470 SYNOPTIC COLLECTION. - 



the Papilionidae. The sexes of the adult can be distin- 

 guished by the black rounded spots on the fore wing, the 

 male (No. 1200) having one spot and the female (No. 

 1201) two. PL 1202 will be referred to farther on when 

 speaking of the development of the wings. 



Lycaenidae or gossamer-winged butterflies'. The cater- 

 pillars of this family remind one of the Eucleidae among 

 the moths. The body is slug-like and the thoracic legs 

 and prop-legs are not seen from above. In fact, the 

 prop-legs are so small in some species, as in the American 

 copper, Heodes hypophlaeas Scudd. (No. 1203), that, ac- 

 cording to Scudder 1 they can be readily detected only 

 when the skin of the caterpillar is prepared by inflation. 

 The chrysalis of Heodes hypophlaeas Scudd., is suspended 

 by the tail and the loop around the middle, but the latter 

 is drawn much tighter than in the Papilionidae. The 

 adult shows a tendency in the male towards a reduction 

 of the fore legs, but in the female the three pairs are 

 useful and similar in structure as in the Papilionidae, 

 skippers, and moths. 



Most caterpillars feed upon vegetable food, as we have 

 already seen, but the wanderer, Feniseca tarquinius Grote. 

 belonging to the Lycaenidae, is an exception to the rule, 

 since it is carnivorous, living wholly upon Aphides. 



The larva of the spring azure, Cyaniris pseudargiolus 

 Bd. and Lee. (No. 1204) is provided with tubes on the 

 seventh and eighth abdominal segments which secrete 

 honey that is keenly relished by ants, so that these latter 

 insects usually attend the caterpillars. 



According to Comstock, Cyaniris exhibits polymor- 

 phism to the greatest degree of any known species, as 

 many as nine or ten forms having been discovered. 



Thecla (No. 1205) is one of the hair-streaks which 

 with the blues and coppers make up the Lycaenidae. 

 These are all small in size and delicate in organization. 



1 Butterflies, 1881, p. 19. 



