MELANARGIA. 
229 
This family is very large, and of wide distribution : Europe is 
especially rich in Satijridce; very nearly a third part of the whole 
number of European butterflies belong to this group. 
The eight genera represented in Europe are characteristic of 
the Palsearctic region ; but Erehia has some representatives in the 
Nearctic and Neotropical regions, also in South Africa and the 
Himalayas ; the greater number of species, however, occur in the 
Alpine ranges of Europe and North Asia. 
Qdneis has also a few Nearctic representatives, otherwise 
it is confined to the Arctic and Alpine regions of Europe and 
Siberia. 
Melanargia h exclusively Palaearctic, the majority of the species 
being found in the Mediterranean region, one only occurring north 
of the Alps. 
Most of the other genera have a few representatives in the 
temperate regions of the New World, and in the Himalayas. 
Ccenonympha is represented in the Australian region. 
Genus 1. — MELANARGIA, Meig. Eur. Schmett. i. p. 97 (1829). 
Aege, Htib. Verz. Bek. Schmett. p. 60; Boisd. Gen. 
Ind. Meth. p. 25 (1840) ; Westw. Gen. I)iurn. Lep. 
p. 283 (Nom. spec.). 
Larva pubescent, with longitudinal stripes; the head rounded; 
body long and fusiform. 
Pupa short and rounded, not suspended by the anal extremity, 
but resting on the ground. 
Imago.— Antennse long, gradually enlarging into a fusiform 
club. Palpi slender, separated, the anterior joint pointed and not 
hairy. Eyes smooth. Wings rounded and very slightly dentate on 
the hind margins ; the costal nervure of the fore wings very slightly 
dilated at its base, as much above as beneath ; colour of the wings 
white or yellowish, with black bands and marks, and often with 
ocellated spots which sometimes have blue centres; there is always 
at least one ocellated spot on the under side of the fore wings, near 
the apex. 
Eight species are found in Europe, but only one occurs in 
Britain, M, Galatea (the marbled white) ; the majority are swift 
