HELICOPIS. 21 



widely distributed in Tropical America. It measures about two 

 inches across the wings. The fore-wings are of a creamy-white, 

 with the base slightly tinged with yellow in the male, and more 

 broadly and deeply in the female (which is larger and darker 

 than the male) ; and the hind-margin and the outer half of the 

 costa are bordered with black. The hind-wings are similar, 

 but with a very broad black border, marked with a row of pale 

 sub-marginal lunules; the tails are black, the largest being 

 tipped with white; the under surface is pale, with silvery 

 metallic spots on the hind-wings. 



The larva is white, clothed with long hairs of the same 

 colour, the head yellow, surmounted by a tuft of red hairs. It 

 feeds on the leaves of the Passion-flower, and changes into a 

 brown pupa, with a tuft of red hairs at the head and tail. 



The type of the genus is 



THE GOLDEN-SPOT BUTTERFLY. HELICOPIS CUPIDO. 



Papilio cupidO) Linnaeus, Syst. Nat. (ed. 10.), i. p. 482, no. 145 



(1758); id. Mus. Lud. Ulr. p. 313 (1764); Cramer, Pap. 



Exot. ii. pi. 164, figs. D-G (1777); Stoll, Suppl. Cramer, 



pi. iv. figs. A-C (1787). 

 Rusticus armatus cupido^ Hiibner, Samml. Exot. Schmett. i. 



pi. 102 (1816?). 



It is a much smaller insect than H. ads, and much paler. It 

 is of a creamy-white, with narrow black borders, and the base 

 of the fore-wings is yellowish, and the hind-margin of the hind- 

 wings is broadly pale yellow. The metallic spots of the under 

 side of the hind-wings are of a deep golden-brown. The head 

 of the larva is red, but otherwise it is very similar to that of 

 H. ads. 



It is a common species in many parts of Tropical America. 



