402 
LEPIDOPTERA. 
They are laid singly as a rule, a few (e.g., Delias eucharis) laying them in 
rows. The egg hatches, the larva eats the egg shell and commences to 
feed on the living plant tissue. Most are solitary, a few (Pierids) grega¬ 
rious. Nearly all have the usual cylindrical form, tapering a little at head 
and tail; some are fusi-form, short, robustly built and unlike a caterpil¬ 
lar ( Lycoenidce ); others have a conspicuous neck ( Hesperiidce) and in 
some the head is noticeably small (Pieridce). The body is clothed 
with erect spiny processes in many, in others with long procumbent 
appendages, or with long processes on head or anal segment. 
When full-fed the larva pupates openly on the plant; it may simply 
hang by the tail ( Nymphalidce ), or be fixed by the tail with a thread 
round it; in the latter case, it may be horizontal or with the head upwards 
(.Lycanidce ), or hang freely in the loop, head upwards (Pieridce and 
Papilionidce). Finally it may be free in leaves rolled or drawn together 
(Hesperiidce). 
The length of the life-history varies and the number of broods in the 
year differs with the species ; these insects are dependent for their season 
on their foodplant and the caterpillar is found when the young shoots are 
put out or when the young leaves are available. For most this period 
covers the latter half of the rains and two months after, but many breed 
also in the early hot weather, which is the spring for many plants. Two 
to three broods a year is the most usual and the imagos live for long 
periods before they are able to lay eggs. Hibernation takes place in every 
stage even the egg and, in the plains, many hibernate as imagos. The 
relative length of the stages varies according to the stage in which hiber¬ 
nation or a stivation is passed, either of the four being prolonged. The 
imago as a rule is longlived and feeds upon the nectar of flowers. 
In the plains, butterflies are found practically all the year and most 
are two brooded ; there is a brood in July-August, produced by the eggs 
laid in June and a later brood from the butterflies that emerge in August. 
This latter hibernates and may live through the hot weather if its food- 
plant be not available. The student must bear in mind that this does 
not apply to all the plains species, nor to the group as a whole ; some 
plains species breed freely in March-May if their foodplant be available, 
as, for instance, those on irrigated crops or fruit trees ; nor does this apply 
to the abundant hill and forest species; though much is written about 
