252 LEPIDOPTERA INDICA. 



small. The constrictions between the segments slight and inconspicuous. Feeds on 

 Zizyphus jujuba and ZUyphus vulgaris. Dr. A. Forel, of Geneva, identifies the ants 

 which attend these larvae as Componotus ruhripes, Drury, sub-species Com])ressus, 

 Fabricius, and Pheidole latinota, Eoger. 



Pupa. — Of the usual Lycsenid shape ; head, thorax and wing cases green, speckled 

 thickly with black, abdomen green. There is an indistinct black dorsal line extending 

 down the whole length of the body, with a double sub-dorsal series of indistinct black 

 specks ; the head is rounded, the thorax slightly humped, the pupa throughout c^uite 

 smooth. 



Mrs. Wylie says the ants attend the caterpillars until they are full-grown, when 

 the ants drive them down the stem of the tree which they have hitherto inhabited, 

 into a temporary nest the ants have set up at the foot of the tree, where on opening 

 the nest " you will see some hundreds of larvse and pupae in all stages of development 

 arranged in a broad and even band all round the trunk, and lightly covered with 

 earth." The perfect insects emerge in this nest, and, after drying their wings, are 

 allowed to fly away unmolested (de Niceville). 



Habitat. — India, Burma, Ceylon, Beluchistan, Persia, Arabia and Africa. A 

 common species. 



TARUCUS VENOSUS. 



Plate 633, figs. 2, $ , 2a., ? , 2b, $ . 



Tarueus venoms, Moore, Proc. Zool. Sec. 1882, p. 245, pi. 12, fig. 6, 6a, $ . Doherty, Journ. As. 

 Soc. Bengal, 1886, p. 132. Butler, Ann. Mag. ISTat. Hist. 1888, p. 147. de Niceville, Butt, of 

 India, iii. p. 193, pi. 27, fig. 189, $ (1890). Bingham, Fauna of Brit. India, Butt. ii. p. 419 

 (1907). 



Imago. — Male. Upperside coloured like T. theophrasius, but of a darker purple. 

 Forewing with a rather conspicuous black linear mark at the end of the cell, with a 

 rather broad outer marginal brownish-shaded band. Hindioing with a similar black bar 

 at the end of the cell, and with a terminal band as in the forewing, but narrower. 

 Underside as in the Wet-season form of Tlteoplimstus, but all the streaks and spots 

 larger. 



Female. Upperside coloured like the male, the markings as in the female of the 

 Wet-season form of Theophrasius, but the subterminal row of white lunules on the hind- 

 wing is wanting. Underside as in the male. 



Expanse of wings, $ % ly^ inches. 



Habitat. — North-AVestern India. 



Distribution. — Recorded by de Niceville from Dharmsala, Kala Pani, Bagheswar, 

 Sarju Valley, Kali Valley, 2,400 feet, Kumaon ; we have it from Ivulu, and it is in the 

 B. M. also from Kangra, Sultanpore, and Gurais Valley. 



