HESPERIDAE 
172 
Family HESPERIDAE. 
No measurements are given, as the figure is in every instance that of a butterfly of average size. 
OvLnr. Large, opaeiue, in many Australian sj)ecies dome-shaped: sometimes smooth: sometimes ver¬ 
tically ribbed. 
Labva. Elongate, cylindrical or subcjlindrieal. naked: head large_ and hard: ihorax tapering towards 
the head so as to form a long neck. (Fig. L610, L723). 
Pupa. Elongate, cylindrical or subeylindrical, naked: enclosed within a shelter formed b.v drawing 
the leaves of the foodplant together with silken threads. When feeding upon grasses, the lam 
pupate.s verticall.y, and nsuall.v with the head ujjwards, but sometimes [MesocUna) with the head down¬ 
wards. The head of the pupa is provided with a shield or cai), for which we propose the term 
operculum: when the butterfly emerges, this becomes detached from the. juipal skin, and in all 
the species we have examined the operculum is specifically constant and distinct. In .vears to come, 
when the pupae of a gTeater number of species are known, these opereula will form valuable aids to the 
seimration and discrimination of genera, and perhaj)s even of subfamilies. (Fig. P633, P723, P731). 
lifAGO. With six perfect legs in both sexes, often .spined. Of small or moderate size, sombre 
colours and rajjid flight: body very robust: head large: eyes smooth and jnominent: antennae wide apart 
at base, and always ending (in Australian species) with a thickened curved hook: palpi .short, very broad, 
closely pressed against the face, and densely hairy. Forewiug triangular: with twelve veins, all of whieti 
are emitted from the base or from the cell : cell more or less feei)l.v closed. Ilindwing with vein .i 
usually absent: cell more or less feebly closed: vein lb always present: termen often produced at vein 
la, but never (in Australian sjieeies) tailed or toothed. IMales often with a distinct diseal bar of 
specialised scales, and more rarel.y with a costal fold, on forewing above. 
WorhLvide. Australian llesperidae, both as regards species and individuals, are more 
plentitul m the temperate than in the subtropical portions of the continent. This is caused hv a dim¬ 
inution (especially along the coast) as one goes north of the .sjieeies of the subfamily Trapezitinae. 
wiiieli is of Australian origin. Tins diminution is not counterbalanced by tho.se species of the subfamilv 
hrpnnime ^y]wh have spread info Australia by way of Cape T'ork Peninsula, and .are conseniientlv 
more plentiful ni the far north. At sealevel near Sydney 27 sjieeies of ITesperidae are to be found, and 
no less hmi L3 of these belong to the Trapesiliuae : at .sealevel near Cairns the number found is lint '>1 
and includes only two species of Trapezitinae. In the more teinjierate climate of the higher levels of 
Kuranda -Atherton and Herbert on. no less than .70 sjieeies are taken, of which 20 belong to the Trapezi¬ 
tinae and 22 to the Kri/nninae. ^ 
Un w’r the most difficult family of the Buttertlics, and so far it has received the least atteii- 
Lon. Many a temjits at cl.assifieafion have stopjied short at the TTesperidae, or at most have treated that 
tamilv le-5 exhau.stively. In more than one instance the magnitude of the task proved too gi-eat 
* i /T author, whose labours ended before his re.searches among the Eesperuke 
been di’ffirl uf Pa>'«ly ^f the material .available, and the want of siifficiont reliable data have 
and S n«cl * r V ^ the study. Collectors the world over h.ave iiafiirallv exploited the larger 
or af r/ troubling much about the 7/a.spcriV7«c, the butterflies of which, upon the wimr 
or at lest are as a rule singularly inconspicuous. It is only within the last twenty vears that anythin^ 
approaching rejiresentative collections of the TTesperidae have been gathered. 
fron7lTtb?r onissioii of all the veins of the forewin? 
to anvtbinl- PI n prevents the n.se of the venational characters for siibdivisional purjioses 
liuch 1 no nta fo^nilies. We have had to fall hack'upon 
S mn nl b na 1 sexmarks. Tliese minor j.oinfs were but little known lind 
wSl le mi >1 ed I vonsequently many of the earlier descrijKions and figure.s can now 
K Lied r wire H I «P‘'-ies. In cases where no tvpe wa. 
I sole'instm ’‘’i" caidv descriptions are still in doubt. 
Iur v.rd3r of oj.inion which of two or more sneefe the 
species now oppiirn* '• ***'fi T open is fo ap])ly llie name lo the more ahumlant of tlie similar 
E tfuI not indicated, or is of 
(tounriui aceuiaey, the confusion is intensified. 
