COMMON BUTTERFLIES OF THE PLAINS OF INDIA. oS-S 



The surface of pupa is dull, rugose and pitted all over with slight 

 tubercular risings to mark the position of the larval processes or tuber- 

 cles ; besides which there is a deep, lateral depression stretching from 

 just behind spiracle of segment 6 backwards above spiracle of segment 7, 

 reaching the lateral tubercle of segment 8. Spiracles of segment 2 are 

 indicated by a circular hole, the bottom of which is lost in darkness ; the 

 other spiracles are oval, slightly depressed, with a somewhat prominent 

 central ridge. The colour of pupa is lightish-pinkish-brown, washed with 

 smoky black, especially on the dorsal parts where it obscures the ground 

 colour nearly completely with the exception of the subdorsal region of 

 segments 6 and 7 ; the flat dorsal portion of segment 2 is light yellowish 

 brown, this colour extending to the perpendicular face of thorax in places 

 and to parts of the head surface in front; the wings are dirty whitish 

 sullied with smoky black. L : 38mm ; B : 8mm. 



Habits. — The Qgg is laid on a young leaf or bud and is spheri- 

 cal, yellow in colour; the surface is rather rough. The little 

 larva lives on the upper surface of the leaf, seated on a bed of 

 silk, and is brownish oily-looking, with yellowish and orange- 

 brown markings. The final colouring is taken on only at the last 

 moult ; the full grown larva sits in the middle of a leaf along the 

 mid-rib — the younger stages also do this. The larva wanders 

 before pupation and voids the whole stomach, skin and all, .before 

 actually suspending itself, shrinking much in the process. The 

 silk with which it manufactures the pad and the body-string 

 is quite black ; the latter is of medium length and the pupa 

 is fairly rigid from the cremaster upwards owing to the strong 

 tail-fixing. The butterfly is most plentiful during the monsoon 

 months and lies over the dry months in the pupal stage ; if the 

 pupa is formed in November it very often does not produce a 

 butterfly until the April or May fpllowing. The full-grown larva 

 does not seem to be attacked much by enemies, perhaps diie to 

 its warning colours ; the young larva, however, is very liable to 

 destruction, mostly, it is supposed, by spiders ; it is certainly para- 

 sitised less than any other Pcqnlio larva. The butterfly, as said, 

 imitates Euplcea and Danais limniace in its dark and light forms 

 respectively ; it even goes so far as to imitate the danaine flight 

 when disporting itself at its ease. It is, however, one of the 

 fastest of all the Papilios when ^it chooses, as when it is alarmed 

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