Brazilian Entomology. 217 



Family 3. LYC^l^NIDiE. 



It IS well known that the males of very many species 

 of Tliccla have a "sexual spot" on the disc of the front 

 wings, and that sometimes {e. g., in the males of T. 

 Acmoji) the neuration of the Aving is greatly altered by 

 the presence of this spot. In the male of T. Afgs an 

 nnnsually strong odoitr is produced by this " sexual spot," 

 and more or less distinct odours by various other species, 

 the names of which I do not know. 



Family 4. PAPILIONIDiE. 

 Subfamily 1. PiERlN^. 



The front wings of the male Leptalis Thermesia have a 

 chalky oval spot on their under side, and opposite to this 

 there is a dark-brownish spot on the upper side of the 

 hind wings. Both these spots emit a very strong odour, 

 disagreeable to human noses, but probably not so to his 

 females. A similar, though much fainter odour has been 

 observed in the male Leptalis Astgnorne and L. Melite. 



A very delicious perfume is produced on the upper 

 side of the Avings of the male Da-ptonoiira Lycini- 

 jiia. It is rather faint and often hardly distinguish- 

 able when the butterfly is caught. In this case it may 

 easily be rendered distinct by keeping the living animal 

 for some time with the wings closed. On the whole 

 upper surface of the wings there are, among the ordinary 

 scales, in the males of this species (as in many species of 

 Pieris, Ilesperocharis, Archonias, Pereute, &c.), number- 

 less peculiarly-formed odoriferous scales or "plumules," 

 as they were called by Bernard Deschamps. In Dapto- 

 noura Lycimnia these "plumules" are club-shaped and 

 fringed Avith fine hairs at the end. 



AVhen a female of Daptonoura Lycimnia (and various 

 other butterflies, Callidryas, Anartia, &c., behave in the 

 same manner) is willing to admit a male, she expands her 

 wings horizontally, lifts a little the end of the abdomen 

 and exposes her copulating organs. Then the male is 

 seen to hover above and to fly around her ; but often, far 

 from accepting the offer of the female, Avhich, after a long 

 courtship, finally svu-renders herself to his Avishes, he sud- 

 denly flies away Avithout returning. What may be the 

 cause of his thus abandoninc: her at the decisive moment? 



