LlMEiMTlS. P.y Dr. A. Seitz. nxi 



brown. The brightening up of the transverse band of the forewings is also noticeable on tlie under surface. 

 Canon del Tolinia, Central Cordilleras of Colombia, from an altitude of 1700 ni. 



;")(). (iemis: l^iuieiiitis F. 



To this genus l)elong 100 fdrnis whit-li, in ease they have not losi liieir original characteristic cdlour 

 and markings by mimicry, exhibit preponderantly chxrk upper surface of the wings with white postmedian 

 band, the under surface being rather variegated, with reddish-yellow dots or bands. The butterflies are niostly 

 of a considerable size and rather conspicuous behaviour, so that they also rouse the attention of non-ento- 

 mologists when meeting them. In Europe this groujj is vulgarly called ., ice-butterflies", while in America, 

 several species are known as ,, white admirals". The imjjerfect spines of the larvae places the genus between 

 the faintly .spined Catagrammidi and the almost spineless Apatwidi or Charaxidi. It is best to place them 

 beside the Ageroniidi in the larvae of which likewise only quite few spines are developed to clubs, while many 

 segments of the larvae are entirely without any spines. Those observers who lay more stress upon anatomical 

 particulars in the veins, in the formation of the palpi etc., report of relations with the Argynnidi or H ypolim- 

 luitidi, from which they seem to me to lie I'ather remote. They certainly have relations to Nepfis and Pandiltr in 

 the Old W'ni'ld, whereas in America they almost unnoticeably pass over to the Adelpha. They make the im])res- 

 sion of a highly specialized group and are most undoubtedly the issues of the very latest epoch of creation, 

 since they copy even cpiite recent species of butterflies, being partly still in the act of forming and develo])ing. 



The eggs form strongly sculptured threc-quaiter balls, the surface representing a distinct hexagonal 

 network the nodes of which bear small bristle-shaped sjjikes. They are singly deposited on the under surface 

 of the leaves, mostly near their extremities, the food-plants belonging to families of plants that are very nuicli 

 remote from one another. The larvae hibernating for the most part, in mo.st cases exhibit only the spines on 

 the thorax-rings and then again those on the last .segments fully developed and sometimes thickened to morning- 

 star shaped clubs, while those on the interjacent rings are sometimes altogether absent, sometimes reduced 

 to short stumps. In most cases the larva when at rest occupies a peculiar po.sition bending the end of the head 

 under the slightly raised thorax, so that, in a similar way as the spines of the head in the Ageroniidi and Apd- 

 luridi, the thoracal spikes appear here as an anteriorly .stretched weapon. The pupae are distinguished by a 

 securiform most peculiar appendage on the back of the abdominal base, appearing sometimes like a drop of 

 blood coming out from the pupa. Only tlie AdelpJiri-genu^, which is also otherwise hardly to be separated from 

 Limenitis, shows a similar formation, and even in a higher degree. This appendage looking like a cLrop of blood 

 remains vacant when the developed butterfly is still lying in the tegument. The head of the pupa is often quite 

 rounded, but may also terminate into small points, or (like in the Indian group of Moduza) bear wing-sha])ed 

 divergent appendages. The butterflies are of an elegant structure, with big eyes, palpi of medium length and 

 with strong bristles and mostly exhibiting a light longitudinal streak: the siphon delicate but long, somewhat 

 j)igmented, often green or light yellow-. Thorax strong, abdomen in the ,j always veiy slender, forewing triangu- 

 lar, with rectilinear contours, only the margin quite slightly concave, the fringes mostly speckled, the a])ex 

 often finely bordered in white. Hindwing with undulated margin sometimes coming fortii in a slight angle 

 in the middle. The veins are not very constant, but the first and second subcostal vein branch off before the 

 cell end. — The Limenitis mostly have only 1 generation in the temperate zone. The larva hibernates ^-oung, 

 after having in many cases built artificial, small receptacles for it, in which il remains hidden during winter. 

 In early summer it pupates and turns a buttei'fly mostly in June. It bustles about on forest -roads and bioail 

 highways; some are fond of visiting flowers, others disdain them altogether and prefer much rather fruit and 

 baits. When being once allured they soon grow intimate, so that we may feed some of them by toucliing their 

 siphon with the bait, while we hold them by the wings. They are otherwise timid forest-animals, being often 

 not easy to capture, gliding along in a jerky flight with their wings spread out flatly, sometimes even slightly 

 lowered. They are the iiiost frequently found in the early morning hours before 11 o'clock, and then again in 

 the afternoon towards 4 o'clock on wet 2)laces of the soil, while during the other hours of the day they remain 

 on the crowns of the trees. Their chief range is the temperate zone of the northern hemisphere; in Africa, Houth 

 America and Australia proper they arc altogether absent ; North America has (i species. 



.\. Mi m e t i c species. 



L. bredowi Hbn. (= eulalia DM. and Hew.). This butterfly being a characteristic butterfly of the bn-don-i. 

 Western United States has above still cjuite the aspect of the Adelpha. and it is more probable that there is 

 liere indeed a relationship existing, than a real mimicry. The butterfly inhabits the Pacific States and Mexico, 

 being in some parts common, but mostly local. Above it deviates from nearly all the Adelpha by the white 

 median band, though being interrupted reaching almost the costal margin, what occurs quite seldom or incom- 

 pletely in the Adelphes. The under surface, however, differs very much from that gemis and resembles more 

 the other Limenitis, the hindwings being uniformly yellowish-green, only w itli a \\liite median and submarginal 



