The Fauna of British India, including Ceylon and Burma/Butterflies/Volume 1/Nymphalidæ
Order LEPIDOPTERA.
Suborder PAPILIONINA.
Family NYMPHALIDÆ.
Imago Fore wing: submedian, or vein 1, simple, in one subfamily forked near base; median vein with three branches, veins 2, 3 and 4; veins 5 and 6 arising from the points of junction of the discocellulars; subcostal vein and its continuation beyond apex of cell, vein 7, but more often free, i.e. given off by the subcostal vein before apex of cell. Hind wing: internal (1 a) and precostal veins present. Cell in both wings closed or open, often closed in the fore, open in the hind wing. Dorsal margin of hind wing channelled to receive the abdomen in many of the forms. Antennæ always with two grooves on the underside; club variable in shape. Throughout the family the front pair of legs in the ♂, and with three exceptions[1] in the ♀ also, is reduced in size and functionally impotent; in some the atrophy of the fore legs is considerable, e.g. Danainæ and Satyrinæ. In many of the forms of these subfamilies the fore legs are kept pressed against the underside of the thorax, and are in the male often very inconspicuous.
The Indian forms belonging to the Nymphalidæ can be conveniently be arranged under six subfamilies, a key to which is given below.
Key to the Indian Subfamilies of the Nymphalidæ.
| A. | Discoidal cell in both fore and hind wing closed. |
| a. | Vein 1 in fore wing forked at base . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
Danainæ. |
| b. | Vein 1 in fore wing not forked at base. |
| a1. | Palpi more or less erect, or only obliquely subporrect, not remarkably long, not forming a beak. |
| a2. | Palpi strongly compressed; eyes often hairy, one or more veins in fore wing generally swollen at base; wings as a rule short and broad, hind wing often dentate or caudate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
Satyrinæ. |
| b2. | Palpi not compressed, short, cylindrical, slightly clavate; eyes never hairy; veins never swollen at base; wings always long; hind wing never dentate or caudate. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
Acræinæ. |
| b1. | Palpi porrect, projecting, remarkably long, nearly as long as the thorax, pressed close together forming a beak . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
Libytheinæ. |
| B. Discoidal cell open, or if closed, lower discocellular very slender, inconspicuous[2]. |
| a. | Palpi small, narrow, sharp in front . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
Morphinæ. |
| b. | Palpi large, broad, rounded in front . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
Nymphalinæ. |
This work was published before January 1, 1929, and is in the public domain worldwide because the author died at least 100 years ago.
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