78 BKITISH BUTTERFLIES. 



" Some species of Lycaenid larvae are furnished with certain 

 organs which do not appear to be found in other larvae of 



lepidoptera They certainly are not found in all 



Lycaenid larvae, but why some species should be so furnished, and 

 not others, I can offer no confident opinion. I have, however, a 

 theory that these organs exist for the protection of the larvae, and that 

 when they are absent, other means of protection exist. In the genus 

 Curetis, Hb., I have found that the larvae are furnished with extremely 

 large and well-developed organs on the 8th abdominal segment, larger 

 than in any other Lycaenid larva known, whilst the organ on the 7th 

 abdominal segment is entirely absent. The former are in the sub- 

 dorsal region of the segment, of very great size, each consisting of a 

 tall ' pillar ' from which, when the larva is touched or frightened, it 

 instantly protrudes a long tentacle, furnished at its head with a brush 

 of long parti -coloured hairs as long as itself ; these hairs open out into 

 a rosette, and the tentacle is whirled round with immense rapidity, 

 producing a most curious effect. I believe the Curetis larvae use these 

 tentacles solely to frighten away their enemies, the worst of which are 

 ichneumon flies. I think it probable that these organs were first 

 developed, and the mouth-like opening on the 7th abdominal segment 

 came into existence at a later date. This latter organ, with its sweet- 

 tasting liquid exudation, is greatly affected by ants of very many 

 different species, who, in return for the food they obtain from the 

 larvae, act as their most efficient guardians. I have found as many as 

 four species of ants attending one species of larva. Ant-tended larvae 

 are most easily found by looking for the ants ; the larvae are usually 

 coloured like the leaves, buds, flowers and seedpods on which they feed, 

 and are, for other reasons, not easily seen, but the restless red or black 

 ants are very conspicuous. Curetis larvae are not known to be attended 

 by ants, and have not the organ on the 7th abdominal segment, 

 whence the necessity of having the organs of the 8th abdominal in a 

 highly-developed condition. In other larvae which are attended by 

 ants, the organs on the 8th abdominal are smaller than in Curetis, and 

 are, possibly, gradually aborting, because, the ants having constituted 

 themselves their defenders, there is no further use for them for defence, 

 and Edwards probably correctly surmises that, in their aborted con- 

 dition they serve as signals to the ants to examine the 7th abdominal 

 segment for the sweet fluid emitted by the larvae. . . . Not only do 

 the ants attend the larvae from their very first and smallest stages 

 (ants have been found attending larvae of Rajjala schistacea, Moore, only 

 •125in. in length) till they are full-grown, but they often cause the 

 larvae to change to pupae within their nests, in this manner protecting 

 them from harm, from the time they emerge as minute caterpillars from 

 the egg to the hour they assume the perfect stage and fly away." It 

 is to be observed that the generalisations here enunciated, are not 

 altogether in accordance with those of Edwards, nor, in some 

 instances, with now well-known facts, and one suspects that more 

 observation on the habits and anatomical examination of the 

 larvae are necessary before one can safely indulge in such generalisa- 

 tions. Further details of the species of ants that have been found with cer- 

 tain Lycaenid larvae are noted in the body of de Niceville's volume, e.g., 

 he observes (p. 90) that the larva of Chilades lutea is found commonly 

 at Calcutta, during the rains, the ant, Camponotus rubripes, Dru., var. 

 compressus, Fab., which attends it, betraying its presence ; while the 



