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 larvae are figured natural size, except where stated otherwise. 



RHOPALOCEBA. 



Family NYMPHALIDiE. 

 Subfamily Dasaijjj: (Bates ). 



1. Danais cheysippus (Linnaeus). 



The larva and pupa of this well-known species have been already figured by 

 Mr. Trimen, in ' Rhopalocera Africa? Australis,' plate i., 1862. 



The South-African larva seems to differ considerably from De Niceville'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 (?) horns." 



The larvae reared in Maritzburg fed on " Qomphocarpus 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 become 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 Acejiinj: (Bates). 



2. Acr^ea acaka (Hewitson). 



The larva and pupa of this species have been already figured by Mr. Trimen in 

 1 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. The 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 pupae, and the larva; 



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