VIRACHOLA. By Dr. A. Seitz. 289 



of the upperside, but which occur together with ordinary ^^ (e. g. in the Pamir). Stauddtgeb, for the latter 

 reason, considers them to he a distinct species, as he is not inchned to beheve in dimorphism among J<J. 

 Grum-Grshimailo, however, says that the $? are all alike where the two forms of the ^ occur, ab. 

 dilutior Stgr., from the mountains of southern Ferghana are specimens in which the underside is paler and dihtiior. 

 its spots less prominent. — True dimorphus-Q^ occur at the banks of the Lepsa and its sources in the 

 Ala-Tau. June and July are mentioned as time of appearance, the butterflies being plentifvil in places 

 where Mentha grows; but the season probably varies considerably according to the altitude of the fhght- 

 places. 



C. athamanthis Ev. Like the preceding, black-brown above, with black distal spots corresponding °„a"/;„s 

 to those of the underside, but the whole outer margin broadly red-yellow with a thin black edge and 

 before it black dots. Underside, which is whitish grey and bears many though not heavy black spots, also 

 with a bright red-yellow submarginal band. The 9 larger, with w-eaker violet gloss on the darks parts of 

 the wings than the q. In the steppes around the Aral Sea, on the Syr-Darja. — alexandra Pung. is alexandra. 

 a larger and darker form, with the disc of the forewing not paler, from the Alexander ilts. ; the underside is 

 yellowish grey, with heavy black spots. — iliensis Stgr., from Kuldja, has a red gloss above, and bears, Uiensis. 

 especially in the $, a distinct, broad, reddish yellow submarginal band also on the upperside. 



C. Group of Lycaenini, Blves. 



In this section the blue colour is as much prevalent as the red colour is in the previous group. 

 However, there occur among the Lycaenids also forms intermediate in colour, as well as transitions towards 

 the two preceding sections. The Lycaenidae are a very natural and homogeneous group as regards both 

 their systematics and biology, and the separation into minor groups, such as we have adopted for the sake 

 of convenience, has only a practical value, and is of no scientific importance. The general characteristics 

 given in the description of the whole family apply in the main also to the Blues. They are less ex- 

 clusively forms of the temperate zone as are the Chrysophanus, since a few genera, such as Zizera and 

 Polyommatus, occur in the tropics generally in enormous numbers, which are far larger than in any species 

 of the essentially Palearctic and Nearctic genus Lycaena. Even the swarms of alpine Blues, which 

 congregate sometimes in small clouds composed of several species, cannot be compared with the enormous 

 multitudes in which Polyomm. haeticus and its relatives sometimes occur. In South China I found certain 

 hills absolutely alive with Caiochrysops strabo, and in India the roads were covered for miles with Pol. 

 haeticus in such numbers as one often observes of Zizera viininia and Lycaetm orhitulus congregated at 

 rills and road-side puddles in the Alps. On the other hand, the Lycaenini are very remarkably less 

 plentiful in tropical America than the Theclini, and with the exception of Lycaena cassius I hardly found 

 any Blue in America to be abundant. 



The true Blues are on the whole of much more delicate build than the previous forms, many 

 groups being so weak {Gerydus) that they belong to the most feeble butterflies. The Palearctic forms, 

 especially the East Asiatic ones, are as a rule the most robust, attaining occasionally also to a more con- 

 siderable size, while most of the tropical Lycaenids are rather small, Zizera containing the smallest butter- 

 flies of the globe. The head is never very thick. The antenna has nearly always a very thin shaft 

 ringed light and dark, and is suddenh' enlarged to a distinct club. The eyes are relatively large, bordered with 

 silvery white. The frons is narrow. The palpi are of variable length, often projecting straight forward. 

 The legs are moderately long, clothed with blue-grey scaling and hairs, often with stout spines. The 

 wings are usually quite normal in size and shape; the forewing nearly exactly triangular, the hindwing 

 almost circular. Long, sword-like appendages as they are found for instance at the hindwing of Loxura 

 and many other Theclini, do not occur among the Lycaenini, on the other hand there are sometimes very 

 delicate, thin, almost hair-like tails above the anal angle. The larvae as a rule are strongly flattened, 

 onisciform, sluggish, in colour adapted to the food-plant, and feed on plants of very different families, some 

 being even insectivorous. The pupae are similar to those of the preceding groups, without special dis- 

 tinctions, resembling small seeds or splinters of flint. The butterfhes are decided day-insects, but some (e. g. 

 Talicada) avoid the glaring sunshine and live exclusively in the shade of the woods. ^lany species art- 

 very local, being either restricted to the locahty of the food-plant or confined to certain mountain-ranges. 

 Some, however, have an extraordinarily wide distribution and are strong fliers, e. g. Polyomm. haeticus, 

 some such species occurring in 4 continents. 



23. Genus: Viracliola Moore. 



The only Palaearctic species which belongs here is placed in the Catalogue of Stal'Dixger-Rebel 

 with Hypolycaena, which genus does not occur in the Palearctic Region. T'. livia has 4 subcostals in the 

 forewing, while Hypolycaena has only 3. Moreover, this genus is devoid of the small scent-brush at the 



