488 LYC^NID/E. 



Genus XII. LYC^NA. 



IjYCMSA. Fahriciuf, Ochsenheim. (fam. k.), Boisduval {Tnd. Meth.), E. Doubhday. 



PoLYOMMATUS p. Latreille, God'., Stephe7is, Curtis. 



PoLYOMMATUS, PiTHECops, and Lyctena llorsfield. 



Argus Oeoffroy, BoisduvaJ (olim). 



Catochrysops Boisduval (olim). 



PoLYOMMATUS, Erina, and Iatcia p. Swainwn. 



Body small, slender, and compressed : wings generally large, and of a delicate texture ; in the majority of the species 

 blue on the upper side (at least in the males) and grey or greyish white beneath, and more or less ocellated ; 

 the majority having a small black transverse spot at the extremity of the discoidal cell of the fore wings. 

 Head small, hairy, the hairs often forming a small tuft on the forehead. 



Eyes moderate-sized, and almost always finely setose (naked in L. Theophrastus, Rosimon, Alsus, Hylax, &c.). 



Labial Palpi moderately elongated, compressed, scaly ; the middle joint in many species also furnished beneath 

 with detached bristly hairs. Terminal joint rather variable in length, but always shorter than half the length 

 of the second joint, and scarcely varying in length in the opposite sexes, slender, nearly naked, acute at the tip. 



Antennce of moderate length or rather short, very slender, with long joints ringed with white ; the club distinct, 

 suddenly formed, oblong-ovate, depressed, and sometimes spoon-shaped in dried specimens ; tlie joints of the 

 club very short. 



Fore Wings generally elongate, subtriangularly ovate, with the costal margin moderately arched. Apical 

 margin always more or less convex. Inner margin rather short. Costal vein short. Postcostal vein wide 

 apart from the costa, with two branches preceding the extremity of the discoidal cell, and with a third short 

 branch about half-way between the cell and the tip of the wing ; the cell is closed by extremely slender middle 

 and lower disco-cellular veins, which are transverse, the latter uniting with the third branch of the median 

 vein at a moderate distance beyond its origin ; the upper disco-cellular vein is very oblique, or almost longi- 

 tudinal, forming, in fact, the base of the upper discoidal vein. 



Hind Wings generally elongate-ovate, entire, slightly scalloped, or furnished with a very slender short tail at the 

 extremity of the first branch of the median vein, the anal angle itself being seldom prominent. 



Fore Legs of the male slender. The tibia in most species terminated by a short curved horny point ; in others 

 simple. Tarsus slender, exarticulate *, elongate, slightly curved, and attenuated at the tip, which is 

 terminated by a horny curved point, and armed beneath with short spines. Fore Legs of the female similar in 

 size and shape to those of the male, except that the tarsus is articulated and unguiculated like those of the 

 four hind legs. 



Four Hind Legs short, slender. 



Caterpillar onisciform, gibbo-scutate or oblongo-scutate, with the head and feet small and scarcely 

 perceptible ; the body laciniate, and the back convex and generally beautifully coloured. 



Chrysalis oblong, very convex, smooth, obtuse at each end, and marked with obscure spots; in a few 

 species armed with short acute tubercles. 



The difficulty in cliaractcrising the last genus is scarcely lessened in attempting the same task with the present group ; there are, 

 however, several striking points of difference between them, whereby the great majority of the species may at once be separated from each 

 other. The generally weaker character of all the parts of the body of these insects, the pale blue colour of the iijiper surface of most of 

 them (especially in the male sex), and the ocellated under surface will ordinarily distinguish them from the Theclai. The palpi are here, 

 in the great majority of the species, bristly on the under side, and the eyes generally hirsute. Moreover, the very slender antenna?, with 

 long intermediate joints ringed with white, and terminated by a suddenly formed broad, often spoon-shaped, club ; the fore-wings always 

 furnished with three branches to the postcostal vein, and the hind wings entire and rounded along the outer margin, or furnished with a 

 very delicate short tail ; the small horny hook at the extremity of the anterior tibiai of both sexes, in many of the species ; and the attenuated 

 slightly curved tip of the fore tarsi of the male Lyca;nffi, ending in a short, curved, horny point, will generally enable ns to determine 

 the limits of the two groups. Of the species which I have carefully examined, 1 find that of the tailed species, L. Theophrastus and 

 Rosimon have naked eyes, and scaly, not bristly, palpi, and their fore tibia} are not hooked at the tip. L. Ethion, Roxus, Psittacus, &c., 

 have hairy eyes, and somewhat, although slightly, bristly palpi, and simple fore tibia;. L. Bajtica, however, and a few closely allied species 



* In many species the fore tarsi of the male are marked with rings of dark scales, causing tliem to appear articulated. 



