178 NYMPH ALID.E. 



combined, mostly armed at the apex, as are the three following joints always, with a spine on 

 each side ; second joint much shorter ; rest transverse ; fifth sometimes very small. 

 HHddle and Posterior Legs with the femora about equal in length to the tibia?, rather robust. 

 Tibia? and tarsi densely clothed with scales, the former rather longer than the latter, smooth 

 externally, spiny laterally and internally ; the lateral spines long, the internal ones very short. 

 Tarsi with all the joints nearly cylindric, slightly tapering to the claw, spiny laterally and below, 

 not above ; the spines on the lower surface of all the joints arranged in a double series ; lateral 

 spines long. First joint not equal to the rest combined ; second joint nearly half the length of 

 the first ; third and fourth progressively shorter ; fifth equal to the third. Claws curved, 

 grooved below. Paronychia bilaciniate ; the outer lacinia slender, nearly strap-shaped, longer 

 than the claw ; inner lacinia about half the length of the outer, subtriangular, pointed. 

 Pulvillus two-jointed, nearly as long as the claw. 

 Abdomen moderately stout, arched, not much shorter than the inner margin of the posterior wings. 



Lar ya subcylindric, rather tapering to the extremities, tuberculate; the tubercles covered 



with short seta? ; or spiny, the spines set round with hairs. 

 Pupa short, obovate, not angular, tuberculate, with the head rounded ; or angular, with the 



head bifid. 



This genus is difficult to characterise in the perfect state, so as readily to distinguish it from the preceding ; but there 

 is one important distinctive character which has been pointed out by Drs. Adolph and Otto Speyer, namely, that 

 the tarsi of the middle and posterior pairs of legs are not spiny on the upper surface, whilst they are so invariably in 

 Argynnis. 



The Laev.e of the European species, and some American probably, are shorter in proportion to their thickness 

 than those of Argynnis, and instead of spines are furnished with short fleshy tubercles beset with short bristles. 

 Their general colour is fuscous, with white or pale lines and spots ; but those of Melitrca Maturna and Mel. Cynthia 

 are yellow, striped and otherwise marked with black. Their habits differ from those of the preceding genus, as 

 they are all fond of sunning themselves on the herbage, like the larva; of Arctia villica and Odonestis potatoria. 

 When approached they curl themselves up and fall to the ground. Those of some species, when young, lh c in 

 societies under tents of silk. These tents are formed over the plants on which they feed. When the food thus 

 covered has been to a considerable extent consumed, they remove from their dwelling, and construct a fresh tent 

 over a fresh pasture-ground. When arrived nearly to their full growth they disperse, though even afterwards they 

 sometimes get together in little groups to undergo their metamorphosis. They are mostly, if not always, hatched from 

 the egg in the autumn, and hybernate in a silken web, to disperse in the early spring. Their most common food is 

 some species of Plantago, Scabiosa, Veronica, Melampyrum, or Verbaseum; they are said, also, to feed on Myosotis 

 arvensis and Antirrhinum Linaria. Godart states that Melitasa Maturna feeds on the beech, broad-leaved sallow, 

 and aspen, as well as on Scabiosa suceisa and Plantago lanceolata ; but I must express a doubt as to their eating the 

 leaves of trees. 



Those of the second section resemble the larva; of the preceding genus, in being spiny ; the spines furnished with 

 whorls of smaller spines or hairs. They are proportionately stouter than those of Argynnis ; are generally dark-coloured, 

 with a pale lateral stripe. Stolfs figure represents that of Melitaea Liriope as of a violet line, with a whitish lateral 

 line. The larva of Melitaea Ismeria is represented by Abbot as of a pale yellowish hue, with a dark dorsal and lateral 

 line and black spines. Its food is Helianthus trachelifolius. 



The Pcp.e of the first section are short, scarcely angular, the head rounder than in those of the preceding genus. 

 Those of the second are sometimes angular, with the head bifid, showing a close affinity to Argynnis, as in Melitaea 

 Liriope, according to Stoll ; sometimes of the same form as in the first section, as in Melitaea Ismeria. according to Abbot. 



