Piihl. IS. III. 1909. AZANUS. By Dr. A. Seiiz. 293 



The genus is nearly related to the Indian genus Casialius. Larva very flat, chagreened, hairy at the sides 



and apex; the reversible organ on the ]'2th ring small; on Papilionaceae. Pupa smooth, shaped as in the 



preceding genera. The butterflies inhabit only the south of our Piegion and fly in the hot sunshine, 

 usually near the ground. 



T. telicanus Lang ("? = pirithous L., baeticus Esp.) (77 h; the figure marked ^ represents a small $). telicanus. 

 (J violet-blue, $ smoky grey with the disc of the forewing bluish white, the intricate mark'ngs of the 

 underside appear also above. The underside has on a smoky grey ground a confusion of white lines and 

 rings and around the anal spots of the hindwing verj- thin blue rings which glitter intensely. South 

 Europe and North Africa, as well as Asia Minor. The form bellieri Bagusa, from Sieilj% has the underside bellieri. 

 more unicolorous, washed out. — Larva dark red, with black-lnown dorsal line and dark oblique stripes; 

 in June and the autumn on ilelilotus and Medicago, said to be found also on Calluna vulgaris. Pupa 

 yellowish brown, with dark markings. The butterflies in the early spring and again late in summer, 

 singly and usually not plentiful. They like to rest on clusters of Thymus and fly rather fast ; they also 

 appear to migrate in certain years, since the butterfhes, as rare exceptions, have been observed here and 

 there in localities lying far north, for instance at Bale, Stuttgart, Augsburg, Bozen, etc. etc. 



T. plinius F. (?= pulchra Mwrr.) (77 i). Above similar to the preceding, the spots of the underside j^linins. 

 appearing also here well marked on the upper. The underside quite different: on a whitish ground there 

 are several smoky grey smears, lines and dots. The anal spots of the hindwing below greyish brown, 

 without metallic borders. — Larva pale green, yellowish above, violet on the sides with darker oblique 

 stripes and 6 brown-red spots; on the flowers of Plumbago. Pupa dull ochreous, with dark irrorations. 

 In South and East Asia and in a large portion of Africa. On Palearctic territory in Kashmir, Arabia 

 and Southern Egypt. The butterflies fly close above the ground and visit particularly low-growing 

 flowers, like Sedum, Thyme, etc. 



T. theophrastus F. (= nara Koll.) (77 i). The smallest Tarucus, which in tropical countries like Nubia phrastus. 



and Abyssinia is even but half the size of our figures. (J above violet-blue, $ smoky gre}- with the 



dark-spotted disc to the forewing whitish. Underside very characteristic, pure cream-colour with black 



seriated dots and black comma-spots; before the outer margin of the hindwing a row of brilliant glittering 



blue-green spots. In South-East Europe, North Africa and Anterior Asia to Kashmir and western India; 



also in the Ethiopian Region and probablj' in the Sahara wherever the food-plant grows. — • balkani- halkanicus. 



cus Frr. (= psittacus H.-Schdff.) (77 i, k) has the dots of the underside larger, less sharply defined, and 



united to chains and stripes, and is often considered as a distinct species; from the Balkan Peninsula, 



Asia Minor and Persia. — ■ venosus Moore, from the Western Himalaj-a, was likewise described as a distinct venosiis. 



species; differs in the upperside being darker blue in the (^ and having a vivid purple sheen, while the 



disc of the 2 is but verv little paler than the rest of the wing. — Also ]\Ioroccan or? have a rose-purple 



. '. ... rosciccci 



sheen; this is ab. rosacea Aust., which occurs in Algeria together with ordinary specimens. — alteratus alieralus. 



Moore, from the North- West Himalayas, is a dwarfed (spring?) form. — extricatus -B(/r. appears to be extricatus. 

 its summer-form; the markings of the underside are still more confluent and often more russet- 

 red than black-brown. — callinara Btlr. is an Indian form from Upper. Burma. — Larva pale green, callinara. 

 chagreened with white, the head ochreous; from the 3''' segment a broad greenish yellow dorsal stripe; 

 the reversible organ small. In May, summer and autumn on species of Zizyjjhus; in India on Zizyphus 

 jujuba, in North Africa on Ziz. lotus. The butterflies in April and again in the summer and autumn, 

 in hot countries all the year round, in sandy deserts and on bare stony hills, where they can be beaten 

 from the thorny bushes of Zizyphus. The specimens thus disturbed fly around the bush with a hopping 

 fhght and soon shelter themselves again among the branches, which bear extremely sharp and disagreeable 

 thorns. It requires continued beating in order to dislodge the butterflies from the bushes, and they 

 usually settle on the loose stones near the bush. There is generally only a single pair in smaller bushes, 

 while one encounters 4 or more specimens in larger bushes, nearly every Zizyphus-bush harbouring spe- 

 cimens. Where thornj^ shrubs are wanting I observed the species conceal itself in a blue-leaved thistle 

 with disagreeable spines. 



BO. Genus: AKailll);^ Moore. 



Without tail. Head small; palpi projecting for about the length of the head; antennae very thin, 

 half the length of the costa, with a thin flat club. Thorax robust; abdomen long and slender; legs 

 delicate. Wings broad; forewing rather pointed, its costal margin curved, the hind angle rather obtuse; 

 hindwing with a very long costal margin, the outer margin being flattened, anal angle slightly pointed 

 with a minute, hardly visible brush, a last vestige of a tail. The upperside differs but little from that 

 of the preceding genus, being in the ^J transparent blue with reddish or bluish violet sheen, the markings 

 shining through from beneath in good light; the $ dark iron-gre}-, dusted with blue at the base. Tlie 



I 37 



