183 



CHAPTEK XV 



THE HAIRSTREAKS, COPPERS AND BLUES 

 Famil L 



THIS is a large family, including as it does no less than nineteen 

 of the British species. These are all of small size, and are charac- 

 terised by their short and jerky flights. They seldom rise much 

 above the ground, and are consequently very easily caught. 



The caterpillars of this family have all short and rather thick 

 bodies, shaped very much like that of the wood louse flattened 

 beneath and very convex above. 



The chrysalides are generally attached by the * tail,' and further 

 secured by a silken cord round the body, as we have already observed 

 in the case of the Pieridce. 



The perfect insects differ from the preceding species in that all 

 six legs are perfectly developed and adapted for walking. 



There are only three genera in this large family : 



1. Tlieclfi The Hairstreaks, with ' tailed ' wings. 



2. PolyommatusThe 'Coppers.' 



3. Lyccena The ' Blues,' with wings either blue or brown. 



The Brown Hair streak (Tliecla Betulce) 



The five Hairstreaks which constitute the genres Tliecla are all 

 pretty insects, characterised by hair-like streaks on the under 

 surface. 



Betulce is the largest of these. Its upper surface is of a deep 

 brown colour, with orange-brown marks at the anal angles of the 

 hind wings, and, in the female, a large patch of orange on the fore 

 wings. The under side (Plate VI, fig. 3) is orange brown, much 

 lighter in the male than in the female. On the fore wings are two 



