344 BRITISH BUTTERFLIES. 



ser., iii., p. 224), in St. Helena and Mauritius, whilst our further 

 notes give several other foodplants. Guenee observes (Ann. Soc. Knt. 

 Fr., 4th ser., vii., pp. 665-668) that L. boeticus is very exceptional in 

 its habits, in central France, living in the siliquas of Culutea, of which 

 it eats the seeds, instead of exposed on the leaves of trees or low plants, 

 like its congeners. It is true, he adds, that Lycaena tolas shares in this 

 habit, whilst, in India, Virachola isocrates lives in the interior of the fruit 

 of Punica, and a North-American Lycaenid acts similarly. Chapman 

 says that, as already noted, from an ovum obtained at Guethary on Ulex 

 nanus on July 5th, 1907, a larva was fed on flowers of Lotus comiculatus, 

 and laid up for pupation on August 10th. Zeller observes that 

 in Catania, the larva feeds in the blossoms of Spartium junceum, 

 whilst, at Messina, and Naples he found the imagines not rarely on the 

 blossoms and on the leaves of a cultivated bean with long narrow pods, 

 in which the larvae fed. Rambur says (Cat. Sys. And., pp. 43-44) that, 

 in Andalusia, the larva lives, not only on Colutea arborescens, but on 

 almost any leguminous plant, also that he has found it in the pods of 

 Phaca boetica ; it is, he adds, sometimes so abundant that, having 

 eaten the pods and seeds, the larvae devour the leaves of the plant, and 

 spread themselves over everything that they meet, even on vegetable 

 debris, and become then omnivorous. Aigner-Abafi says that the larva is 

 sometimes found near Budapest and Pecs, always in the seedpods of Colutea 

 arborescens, and is generally taken in August and September whilst search - 

 ing for larvae of Lycaena tolas. The larvae, he adds, are not unlike those 

 of the latter species, but are much more slender in build and essentially 

 different in colour, never so rose-coloured, but dark lilac-coloured, and 

 sometimes pale green ; the diagonal stripes on the side also are more 

 distinct, the head is brownish-black, and usually withdrawn in the 

 prothorax, only being protruded when the larva is feeding. Baker 

 took nearly fullfed larvae, in Guernsey, in the seed-pods of Colutea 

 arborescens, from August llth-13th, 1900; these had mostly pupated 

 by August 19th. From these, three males emerged, on September 

 11th, and on September 27th all had emerged, 170 in all, males and 

 females in about equal numbers. In 1904, he bred a few more, the 

 first emergence being on September 13th. He states that he is convinced 

 the larvae never leave a seed-pod after they have once entered it, except 

 to pupate, thus contradicting Milliere's observation (sujira). In this 

 way he accounts for the variable size of the insect, and suggests that, if a 

 larva has its nursery in a rich, well-filled pod, it grows to large size, if other- 

 wise it produces a half -starved specimen and a small imago. The larva, 

 he adds, is very active and will escape through the smallest crevice when it 

 leaves the seed-pod, in which it never pupates, according to his experience, 

 neither does it suspend itself in any way, but changes to pupa on the ground 

 of the breeding-cage, among, or rather on the surface of, the moss and 

 soil. Anderson says that, in Victoria (Australia), the larva? feed on the 

 flowers or in the seedpods of various leguminous plants, the common 

 pea being a favourite foodplant, as well as various garden species, e.g., 

 Swainsonia, Baptisia, Adenocarpus, Doliclios, etc. He further notes that 

 the larvae are rapid feeders, very hardy, frequently turning to 

 pupae when only about half the usual size, if the supply of food fails. 

 Green says (in lift.) that, in Ceylon, the larvae of this species is a 

 serious pest on Crotalaria striata, feeding in the pods, and often com- 

 pletely destroying the seed crop, in February, March, and April, 



