COMMON BUTTERFLIES OF THE PLAINS OF INDIA. 315 



diffuse white spots, the terminal black band as on the upperside but tra- 

 versed by a broken white line. Hindwing : a subbasal and a discal, broad, 

 transverse, white band, both bordered inwardly by a series of black spots 

 and outwardly by a broad black line ; a somewhat narrower, postdiscal, 

 transverse, black band traversed by a series of paired white spots, followed 

 by a row of cone-shaped marking of the ground colour, the apices of 

 the cones turned inwards and broadly white ; finally a black, terminal 

 band traversed by a series of white lunules. Antennae black ; head, 

 thorax and abdomen dark dusky, fulvous red ; beneath, palpi white, head, 

 thorax and abdomen dark ochraceous, variegated with some black lines 

 and spots. — Female similar, with similar markings, but on the upperside 

 the ground colour is paler, the black markings narrower. Forewing : the 

 postdiscal black band nearly complete, interrupted only in interspaces 1 and 4 ; 

 the terminal black band traversed by a broken white line. Hindwing with 

 no subcostal black patch, instead three series of transverse spots ; a post- 

 discal, transverse, broad, black band bordered inwardly by a series of slender 

 black loops ; between these and the postdiscal band a series of spots of the 

 ground colour ; the terminal black band traversed, as on the forewing, by 

 a whitish broken line. Underside : similar to that in the male, but the ground 

 colour paler. On the forewing the black markings comparatively narrower, 

 less-well defined ; on the hindwing the white on the bands and spots 

 replaced by pale yellow. 



Dry-season form. — Male and female upperside : similar to that in the wet- 

 season form ; black markings on the whole not so sharply defined. Underside : 

 ground colour darker ; on the hindwing dark ochraceous ; the transverse 

 subbasal and discal bands in both sexes white. Exp. 50-56 mm. 



Larva and pupa. — In Khandesh and the Deccan the larva has been reared 

 along with those of Ergolis on Tragia cannabina, L. It was possible to 

 distinguish them only by the fact that the light dorsal line was continued 

 the whole length of the body in this species and was comparatively un- 

 interrupted. The pupa was undistinguishable. 



Habits. — The habits of the larva and pupa are the same as for 

 Ergolis ; those of the imago also, though this species inhabits the 

 plains and is not found in the hills in forest country. The butter- 

 fly is a weak flier like Ergolis, and is generally found about the 

 foodplant of the larva ; it does not fly far and rests with its wing- 

 closed over its back and the forewings drawn in between the hind 

 wings. It basks low down near the ground on leaves, &c, with 

 the wings horizontally expanded. It occurs in Central and 

 Southern India and Ceylon. 



This is the only species found within the limits of British India, 

 but there are others in Africa. 

 s 



