70 THE LEPIDOPTERA OF CEYLON. 



feed upon tlie very tender young leaves of the plants tliey prefer ; they are more or 

 less gregarious when in their early stage of growth. 



" It is difficult to realize that the larvae of some species of these lovely Lycsenidse, 

 such as Amblypodia, &c., are carnivorous or even cannibal in their habits, and do not 

 hesitate to eat their own brethren of the same brood, when any of the latter are 

 commencing their change into the inactive chrysalis state, with their consequent 

 inability to protect themselves from their voracious kindred, who devour them with 

 avidity. Nature, however, finds a protection for these said helpless individuals, 

 in the instinct of a species of ant {Formica smaragdina,* Fabr.), which, finding a 

 substance most palatable to it, secreted naturally from a glandular defined spot upon 

 the bodies of these helpless larvse, takes possession of them as ' cows,' surrounding 

 each separate one and the leaf on which it had been feeding with a few silken strands 

 of its web, protecting them jealously, and attacking most fiercely any living thing 

 intruding upon them." (Note by Dr. Thwaites.) 



Genus SPALGIS. 

 Spalgis, Moore, Proc. Zool. Soc. Lend. 1879, p. 137. 

 Wings small, exterior margins even. Male : forewing triangular, costa scarcely 

 arched at the base, apex somewhat acute, exterior margin oblique, almost straight, 

 posterior margin rather long ; costal vein at some distance from the margin, 

 extending to half its length ; first and second subcostal branches short, first emitted 

 at nearly one-half before end of the cell, second at one-fourth before the end, third at 

 one-third beyond the cell, fourth terminating at the apex, fifth (or upper radial) from 

 end of the cell ; discocellulars slender, almost straight, the radial from their middle ; 

 cell long, extending fully to half the wing ; middle median branch emitted at a 

 short distance before end of the cell, lower at one-half before its end ; submedian 

 straight : hindwing ovate, short ; costal vein very convex from the base, extending 

 to the apex, first subcostal branch emitted at one-fourth before end of the cell; 

 discocellulars very slender, the radial from their middle ; two upper median branches 

 from end of the cell, lower at half distance before the end ; submedian vein straight, 

 internal reciirved. Female : forewing less triangular, exterior margin convex, 

 posterior margin long ; hindwing convex externally. Body slender, abdomen long ; 

 palpi long, slender, clothed with very short hairy scales, second joint projecting half 

 its length beyond the head, third joint half its length ; legs short, femora delicately 

 pilose beneath, fore tarsi of male minutely spinous at the side ; antennae short, with a 

 thickened club. 



* " This ant forms its tough silken nest bv spinning together with its own web several young growing 

 terminal branches of trees; and in this nest are found a few bright green females of the ant and numerous 

 examples of its red working neuters." {Dr. Thwaites.) 



