TRANSFORMATIONS OF SOME SOUTH-AFRICAN LEPIDOPTERA. 293 
Mr. J. Medley Wood, Curator of the Durban Botanic Gardens, has kindly identified 
the various food-plants. 
The larve are figured natural size, except where stated otherwise. 
RHOPALOCERA. 
Family NYMPHALIDE. 
Subfamily DaNaA1N& (Bates). 
1. Danais curysipeus (Linnzus). 
The larva and pupa of this well-known species have been already figured by 
Mr. Trimen, in ‘ Rhopalocera Africe Australis,’ plate i., 1862. 
The South-African larva seems to differ considerably from De Nicéville’s description 
of the Indian form in ‘ Butterflies of India, Burma, and Ceylon,’ where only “two large 
yellow patches” on the second and third somites are mentioned, and nothing is said of 
the crimson bases to the “ dark retractile (2) horns.” 
The larve reared in Maritzburg fed on “ Gomphocarpus fruticosus,’ a common plant 
in marshy places, and also on the “ veldt” in Natal; on being cut the plant exudes a 
bitter white milky substance, which may account for the bitter taste of the imago, 
which is said to be its protection. This larva is much infested by the maggots of a 
very small hymenopterous insect, and out of many examples taken, only two survived 
to hecome imagines. I have heard similar experiences detailed by other collectors. 
The imago is, however, common all over Natal, and is the only butterfly to be seen 
on the high levels during the colder months. I have noticed the alcippus, but not the 
dorippus form in Natal. 
Subfamily Acr #1N # (Bates). 
2. AcRa#A ACARA (Hewitson). 
The larva and pupa of this species have been already figured by Mr. Trimen in 
‘South African Butterflies,’ i. plate i. figs. 1, 1 a. 
Numerous examples of this larva were reared in Maritzburg on a species of Passi- 
flora, which is a common plant on the verandahs of houses. ‘lhe period passed in the 
pupal stage in January was only 11 days. Some of these larvae were placed in a box 
in which some of the same species had already changed into pups, and the Jarve 
272 
