(Lycæna phœbe, Murray, Ent. Mo. Mag., 1873, 107.)

(Plate [XII]., fig. 10, 11 under side.)

This little butterfly is extremely abundant in the neighbourhood of Nelson. I have also taken it in plenty in several localities in the Wellington district, and suspect it is common throughout the North Island. In other parts of the South Island its place appears to be taken by L. oxleyi.

The expansion of the wings of the male is 1 inch, of the female ⅞ inch. On the upper side all the wings are pale blue, broadly bordered with dull brown. The cilia are white, faintly barred with brownish. On the under side all the wings, are pale slaty-grey. There is a faint blackish spot, edged with white, near the middle of the fore-wings, and two rows of similar spots near the termen. The hind-wings have several very faint white-edged spots near the base, a row near the middle, and another row almost entirely white near the termen.

The perfect insect frequents waste grounds and sandhills, generally beside roads and river-beds, and when found is usually very common. It is on the wing from the beginning of October until the end of March.

LYCÆNA OXLEYI, Feld.

(Lycæna oxleyi, Felder, Reise de Novara Lep. ii., 280, pl. 35, fig. 6, 1865.)

(Plate [XII]., fig. 12 under side.)

According to Mr. Enys[[58]] this butterfly is common in both islands. I have taken specimens in the Canterbury and Nelson districts.

On the upper side this species can only be distinguished from the preceding by its somewhat brighter colour, and by the cilia which are more sharply barred with brown. On the under side the whole of the fore-wings, and the central portions of the hind-wings between the outer and inner series of spots, are much darker and browner than in L. phœbe; the spots themselves are also considerably darker, and the central series of the hind-wings is almost black. A careful examination, however, shows that the markings are practically identical in both species, although of different degrees of intensity. In view of the great variability, which many species of this genus are known to exhibit in other countries, I am inclined to think that this butterfly's claim to specific distinction is a very slender one.