THE COMMON BUTTERFLIES OF THE PLAINS 01 INDIA. 2D 



is a subdorsal, erect , white much longer hair, each rising from a small 

 swelling ; bases of legs and prolegs also finely hairy. Spiracles are oval 

 shiny-brown and sunk in depreusions. Colour of the body is a dark indigo- 

 blue with the front margins of segments 2, 3 broadly yellow, top of 

 segment 3 also yellow, with a dorsal, blue line ; segments 7, 8 with a lar^^e 

 dorsal, square, whitish patch over both of them, the whole length of the 

 segments and about one-third of the breadth, with a semicircular, small 

 blue indentation on the dorsal line of each near the hinder margin ; these 

 two segments 8, 9 have also a whitish blotch under each spiracle ; seo-- 

 ments 11-13 are translucent-looking grey as well as the veutrum ; legs 

 shining glassy-yellow. The organs on segment 13 are small and cyHndri- 

 cal, occasionally protruded from the circular orifices, white ; gland not 

 perceptible. L: 20 mm. ; B: 6 mm. 



Pupa, — Is quite normal in shape ; head under segment 2 which over- 

 reaches it in a thin margin ever so slightly, eyes prominent with a central, 

 shiny depressed line ; antennae hardly distinguishable between eyes and 

 margin of segment 2 ; segment 2 transversely convex, sloping up to the 

 hinder margin very steeply, rounded in front — that is the front end of 

 pupa is rounded ; thorax with its front ascent in the same plane as that 

 of segment 2, only slightly humped, rather long, the hinder margin 

 running into segment 4 in a point on dorsal line ; constriction slight and 

 gradual; abdomen and thorax the same breadth to segment 8, transverse 

 section at segment 8 circular, slightly depressed ; segmental divisions 

 distinct, that between 9, 10 especially accentuated — that is the segmental 

 membrane is visible ; segment 11 to anal extremity are, dorsally, in a plane 

 very nearly perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the pupa — the passage 

 from 10 being of course evenly rounded ; the anal segment itself turned 

 under ventrally. The surface is sparsely cohered with minute, comb-topped 

 hairs which are denser round the front margin of segment 2 and round the 

 spiracles ; otherwise pitted and dull. Spiracles of segment 2 are long, 

 prominent, velvety-looking and light in colour; the rest are in small, circular 

 depressions, slightly prominent, oval, brown in colour and consi^icuous. 

 Colour of the pupa is brown-pinkish suft'used with blackish ; wings light 

 reddish-brown, spotted and splashed with blackish ; a blackish, dorsal, 

 blotchy line and row of dark, lateral spots on abdomen ; sides of thorax 

 and head blackish. L : 16 mm. •,]i:Q. 25mm. 



Habits. — The egg is laid on flowers, fruits, stalks, leaves, &c., 

 always one at a time. The little egg-larva eats into the carpel or 

 the fruit, wandering until it finds one, if born otherwise than in a 

 flower or on a fruit. The mother-insect generally chooses a fruit 

 that is not too far advanced and often a flower — to give the small 

 larva a chance : what it does when the egg is laid on bark, leaves, 

 &c., is a matter of conjecture. Certain it is, however, that many 

 eggs are laid which never come to anything ; also many larvas bore 

 into fruits that never reach maturity — possibly because they cannot 

 get inside the hard stone ? For it is m the. interior of the stone, 

 in the case where a tree with a stoned fruit is chosen that the larva 

 chooses to live and feed. When well-grown it does not seem to 

 have any difficulty about piercing the stone and during its habita- 

 tion of the inside, which means during the time it has siiflicient 

 food to go on with, it enlarges the perforation so as to admit of its 

 passing its body through it as it finds necessary. When it has 



