224 
Annals of the Teansvaal Museum. 
A FEEDING HABIT OF SOME LOURENCO MARQUES 
BUTTERFLIES. 
By C. W. Howaed, Chief, Entomological Division, Department of 
Agriculture for the Province de Mozambique. 
Dueing the month of April last my attention was called to the loss 
of the crop of apples on a few trees near Lourenco Marques. On 
investigation I found that not only the apples, but also some quinces 
near by, were rendered entirely unfit for use owing to the depreda- 
tions of a small butterfly, Crenis boisduvali (Wallengren). The trees 
were growing in a low valley surrounded by and close to a considerable 
bush, exactly the situation which they prefer, and the apple trees 
were literally covered with butterflies. So intent were they upon 
their work that it was very easy to watch them force their probosces 
through the skin of the apple, suck up the juice, withdraw the 
proboscis partway, and insert it at a new angle. This process was 
repeated until a large area was exhausted of juice. On cutting open 
the apple or quince nothing but fibres were found in the area 
beneath the puncture. Exteriorly only a small puncture could be 
seen on what was apparently a perfectly sound fruit. Soon, however, 
discoloration commenced and decay began to set in, which spread 
rapidly, causing the apple to drop to the ground. When the butter- 
flies began to attack the apples they were approaching the ripening 
stage, but were still hard and firm. The quinces were very hard and 
still green. After the fruit had fallen the butterflies continued their 
feast upon the decaying mass. 
About a month later my attention was called to another case of 
fruit being destroyed by butterflies. This time it was oranges and 
naartjes which were attacked by butterflies of the species Char axes 
neanthes (Kewitson) and Charaxes zodlina (Westwood). In this case 
the oranges were still green, only a few beginning to turn yellow, 
and were of a very thick skinned variety. Eor some time only the 
punctures appeared on the exterior of the oranges, but after a few 
days a circular area about them became yellow and finally decay set 
in, and eventually the oranges dropped from the trees. A section 
through the part punctured showed a mass of fibres with all the juice 
extracted. Hundreds of butterflies were present; indeed, they were 
so numerous that often seven or eight were clinging to each orange, 
and the ground beneath the trees was thickly strewn with decaying 
oranges. 
A search through the scanty literature at my disposal reveals 
very few notes on the feeding habits of these three butterflies. As 
regards Crenis boisduvali, I find no records of food habits, but as 
regards the Charaxes I find a note by Trimen in “ South African 
Butterflies,” vol. 1, p. 315, to the effect that they are fond of the sap 
which exudes from the wounds in trees, the moisture in damp earth, 
droppings of animals, and even decomposing carcasses. On page 320 
he also states that C . zodlina frequents the flowers of a yellow-flowered 
thistle in Kafixaria. Mr. Swierstra, of the Transvaal Museum, to 
whom I am indebted for identifying specimens forwarded to him. 
