SUBFAMILY HELICONIIN^E (THE HELICONIANS) 



Moderately large butterflies. Fore wings twice as long as 

 wide. Antennae nearly as long as the body; club tapering, but 

 stouter than in the Ithomiids, clothed with scales above. Fore 

 legs feeble La both sexes. Color black, sometimes shot with 

 blue, and variously marked with white, yellow, orange, or 

 crimson spots. Eggs cylindrical, twice as high as wide, taper- 

 ing and truncate above* ribbed. Caterpillar, when mature, 

 with six branching spines on each segment. Chrysalis angu- 

 lated, covered with curious projections, making it look like a 

 shrivelled leaf, dark in color. 



These insects, which are strongly "protected, " abound in the 

 forests of tropical America. There are many species, but only 

 one occurs in our region. 



GENUS HELICONIUS LATREILLE 



(1) Heliconiuscharithonius(lAnn3sus). Plate IV, 9 (The 

 Zebra). 



The figure suffices for identification. The caterpillar feeds 

 upon the foliage of different species of Passion-flower. Com- 



67 



PL. IV 



