FAMILY HABITS IN BUTTERFLY LARVA THE RURALIDS. 61 



florinda, C. pyrantlie feeds on C. elata, and C. scylla on C. sophera. 

 Mathew says that the larva of the Australian C. gorgophone, feeds 

 fully exposed on the upper surface of leaves of a Cassia at Sydney, in 

 early March, eggs and pupae occurring at the same time, that, when 

 the larva is feeding, it keeps its head and anterior segments Sphinx-like. 



In spite of the habit of hybernating in the imaginal stage, 

 the Gonepterygids (so far, at least, as our European species are con- 

 cerned) incline to the Pierids in at least one of their general larval 

 habits, e.g., they have purely summer-feeding larvae, whilst, like the 

 Euchloe larvae, they appear to have little or no tendency to develop 

 " forward habits," the single-brood being spread over a considerable 

 period, suggesting different rates of feeding up in the larval stage, but 

 not producing any marked second-brood.* 



In their food-habit, however, the Gonepterygid larvae of the 

 Palaearctic area have wandered far from the cruciferous foods of the 

 Pierids, and appear to be restricted to Rhamnus of various species. It 

 would be interesting to know how this food-habit, on the part of these 

 species arose, and whether there is any real alliance between the Wiam- 

 naceae and Leguminosae, for the larvae of Callophrys rubi and Celastrina 

 argiolus utilise both. 



The special habits of the larvae of particular species are exceedingly 

 interesting. In form, colour, and striping, they bear considerable 

 resemblance to certain aspects of their food-plant, and that of our 

 commonest Palaearctic species, Gonepteryx rhamni, appears to be most 

 careful in choosing a suitable resting-place on the leaf of its food- 

 plant, and the difficulty of discovering the larva, unless one places 

 oneself so that the sun falls across the Rhamnus leaf, showing the 

 shadowed side of the larva, is, of course, well known to all field- 

 lepidopterists ; otherwise it so exactly resembles the midrib along the 

 centre of the leaf, where it rests, that it readily escapes observation. 



CHAPTER X. 



FAMILY HABITS IN BUTTERFLY LARVJE THE RURALIDS. 



The Ruralids, in their widest sense, comprise the "hairstreaks," 

 "coppers," and " blues," and these vary considerably in their larval 

 habits. The tribes, however, show rather characteristic habits in the 

 larval stage, and, if we consider merely those species that make up the 

 tribes in the Ruralinae, i.e., the " hairstreaks," we find these tribal larval 

 habits very marked, e.g., the larval habits of the Thestorids, Callophryids, 

 Strymonids and Ruralids (sens, strict.) are peculiarly similar within each 

 tribe, and, whilst those of the Thestorids and Callophryids incline to 

 each other, and, in some respects, are not very unlike those of the larvae 

 of some of the " blues," the Strymonids and Ruralids are, in their 

 turn, somewhat similar and differ considerably from their allies. 



In considering the larval habits of the Thestorids and Callophryids, 

 one notes that the former are not very dissimilar from those of the 

 typical " blues," whilst the larval habits of the Callophryids resemble 



* We are, whilst writing this, fully aware of Mr. Purefoy's remarks (Ent., xxxv., 

 p. 301), but some statements made by him both here, and Ent., xxix., p. 363, are so 

 remarkable, that full confirmation of all details appears necessary. 



