LYC^NID^. 
79 
The larval stage is the most interesting and singular part of the life-history of this Lycae- 
nid, and judging from that it would seem to be very nearly allied to the Australian genus Ogyris. 
A very interesting paper on this genus will be found in the Trans. Ent, Soc. of London for 1905, 
entitled “ A Monograph of the genus Ogyris ,” by George T. Bethune-Baker. Much of the informa¬ 
tion therein regarding the larval habits of Ogyris would apply without alteration to the larva of 
Spindasis lohita. 
The first lot of larvae I reared, bred from eggs or captured between their leaf-shelters on 
the foodplants (where they occasionally seem to remain all day), arrived safely at full growth, ready 
to pupate, when though much distended they seemed soft and flabby and burst at the lightest touch; 
perhaps from the lack of ants to suck away superfluous juices; they all died, as I had kept no ants 
with them. But later I discovered larvae actually inside the nests of the ants, besides pupae, and 
thereafter kept ants with the larvae, which were successfully reared. They are, however, liable to a 
fungoid growth which kills many, especially in the dry season. Apparently only one species of ant 
attends on the larvae, at least in this district; very dark red in colour, almost brown; but all three 
plants mentioned swarm with several kinds of ants, and are attractive to many other creatures, 
notably spiders. During the day the larvae either remain between slightly affixed leaves as before 
observed, or more frequently in the ant-nests; especially in the latter, it would appear, during the 
dry season, when the larval state is long drawn out and the larvae feed very slowly; some of these 
ants’ nests are a fair size, but most of them very small; often made of one leaf with the edges 
turned up and roofed over with felted material, or two or three leaves are employed; very often 
a succession of small nests encircle a slender branch, especially at the junctions of twigs; or they 
envelop a stalk and leaf or berry of the mistletoe—each little nest containing some aphides and ants 
and occasionally a larva or two or three larvae of Spindasis. The ant-nests are made of masticated 
vegetable matter, rather like the l< paper ” of a wasp’s nest, but the material is much thicker and 
coarser. The ants seem to make use of almost anything, however, as my attention was drawn once 
by the peculiar blue tint of some nests; but an old blue rag from some coolie’s raiment was hanging 
close by in the shrub, which had been used to construct the nests. 
The larvae issue forth from their shelters at night to feed, and are constantly attended by 
some of the ants, who often stand on the back of a larva, even when the latter is feeding, journey¬ 
ing to its feeding-ground or returning home, apparently caressing it with the antennae, and seeming 
to extract some juice from between the joints of the chitinous shields and the soft parts of the body; 
but chiefly they excite or irritate the larva by touching the tubulures with antennae and forelegs, 
till the larva puts forth the filaments from the tubes, and the ants then seem to lick up some 
moisture left by the filaments on the edges of the tubes. The larva can extrude the filaments either 
together or independently. Just before pupation the ants seem to tap the larva almost continuous¬ 
ly, and the latter puts forth the filaments frequently and withdraws them more slowly than usual. 
And thus the larvae spend their time till they pupate, which they generally do in one of 
the deserted leaf-nests of the ants; or perhaps the latter kindly vacate their premises on purpose, 
as the nests used for pupation always seem quite new, though I have not found any ants actually 
