xv INSECTA : LEPIDOPTERA 225 



members suggest. In all these butterflies, the front pair of 

 legs is much reduced in size, and is usually smaller in the 

 male than in the female. The caterpillars of them all are 

 set with stiff hairs so that they have a bristly appearance ; 

 also all have the same habit of suspending themselves freely 

 by the tail when about to pupate. 



The Tortoise-shells and Peacocks live through the winter in 

 the winged state, and may be again seen on the wing in April. 

 Their caterpillars feed in companies, those of the large 

 Tortoise-shells on elms or various other trees, the small 

 Tortoise-shells and the Peacocks on nettles. The Painted Lady 

 and Red Admiral are not known to hibernate, but the former 

 frequently migrates here from N. Africa early in the summer, 

 and the latter is suspected of similar immigration. They are 

 both butterflies of rather unusual habits, flying in the twilight 

 when most other butterflies are at rest and the moths are 

 beginning to come out. The caterpillars of the Painted Lady 

 feed usually on thistles, concealing themselves by doubling 

 over the leaves and binding them together with silk thread. 

 The Red Admiral caterpillars are common on nettles. They 

 also bind a few leaves together to form a hiding-place, but 

 they live singly, not in companies. 



L c nid ^ e f am ^y Lycaenidae includes the "Blues," 



" Coppers," and " Hairstreaks," all easily recog- 

 nised by their characteristic colouring, and also by the peculiar 

 shape of the caterpillars, which are short, much thicker in 

 the middle than at either end, and have no stiff or con- 

 spicuous hairs. The front legs of the butterflies are only 

 slightly shorter than the other legs. The Hairstreaks are 

 characterised by a little process on the hind margins of each 

 of their back wings, known as the " tail." They are high-flying 

 butterflies, and not easy to catch, except when they come 

 down to visit the bramble flowers. 



Some of the caterpillars of the Blues are said to eat scale 

 insects and Aphidae, whilst on the other hand a friendly 

 relationship exists between the caterpillars of other species of 

 Lycaena and certain species of ants. The ants are known to 

 stroke the back end of the caterpillars, and thus induce them 

 to give out a juice from a gland situated on the third segment 

 from the end of the body ; this juice is then eagerly licked 

 up by the ants. 



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