Genus Eunica 



appressed to the surface. The fore wing has the costal and 

 median vein enlarged and swollen at the base. The subcostal has 

 five nervules, the first two of which arise before 

 the end of the cell, the third midway between the 

 end of the cell and the fourth nervule. The upper 

 discocellular vein is wanting; the middle discocel- 

 lular vein is bent inwardly ; the lower discocellular 

 vein is somewhat weak and joins the median vein 

 exactly at the origin of the second median nervule. 

 The cell of the hind wing is lightly closed. 



Early Stages. Very little is known of the early 

 stages of this genus. 

 FIG. ioi. Neura- The butterflies are characterized by the dark- 

 tion of the genus brown or black ground-color of the upper side, 



f~> ^iMTCfl, 



generally glossed with rich blue or purple. On 

 the under side the markings are exceedingly variable and in most 

 cases very beautiful. The genus is characteristic of the neotropical 

 fauna, and there are over sixty species which have been described. 

 The males are said by Bates, to whom we are indebted for most 

 of our knowledge of these insects, to have the habit of congre- 

 gating about noon and in the early afternoon in moist places by 

 the banks of streams, returning toward nightfall to the haunts of 

 the females. In this respect they resemble club-men, who at the 

 same hours are generally to be found congregating where there is 

 something to drink. Only two species are found in our region, 

 and are confined to the hottest parts of Texas and Florida, rang- 

 ing thence southward over the Antilles and Central America as 

 far as Bolivia. 



(i) Eunica monima, Cramer, Plate XXI, Fig. 7, $ ; Fig. 8, 

 ? (The Dingy Purple-wing). 



Butterfly. This obscure little butterfly represents in Florida 

 and Texas the great genus to which it belongs, and gives but a 

 feeble idea of the splendid character of its congeners, among 

 which are some exceedingly beautiful insects. Nothing is known 

 of its life-history. It is common in the Antilles and Mexico. 



Another species of the genus, Eunica tatila, has recently 

 been reported from the extreme southern portion of Florida. 



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