THYRIDIA. — 17 
genus Methona. Papilio ilione of Cramer, about which also there is no uncertainty, 
became a member of the genus /éuna. The sole representative left in Hiibner’s genus 
is Papilio psidi of Linneus. It remains to determine what this species is. 
Writers have usually been content to take Cramer’s interpretation of the Linnean 
name; but to get at a correct conclusion Linnzus alone must be his own interpreter. 
Turning to the ‘Museum Ludovice Ulrice,’ we find a reference to Madam Merian’s 
‘Insects of Surinam’ (t. 19); and this we consider to give the best clue to what the 
Linnean species was. It will be observed in this figure that the secondaries possess 
a submarginal row of white spots, pointing exclusively to the insect usually known as 
Thyridia ino, Feld. Hence the type of Thyridia is T. ino (= Papilio psidit of Linnzus). 
Cramer’s figure, as Mr. Bates justly says, appears to us to represent a Methona, not- 
withstanding the opinion of Messrs. Butler and Druce to the contrary; but we disagree 
with Mr. Bates in considering it to be the Linnean species. If Mr. Bates’s view were 
correct, Thyridia themisto, Hiibn., and P. psidii, Linn., would be congeneric, and should 
both be placed in the genus Thyridia, Hiibn., including Methona of Doubleday and 
Hewitson asa synonym. <A new generic name would thus become necessary for Thyridia 
edesia and its allies. This is Mr. Kirby’s view, who proposed the name Aprotopos to 
supply the want. By keeping P. psidiz, Linn., in the genus Thyridia this difficulty is 
obviated. The conclusions we come to are practically the same as those arrived at 
by Messrs. Butler and Druce, though our reasons are not identical. 
Thyridia, as thus interpreted, has a wide range in tropical America, extending from 
Southern Brazil as far north as Nicaragua. Four species are included within this area, 
only one of which occurs in Central America. 
1. Thyridia melantho. (Tab. I. fig. 4.) 
Thyridia melantho, Bates, Ent. M. Mag. i. p. 50 (1866)'; Butl. & Druce, P. Z. 8. 1874, p. 331%. 
Aprotopos melantho, Kirby, Cat. p. 20°. 
Alis anticis nigris, maculis duabus intra cellulam, proxima indistincta, macula subapicali venis divisa, altera 
submarginali subrotunda inter ramos medianos secundum et tertium et una subquadrata ad angulum 
analem ochraceis; posticis fulvis nigro marginatis, puncto ad terminum cellule nigro: subtus, velut 
supra, margine serie punctorum minutorum alborum notato. 
Hab. Nicaragua, Chontales (Belt, Janson); Costa Rica (Van Patten?); Panama, 
Chiriqui (Arcé, Zahn), Lion-Hill station (J/‘Leannan’). 
This species was originally described from a single specimen sent us by the late 
James M‘Leannan from his station on the Panama railway. As no other example has 
reached us from the same locality, it would appear that this point is probably near 
the southern limit of the range of the species. None of Arcé’s collections formed in 
the vicinity of Santiago de Veraguas contained examples; but numerous specimens 
have been sent from the Pacific slope of the Volcano of Chiriqui; and from this 
BIOL. CENT.-AMER., Rhopal., Vol. 1, Sept. 1879. D 
