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Family XIII. EKYCINID^. 



Erycinidte p. Swainson, 

 Erycinides Boisduval. 



NAPAiEiE RURALES Iliilmei: 



Body generally slender. Insects of small size. 

 Head small, not or scarcely tufted in front. 

 Ei/es almost always naked. 



Antennce generally short and slender, occasionally furnished with short scaly hairs at the end of the joints. 

 Labial Palpi generally extremely small and slender, scarcely advanced in front of the face as seen from above ; 



the last joint nearly naked. 

 Wings variable in form, colour, and markings, but not ornamented with occllated spots ; generally of large size, in 



proportion to the size of the body ; (expanded when at rest. Sn'ainson.) 

 Fore Wings generally with only three branches to the postcostal vein ; the first and second arising before the 



extremity of the discoidal cell, and the third far beyond the cell. The upper disco-cellular vein obliterated. 



The upper discoidal vein arising at or near the origin of the second postcostal branch. Discoidal cell closed by 



very slender middle and lower disco-cellular veins, only visible on denuding the wing of its scales. 

 Hind Wings very variable in form. The discoidal cell closed by very slender upper and lower disco-cellular 



veins. Anal margin forming a slight gutter for the reception of the abdomen. 

 Fore Legs small and slender. Those of the males smaller than those of the females, brush-like ; the tarsal 



portion forming an exarticulate mass, destitute of claws at the tip. Those of the female longer, slender, scaly ; 



tarsus articulated, with the joints longer and more distinct than in the Nymplialida; and Satyridffi. 

 Hind Legs slender, scaly. Spurs short. Terminal claws very minute, scarcely exserted. 



Caterpillar short (but scarcely onisciform), with tufts of short hairs, or lateral fleshy appendages; the 



segment behind the head in some species furnished with a pair of erect spines. 

 Chrysalis short, not angulated, setose, attached by a thread across the body; obtuse at each extremity. 



This is an extensive family of delicately formed butterflies, chiefly found in Tropical America, although some of the aberrant forms 

 are natives of Africa and Asia, and one even inhabits Europe. They are of small size, and extremely varied in their forms, 

 representatives of many of the remarkable forms of other families occurring amongst the species of the present family. Thus, some of 

 them resemble the tailed species of Papilionidre and Nymphalida3 ; others the elongated-winged Ileliconiidas ; others the blue and 

 copper-coloured species of Lyca;nida3 ; and some the dusky and spotted HesperiIda^. Structurally, these insects are distinguished from 

 the preceding by the more delicate form of their bodies, the more varied style of their markings, and the short contracted caterpillars 

 and chrysalides, the latter being girt across the body. The fore wings appear generally to possess only three branches to the jiostcostal 

 vein ; the antenna; are very slender, and the palpi very short, although in a few species they are almost as long as in the Libytheidte. 



The flight of these insects, according to M. Lacordaire, is very rapid, and the majority of the species rest with their wings extended 

 on the under side of leaves, after the manner of many of the Geometrideous moths, to which, indeed, some of the species bear a 

 striking resemblance, in colour, size, form, and markings. M. Boisduval introduces into the present fiimily the genus Nemeobius 

 of Stephens (Ilamearis p. Hilbncr), the type of which is the Papilio Lucina of Linnajus, an extremely interesting British species, differing 

 in many important respects from the family Nymphalidie, in which it was arranged by Stephens, with the remark, however, of its 

 varying therefrom in several respects. It is true that the general appearance, colours, and markings of this butterfly seem to indicate a 

 relation with JlelitiBa (in which genus also an allied Indian species has recently been placed by Kollar) ; but the amlnilatory fore feet 

 of the females, the minute simple ungues, the posterior tibia; destitute of spurs, the short, broad, elongate-ovate larva, and the girt 

 chrysalis, are characters indicating a much closer relation to the typical Erycinida;. 



We unfortunately possess but very few illustrations of the transformations of the butterflies of this family, and it isto Stoll that we 

 are indebted for most of our materials in this respect, his observations having been made upon the species of Surinam. The two 

 species of Helicopis (H. Cupido, and Gnidus, or Endymion) possess nearly siuiilar larva;, having a large red head, with the body short, 

 cylindrical, narrowed before and behind, and thickly clothed witii white hairs ; the chrysalis is also short and destitute of angulations ; 

 the body being also setose ; the caterpillar of the former species feeds on the orange and cotton trees, and tliat of tiie littar on the passion 

 flower. The chrysalis is attached by the tail, and girt round the body. The caterpillar of Eurygona Midas is still shorter, with two 

 long erect spines arising upon the segment behind the head, with a tuft of red hairs at the base ;_ the body is also densely setose, as is 

 also the chrysalis, although less so. It is found on grass. Among the more aberrant species whose transformations have been 

 observed are the Nemeobius Lueina, above mentioned, "and two species of the genus Stalachtis of Iliibner (Nerias Boisduval), which 

 were described by Godart as species of Ileliconia (to which, indeed, they bear a very great similarity in form and markings), although 

 the former author suggested their probable generic distinction therefrom. By Dr. Ilorsfield, however, one of these larva; was given (Lep. 

 Jap. pi. 3. f. 18.) as an illustration of the transformations of the Ilelicouiida; ; the genus is, however, to be referred to the present family. 



A nil II xt I. 1S51. •'> Q 



