LYC^ENIDiE. 
193 
and the sweet-smelling flowers to be found in such localities are a 
great attraction to them. About twenty species are native of the 
eastern half of our country. 
Thecla lialesus. 
One of our most gorgeous insects belonging to this genus is 
Thecla halesus , and when gazing on its rich and brilliantly colored 
wings, one can hardly believe it is other than an inhabitant of tropi¬ 
cal countries. 
It is rather stout-bodied. The upper wings of the male are 
intense shining blue changing to purple or greenish according to the 
light in which it is held, with a heavy black band extending along 
the outer margin and for a short distance along the upper margin 
near the tip of the wing. A large black sex mark is located just 
below the middle of the upper edge of the wing. The lower wings 
are also blue, with a wide black patch at the upper angle and a wide 
band of black shading into greenish gray towards its upper part, on 
the inner margin. There is one long pointed tail on each of the 
lower wings, with a very short one scarcely more than a point 
just above it. Near the base of the long tail is a shining metallic 
greenish spot changing to bronze toward its inner end, and also a 
little spot of the same color near the base of the little tail. The 
head is black, with three silvery dots above and two silvery lines 
along the base of the palpi. The antennae are of the same color; 
the body a brilliant shining blue shading to black toward the tip of 
the abdomen. 
The female is usually larger than the male, and much more sombre 
in coloring. The most striking difference, however, is in the tails or 
delicate prolongation of the lower wings. The upper pair are of 
moderate length, and about what one would expect in a butterfly of 
