403 



Family XI. EURYTELID^. 



EuRYTELiD^ E. Doubleday, Cat. Lep. Brit. Mus. p. 143. 

 BiBLiDES Boisduval, Sp. gen. Lep. i. p. 167. 

 B1BLI8 God'. 



Body moderately robust. Insects of moderate size. 

 Head moderate-sized. 



Eyes generally naked (hairy in Eurytela Hiarbas). 

 Antennce shoi't, slender, not terminated by a decided club. 



Labial Palpi generally elongate, not compressed, clothed with short liairy scales. 

 Wings generally large, dentated or angukited, and not ocelluted beneath. 



Fore Wings with the costal vein always greatly swollen at the base. Postcostal with tlie first and second 

 branches arising before the extremity of the discoidal cell ; discoidal cell closed with a slender lower disco- 

 cellular vein (which is sometimes, however, quite obliterated). 

 Hind Wings with the anal margin moderately developed, so as only to form a slight canal for the reception of 

 the abdomen. Upper surface not, or very rarely, fasciculated in the males ; discoidal cell closed by a slender 

 lower disco-cellular vein, or open. 

 Fore Legs small. Those of the males more or less hairy, without tarsal articulations. Those of the females also 

 small, but rather longer, and with the tarsal portion articulated ; without claws. Claws of the hind legs simple. 



Larva cylindrical or spiny, or attenuated at the extremity; spiny on the head, and sometimes terminated 



by two anal points. 

 Chrysalis with several prominences on the back; the head pointed and bifid; suspended by the tail. 



This is another group which I should prefer to regard as a subfamily rather than as a separate family, its characters only appearing 

 sufficiently strong to warrant the latter rank being accorded to it. Of these characters the elongated palpi scarcely differ from those 

 of many of the Nymphalida?, either in length or the nature of their clothing ; in this latter respect they are well distinguished from 

 the Satyrlda3, with which, however, the strongly swollen condition of the costal vein of the fore wings seems to otter a point of 

 connexion, although not a strong one, since we have seen that this is a character of only generic value amongst the last-named insects. 

 The structure of the fore legs "in both sexes is also almost identical with that of many of the Nymphalidre ; and the form of the 

 Caterpillar and Chrysalis of Didonis Biblis Hb. (Blblis Thadana Bdi\), as represented in the Crochard edition of tlie Rccjue Animal, 

 is entirely that of a Nymphalideous butterfly. On the other hand, the form of the Caterpillar and Chrysalis of Melanitis undularis, 

 as represented by Dr. Horsiield in the Descri])tive Catalogue of the Lepidopteroiis Insects in the Collection of the East India Company, 

 is as entirely that of a Satyrideous insect. The last-named genus, however, recedes furthest from the ordinary Enrytelida^, not only in 

 the males of some of the species having fascicles of hairs on the upper surface of the hind wings, but also in their wings being furnished 

 with a small prediscoidal cell ; such as we have seen to exist in some of the Morphid;e. 



The species are chiefly natives of the hottest regions of the world, the greater portion being inhabitants of the Old World, inhabiting 

 the East Indies and the adjacent islands, and Tropical Africa ; whilst Didonis, Olina, and Cystiueura are the only representative groups 

 in the New AVorld. 



The species are of moderate size, and for the most varied in their colouring, although destitute of the beautiful ocelli of many of tlie 

 preceding groups. 



Genus I. MELANITIS. 



^{-ELkmiVi Fabricius {Syst. Gloss.}, Ilorsfteld, Boisdiival, Dovhleday. 

 Elymnias HUbner. 

 Biblis p. God'. 



Body moderately robust, clothed with fine short woolly hairs ; wings large, those of the male often tinged with a 

 purple gloss. 



July I. 1851. ^ -^ 



