126 LEPIDOPTERA INDICA. 



median interspaces, and a small one in the interno-mediau interspace, an indistinct 

 series of sub-marginal yellowish spots on the U23per half of the wing. Underside paler. 

 Forewing with the spots as above l)ut larger, a yellow sub-costal streak from the base 

 to beyond the middle. Hindwlng with many minute yellow scales in parts, a discal 

 series of yellowish spots and a sub-marginal series. 



Expanse of wings, ^ ? 1 inch. 



Larva. — Head of a semi-elliptical shape, somewhat narrowed at the top, truncated 

 at the base and slightly bi-lobed ; the body is cylindrical, somewhat depressed, thickest 

 at segment 5, sloping at the last segment, with the extremity of the anal segment 

 rounded broadly ; colour of head transparent-looking, dirty, yellow- white, with a green 

 clypeus, a light brown stripe running down the centre of each lobe from the vertex to 

 the base, and another inside it and parallel to it ; eyes black ; jaws black ; surface 

 finely celled, covered with erect, short, light hairs ; surface of body covered with 

 minute, erect, white hairs ; segments 3 and 14 covered with brown setiferous tubercles ; 

 anal margin with longer hairs than the rest ; colour dark green, with a sub-dorsal 

 yellowish band flanked by a whitish line ; two lateral and a marginal white line. 

 Length, 20 mm. 



Pupa. — Head square, convex at top ; eyes prominent ; between the eyes in front 

 of the head are two conical excrescences which overhang the eyes somewhat, the two 

 together having the appearance of a small crescent, the horns of which point forwards ; 

 proboscis not produced ; surface glabrous, shiny ; colour grass-green, with the 

 markings of the larva apparent on the abdomen. Length, 16 ram. 



Habits — The larva lives absolutely in the open when full-grown. Pupa forms on 

 the stems of grass, or rice, with its head downwards, attached by the tail and body 

 band. The larva feeds on rice and grasses. The butterfly rests with its wings closed 

 over its back ; it is common throughout the district at all seasons ; it is very abundant 

 around rice-fields. The flight is not very rapid, and it rests often, it is fond of basking 

 with its wings half open. We have bred many specimens in cages from the egg. 

 (Davidson, Bell and Aitken.) 



HABiTAT.^Sikkim, South India, Ceylon, Burma, ]\Ialacca, Annam, Sumatra. 



Distribution'. — The type of dioscorides, a female, came from Tranquebar, and is 

 in the Museum Tottianum in Copenhagen ; the tyj^e of maro, in the Banksian cabinet 

 in the B. ]\L from Ceylon ; we have both sexes from Hue, Annam, Trevandrum, ^Madras 

 and Ceylon ; Evans records it from thePalui Hills, Fergusson from Travancore, Betham 

 from the Central Provinces, Watson from the Chin Hills, Peeling and Pegu, IMoore 

 from Mergui and Ceylon, de Niceville from Sikkim, Davidson, Bell and Aitken bred it 

 in Kanara ; we give copies of Davidson's original drawings of the larva and pupa. 



Note. — Aurivillius, who examined the type of dioscorides in the Copenhagen 

 Museum, says it is the same as maro; he says, "A female which, however, has no 



