294 



ZIZERA. By Dr. A. Seitz. 



underside is almost intermediate between those of Tarucus and Catoclirysops; the outer area bears always 

 remnants, often faint, of the striation found in Tarucus all over the wing; the disc and base, however, 

 have on a lighter ground disjjersed black dots, often placed in pale rings, 1 — 2 corresponding to the 

 anal ocelli which are ornamented with metallic scales in Catoclirysops. Detailed descriptions of the larvae are not 

 known to me; but it was just in this genus that Doheety observed symbiosis between the larvae and ants. 

 The species of Azanus, in spite of their delicate build, are adroit fliers, which hurry with great swiftness 

 around the dispersed bushes that form part of the scanty vegetation of the countries they inhabit. Like 

 Tarucus, they are fond of settling in thorn-bushes, and it is therefore difficult and tiring to catch them. 

 Most of the species occur in Africa, Arabia and Anterior Asia; no species is found in Europe; they also 

 are absent from East Asia. 



ubaldus. A. ubaldus Cr. (= zena Moore). This butterfly, which is common in India and Ceylon, can hardly 



be considered Palearctic. Although occurring in Kashmir, it is as far as we know confined to the 

 southern, lower districts which belong faunistically already to the large plain of Lahore and are thoroughly 

 Indian in character; it may also cross the Palearctic boundary in Arabia, where it is known from the 

 south. Both sexes above dark blue with a purple gloss, unicolorous; beneath the dark spots on the disc 

 of the hindwing are partly surrounded partly covered by dark brown smudge-like clouds, only the distal 

 chain of pale-edged spots is clearly marked, being separated from the spotted fringes by a thin dark 

 line. — The larva is said to feed on Acacia leucophlaea (Taylor) and to have no reversible organ on the 

 12th ring (Doherty). As soon as the larva is full-grown, a guard of ants surrounds it and by touching 

 it with the antennae induced it to leave the tree; the ants then accompany it to their nest, where it 

 pupates. During this procedure the larvae often show resistance, which the ants overcome with great 

 patience, Doherty found as many as 13 pupae of Azanus ubaldus in one nest of ants; they were taken 

 from the nest and gave faultless specimens, which proves that the pupae were intact. — ubaldus occurs 

 only in dry and hot districts, especially in the Punjab, Eajputana, Baluchistan, and Arabia; in more 

 luxuriant localities its occurrance is exceptional. 



A. jesous. Upperside rose-violet in both sexes; in the anal area of the hindwing there are two black spots 

 jesous. close together as in the allied genera. In the African form, jesous Guer. (77 k), the heavy and prominent black 

 markings of the underside shine through above, the discocellular spot especially contrasting with the ground. — • 

 gamra. The Asiatic form, gatnra Led. (78 c), which is more constant in size, is more densely scaled and the markings of 

 the underside are less prominent as a rule, so that the upperside appears purer blue. It is also said to differ in 

 size; but as the species varies a good deal in Africa as well as Asia according to season and individuals, and 

 as further in Ledeber's description, based on Syrian examjiles, the form jesous described from Abyssinia 

 was not mentioned at all, later authors had abundant reason for abandoning the separation into an African 

 and an Asiatic race. A third equally doubtful race of jesous is described by Moohe from Ceylon as 

 crameri. — The species is distributed over Syria, the adjacent countries, Cyprus, the whole of Arabia to 

 its south-coast, Egypt, Nubia, Abyssinia to South Africa. The butterflies occur singly; the ^(^ pendulate 

 with an extremely rapid movement in front of the tips of branches of naked thorn-bushes. The species 

 is on the wing all through the year (being most plentiful, however, during the hot months) in several 

 broods, which differ especially in size. 



thehana. A. thebana Stgr. Very similar to small specimens of jesous, but the markings of the underside 



are much thinner, not shining through above according to the figure (in Iris VII. t. 9. fig. 3). The 

 two dark anal spots of the hindwing, moreover, seem to be absent from this insect. — Described from 

 Cairo in Egypt. 



eleusis. A. eleusis Demaison (= podorina Mab., pharaonis Stgr.). Larger, quite similar to the preceding 



above and beneath, but with tail and befare it with black anal spots, which however are not dusted 

 with metallic scales as in many otherwise similar species. — Egypt. 



aalba. 



31. Genas: JKixera Moore. 



The forewing long and quite gradually widened, the hind margin little longer than the costa, the outher 

 margin strongly rounded; the hindwing much more elongate-ovate than in the preceding genus, always 

 without tail. Costal and subcostal veins of forewing separate from one another. Small species throughout; 

 here belongs the smallest European butterfly and the smallest butterflies of the globe. The species are mostly 

 plentiful, congregating sometimes in crowds at damp places on roads. They fly very low, preferring 

 grassy localities, some species having the habit of crawling away in between the halms, so that one can 

 hardly get them out of the tufts of grass. The genus is distributed almost over the whole of the Old 

 World and goes up to 10 000 ft. 



Z. galba Led. (77 k). Above almost exactly like lysimon in both sexes, beneath strongly recalling 

 species of Azanus, especially in the arrangement and development of the black spots; the forewing beneath 



