124 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



THE GENERA CUPIDO AND LYCMNA. 

 By a. G. Butler, Ph.D. 



Amongst Continental entomologists the genera Cupido and 

 Lycfcna are used indiscriminately, to indicate what are known 

 popularly as blue butterflies, and particularly for the large un- 

 tailed group. 



When the typical " blues " are examined carefully, it will be 

 found that they divide naturally into two genera — Cupido and 

 Li/ccsna ; the first with C. arion as type, the second with L. 

 meleager. In neuration these two genera closely resemble each 

 other ; but, when examined with a platyscopic lens, it will be 

 seen that, whereas Cupido is to all intents and purposes a 

 naked-eyed genus, Lycana has distinctly hairy eyes. 



The importance of this character is vigorously insisted upon 

 in the Heterocerous Lepidoptera, and doubtless should be equally 

 valued among the Rhopalocera. I have therefore carefully ex- 

 amined the whole of the true "blues" in the Museum collection, 

 with the following result : — 



Cupido, Schr. (Eyes naked, or nearly so*). 

 C. arion, C. euphemus, C. areas, C. alcon, C. admetus, C. sehrus, 

 C. li/cea, C. yardalis, C. saportcB, C. celesthia, C. nycida, C.galatcea 

 (perhaps a form of the preceding), C. metallica, C. omjjhisa, C. 

 donzelii, C sapiolus, C. anteros, C. eumedon. C. Idas, C. astrarche, 

 C. loeivii, C. cleohis, C. zephyrus, C. triton, C. argiis, C. scudderi, 

 C. argyrotoxus, C. micrdir/iis, C. melissa, C. eurypilus, C. optilete, 

 C. acmon, C. hyrcana, C. shasta, C. alcedo, C. anna, C. christophi, 

 C. sieversi, C. allardi, C. hracteata, C. staudingeri, C. psylorita, 

 C. panagea, C. anisophthalma, C. cytis, C. dadalus, C. evius, G. 

 heteronea, C. pheres, C. pheretes, C. asiatica?, C. pheretiades, C. 

 podarce, C.franklini, C. orbitidus, C. agagrus. 



Lyc-ena, Fabr. (Eyes distinctly hairy). 

 L. meleager, L. corydon, L. bellargus, L. hylas, L. ariana, L. 

 icarus, L. persica, L. kashgariensis (the two preceding are repre- 

 sentative forms of L. icarus), L. sutleja, L. amanda, L. eros, 

 L. bilucha, L. pseuderos, L. candalus, L. helena, L. cyllarus, L. 

 lycormas, L. semiargus, L. argiades, L. lygdamiis (I cannot dis- 

 tinguish this from L. antiacis or L. couperi ; all three forms being 

 very variable in tint), L. melanops, L. erschoffi,, L. damon, L. dolus, 

 L. menalcas, L. hopjferi, L. phyllis, L. dama?, L. admetus, L. 

 posthumus, L. poseidon, L. damone, L. kindermanni, L. actis. 



* In the C celestina and C. argus groups, when examined under a fairly 

 high power, a fine scattered short pile is visible upon the front of the eyes, 

 but this disappears under a lower power, leaving the eyes apparently smooth. 



