COMMON BUTTERFLIES OF THE PLAINS OF INDIA. 1129 



thorax in a curve so that the plane at the end of wing-cases is parallel to 

 dorsum of segments G, 7, 8. The shape is that of P. hector or aristolochice. 

 Spiracles of segment 2 in a deep hole with a thickened front margin ; 

 the rest oval, raised, colour of body. Surface somewhat rough. Colour 

 pink-brown or green with the saddle orange or yellow, and the back of the" 

 abdomen the same as saddle ; the whole surface reticulated with brown ; 

 also with smokey suffusion on the sides of ventrum. The colour of the 

 scent-organs or " osmeterium " is orange. Antennse and wings bordered 

 with a thin line of black and another of red or pink. L : 50mm. ; B : 20-25 

 mm ; H : 15 mm. 



Habits. — The egg is laid on the upperside of a leaf, generally 

 on a young one, or on a shoot, sometimes on the stem of the plant 

 and only one is deposited at a time. The butterfly hovers while 

 depositing, holding on with the tips of the toes ; the situation 

 chosen being always dense jungles, on the side of a slight opening 

 as often as not. The little larva lives on the undersides of the 

 leaves — in this differing from all others with the exception of 

 hector, aristolochice and 'pancliyanus, its nearest relations — in its 

 first stages, later on it is often found on the stems and stalks, 

 rarely on the upperside of the leaves. It is very sluggish, sits at 

 rest much contracted like other Fa'pilio larvae and feeds hungrily 

 mostly in the mornings and evenings. It is much parasitised by 

 a small braconid Irymenopteron or wasp which lays many eggs in 

 its body ; the little grubs, emerging, feed upon the inside of the 

 caterpillar and come out through holes which they eat in its skin 

 to turn into pupae in little cocoons covered with a white or 

 yellowish cottony wool, many together, the mass often completely 

 hiding the bod} r of the host. The caterpillar wanders before 

 pupating, finally fixing itself up against a bit of stick, stalk of a 

 leaf, stem of a plant with the usual tail fastening and a loose 

 body-loop, generally not far off the ground. The pupa makes a 

 loud hissing sound when disturbed by touch. The noise is pro- 

 duced by rubbing the abdominal segments 8, 9, 10, 11 together 

 at the margins by a contracting motion repeated at short intervals. 

 The butterfly emerges in the morning just after sunrise, or a little 

 later. It- has a slow, sailing flight as a rule when undisturbed but 

 flies quickly when frightened. It is fond of flowers and frequents 

 shady walks and glades in the jungles, keeping fairly high up, 



