THE COMMON BUTTERFLIES OF THE PLAINS OF INDIA. 497 



The larva is somewhat of the type of Pratapa but has the ana] segment 

 flattened slantingly ; pupa normal. Foodplants : Vomef/ranate, Connarus ; 

 the larva living inside the fruits and feeding there ; occasionally visited by 

 ants. 



36. Genus — Rapala. 

 4.— Upperside, both wings: scarlet; female brick- 

 red, with black borders. Size : 1-3" to 1-6" . . melampus. 

 B. — Upperside, both wings : blue in both sexes. 



a. Underside, both wings : with postmedial 



band narrow : under mm. Size : 1*1" to 



i'5" . . . . . . . . . . schistacea. 



b. Underside, both wings : with the post- 



medial band broader : over mm. Size : 



1-1" to 1-5" orseis. 



These last two are very Hke each other, the male of the first is dark 

 slatey-blue on the upperside, the disc of hindwing shot with brilliant blue 

 in some lights ; the female is purple-blue. Orseis male has the upperside 

 dark brown, glossed with dull indigo-blue ; hindwing not shot ; female 

 lighter blue. They are all fast fliers, fond of flowers. 



Larva abnormal, being tuberculate-toothed ; the pupae are normal. 

 Foodplants: Leguminosece, RhamnacecB, Combretacece, the flowers being eaten. 

 The larvae are sometimes attended by ants. See PI. II, figs. 24, larva ;. 

 24a, pupa. 



37. Genus — Chekitka. 



One species. Size : 1"6" to 1'8" . . . . , . jaffra. 



A hill species, very common, however, where it occurs. It is very fond' 

 of the flowers of species of Lea of the Vitacece. 



Larva abnormal, shape of Pratapa but with teeth along dorsal line ; the- 

 pupa is also like that of Pratapa, freely suspended or fixed by tail only. 

 The foodplants are Cinnamon, Xylia, Ixora, many trees, the young leaves, 

 being eaten. See PI. II, figs. 25, larva; 25a, pupa. 



38. Genus — ^Bindahara. 



One species. Size : 1'2" to 1'6" . . . . . . sugriva. 



Male dark velvet-black on the upperside with the latter half of the- 

 hindwing margined somewhat broadly brilliant dark-blue ; the tails cream- 

 coloured. The female is brown, the margin of hindwing white where the 

 male is blue ; the tails pure white. The males are fond of Lea flowers also 

 like Cheritra. 



Larva like that of Deudorix exactly, feeding inside fruits of Salacia 

 pupa normal ; both occasionally visited by ants. 



39. Genus — Virachola. 



A. — Upperside ; brilliant light-blue with broad, 

 black border ; often a discal, orange spot on 

 fore wing in the male, white spot always 

 present in the female in the same place. Size : 

 1-4" to 1-9" for male, 1-8" to 2-8" for female . . perse. 



B. — Upperside : dark violet-blue or violet-brown, 

 the female with an orange discal spot on fore- 

 wing. Size : i'5" to 2" . . . . . . . . isocrates. 



Large rapidly flying butterflies, fairly common everywhere. 



Larva like those of Deudorix, feeding in fruits of the same kind ;. 

 P. dumetorum, Tamarind, evon Nuxvomica. 



(To he continued.) 

 15 



