Not represented in New Zealand.
IV.—THE PAPILIONINA.
The Papilionina are distinguished by the following characters:—
"Head rough-haired. Ocelli absent. Tongue developed. Antennæ slender, dilated apically, forming a gradual or abrupt club. Labial palpi moderately long, more or less rough-haired, terminal joint rather pointed. Maxillary palpi obsolete. Thorax more or less hairy. Fore-wings with 1b simple, 1c absent, 5 usually from or above middle of transverse vein. Hind-wings without frenulum, 1c absent, 3 and 4 usually connate, 8 rising out of cell near base, rapidly diverging."—(Meyrick.) (See Plate [I]., figs. 7, 8, 15, 16, 25, 26, 27.)
This is one of the most interesting groups of the Lepidoptera. The insects comprised in it are popularly known as butterflies, and from their bright colouring and conspicuous appearance are always favourites with beginners. The Papilionina attain great development in the tropics, especially in South America, where, it is said, a single valley sometimes contains as many species as the whole of Europe. In New Zealand there are only fifteen species of butterflies, the group being extremely poorly represented both here and in the South Pacific Islands.
Formerly the Papilionina was known as the Rhopalocera, and was regarded as constituting a division of equivalent value to the remainder of the Lepidoptera, which was termed the Heterocera. For some time past entomologists have, however, practically abandoned this classification of the order, the Heterocera, or moths, being clearly composed of several groups each of equivalent value to the Rhopalocera, or butterflies. Mr. Meyrick states in his 'Handbook of British Lepidoptera' that the Papilionina "stands rather conspicuously isolated at the present day, but there is little doubt that its origin must be traced to the Thyrididæ, a family of the Pyralidina."
In this group the wings are generally held erect in repose, the under surface of the hind-wings and the apical portion of the under surface of the fore-wings being nearly always protectively coloured, these being portions of the wings exposed to view when the insect is at rest. There is an unusual amount of ornamental colouring on the upper surface. The flight is invariably diurnal. The larva has ten prolegs.
The three following families of Papilionina are represented in New Zealand:—
1. [Nymphalidæ]. 2. [Satyridæ]. 3. [Lycænidæ].