LYCAENA. By Dr. A. Seitz. 307 



band also very broad and prominent and hence bears a superficial resemblance to astrarche, in which the ocelli, 



however, are much less regular in position than in miris. In ab. oblitescens Hchuliz the ocelli of the hindwing oblitescens. 



beneath have disappeared except for feeble traces. — In Persia, Turkestan and Ferghana, in May and June. 



L. elvira Ev. (= oberthueri Gr.-Grsh.). ^ very light silvery blue, almost as in coridon, but with elrira. 

 a comma-shaped elongate discocellular spot and narrow black distal border bearing short marginal bars; 

 the hindwing has no central spot. The ? above is black-brown, with a row of deep black luniform bars 

 before the margin. Underside dirty white, on the forewing four rows of black dots, the anterior row 

 being slightly curved in S-shape. — In Turkestan and the Kirghiz steppe, obtained in April. 



L. orbitulus Frun. (= meleager Hbn.) (79 f). Above dark with light fringes, ^ with the basal area orbilulus. 

 of both wings glos.sy silvery blue-green; forewing always, hindwing sometimes with a heavy black discocel- 

 lular spot, which has occasionally a pale border. Underside yellowish grey-brown, with some larger pale 

 spots and a broad whitish distal border, which sometimes occupies the whole outer thiid of the hindwing; 

 the spots of the forewing always, those of the hindwing sometimes with dark centre. Very variable. 

 In the Alps, only at considerable altitudes, ab. aquilonia Wheel has the outer margin more strongly glossy aquilmia. 

 than the ground-colour and the marginal dots of the hindwing very indistinct ; appears to be hardly different; 

 on Mt. Pilatus. — oberthueri Stgr. (79 g) is a considerably larger form with more prominent markings oberthueri. 

 and narrow dark margin, the upperside strongly recalling coridon. From the Pyrenees. — In the Pyrenees, 

 however, occurs also pyrenaica Bdv. (79 g), which is of wider distribution in Spain; on the whole somewhat pyreymka. 

 larger than ordinary specimens from the Alps, but much smaller than oberthueri; the dark margin narrower 

 and the spots of the hindwing without distinct dark centres. — In the high North (Lapland) the species, 

 like most high-alpine forms, descends into the plains, being represented by aquilina Stgr. ( = aquilo Aur.) aquilina. 

 (79 g). iSimilar to Alpine specimens, but deviates in the direction of wosnesenskyi, the upperside, however, 

 is paler in both sexes, being of a peculiar green-bluish, with the dark margin narrow. — wosnesenskyi Me«. '"■'o^ne- 

 (= diodorus Brem.) (79 g) has the pale spots of underside, which represent the ocelli of other Lycaenas, *^"* ^*' 

 smaller and more widely separated from one another, especially on the hindwing; in Siberia, as far as 

 Kamtchatka. — orbona Gr.-Grsh. (= tartarus Stgr.) (79 g) is the Tibetan form, which has the greater part orbona. 

 of the upperside dark (also in the (J), the spots of the hindwing beneath are partly reddish yellow. — 

 dardanus f'rr. (79 h) strongly resembles pyrenaica and is also said to be found in Spain; smaller than ''"''^"'".'^• 

 ■pyrenaica, and the pale spots of the hindwing beneath with more distinct black centres. From Asia Minor, 

 also recorded from the Balkan (Rebel). — aegagrus Christ. (79 h) is above washed with very light silvery aegagrus. 

 blue, which is not distinct enough in our figure. At once recognized by a prominent group of black dots 

 in the apical area of the forewing above. Persia, on sheltered stony mountain-sides. — orbitulinus Stgr. orbilulinus. 

 (described from a worn cj), from Dauria, is darker above and hos some metallic blue scales only in the basal 

 area of the wings; the underside, too, is darker, the forewing bearing larger black ocelli; the hindwing 

 beneath has before the margin a dark dentate band, which is sometimes indistinct; from Kentei. — In the 

 south of the large area of distribution the species extends with several forms into Kashmir and even India : 

 leela Nicev., from Leh, is larger and darker, and has a row of white spots before the margin. — jaloka '■''f^- 

 Moore, hkewise from Kashmir, not only has this row of white discal spots, but also the median spots 

 of the wings are whitish instead of dark. In ab. ellisi Marsh, these discal spots are larger than in joloka ellisi. 

 and the light blue-green scaling, which in joloka is restricted to the base, is farther extended towards the 

 margin in ellisi. It may be added that the row of spots on the upperside which is typical for Kashmir specimens 

 occurs as a rare exception also in European examples (Frey), for instance in the Engadine, such specimens 

 being named by Wheeler ab. albooceliata. — In America there occur, though not exactly varieties of orbitidus, alboocellata. 

 some species representing it over a large portion of North America, e. g. rustica Edw., podarce Fldr., 

 nestos Bdv., etc., in the west of the U. S., and franklini in Canada. — Larva green with black head, 

 densely clothed with short, stiff, black hairs; on the back a chain of rosy-red spots, laterally to them 

 dark transverse streaks; a lateral stripe above rosy red, beneath white; the stigmata black with thin white 

 border. Until July, during the day under stones. Pupa also under stones, yellowish brown with the 

 incisions between the segments paler, the wing-cases grey-brown with dirty yellow streaks. The butterflies 

 are on the wing in July and August, i. e. throughout the short summer of the high Alps, even plentiful 

 at the snow-line, locally in countless numbers in the region of the higher alpine pastures. It is the com- 

 monest butterfly of the high Alps, which swarms everywhere over destritus and grass, always keeping close 

 to the ground, settling with half-open wings on flowers of all kinds. At small rills and puddles on the 

 roads often whole clouds assemble and the insects are even found drinking on the melting snow of the 

 mountains. When the cold wind from the glaciers strikes them or the sun is concealed by a cloud, the 

 specimens become at once lethargic and often helplessly tumble on their sides, remaining in this position 

 until a warm ray of the sun revives them. The flight is fast, almost booming, but the insect is not shy. 



L. pheretiades Ev. (79 h). Almost like orbitulus, but the margin of the hindwing beneath not white, pheretiades. 

 but only a little paler than the ground colour; on the other hand, there are pale spots before the margin, 

 sometimes only a few, as in our figure, sometimes many more. Many authors regard the pheretiades-ioims 



