I M T I^ D U C T I INl 



Danais (Salatiira) genutia, Cramer. 

 C/aj^.— INSECTA. 

 Or^^n— LEPIDOPTERA. 

 5'wi5-<7r^£/-.— RIIOPALOCERA. 



The insects of this order are distinguished from other insects by their having the wings 

 more or less densely covered with minute scales of various colours, whence the name Lkpi- 

 DOPTERA, (Keltic, a scale ; TTTspov, a wing). 



The order, which comprises an enormous number of different species, is divided into two 

 sub-orders — Heterocera, or Moths, and Rhopaloceka, or Butterflies : the insects of the latter 

 sub-order are alone treated of in this book. The distinction between the sub-orders is primarily 

 based on the structure of the antennae as expressed in the terms Rhopalocera (poTraXov, a 

 club ; Kspug, a horn), and Heterocera (eVspoc, different ; Kepag, a horn), the antennae 

 of Butterflies being more or less uniform in structure and clubbed at the tip, while those of 

 Moths exhibit great variations of structure among different genera and species, and even in 

 the different sexes of the same species. 



But there are several other characteristics by which Butterflies can generally be distinguish- 

 ed from Moths. Butterflies are never nocturnal in their habits. Some few species fly at 

 twilight, but with very few exceptions they fly only in the day-time, and, as a rule, are active on 

 the wing only during sunshine ; the eyes of Butterflies too are larger as a rule and more promi- 

 nent than those of Moths : again the antennee of Butterflies, which are straight, filamentous and 

 more or less clubbed at the tip, are always held erect or extended in front of the head, and 

 are never either twisted or folded away by the insect. On the other hand the antennse of 

 Moths are highly flexible, and during repose are almost invariably folded backwards along the 

 body and concealed under the wings. Again, the division between the thorax and the abdomen 

 is strongly defined in Butterflies, while in most Moths the division is inconspicuous ; and^ 

 lastly, Butterflies may be distinguished by the position of the wings in repose being, among 

 them, more or less erect over the back and never folded close along the body ; or, in other 

 words, Butterflies when in repose usually exhibit the under-surface of the wing ; Moths in repose 

 have only the upper surface visible. 



None of these distinctive features taken singly will always suffice to distinguish a Butterfly 

 from a Moth ; perhaps the surest test of all is the erect posture or otherwise of the antennae. If 



