XI. — INSECTA. 87 



or May-flies, and the LibellididcB, or Dragon-flies, also constitute 

 a division of this order. 



Lepidoptera, including the Butterflies ( Rhojmlocera ) and 

 Moths (Eeterocera)^ are easily distinguished by the scale-covered 

 wings, with regular branching neuration, the small head and 

 highly developed clypeus, or head-shield, and by having the 

 maxillse modified into a tubular proboscis or tongue. Their 

 transformations are complete, that is they pass through four 

 definite stages of existence — the egg, the caterpillar or larva, the 

 chrysalis or pupa, and the perfect insect or imago. The butterflies 

 are represented in Australia by about 320 known species, by no 

 means a large number when we consider the immense area of the 

 country and the great variety of its climate. However, although 

 this number is small as compared to similar areas in some other 

 parts of the world, as for instance continental India and central 

 and tropical South America, it is in striking contrast to the 

 fauna of New Zealand, which only has 16 representatives, if we 

 except the very doubtful Hamadryas zoilus, Fabr. When we 

 remember that in the British Islands there are at least 65 native 

 species, it will be seen that this shows a singular poverty of 

 butterflies. In Australia the Nymphalidce, Erycinidca^ Lycceiiidce, 

 Papilionidce, and Hesperiidce, the five families into which the 

 butterflies are divided, all find a place. The first of these, 

 the Nymphalidce, includes the whole of the great division 

 of butterflies in which the forelegs of the perfect insect are 

 undeveloped, having the foot or tarsus rudimentary in both 

 sexes. It is divided into four sub-families, the Danaince, Acrce- 

 ince, Nymplialince, and Satyrince. Eighteen species of Danaince 

 are at present known in Australia, of which Danais plexippus, 

 Linn., is an American importation. Our fauna only comprises a 

 single widely distributed member of the AcrceincE, but the other 

 two sub-families are represented by about 25 and 34 species 

 respectively. The family Erycinidce is represented in Australia by 

 a single species, Lihythea myrrlia, Godt., which is also found in 

 Borneo, Java, and India. The Lyccenidce, a family containing a 

 vast number of species, mostly of small size, has more than 80 

 representatives. The Papilionidce are represented by about 76 

 species, of which 52 belong to the sub-family Plevincd ; of the 

 sub-family Papilionince only a single species, P madeayanus, Le., 



