448 LYC.SNIDJE. 



Subfamily IV. LIPHYBIKE. 



This subfamily was erected by the late Mr. Doherty (J. A. S. B. 

 1889, p. 409) for the reception of Liphyra brassolis, Westwood, a 

 most remarkable Lycsenid, isolated and aberrant to the last degree, 

 and so far as known the sole representative of its genus. I give 

 below Mr. Doherty's description of the egg, while the account of 

 the adult *' larva and of the pupa is taken from Dr. Chapman's ex- 

 haustive descriptions of the same published in the ' Entomologist,' 

 vol. xxxv. 1902, pp. 225-228 and 252-255. 



Eyg. " Very unlike that of other Lyccenidce but shows an un- 

 expected resemblance to that of Logania, Distant, and Taraka, 

 Doherty. It is of great size, green overlaid with white, shaped 

 something like a section or drum of a Doric column but somewhat 

 widest at the base, the height, breadth at apex and breadth at 

 base being to each other as 9, 13 and 15|. The top is marked 

 with hexagonal reticulations, the lines turbinate in the middle, 

 the margin deeply channeled and then strongly carinate. Sides 

 crusted with white and minutely indented with about forty-five 

 vertical ribs, slightly irregular and even (very rarely) anastomosing, 

 extending also over the outer part of the base, the inner part being 

 green and minutely reticulated with hexagons." (Doherty.) 



Larva. "At first sight nothing could be less like a lepidopterous 

 larva. Looking down on its back we have an approximately flat 

 surface, oval in form, rather narrower in front than behind, with 

 a margin smooth, regular, uniform and of the same texture, &c. 

 all round, no trace of segmentation &c. Let us turn it over : it 

 now lies on its flat dorsal surface, the dimensions of which by the 

 way are 23 mm. x 15 mm. It stands up above the surface about 

 5-6 mm., with a level but not smooth top, but with smooth and 

 sloping sides. The amount of the slope may be seen by com- 

 parison of the top and bottom ; the top (venter of larva) is 

 18 mm. by 7 mm., against 23 x 15 just mentioned. The slope 

 is nearly nil at the head end and by so much the more there- 

 fore elsewhere. The dorsum and sides are brown, hard and 

 chitinous. The sloping sides show little indication of segmenta- 

 tion, but at the margin of the open (and soft) ventral area present 

 a series of dark markings, very slightly raised on rounded elevations, 



but so shaded as to look very much so the small flat 



ventral area of the larva slightly wider anteriorly and presenting 

 the head, legs, prolegs, &c. This area is pale and white and is the 

 only portion where any movement can possibly occur, the rest 

 being a solid chitinous cap. Constructed as it is to permit this 



* Dr. Chapman gives also in the publication quoted a description of what 

 he took to be the young larva, but there seems to be some doubt about this 

 (cf. 'Entomologist,' vol. xxxvi. 1903, pp. 36, 89, 170, 211). 



