JAWEXA. 
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24. L. Icarus, Rott. Naturf. vi. p. 21 (1775); Esper, 32, 4; Fit. 
651,2, 3.— S.V. p.l84; Hub. 392-4; 0. i. 2, 38. 
— Thetis, Bsp. 32, 2 5 . 
Expands 0-75 to 1’14 in. Fringes of all the wings white, 
without spots. The male has all the wings deep lilac-blue, with a 
narrow black border ; there is no discoidal spot on the fore wings. 
The female is brown, with an orange hind-marginal border on all 
the wings, the hind wings having a row of black spots ; the bases 
of all the wings are blue, which colour sometimes suffuses the 
entire wings. Under side pale grey in the male ; pale brown in 
the female. There are the usual spots and orange bands, the fore 
wings having two basal spots ; the hind wings have an elongated 
white spot towards the middle of the hind margin. The base 
of all the wings is strongly tinged with blue in both sexes. 
PI. XXV., 4. 
Times of Appeaeance. — All through the fine season, from 
April to October, there being several broods. 
Habitat. — Europe, Northern and Western Asia and North 
Africa, frequenting meadows, roadsides, pastures, &c. In Great 
Britain it is the commonest of the genus, and in many places one 
of our commonest butterflies (generally known as the “ Common 
Blue”). 
Laeva. — Shaped like those of its congeners, green or olive, 
with the head black ; there is a dorsal stripe of a darker shade 
than the ground colour, a lateral stripe of lightish green, and on 
each segment three lateral stripes inclined obliquely from before 
backwards. The larva feeds on various low-growing Legaminosce, 
especially on Ononis spinosa. 
Pupa. — Dull green, tinged with brown on the wing-cases. 
VAEIETY. 
a. Icarinus, Scriba, Journ. Ent. p. 216 (1795). — Thersites, Boisd. ; 
Alexis, var. H.-S. 46. — Alexius, Err. 676, 1, 2. This variety differs 
from the type in having no basal spot on the under side of the 
hind wings. It is common on many parts of the Continent, 
especially in Switzerland. Occasionally it occurs in Britain. 
PI. XXV., 5. 
