390 
IOLAUS. By Dr 0. Acrivillius. 
Hind wing with 2 or 3 small tails (at 1 b, 2 and 3); the small tail at 1 b always longer than the others, that 
at vein 3 short or absent. Anterior legs with appressed scales, not long-haired. 
Hamilton H. Drtice tried already in 1891 to divide the numerous species into several genera. But 
as these ,,genera“, except Stugeta (see above on p. 387) and Tanuetheira, are founded on marks occurring only 
in the d'd', it is imposible to ascertain the generic position of a $. Such genera that are only founded on one 
sex I cannot regard as being justified. Moreover it seems to me to be doubtful whether for instance the species 
of Argiolaus are really more closely allied with each other than with certain species of Epamera. 
Those that are interested in the said ,,genera“, J here provide with a review of them. 
I. Forewing in the A with 12 veins of which vein 7 terminates into the margin. 
a. The small tail at vein 1 b of hindwing very long and broad. Tanuetheira. 
(3. The small tail at vein 1 b of hindwing fine and not so long. Argiolaus. 
II. Forewing in the A only with 11 veins; vein 8 is absent and vein 7 terminates into the costal margin or apex. 
a. Hind wing in the $ above with a large mealy spot. Forewing beneath at the middle of the posterior 
margin with a hair-pencil turned over in front. 
1. Fore wing in the $ beneath in area 1 b without a mealy spot. Epamera. 
2. Forewing in the A beneath in area 1 b with a large mealy spot. Iolaus. 
(3. Hindwing in the <$ above without a mealy spot. 
1. Forewing in the beneath covered with long hair at the whole anal margin as far as the anal angle. 
Sukidion. 
2. Forewing in the A beneath at. the anal margin without any hair or hair-pencil and mealy spot. 
Aphniolaus. 
The species known up to this day do not all fit into this division, and if we intended to continue Drtice’s 
basis, we should have to establish two or three more new genera. 
In order to enable the definition of the $$ being still unknown in many cases, I divide here the genus 
Iolaus into nine groups. These groups are chiefly only based upon coloristic marks, but they seemed to me 
to be more natural than those being based upon the sexual characters of the and have the advantage of 
being common to both sexes. The position of some species which I was unable to examine myself, I can unfor¬ 
tunately not ascertain, since some authors did not mention the colouring of the frons and legs in their descriptions. 
As to the habits and evolution of these beautiful insects very little is known. Lamborn found the 
larvae of I. alcibiades and iulus visited by ants of the genus Cremastogaster, and A. Schultze told me the 
followhig about their habits: ,,The very quick-winged insects fly round the upper twigs of blooming trees in 
the hottest hours of the day. In the later part of the afternoon, in the mountainous districts, especially the 
blue species fly to the barren mountain-tops, where they'- settle down on low shrubs in order to bask in the sun. 
The species are preferably met with on the parasitic species of Lorantlius. I observed here at first the $$ deposi¬ 
ting their eggs, later on I also found at this plant the larvae undoubtedly belonging to Iolaus, but owing to 
the want of sufficient hatching devices I was unable to develop the larvae. One larva (a wood-louse-like larva) 
was provided with rather long fleshy cones and was very much like a bird’s excrements owing to its being 
speckled brown and white. The other species resembled a small podalirius- larva, but it was laterally much 
more compressed; it ate holes into the edges of the pulpy Loranthus-leaves which it then filled up with its body 
so that it was difficult to discover.“ 
Review of the Groups of Species. 
1. Frons never uni-coloured white. Palpi at the tips black. 
A. Forewing beneath at least as far as the apex of the discal cell uni-colourecl without markings. 
a. Forewing beneath at the apex of the discal cell unmarked or with a dark transverse streak being 
much longer than thick. 
*. Frons black with white lateral margins which are sometimes so broad that the black colour only 
forms a median line. 
y. The small tail at vein 1 b of hind wing very broad (2 mm) and long (IS to 20 mm) uni-coloured 
white. —- A forewing with 11 or 12 veins and a black hair-pencil at the anal margin. 
First Group. 
tt- The small tail at vein 1 b of hindwing narrower and shorter, never uni-coloured white. 
