at once distinguished from the preceding subfamily by the palpi, which 

 are not smoothly scaled as in the Apaturids, but finely hairy, though not to the same extent in all the forms. The 

 cell of the forewing is always closed , that of the liindwing mostly open. The larvae have not really a covering 

 of thorns but only single projections, which are either paired or are all mesial, their ends being partly enlarged to 

 short clubs (tubuliferous larvae). The pupae sometimes bear tubercles or pointed projections ; some have on the 

 incurved, saddle-shaped, middle surface of the back a hatchet-like process in which develops a dorsal brush of hairs 

 of the butterfly. 



The Limenitinae are adroit fliers ; the wings are generally kept spread out, which renders the flight graceful, 

 floating, the butterflj^ darting forward now and again by short abrujjt wing-strokes. Many species, e. g. the Nfpfis, 

 are decided lovers of flowers, whereas the larger Limeniiis and the Athyma do not seem to care much for flowers. 

 But all without exception greedily drink water at the edges of brooks and on damp places on the roads, which on 

 hot mornings are sometimes found actually covered witli them. The larvae feed on leaved trees and shrubs. In 

 the northern countries of the Palaearctic Region the butterflies have but one brood, which is on the wing early in 

 the summer. • 



1. Group: Cyrestidi. 



This group, which is distributed over both hemispheres, but almost entirely restricted to the tropical and 

 subtropical countries , contains the highly remarkable genera Meyahira in the New World , and Cyrestis as well as 

 Fseudtif/olis in the Old. The two last genera, which are represented in the Palaearctic territory, are only found in 

 the extreme south of the far East and must be regarded as accessions from the Oriental fauna. These two genera, 

 Ci/renfis and Pseudergolis , have very little in common as butterflies, while the larvae of both, as well as of the 

 American Megalura, are distinguished by the long horns on the head and the single row of dorsal mesial projections. 

 The butterflies occur singly on clearings of woods with much undergrowth, where they circle round the bushes, shooting 

 along almost without moving the wings; only when drinking at puddles are they sometimes met with in larger numbers. 



1. Genus: C^re^tis Bsd.*) 



Btillerflies of more delicate build. Head small; eyes naked; palpi rather long, porrect, nose-like, end- 

 segment longer in the $ than in the cj; antennae thin, somewhat incrassate at the apex. The wings delicate, 

 but proportionately large. Forewing a right-angled triangle, apex pointed, distal margin undulate, at the anal 

 angle constricted-indented; costal vein short, subcostal 5-branched, 2 branches proximally to the cell-end; 

 cell usually open or closed by the thin posterior discocellular, the latter sometimes but vestigial, anterior dis- 

 cocellular very short. Hindwing a distorted quandrangle, with the sides curved, distal margin apically indented, 

 otherwise undulate, between the middle and posterior median veins as a rule toothed or tailed, the anal angle 

 being lobate, praecostal simple, curved outwards, cell open or closed by a thin vein. Ground-colour whitish 

 or yellowish, with delicate markings, consisting mainly of dark transverse bands and lines. Egg conical, above 

 with a cogwheel-shaped excrescence, which is deeply notched all round. The lai'va feeds (gregariously ?) on 

 Ficus-species; it is slender, naked, the head with 2 long curved rather soft horns, on the back a curved process 

 which is directed backwards, being dentate on the hinder side, and a similar process on the anal segment, but 

 directed forward. Pupa suspended, strongly compressed, with a blunt dorsal keel, palpi-cases projecting nose- 

 like (Davidson). Graceful fliers, the flight being sailing without distinct movement of the wings; they like to 

 settle on the hanks of rivers, at least the <Jt^, in order to drink, keeping the wings wide-spread and flying low 

 over the ground when alighting. When disturbed they hurry away precipitately, and have the habit of settling 

 with the wings spread out on the underside of a leaf, where they are difficult to perceive (Fruhstorfer). Hagen 

 says of a certain exotic species: the insect on the wing has exactly the appearance of a piece of paper which, 

 caught by the wind, is suddenly thrown from the ground into the air, where it is whirled about for some time 

 before falling as suddenly and abruptly again to the ground. — Distributed from North India to the South 

 Sea, also in Africa, being represented in the Palaearctic Region only by two forms: 



thvoiiamas. C. thyodamas Bdv. {^= Amathusia ganescha Koll.) (61e). Flies in 2 broods, tlie ground-colour being white in 



the wet-season form, pale yellow^-ochre in the dry-season form; the markings the same in both, deeper or duller 

 in tint, also somewhat variable in breadth, altogether stronger in the wet-season form, beneath shining through, 

 the ochre-yellow dusting more restricted on the hindwing, but the anal lobe darker yellow, with a black central 

 dot. The sexes without essential differences, the $ somewhat larger and the wings a little broader. Larva on 

 Ficus indica, F. nemoralis, F. glomerata. South-West China (Yunnan), Himalaya, North India to Tenasserim, 

 Hainan. — In West and South China the species attains to quite an unusual size and represents a special race. 



*) The genus has been divided into tlie subgenera Si/kophagus Mart., Apsithia Moore and Cliersoiiesia Disl. Only tiie 

 first name would concern us here, but we prefer to employ the name of the entire genus, as otherwise this name would dis- 

 appear for the typical group. 



