AGRIADES THETIS. 



371 



another from October 8th to October 16th, 1909. Two days before the 

 larva actually changes to pupa, one notices that all traces of the yellow 

 dorsal and 'lateral markings have practically disappeared, the two 

 ridges of the dorsal flange have approached more nearly, the medio- 

 dorsal line is dark green, tinged with palish on either side ; the 

 transparency of the flanges and the 9th and 10th abdominal segments 

 causes these portions of the body to have a jelly-like appearance, which 

 seems to invest the more opaque, dark, inner structure, roughly now 

 of the shape of the pupa. (Noted October 6th ; pupation took place 

 October 8th, 1909) (Tutt). 



Pupation.— The larva when full-grown retires to the ground and 

 buries itself just below the surface, amongst the roots of the foodplant, 

 generally selecting a position immediately under a twisted rootstalk. 

 The pupa is sometimes easily found by turning back the leafstems of 

 the plant and exposing the root, without disturbing the latter 

 sufficiently to injure it, the pupa being quite close to the surface. 

 The larva makes no girth, nor is any trace of silk-spinning apparent 

 on pupa3 found in nature, but larvae reared in confinement, and not 

 provided with a suitable place in which to pupate, will spin a few 

 threads of silk on the bottom or side of the cage to serve as a foothold 

 during the pupal change. This is of no assistance in holding the 

 pupa, however, as was demonstrated in an instance where a larva 

 laid up for pupation on the side of a bottle containing the foodplant ; 

 there being no earth or suitable retiring place, a few threads of silk 

 were spun on the side of the bottle, and by this means the larva kept 

 its position until the pupal change, when the pupa at once fell to 

 the ground (Ray ward). The pupae of A. thetis were found in nature 

 at Dorking, May 11th, 1907, by parting the "mats" of Bippocrepis 

 comosa, in dry weather, the pupae being discovered at the roots of the 

 plants, unattached, but usually in a hollow of the earth, though not 

 completely buried ; the pupae are putty-coloured, the initial greenish 

 tint soon disappearing, and superficially bear a resemblance to the 

 small snail-shells and rubble of chalk-stones found on the surface ot 

 the earth (Prideaux). Chapman observes that about a score of pupae 

 were obtained, in confinement, in August, 1909, at Reigate; in 

 pupating, the larvae spin a little silk, sometimes hardly appreciable in 

 quantity, generally a slight pad for the larva to rest on, and, m one or 

 two instances, an extra thread or two, suggesting a cocoon ; the larva 

 goes as low as convenient to do this, and under something if possible ; 

 in some instances the pupa is quite loose, in others the larval skin 

 remains applied to the last segments, but easily drops off ; in no case 

 did the cast larval skin retain any hold on the silk ; the pupa, there- 

 fore, is quite free in any recess the larva may have found. borne 

 larvae kept in confinement by Buckler, buried themselves, early 

 May, 1874, about -5in. deep in the loose soil, and formed a weak sort 

 of cocoon ; others retired under the stems of their foodplants, and, in 

 angles formed by the branching stems, spun a few weak threads to 

 keep themselves in place, and in these retreats pupation took place. 

 Ray-ward notes (in litt.) that a number of larvae and pupae were found 

 on May 6th, 1907, at Dorking. Most of the larvae were attended br- 

 ants, and, in most cases, the pupae also. 



Pupa.— The pupa is very pale light green, with a slight tuscous 

 tone, the wings and other appendages very pale and transparent, as it 



