820 RHOPALOCERA. 
PREPONA. 
Prepona, Boisduval, Sp. Gén. i. t. 7. £. 13 (1836); Westw. Gen. Diurn. Lep. p. 299. 
This genus contains, according to Mr. Kirby, nineteen species; but the lines of 
demarcation between some of them are drawn with such uncertainty that a closer 
examination of the different species will probably result in a considerable reduction 
of their number. In Central America we only recognize six, three of which reach to 
Guatemala, and one to Mexico. Four of the six species belong also to the southern 
continent. 
All are inhabitants of the hotter forest-region. As might be expected from their 
strong build, these insects have a powerful and rapid flight. 
The subcostal nervure of the primaries emits two branches before the end of the 
cell—the first branch starting from the middle of the costal side of the cell, the third 
branch starts just beyond it, and the upper fork of the subcostal bends rather abruptly 
downwards near the end. The upper discocellular is very short, and directed slightly 
outwards; the middle discocellular is short, and there is an atrophied lower disco- 
cellular which reaches the median nervure beyond the second branch; the secondaries 
have a rudimentary nervule across the cell, which reaches the median nervure at the 
origin of the second branch. There is a narrow prediscoidal cell. The front legs of 
the male have a stout coxa about=femur-+trochanter; tibia<femur; tarsus slightly 
> tibia. Terminal joint of the palpi short, about + middle joint, which is flattened and 
curved and of nearly uniform width throughout. The antenne have about 56 joints 
and terminate in a slender club. The secondary male organs have a tegumen termi- 
nating in a short, slightly depressed point, and in the centre of the anal cavity depending 
from the tegumen is an opaque, transverse strap, the outer edge of which is rounded: the 
harpagones are elliptical lobes, with their outer edges slightly rolled inwards; they are 
turned up at the end and terminate in two spines, below which they have long hairs 
directed outwards. The penis is short, straight, and stout. These organs do not 
suggest any close affinity to any of the genera near to which Prepona is placed. 
a. Tuft near the inner margin of the secondaries in the male black. 
a’. Under surface of wings not divided by a straight black line. 
1. Prepona demophon. 
Papilio demophon, Linn. Mus. Ul. p. 215'; Clerck, Icon. Ins. t. 29. f. 2”. 
Prepona demophon, Bates, Journ. Ent. i. p. 837°; Butl. & Druce, P. Z. 8. 1874, p. 342‘; Aurivill. 
Kongl. Sv. Ak. Handl. xix. no. 5, p. 85’, 
Papilio sisyphus, Cr. Pap. Ex. t. 158. f. C°. 
Potamis superba thalpius, Hiibn. Samml. ex. Schm. i. t. 71°. 
Alis nigris, fascia communi lata maculisque ad finem ejus in costam anticarum viridi-ceruleis; subtus sordide 
argenteo-fuscis fusco nebulosis et lineis variis nigris notatis, linea nigra a costa posticarum fere ad angulum 
