the Crimson-winged Butterfly, _C. cydippe_, is not an uncommon insect
in North Queensland frequenting the clearings on the edge of the scrub;
it measures 3½ inches across the large rounded wings, the hind margin
of the second pair being deeply scalloped; the central portion of both
surrounding the body is bright red, the outer deep purple, with white
markings toward the tips of the front pair; and the under surface of
both is barred and spotted. _Cynthia ada_, ranging from Brisbane to
Thursday Island, is a large light ochreous yellow butterfly, with a
dark line diagonally crossing both wings from the middle of the fore
pair to the level of the tip of the body; a double band of crenulated
markings encircle the wings; and there are a pair of eye spots on the
hind ones. _Cupha prosope_ is the representative of another northern
genus ranging from the Richmond River N.S.W. to Thursday Island. It is
a medium sized butterfly with dark orange coloured wings, the front
pair tipped and edged with black; all the under-surface is pale orange
yellow, mottled and barred, with a row of eye spots round the edge of
the wings. The Australian Fritillary, _Argynnis inconstans_, measures
about 3 inches across the wings; it is of a uniform dull yellow colour
with a double row of black spots along the edge of the wings, with the
inner portion covered with an irregular pattern of spots and dashes.
It is common along the cleared tracks in the Queensland jungle, and
has been recorded from as far south as Hunter River, N.S. Wales.
_Pyrameis kershawi_, figured and described by McCoy from Victoria, is
found throughout Australia, and is so closely related to the “Painted
Lady,” _P. cardui_, of Europe, that it was until lately only considered
a variety. It measures under 2 inches across the wings; its general
colour is dull brown mottled and barred with black and white. The
larvae feed upon “everlastings” (_Heliochrysum_) and the introduced
cape weed; they are slender brown creatures covered with black spines,
and the chrysalis suspended by the tail is marked with shining golden
spots. _P. itea_, slightly larger than the previous species, has the
edges of both pairs of wings scalloped; the fore wings are black, each
with three small yellow spots at the tip, and a large elongated patch
crossing through the centre, with the inner portions of both pairs
bright ferruginous brown, and a row of four small black eyes on the
hind wings. The slender spiny caterpillars feed upon the foliage of
nettles. The angulated chrysalis is often marked with golden spots.
The Genus _Junonia_ contains two common butterflies, one _J. villida_
found all over Australia; it measures about 2 inches across the wings
and is of a general brown tint edged with delicate white and grey
markings, and ornamented with a pair of eyes on each wing ringed with
yellow. It has a curious habit of flying along the track in front of
one, settling on the ground, then flitting ahead again. The cylindrical
somewhat stout larva is blackish brown, spined behind the head and
clothed with fine hairs; it feeds upon rib grass (plantains). The
short stout chrysalis is light brown marked with darker spots. _J.
albi-cincta_ does not come south of Brisbane; it is about the same
size, with the eyes upon the wings smaller, and the hind wings mauve,
giving out a bright metallic sheen. The Brown Leaf-winged Butterfly,
_Doleschallia australis_, is nearly 3 inches across the wings, which
are elongated and oval in form, with the tip of the hind pair produced
into a tail; the upper surface is dull reddish brown with yellow in
the centre, while the under surface is greyish brown mottled with wavy
lines, with a central larger bar crossing the centre and running out
into the tail. It flits about in the undergrowth, a conspicuous insect
when on the wing, but the moment it settles and folds its wings over
its back, it is lost to sight, for its leaf-like wings, when closed
with the tail forming a stalk, so closely resemble the foliage, that
while it remains at rest it is very difficult to detect. It ranges
from the Richmond River to North Queensland. The Blue-eyed Butterfly,
_Hypolimnas bolina_, ranges from Cape York to Sydney, but is a rare
insect about the latter place. It differs in the sexes both in size
and markings; the male is rich velvety black; has both wings deeply
scalloped, a double white spot towards the tip of each, with a blotch
of opaline white in the centre encircled with iridescent violet blue.
The play of colour in this beautiful butterfly flashing about in the
bright sunlight with its ever changing tints of blue and black, makes
it one of our most striking species. The female is somewhat larger;
has the central markings on the fore wings more elongated and lighter
coloured, with a blotch of fulvous red below it; the hind wings are
much whiter in the centre and are only slightly clouded with blue.
_Neptis shepherdi_, ranging from Brisbane to Cape York, has the typical
delicate black wings spotted and striped with white. The Tailed
Emperor, _Charaxes sempronius_, is our sole representative of the
genus, the home of which is Africa and the East Indies; it is nearly 4
inches across the wings, the inner portions of which are creamy white,
the outer edges, tips and margins black, and with a row of creamy spots
along the edges and two spots behind. The marginal black edging on the
hind wings is broad, shaded on either side with pale blue, which covers
the broad scallops in the wings; there are two stout wedge-shaped
tails on each hind wing, and a bright reddish-yellow blotch on each
inner edge. The larva is a very curious, short, stout, pale green
caterpillar, with a slightly forked tail, and four short stout horns
on the top of the head; it feeds upon the foliage of the black wattle.
This species ranges from Sydney to Derby, N.W. Australia, where I took
a specimen upon a baobab tree which is now in the Macleay Museum;
Waterhouse gives Cairns, Q., as its northern limit, but this gives it a
much extended range.
* * * * *
The SATYRINAE are chiefly small butterflies, black, brown, or sometimes
white, generally marked with eye spots, and the wings are rounded. The
larvae feed upon different grasses, and are smooth or clothed with fine
short hair: the head is round; and the body tapers to each extremity,
and ends in a forked tail.
The Genus _Mycalesis_ contains five species; they are all reddish-brown
butterflies of small size, that flit about in open forest country, of
which _Mycalesis terminus_ is a very good type: it measures 1½ inches
across its dull, rusty red wings, which are indistinctly marbled, and
darkest at the tips; the edges of the hind pair are marked with fine
black lines. On each wing are a pair of small eyes, the hind one on
each wing being largest; these also show on the under surface, and
those on the hind wings are encircled with silvery lines. It is a
northern species found along the coast of North Queensland. _Tisiphone
abeona_ is a common species in Victoria and on the eastern coast of
N.S. Wales, usually found flitting along damp gullies, never flying
high or in open country. It measures about 2½ inches across the wings,
and is of a uniform dark brown tint: the front wings are ornamented
with two eyes, the first smallest; a broad irregular band of yellow
bisects the wings about the middle, crossing behind the eyes; the hind
wings are plain, with a small eye on the inner margin, and are slightly
scalloped round the edges. The delicate green caterpillar has a small
rounded head; it is broadest in the centre, tapering to the head and
forked anal extremity. It feeds upon the sedges. The chrysalis is of
a delicate emerald green tint, with the edges of the wings outlined
in yellow. _Ypthima arctous_ ranges from Sydney to Cape York; it is a
small, dull brown insect with a very large eye on the tips of the fore
wings, and a very small one on the hind pair.
The Genus _Heteronympha_ contains seven species, all of which have a
wide range along the coast; the Yellow Wood Nymph, _H. merope_, being
one of the commonest in all open forest country from Tasmania to
Brisbane; it is remarkable from the fact that the sexes differ both in
size and markings. The male measures 2½ inches across the wings, which
are of a general dull tawny yellow colour mottled with black and brown,
the fore pair in a scroll-like pattern, the hind ones only barred
along the edges and slightly touched with black. The female, ½ an
inch broader, has the greater part of the fore wings black, enclosing
two yellow patches fading into tawny yellow toward the basal portion,
and with a large yellow angular blotch standing out on the posterior
sides; each wing in both sexes has a small eye towards the tip. The
dull brown larvae feed upon various grasses, and hide close to the
roots. The chrysalis is not attached to the food plant, but rests in a
frail network on the ground. _H. mirifica_, found between Sydney and
Brisbane, is about the same size as the female of the last species; it
also haunts sheltered country. It is of a uniform, blackish brown tint
with small eye spots and a broad irregular white stripe across the
middle of the fore wings.
The Genus _Xenica_ is peculiar to Australia; it contains nine species,
four of which are confined to Tasmania, several being found only on
the higher portion of the mountain ranges. They are all small, tawny
yellow or reddish brown butterflies of small size, spotted and mottled
with brown, and have small eyes upon the tips of the wings. _Xenica
achanta_, one of the largest, measures about 2 inches across the wings,
and is of a uniform dark orange yellow, with the apical portion of the
fore wings marbled with dark brown; the hind pair are regularly mottled
all over; and the margins of both are edged with two fine black lines;
it ranges from S. Australia to Queensland. Several smaller species have
been described from the Australian Alps. _X. correae_, described by
Olliff from Mt. Kosciusko, feeds upon the native fuschia: _X. fulva_,
also described by Olliff, is the male of this species.
Family 2. Horned Butterflies.
LIBYTHEIDAE.
This family contains only a single genus, representatives of which
are found scattered over all the warmer parts of the world, but the
largest and most brightly coloured forms are found in New Guinea. They
are remarkable for the formation of the palpi, which, standing out in
front like a beak, are four times the length of the head; the wings are
angulated, and the pupa hangs by the tip of the abdomen. One species,
_Libythea nicevillei_, ranging from Port Moresby across to Cape
York, represents the family in Australia.
This group appears to form a connecting link between the Nymphalidae on
the one hand, and the Lycaenidae on the other.
Family 3. The Blues.
LYCAENIDAE.
The “blues,” “coppers,” or “hair-streaks” are so named on account of
their rich colourations or wavy markings on the under side of the
wings. Though often passed over by the ordinary collector because of
their small size, they are much sought after by lepidopterists for
their beauty and bright metallic tints. Their bodies are slender, and
the wings somewhat fragile; though they can fly well, they usually
prefer to flit about the bushes and sheltered gullies, and when they
settle have the habit of folding their wings in an erect position above
the body, so that unless disturbed they are not very noticeable. The
prevailing colours are metallic blue, or coppery red, with eyes upon
the wings in some groups, while others are ornamented with dainty
feathery tails, or lobes upon the hind wings. The colours and markings
of the sexes often differ in the same species on the upper surface, but
always correspond on the under-side. The legs are more developed than
in the Nymphalidae, the tarsi of the male somewhat aborted, but that of
the female complete. The larvae are curious, short, slug-like, greasy
grubs, dull brown or green; some of them are gregarious, clinging to
the twigs by day and feeding at night. The pupae are attached to the
twig by the tip of the abdomen and girthed with a silken thread round
the middle.
In Miskin’s Catalogue 110 species were given under 18 genera; in
Waterhouse’s list 114 species are recorded, divided into 31 genera.
Waterhouse has monographed this family, where descriptions of all
the known Australian species will be found (Pro. Linn. Soc. N.S.W.
1902–1903). A number are rare and restricted in their range, and many
are confined to the rich tropical scrubs of North Queensland. The Genus
_Danis_ contains six species, most of which are confined to North
Queensland; _Danis taygetus_ is a very distinctive little butterfly,
common in the Queensland scrubs, and extending as far south as the
Richmond River, N.S.W. The male has the fore wings pale violet blue,
with the centre of the hind ones white, the edges of both pairs black;
in the female both pairs are marked with white with a faint shade of
blue; on the under surface the centres of the wings are white edged
with black, with a broad band of bright metallic blue occupying the
lower half of the hind pair encircling a row of black spots. The Genus
_Miletus_ contains fifteen species: _M. delicia_ has the upper surface
brownish black, with the base of the fore and centre of hind wings
pale metallic blue; the under side is dull yellowish brown, variegated
with angulated blotches or spots forming bands round the wings and
a parallel stripe across the front of the fore pair. This butterfly
ranges from Victoria to Queensland. _M. ignita_ has a very wide range
over the southern parts of Australia into Queensland; it was figured
and described by Leach in 1817. _Candalides absimilis_ is a medium
sized insect; the male has the upper surface dull blue with the
edges fringed with white; the female is dark brown with an oval patch
of white in the centre of both wings and metallic tints round the
body; the under surface is pale bluish white marked with fine wavy
lines round the wings. It is found from Victoria well into Northern
Queensland. _Polyommatus boeticus_ has had many names, for not only has
it a very wide distribution over Australia, but it extends over Asia,
Africa, and Europe. It is of a uniform brown tint; has the centre of
both wings shaded with pale metallic blue; the hind one terminates in
a fine slender tail, with two eye spots at the base; the under side is
creamy white with slate grey lines and eye spots touched with blue.
[Illustration: Plate XX.--LEPIDOPTERA.
Family PIERIDAE.
1. _Terias hecabe_ (Fabr.).
Family PAPILIONIDAE.
2. _Papilio sthenelus_ (Macl.).
Family NYMPHALIDAE.
3. _Junonia albi-cincta_ (Butler).
5. _Pyrameis itea_ (Fabr.).
6. _Pyrameis cardui_ (Linn.).
7. _Danais petilia_ (Stoll.).
Family HESPERIDAE.
4. _Trepezites symmomous_ (Hubn.).
Family LYCAENIDAE.
8. _Chrysophanus aenea_ (Miskin).]
[Illustration: _Plate XX.--LEPIDOPTERA._]
_Lucia lucanus_, one of the smaller forms, has all the upper surface of
a dull ochreous tint, with the centres of the fore wings pale yellow. A
fine fringe of hair-like scales of alternate tufts of black and white
gives it a delicate pencilled appearance; the under surface is mottled
and brownish, the white of the fore wings showing through. It has a
wide range from South Australia to Mackay, Queensland, and is common
about Sydney. _L. pyrodiscus_ has the upper surface black, with the
centre of the fore wings and the greater part of the hind ones dull
red. The whole of the under surface is purplish and finely marbled with
a very fine tail on the outer edge of the hind pair. It ranges from
Victoria to N. Queensland.
The Genus _Ogyris_ contains eleven species, most of which are recorded
from the southern portion of Australia. _Ogyris abrota_ has the upper
surface dark brown with a patch of pale metallic green in the centre
of each fore wing; the hind pair are all brown and scalloped along the
edges; the under side is pale creamy white mottled with wavy lines. The
larva feeds upon the foliage of _Loranthus_; it measures about an inch
in length; is of a uniform dark yellowish brown, with the upper surface
rough, clothed with fine bristles; they feed at night, and pupate in
the usual manner of all members of this family.
The Genus _Ialmenus_ contains eight species, among them several of our
best known “Blues”: _Ialmenus evagorus_ ranges from South Australia
into Southern Queensland, and was figured by Donovan in his “Insects
of New Holland” in 1805. It is described by Olliff under the name of
the “Imperial Blue,” but I would suggest that the “Black-wattle Blue”
would be a much more distinctive name, for all along the coast the
short, dull green, slug-like grubs may be met with, congregated in
little groups clinging to the twigs of this wattle. Hundreds of ants
are always swarming over them attracted by the secretion they discharge
from glands on the back.
[Illustration: =Figs. 107= and =108=.--Wattle
Butterflies.
107. _Ialmenus ictinus_ (Hewitson).
The Inland Wattle Butterfly.
108. _Ialmenus evagorus_ (Donovan).
The Coastal Wattle Butterfly.]
The presence of ants is probably of great value to the larvae, for
they keep parasitic insects and birds from molesting them. When full
grown they sling themselves to the twigs to pupate, and are often so
numerous that the branches are covered with pupae hanging like bunches
of grapes. The butterfly measures nearly 2 inches across the wings,
which on the upper surface are black on the margin, with the rest pale
metallic blue shading into white in the centre; the hind pair are
scalloped and produced into fine feathery tails with spots of dark
orange yellow at the base; the under side is pearly grey, banded and
spotted with black. _I. ictinus_, with identical habits, about the
same size, takes the place of this species in the inland districts.
_Pseudalmenus myrsilus_ is a handsome little butterfly with the centres
of the wings deep orange divided with dark nervures, and the hind
pair with long black tails; it is found from Tasmania to the southern
districts of N.S. Wales. The last species of this family, _Liphyra
brassolis_, is only found in North Queensland; its larvae live and
pupate in the arboreal nests of the “Green Tree-ants.” An interesting
account of the life history of this butterfly is given by Dodd in the
“Entomologist” 1902.
Family 4. The Whites and Yellows.
PIERIDAE.
The members of this family are popularly known as “Whites” and
“Yellows” on account of their prevailing colours. Both sexes have six
perfect legs, and are butterflies of moderate size, with the hind wings
rarely crenulated or produced into tails. Their larvae are slender,
hairy caterpillars with small heads, and are often gregarious in their
habits; the pupae are sharply angulated to each extremity, attached
both by the tail, and a silken girdle round the body of their food
plant.
In Miskin’s Catalogue 34 species are listed, contained in 7 genera;
Waterhouse reduces them to 31 species, and discards several well-known
genera.
The Genus _Terias_ contains all the small “Yellows,” which are low
flitting, dainty, little butterflies found in the tropical jungle, but
equally at home in the far western scrubs and open forest land. _Terias
smilax_, our smallest species, is common about Sydney, and has a wide
range both north and south from Adelaide to Rockhampton. It is bright
yellow, with the black markings in the fore wings extending to the tips
of the hind pair. The Mottled Yellow, _T. hecabe_, is much larger than
the last; is of a bright yellow colour with the black markings coming
round to the edge of the hind wing and swelling out into a rounded
patch; the hind wings are lightly edged with black, and on the under
side are thickly mottled with yellowish brown spots. It extends from
Sydney to Queensland, and has a wide range out northward and eastward
among the islands.
The Genus _Elodina_ contains several small, pearly white butterflies,
with wings edged with black. The small white, _Elodina angulipennis_,
is found about Sydney, ranging as far north as Mackay, Queensland. Our
common white butterfly known under the name of _Pieris teutonia_, and
the sole representative of that well defined genus, has been recently
identified as _Belenois java_, and as Sparrman described it some few
years before Fabricius, this well-known name will unfortunately have to
give way. This butterfly has a wide range over Australia, especially in
the interior, where several native shrubs belonging to the _Capparidae_
are plentiful; upon these the slender brown and yellow caterpillars
feed. This is the species that sometimes comes flying over the eastern
coast in immense swarms. It measures 2½ inches across the wings, and
is black and white on the upper surface, with the under portion more
mottled with black and canary yellow. It ranges from Australia to
Fiji, Tonga, and the Malay Archipelago. The smaller Whites, which have
the under side of the hind wings of a more uniform yellow tint, are
represented by _Appias (Tachyris) ega_, first described by Boisduval in
1836; it has an extended range from Victoria to Cape York, Queensland.
The typical Genus _Delias_ is represented in Australia by 8 species,
three of which can be collected from Sydney to Cape York, and two
others from South Australia northward. The Painted Delias, _D.
harpalyce_, first figured by Donovan in 1805, measures 3 inches across
the wings, which on the upper surface are creamy white, broadly
margined on the apical half with black, the fore pair banded with a
row of white spots; on the under surface the white markings above are
much broader, and the hind wings are blotched with a bright red band
surrounded with black but lined with white. The larvae feed upon the
native mistletoe (_Loranthus_) which grows upon the she-oaks, and are
slender, dark coloured caterpillars covered with fine hairs. They are
gregarious in their habits, often 20 to 30 in a family, and not only do
they keep together when feeding, but they spin a curious web over the
denuded twigs of their food plant to which they attach themselves when
pupating. The pupa is dark brown, slightly over 1 inch in length, armed
with short black spines along the sides of the body, and the front of
the head is furnished with a curious two-pronged fork.
The Tinted Delias, _D. argenthona_, is a Queensland species, with the
outer half of the hind wings on the under surface black, enclosing a
number of bright red blotches; while on the hind wings of the Striped
Delias, _D. mysis_, the red forms a continuous broad curved band round
the tips. In the Yellow-tinted Delias, _D. aganippe_, the wings of
the male on the upper surface are creamy white, while those of the
female are tinged with yellow, and the black extends further into the
wing; on the under surface both sexes have the wings blackish, mottled
with large white blotches, and yellow markings; a patch of bright red
on the shoulders; and with a row of rounded spots of the same colour
running round the hind wings. The larvae feed upon the foliage of
_Loranthus_. The Dusky Delias, _D. nigrina_, generally flies high, and
is not so easily caught; it has an extended range from Sydney to North
Queensland; the upper surface is of the usual colour, but the whole of
the under surface of the wings is dull black washed with grey; there is
a band of yellow on the fore pair, and the hind pair is marked with
the same colour and a horse-shoe band of red. The larvae when full
grown are almost black spotted with yellow, and with fine white hairs;
they are gregarious and also feed upon the _Loranthus_.
_Catopsilia (Callidyras) pomona_ is a large light butterfly, with the
upper surface creamy white tinged with yellow, and with dusky spots
toward the tips of the wings; all the under surface is dull yellow,
with a few white spots, and with pale purple markings, forming a darker
patch in the centre of each wing. It is found from Sydney northward
through the Malay Peninsula, and into Ceylon.
Family 5. Swallow Tails.
PAPILIONIDAE.
The members of this group of butterflies are popularly known as
“Swallow Tails” from the peculiar structure of the hind wings of the
typical species, which are produced at the tips into spatulate lobes or
tails; though in a large number these tails are wanting. They are all
furnished with well developed legs; antennae distinctly clubbed; and
the pupae are attached both by the tip of the body and a silken girdle.
In this family many of the largest and most beautiful insects in the
world are congregated.
The Bird-winged Butterflies (_Ornithoptera_) are represented by
three more or less distinct species from the mainland, and a fourth
from Darnley Island. _O. richmondia_, typical of the group, is the
southern form, ranging from the Richmond River, N.S.W., into Southern
Queensland. The smaller male measures about 6 inches across the wings,
which are rich velvety black, with a bright green stripe along the
front of the fore wings; the whole of the body is golden; and the hind
wings except the black margins and four black spots are of a slightly
brighter tint. The large female is of a uniform dark blackish brown
with white markings on the wings. _O. (cassandra) euphorion_, found
from Mackay to Cairns, N.Q., is somewhat larger, with a second stripe
of green on the fore wings, and a row of golden spots on the hind pair.
The large black caterpillars have short black fleshy spines along the
sides of the body, with the front ones bright red.
Rippon has recently monographed the Ornithoptera, and places
our species in the Genus _Troides_, but I prefer to retain the
original name, under which our species are so well known. The Genus
_Papilio_ contains 18 species in Miskin’s Catalogue, reduced to 15
in Waterhouse’s list, many of them with a very wide range. _Papilio
sarpedon_ is common in Sydney gardens, and extends away up the coast
to India and Ceylon. Olliff called it the “Wanderer” from its rapid
restless flight. It is of a general black colour, with sharp angular
fore wings, and rounded crenulated hind wings coming to a blunt
finger-like tail at the tips. The centre of both pairs of wings is pale
green forming a broad elongate stripe, widest in the centre, and with a
row of fine crescent-shaped spots down the sides of the hind pair. The
larvae are short, green, slug-like creatures with a patch of yellow on
the back; they feed upon the foliage of the camphor laurel.
The Black Orchard Butterfly, _Papilio erectheus_ (now known as _P.
aegeus_), is a larger black insect with an irregular band of white
crossing the tips of the fore wings; the centre of each hind one is
occupied by a rounded mauve patch; the edges are crenulated, tipped
with white, and have a red eye-like spot on the inner margin. The
female is much larger; has the inner portion of the fore wings black,
but the outer portions dusky white; the hind wings are black at the
base, banded with white shaded with black, and have a row of red spots
round the margins. The mottled orange green larva is furnished with a
broad head, from which shoot out a pair of retractile fleshy horns when
touched, at the same time giving off a musky scent. They feed upon the
foliage of orange trees, and when numerous are a nuisance in the plant
nurseries. The larvae of Macleay’s butterfly (_Papilio macleayanus_)
feed upon the foliage of the Sassafras in the Illawarra district, and
range from Tasmania to Cairns N.Q. The butterfly is somewhat after the
same slender shape as _P. sarpedon_, but has the hind wings produced
into slender swallow tails. The portion of the wings surrounding the
body is pale green, the outer parts black, with three small green
patches toward the front of the fore pair, and a row of small spots
along the lower edges of the hind pair.
The Imperial Swallow Tail, _Papilio ulysses_, measures 5 inches across
the wings, which are rich metallic blue margined with deep velvety
black, and are produced into long swallow tails behind. It is found
in the tropical scrubs of North Queensland ranging up into the Malay
Archipelago, and for shape and colour is one of the most beautiful
butterflies in the world, but should be seen in its native haunts
to fully admire its beauty as it goes floating through the tropical
brushes.
[Illustration: Plate XXI.--LEPIDOPTERA.
Family NYMPHALIDAE.
1. _Heteronympha merope_ (Fabr.). ♂.
2. _Heteronympha merope_ (Fabr.). ♀.
3. _Danais hamata_ (Macl.).
4. _Cethosia cydippe_ (Linn.).
(Original photo. Burton.)]
[Illustration: _Plate XXI.--LEPIDOPTERA._]
The last of this genus I shall notice is the very distinct yellow
and black butterfly, _Papilio sthenelus_, which has a wide
range from South Australia to Queensland, and is one of the very few
large butterflies found far inland. The Painted Gauzewing, _Eurycus
cressida_, is a rare species in N.S. Wales, though recorded from as far
south as Sydney, but is abundant in the tropical northern scrubs. The
male has the fore wings denuded of scales and semitransparent, with the
shoulders and two spots in the front black; the hind ones are black
mottled with white and red, the latter colour also on the sides of the
thorax and tip of the abdomen. The female is smaller, of a dull brown
colour, with semitransparent wings, looking very much like a small
rubbed specimen of the male; the amateur collector generally discards
them under that impression.
Family 6. Skippers.
HESPERIDAE.