314 LYCAENA. By Dr. A. Seitz. 



urchin (Gillmer). Larva densely clothed with minute hair, the segments dorsally strongly swollen, dark 

 green, with black head and pale-edged red-brown dorsal line, which is accompanied by small brown spots, 

 lateral stripe whitish. Until June on Vicia cracca. The butterflies are on the wing from July onward, in 

 the extreme south (Greece) already at the end of Maj-, and fly in the same places and in the same way as 

 icarus. In the East they are plentiful almost everj-where, but in the West they are only found singly 

 and sporadical!}', being absent from large districts. 



myrrha. L. myrrha H.-Sdidff. As large as the preceding, but the blue colour is not that of icarus-^, but 



the glossy light blue of eros. The underside very pale, in the $ always, in the ^ sometimes with a distinct 

 white median streak on the hindwing from the discocellular spot to the centre of the outer margin. The 

 myrrhina. hindwing above nearly always with distinct spots at the distal margin. — In the form myrrhina Stgr. 

 (80 i) the (J is greenish blue above, the margin being more broadly shaded with black, especially on the 

 forewing, therefore slightly recalling coridon. — Both forms are so far only known from Asia ]\Iinor. 



isaurica. L. isaurica Sigr. (80 i). Much smaller than the preceding insects, about the size of eros, which it closely 



resembles. The upperside almost exactly as in eros, but the underside much lighter, purer in colour, and 

 more sparsely spotted, particularly the black marginal spots entirely absent or very weakly indicated. The 

 ground of the hindwing with a strong yellowish tinge, and in a strong light one can also recognize the 

 very indistinct median streak, but the base shows only slight traces of blue scaling. ■ — In southern Asia 

 Minor, in j\Iay and June; in the Lebanon from 4 to .5000 ft. common everywhere (Mary de la Beche). 



lu/lus. L. hylas Esp. (= dorylas Hbn., argester Bgstr., thetis Esp. ($)) (80 i). Of the size of myrrhina; 



(J above of a very glossy and peculiar blue; the $ often smaller than the c^, black-brown, with or without 

 reddish marginal spots. The underside is unmistakable, the ocelli being reduced to a very few so, that the 

 white forewing is usually without markings from the base to the reddish yellow submarginal spots. Cen- 

 tral and South Europe as far as Asia Minor, according to Sloper also obtained in England (at Dover). 

 ubxolela. ab. obsoleta Gillm. (= glycera Schidtz) are European specimens in which the sparse ocelli of the hindwing 

 beneath are on the road of becoming obsolete. — There exists also a geographical race with obsolescent 

 armena. ocelli, which is distinguished by the fringes being longer and white above; this is armena Stgr. (81 a), from 

 Asia Minor, ofwhich identical specimens are said by Hormuzaki to occur also in the Bukovina. — N ery conspi- 

 metallira. cuous is ab. metallica Favre; this is the name for $$ whose upperside bears near the Ijase of both wings 

 or only on the forewing intensily bright metallic blue spots, whose glitter can be distinctly perceived even 

 vundahi ^'^ ^'^® ^b'^^g specimen and which gives the insect a very strange appearance, ab. nigropunctata Wheel, has 

 nivescens. black submarginal dots on the hindwing above. • — nivescens Kef. (= albicans Duy. d-Gerli.) (80 i) is a 

 form flying in Spain on limestone. The upperside of the ^ is dull grey-violet with a white silky gloss, 

 similar to dolus menalcas and coridon albicans. — Larva very similar to that of icarus, dark green, with 

 black head, blackish dorsal line and yellow side-stripe; at each side of the dorsal line yellowish smears. 

 In May and again in August on Thymus, Trifolium, Melilotus, Medicago, etc. The butterflies are partial 

 to limestone soil and sand, and their occurrence is therefore rather sporadical, but they are plentiful in many 

 districts. They fly in May and again in July, and like to drink on damp places on roads. 



viekaijer. L. meleager Esp. (= daphnis Bgstr., $ = endymion Schiff.) (81 a). ^ very large and very light 



sky-blue, strongly glossy, with a very narrow black margin. Underside pale grey-brown, with the base 



dusted with blue, the ocelli but little prominent and those near the margin of the hindwing very weak. 



$ at once recognized by the dentate anal portion of the outer margin. From Central and South Germany, 



limbu- Switzerland and South France throughout South-East Europe and Asia Elinor to Syria and Kurdistan. — 



fjunckitu. ab. limbopunctata Schuliz are ^(^ with black marginal spots on the upperside. ab. steeveni Trk. (81 a) are 

 s eeuiu. g^j.Qj^giy darkened $$, which have a very wide distribution among ordinary specimens, but are more fre- 

 versicolor. quently found in the East, in Greece, Asia Minor, etc. — versicolor Riihl-Hcgne is a form from Mesopo- 

 tamia with the upperside very light blue and the marginal spots of the underside entirely obsolete. — 



iijiiorutu. ignorata Stgr. (81 o), from Akbes in the south-western Taurus, is very peculiar as regards colour; the 

 upperside of the $ is traversed by many shadowy streaks situated on the veins; the hindwing of the (J is 

 lik&wise dentate in the anal portion, while in the $ the teeth are so strong that they form 2 — 3 short 

 tails. • — Larva green with yellow swellings; spiracles black. Until June on Thymus. Orobus. Astragalus, 

 and Coronilla. The butterflies in July and August; they are partial to limestone s(jil and occui' singly in 

 hot valleys, more in the hills and plains than in the mountains; on meadow-flowers, singly. 



esfheri. L. escheri Hbn. (81 a. b). ^ and 2 above similar to icarus, but much larger; the underside more 



prominently spotted, with more numerous ocelli, but the forewing beneath always without basal ocelli; the 

 ground-coloiu' of the underside in the ^J more shaded with grey and in the $ sometimes darkened to a 

 chocolate-brown; moreover, the discal row of ocelli of the hindwing is more proximal, standing nearer the 

 discocellular spot than in icarvs. Southern Europe, from Spain to the Balkan Peninsuh, northwards 

 venilina ^'xtending into the Alps. $$ with the upperside strongly dusted with blue ure ab. subapennina Tur. — 

 dalmaticd. dalmatica Spey. (81 b) is the form from Dalmatia; the q .is lighter blue, more similar in colour to lights 



