LYC-KX ID-t:. 



Family 



Egg. "Hard, small, numerous, much wider than high, reticulate, 

 with a whitish, calcareous? accretiou forming au asymmetrical 

 network of tetragons." (Doherty.) 



Larva. In the majority of the genera onisciform, i. e., shaped 

 like woodlice, but with great diversity of the tegumen : " some of 

 them are smooth, many clothed with a short down, some with 

 fascicles of short bristles or regularly disposed tubercles and a few 

 hairy generally ; several are corrugated dorsally and others pro- 

 minently humped in one or two places.'' (Trimen.} The forms 

 in many of the genera are provided with lip-like openings on one 

 of the posterior segments, from which on the application of certain 

 stimuli exudes a sweetish liquid much appreciated by ants of various 

 kinds, that diligently attend such larva) and protect and guard 

 them against their hymenopterous parasitic enemies, going so far 

 even as to drive and house them inside their nests. The larvae 

 and pupae of Curetis and Lipliyra, genera which represent in my 

 arrangement monotypic groups, are altogether abnormal. Full 

 descriptions of these are given under the account of the forms 

 belonging to those genera. 



Pupa. Anteriorly rounded and blunt; thorax more or less 

 humped, body posterior to this constricted; abdomen beneath 

 flattened ; colour mostly brown or reddish-brown, sometimes 

 green. In many genera there is a covering of erect hairs which 

 in a few becomes remarkably dense and long anteriorly. Generally 

 the pupa is suspended by the cremasteral hooks and secured by a 

 girth, but there are many exceptions to this, and in some genera 

 the larva pupates subterraneously. 



Imago. Of small or moderate expanse ; shape of wings not so 

 diversified as in the Papilionidce. Fore wing proportionately 

 rather hroad and short, the apex and tornus both well-marked, 

 rarely rounded. In the Indian forms vein 8 is absent in all but 

 three genera, and in the females but not the males of three others. 

 Hind wing more variable, but as a rule broadly oval ; in manv 

 genera narrowed posteriorly or elongate, in others provided with 

 one or more tails, which may be filamentous and comparatively 

 short, or long and then generally of appreciable width. Vein 1 a 

 present ; dorsal margin broad and more or less channeled to 

 receive the abdomen ; precostal spur absent. Body in proportion 

 to the expanse of wing stout and robust. Antennas not so 

 variable in proportionate length as in the NympTialidce,\n the great 

 majority of the forms stout and not remarkably long. Eyes naked 

 in some genera, in others with a covering of short erect hairs. 

 Legs six in number, all functional, used for walking, but the fore 

 legs in the males " furnished with a "long exarticulate tarsus having 

 several booklets at the tip, distinct from the ungues " ( Westwood). 



On the upperside the wings in this family are, as a rule, 

 brillinntly coloured rich blues and purples of various shades and 

 brown with blue markings are most common ; often these tints 



