LYCAENA ARI0N. 303 



2a, b(1852j; H.-Scb., " Sys. Bearb.," vi., p. 25, pi. cxxiii., figs. 593, 4 (1856) J 

 Graes., "Berl. Ent. Zeits.," p. 81 (1888). Arthurus, Melv., " Ent. Mo. Mag.," 

 ix., p. 263 (1872). 



[N.B. — All otber references mentioned under tbe generic synonymy (anted pp. 

 300-302) are referable to avion.] 



Original Description. — P.P. alis ecaudatis, supra fuscis disco 

 caeruleo maculis atris : subtus canis punctis ocellaribus. Habitat in 

 Europa. 



Roes. ins. 3 suppl. t. 45, f. 3, 4. 



Statura sequentis [argiui] sed duplo major. Ala? posticae subtus 

 ocellis 10, prteter puncta marginalia (Linneus). 



The above description would seem to make the dark alpine form 

 the type, were it not for the explicit reference to Rosel's figure, in 

 which the bright blue extends to the base of the wings. 



In the Fauna Suecica, 2nd ed., Linneus says that it is very scarce 

 in Sweden, and adds the following description : — 



Facies P. argl, sed duplo major, alas supra fuscas disco caeruleo. 

 Primores supra in disco punctis nigris, septem, confertis. Sub- 

 tus omnes cinerascentes, basi virescentes et postice duplici ordine 

 punctorum nigrorum, insuper puncta nigra ocellaria, iride alba, 7 in 

 primoribus, 10 in secundariis, praeter lunulam nigram. 



From the number of spots mentioned it may be inferred that 

 Linneus's typical form has, as is most often the case, one basal spot 

 on the forewino- and three on the hindwinsr on the underside. 



o O 



Imago. — 37mm. -46mm. Deep rich blue with a broad brownish- 

 black outer band, an arcuate series of black longitudinal wedge shaped 

 spots and black discal spot on forewings ; a more or less obsolescent 

 central row of black spots and traces of a marginal row of black dots 

 on the hindwings. Underside dark grey, with more or less of a 

 brownish tint, a double row of marginal spots to all the wings ; fore- 

 wings with a sickle-shaped discal row of black spots and black discoidal 

 spot, usually one basal spot only, the upper one being generally absent; 

 hindwing metallic blue at base, a median row of black spots, a black 

 discoidal and usually three basal spots, the third from the costa being 

 absent. All the median and basal spots on both wings surrounded 

 with whitish. 



Sexual dimorphism. — The J is usually lighter, slightly smaller, 

 and less heavily spotted than the $ from the same locality, the border 

 also being proportionately narrower, but numberless exceptions occur 

 in which one or more of these rules does not hold good, British 

 examples of the 2 , for instance, being often quite as light in ground 

 colour as the J s. On the average, however, the difference mentioned 

 above will be found to prevail, though the variation in size is so great 

 that in many localities, especially in the mountains, the smallest 2 s 

 are very much less in size than many of the $ s. 



Aurivillius notes that the androconia are somewhat circular and 

 ornamented with 12 to 13 rows of spots, yet he notes them as 

 O'OSmm. in length (without the stem) and 027mm. in width {Bidrag, 

 etc., v., pp. 24, 26). Pierce notes (in litt.) that they (the androconia) 

 are -OOloin. in length and -OOlin. in width, slightly curved at the 

 apex and with 9 or 10 rows of 10 spots, the latter broken and often 

 coalescing in twos and threes. The other scales in the $ are (1) The 

 transparent scales, -004in. x *002in., are bright bronze-yellow, 



