388 
THE STUDY OF INSECTS, , 
Family LYC^ENUMi (Ly-caen'i-dae). 
The Gossamer-winged Butterflies. 
VIIi 
Vila 
The family Lycaenidae includes butterflies which are of 
small size and delicate structure. In size they resemble the 
smaller Hesperiidae ; but they can be distinguished at a 
glance from the skippers, as they present an entirely differ¬ 
ent appearance. The body is slender, the wings delicate 
and often brightly colored, and the club of the antenna 
straight. The antennae are nearly always ringed with white, 
and a conspicuous rim of white scales encircles the eyes. 
An easily-observed combination of characters by which 
the members of this fam- 
ni4 * 5 ily can be distinguished 
is the absence of one or 
two of the branches ol 
radius of the fore wings, 
this vein being only 
three- or four-branched, 
and the origin of vein V, 
of the fore wings at 
or near the apex of the 
discal cell (Fig. 465). 
In all other butterflies 
occurring in our fauna 
in which radius is only 
three- or four-branched, 
vein V, of the fore wings 
coalesces with radius for 
a considerable distance 
beyond the apex of the 
discal cell. An excep- 
Kig. 465.— Wings of Chrysophanus thoe. tion to the characters of 
the Lycaenidae is presented by Feniseca , as indicated in 
the table of families, p. 375. 
A remarkable characteristic of this family is that while in 
