101 



III.- THE L ASIOC A M PI N A. 



Not represented in New Zealand. 



IV. --THE PAPILIONINA. 



The Papilionina are distinguished by the following characters : 



"Head rough-haired. Ocelli absent. Tongue developed. Antennae slender, dilated apically, 

 forming a gradual or abrupt club. Labial palpi moderately long, more or less rough-haired, 

 terminal joint rather pointed. Maxillary palpi obsolete. Thorax more or less hairy. Fore- 

 wings with 16 simple, Ic absent, 5 usually from or above middle of transverse vein. Hind- 

 wings without frenulum, Ic absent, 8 and 4 usually connate, 8 rising out of cell near base, rapidly 

 diverging." (Meyrick.) (See Plate I., figs. 7, 8, 15, 16, 25, 26, 27.) 



This is one of the most interesting groups of the Lepidoptera. The insects 

 comprised in it are popularly known as butterflies, and from their bright colouring 

 and conspicuous appearance are always favourites with beginners. The Papilionina 

 attain great development in the tropics, especially in South America, where, it is 

 said, a single valley sometimes contains as many species as the whole of Europe. 

 In New Zealand there are only fifteen species of butterflies, the group being extremely 

 poorly represented both here and in the South Pacific Islands. 



Formerly the Papilionina was known as the Rliopalocera, and was regarded 

 as constituting a division of equivalent value to the remainder of the Lepidoptera, 

 which was termed the Heterocera. For some time past entomologists have, how- 

 ever, practically abandoned this classification of the order, the Heterocera, or moths, 

 being clearly composed of several groups each of equivalent value to the Rliopalocera, 

 or butterflies. Mr. Meyrick states in his ' Handbook of British Lepidoptera ' that 

 the Papilionina " stands rather conspicuously isolated at the present day, but there 

 is little doubt that its origin must be traced to the Thyrididce, a family of the 

 Pyralidina." 



In this group the wings are generally held erect in repose, the under surface of 

 the hind-wings and the apical portion of the under surface of the fore-wings being 

 nearly always protectively coloured, these being portions of the wings exposed to 

 view when the insect is at rest. There is an unusual amount of ornamental colouring 

 on the upper surface. The flight is invariably diurnal. The larva has ten prolegs. 



The three following families of Papilionina are represented in New Zealand : 

 1. NYMPHALLD.&. 2. SATYRID.E. 3. LYC^ENID^E. 



