LIMENITIS. By Dr. A. Serrz. 533 
brown. The brightening up of the transverse band of the forewings is also noticeable on the under surface. 
Canon del Tolima, Central Cordilleras of Colombia, from an altitude of 1700 m. 
50. Genus: Limenitis Ff. 
To this genus belong 100 forms which, in case they have not lost their original characteristic colour 
and markings by mimicry, exhibit preponderantly dark upper surface of the wings with white postmedian 
band, the under surface being rather variegated, with reddish-yellow dots or bands. The butterflies are mostly 
of a considerable size and rather conspicuous behaviour, so that they also rouse the attention of non-ento- 
mologists when meeting them. In Europe this group is vulgarly called ,,ice-butterflies“, while in America 
several species are known as ,,white admirals‘‘. The imperfect spines of the larvae places the genus between 
the faintly spined Catagrammidi and the almost spineless Apaturidi or Charaxidi. It is best to place them 
beside the Ageronzidi in the larvae of which likewise only quite few spines are developed to clubs, while many 
segments of the larvae are entirely without any spines. Those observers who lay more stress upon anatomical 
particulars in the veins, in the formation of the palpi etc., report of relations with the Argynnidi or Hypolim- 
natidi, from which they seem to me to berather remote. They certainly have relations to Neptis and Pandita in 
the Old World, whereas in America they almost unnoticeably pass over to the Adelpha. They make the impres- 
sion of a highly specialized group and are most undoubtedly the issues of the very latest epoch of creation, 
since they copy even quite recent species of butterflies, being partly still in the act of forming and developing. 
The eggs form strongly sculptured three-quarter balls, the surface representing a distinct hexagonal 
network the nodes of which bear small bristle-shaped spikes. They are singly deposited on the under surface 
of the leaves, mostly near their extremities, the food-plants belonging to families of plants that are very much 
remote from one another. The larvae hibernating for the most part, in most cases exhibit only the spines on 
the thorax-rings and then again those on the last segments fully developed and sometimes thickened to morning- 
star shaped clubs, while those on the interjacent rings are sometimes altogether absent, sometimes reduced 
to short stumps. In most cases the larva when at rest occupies a peculiar position bending the end of the head 
under the slightly raised thorax, so that, in a similar way as the spines of the head in the Ageroniidi and Apa- 
turidi, the thoracal spikes appear here as an anteriorly stretched weapon. The pupae are distinguished by a 
securiform most peculiar appendage on the back of the abdominal base, appearing sometimes like a drop of 
blood coming out from the pupa. Only the Adelpha-genus, which is also otherwise hardly to be separated from 
Limenitis, shows a similar formation, and even in a higher degree. This appendage looking like a drop of blood 
remains vacant when the developed butterfly is still lying in the tegument. The head of the pupa is often quite 
rounded, but may also terminate into small points, or (like in the Indian group of Moduza) bear wing-shaped 
divergent appendages. The butterflies are of an elegant structure, with big eyes, palpi of medium length and 
with strong bristles and mostly exhibiting a light longitudinal streak; the siphon delicate but long, somewhat 
pigmented, often green or light yellow. Thorax strong, abdomen in the ¢ always very slender, forewing triangu- 
lar, with rectilinear contours, only the margin quite slightly concave, the fringes mostly speckled, the apex 
often finely bordered in white. Hindwing with undulated margin sometimes coming forth in a slight angle 
in the middle. The veins are not very constant, but the first and second subcostal vein branch off before the 
cell end. — The Limenitis mostly have only 1 generation in the temperate zone. The larva hibernates young, 
after having in many cases built artificial, small receptacles for it, in which it remains hidden during winter. 
In early summer it pupates and turns a butterfly mostly in June. It bustles about on forest-roads and broad 
highways; some are fond of visiting flowers, others disdain them altogether and prefer much rather fruit and 
baits. When being once allured they soon grow intimate, so that we may feed some of them by touching their 
siphon with the bait, while we hold them by the wings. They are otherwise timid forest-animals, being often 
not easy to capture, gliding along in a jerky flight with their wings spread out flatly, sometimes even slightly 
lowered. They are the most frequently found in the early morning hours before 11 o’clock, and then again in 
the afternoon towards 4 o’clock on wet places of the soil, while during the other hours of the day they remain- 
on the crowns of the trees. Their chief range is the temperate zone of the northern hemisphere; in Africa, South 
America and Australia proper they are altogether absent; North America has 6 species. 
A. Mimetic species. 
L. bredowi Hbn. (= eulalia Db/. and Hew.). This butterfly being a characteristic butterfly of the 
Western United States has above still quite the aspect of the Adelpha, and it is more probable that there is 
here indeed a relationship existing, than a real mimicry. The butterfly inhabits the Pacific States and Mexico, 
being in some parts common, but mostly local. Above it deviates from nearly all the Adelpha by the white 
median band, though being interrupted reaching almost the costal margin, what occurs quite seldom or incom- 
pletely in the Adelphes. The under surface, however, differs very much from that genus and resembles more 
the other Limenitis, the hindwings being uniformly yellowish-green, only with a white median and submarginal 
bredowi. 
