262 
SOUTH-AFRICAN BUTTERFLIES. 
Catalogue (1871-77) gave 60 ; and the late C. Plotz recognised (1886) 
no fewer than 67. 
The large broad head and narrow neck of the Hesperide larvae give 
them a very different aspect from the caterpillars of other butterflies ; 
but they are in most cases not easily discoverable, owing to their habit 
of living and feeding in leaves which they roll or curl up by means of 
silken threads, much after the manner practised by the larvae of moths 
of the Tortrix tribe. The chrysalis state is usually assumed within 
leaves so curled ; and besides the ordinary attachments, there are often 
various enclosing threads and a slight cocoon. 
In comparison with other groups of butterflies, the HesperidcB 
exhibit a very limited area of wing-surface, and this makes them 
appear to be much smaller insects than on observing their large bodies 
they prove to be. In this respect, and, to a certain extent, in the slender 
hooked termination of their antennas, they bear some resemblance to many 
of the S])hingcs (hawk-moths), which, too, they approach in the great 
length of their trunk. Tlie largest of them, the West-African Hes^peria 
IpJds, the Indian Urionota Thyrsis the Central- American Pyrrhopyga 
sjjcitiosa, and the South-American Goniloha Astylos, do not expand 
across the fore-wings much more than three inches ; but the bodies of 
these species equal in bulk those of the largest Charms. Many exten- 
sive genera, however, such as the South-American Uudamics, Goniloha, 
Tamyris, and Froteides, and the Old- World Hespcria (Is^nene, auct.), 
consist almost entirely of species expanding from two to two and one- 
third inches ; but the majority of the Family is of smaller stature, with 
an expanse ranging from three-fourths of an inch to an inch and a 
half. The minimum size is exhibited by the South- American Ancyloxy- 
jpha melanoiieiira, Felder, and the South African Pyrgus nanus, Trim., 
scarcely exceeds this in the smaller male examples. 
There is not much variety in the shape of the wings, except in the 
case of many species of Eudamus, where the hind-wings have a great 
(in some instances very great) prolongation, broad and ending bluntly, 
at the anal angle. In Caprona, some species of Ptcrygospidea, and 
especially in Hdias and Achylodes, the hind- wings are more or less angu- 
lated, and in parts excised, and in the genera last named the apex of 
the fore-wings has an acute projection. 
For the greater part, the Hcspcridx are not brightly coloured, and 
glittering or metallic hues are of extreme rarity among them. The 
prevalent ground-colour is brown of a darker or lighter shade, and 
spaces or spots of ochre-yellow are very frequent. Very many are 
marked with transparent or semi-transparent spots or macular bands. 
There exists, however, a considerable proportion of more gaily-tinted 
species ; the South-American genus Tamyris (Pyrrliopyga, auct.) stand- 
ing first in the varied colouring of its members, — of which T. versicolor, 
Latr., with its red, blue, and yellow markings, is perhaps the most 
striking. Metallic blue and green occur in several of the Gonilohce.. 
