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XX. On the early stages of Latiorina (Lycaena) pyrenaica, 

 Boisd. By T. A. Chapman, M.D. 



[Read October 6th, 1915.] 



Plates LXV— LXXXII. 



My first critical examination of L. pyrenaica is recorded in 

 the Trans. Ent. Soc. Lond. 1905, p. 307, and in the Transac- 

 tions for 1911, p. 148, I was able to give some facts as 

 to the early stages of L. orbitulus. Since rearing L. orbi- 

 tulus, it seemed that it would be very desirable, if possible, 

 to learn something of the life-history of L. pyrenaica, bnt it 

 was only last year (1914) that I was able to make an effort 

 to put this desire into action. As a matter of fact, what- 

 ever the truth may be, I persuaded myself that I selected 

 Gavarnie, rather than any other place amongst the hills, 

 for an excursion in July 1914, entirely in order to investi- 

 gate the life-history of L. pyrenaica. 



One is seldom as successful as one wishes to be, but I 

 succeeded in following out the main outlines of the earlier 

 stages of our butterfly, notwithstanding various difficul- 

 ties, some anticipated, some wholly unexpected. 



Accepting the close relationship of pyrenaica to orbitulus, 

 the presumption was very strong that it fed on some primu- 

 laceous plant. Visiting several localities where I knew 

 L. pyrenaica to occur, I soon found that they all agreed in 

 having Androsace villosa as a substantial part of their flora ; 

 the other Androsaces and Primulas found at Gavarnie were 

 usually absent from such localities. Several spots where 

 A. villosa grew, even sparsely, but where I did not know 

 L. pyrenaica to occur, afforded specimens of that butterfly 

 on a little patient examination. 



The first specimens of the butterflies (two males) were 

 seen on July 14, but it was in the third and fourth weeks 

 of July that the species was fully out. During this period 

 eggs were obtained by placing the females with plants of 

 the Androsace, and one specimen was seen laying on it in the 

 field, others examined it, with that object no doubt, but 

 a deposited egg was not found. I have to thank M. Rondou 

 for showing me one or two localities for L. pyrenaica that 



TRANS. ENT. SOC. LOND. 1915. — PARTS III, IV. (JUNE) 



