274 



LEPIDOPTERA. 



Fig. 104. 



dered with dusky brown ; hind wings with a few small black 

 spots on the middle, and a broad cop- 

 pery-red band on the hind margin. 

 The wings expand from ly 1 ^ to l£ 

 inch. This butterfly is found through- 

 out the summer fluttering on the 

 grass and other low plants. The 

 caterpillar is long, oval, and slightly convex above, and of 

 a greenish color ; it probably lives, like the Phlceas, on the 

 leaves of dock and sorrel. The chrysalis, which is usually 

 suspended under a stone, is light yellowish-brown, and spot- 

 ted with black dots. 



The Epixanthe butterfly, Lyccena Epixanthe (Boisduval), 

 resembles the preceding in form and size, but is of a dusky 

 brown color above, with a few black spots on the middle of 

 the wings, and a narrow, wavy band, or a few contiguous 

 spots of an orange color on the hinder margin of the pos- 

 terior wings. This species is rather rare. The wings in 

 both these butterflies are entire, or not notched or tailed, and 

 the knobs of their antennae are short, thick, and nearly oval. 

 There are others with the hind wings also entire and 

 rounded, but the knobs of the antennae are longer and not 

 near so thick, and their caterpillars are shorter and very 

 convex above. These characters exist in the beautiful 

 azure-blue butterfly, Polyommatus Pseudargiolus (Boisd.), 

 (Fig. 105, male, Fig. 106, var. profile,) which measures 

 rig. 105. Fig. 106. from 1 T V to 1| inch 



across the wings. These 

 in the male are light 

 blue on the upper side, 

 with the lustre of satin ; 

 the fore wings of the 

 female have a broad blackish outer margin, and on that of 

 the hind wings is a row of small blackish spots ; all the 

 wings on the under side are pearl-gray, with little blackish 

 spots ; the fringes of the wings are white. 



