KURALIDI. 



229 



this tribe appear to be confined to trees and woody shrubs, are 

 particularly smooth, and gliding in their motions, the eggs not 

 hatching till rather late in the spring ; the larval life is comparatively 

 short, rarely extending to more than ten weeks, mid- April to late June 

 or early July being, perhaps, the average length in this stage. These 

 species are also absolutely single-brooded, and, as in the Strymonids, 

 the larvae change colour considerably just before pupation takes place. 



The Ruralid pupae are remarkably smooth and rounded in outline, and 

 are characterised by the entire absence of a cremaster; the larvae, when 

 fullfed, descending, and pupating under, or in, a dead leaf on the 

 ground ; their colour is dark, and assimilates wonderfully well with 

 that of dead leaves or other similar material lying on the surface of 

 the ground. Comparing the Strymonid pupae (as illustrated by those of 

 Strymon yruni and Edwardsia w-album) with the Ruralid (as illus- 

 trated by those of Bithys querciis and Ruralis betulae), Chapman says : 

 As regards the Strymonid pupae, that of Strymon pruni is very 

 specialised for protection in an exposed position. It has a copious 

 and well-developed cremaster, and abundant hairs. In both these 

 characters it is followed, at a little distance, by E. w-album, which also 

 pupates above ground, on the leaves of its foodplant, etc., but hidden, 

 and, therefore, with the ordinary Lycaenid rounded outline. The 

 Ruralid species, Bithys querciis and Ruralis betulae, pupate on, or 

 below, the ground (including rubbish as ground), or in a closed 

 cocoon; B. quercus has no trace of cremaster, R. betulae has a few 

 obsolete hookless batons. R. betulae has, also, a very few short hairs in 

 the spiracular region, B. quercus has rather a larger number, and they 

 are a little specialised towards fungus-formed hairs (see pi. iii., fig. 2). 

 Both R. betulae and B. querciis are very rounded and of reddish earthy 

 colour, not differing much in this respect, however, from E. w-album. 



De Niceville gives (Butts, of India, iii., p. 300) the following 

 diagnosis of the group, under the name Zephyr us : 



Forewing large, subtriangular ; costa regularly arched, apex subacute, outer 

 margin slightly convex or straight, inner margin straight ; costal nervure reaching 

 to about half the length of the wing, terminating just opposite to the apex of the 

 discoidal cell ; first subcostal nervule given off from the subcostal nervure at about 

 two-thirds the length of the discoidal cell, second subcostal nearer to the apex of 

 the cell than to the base of the first subcostal, third subcostal originating rather 

 nearer to the apex of the wing than of the cell ; upper discoidal nervule given off 

 from the subcostal some distance beyond the apex of the cell ; middle discocellular 

 nervule nearly straight (slightly concave), upright, lower discocellular longer than 

 the middle discocellular, concave, slightly outwardly oblique ; second median 

 nervule given off before the end of the cell ; submedian nervure straight. Hind- 

 wing large, broadly ovate, the extremity of the first median nervule elongated into 

 a fine tail, variable in length (very short in the European quercus, Linn., and 

 entirely absent in khasia, de Nicev.), and the anal angle produced into a larger or 

 smaller anal lobe ; first subcostal nervule arising from the subcostal nervure rather 

 near to, but before, the apex of the cell ; discocellular nervules nearly in one 

 straight line, outwardly oblique, the upper rather shorter than the lower ; second 

 median nervule arising just before the lower end of the discoidal cell. Eyes hairy. 

 Antennae clavate, the club very gradually formed. Palpi somewhat long, obliquely 

 porrected, the third joint horizontal, the second joint very bristly beneath, third 

 joint naked. 



Larva short, thick, onisciform, tapering towards each end, clothed with fine 

 short hairs. 



Pupa short, thick, rounded. 



One of the most interesting features of the imagines of this tribe 



