THTMELE. 311 



THYMELE. 



Thymele, Pabricius, in 111. Mag. f. lnsekt. vi. p. 287 (1807) (partim) ; Wats. P. Z. S. 1893, p. 26. 



This genus very closely resembles Telegonus, but the males may always be recognized 

 by the presence of a costal fold to the primaries. The antennae have a slender club, 

 and the tapering end is doubled abruptly back just beyond the thickest part. The 

 terminal joint of the palpi is short and projects slightly beyond the thickly-set scales of 

 the second joint. The cell of the primaries is about two-thirds as long as the wing ; the 

 upper discocellular is very short, the middle and lower discocellulars subequal in an 

 oblique line to the axis of the wing ; the first median segment is about one-third the 

 second, and about the same length as the third segment, from which proceeds a recurrent 

 nervule a little beyond the middle. The secondaries are slightly produced at the anal 

 angle; the middle and upper discocellulars are very slender; the second median branch 

 is emitted just before and the subcostal branch a long way before the end of the cell. 

 The hind tibiae have two pairs of spurs and a well-developed dorsal crest of hairs. 



T. fulgerator is considered by recent writers the type of Thymele, though Fabricius 

 placed a variety of species under this generic name. 



The genus is purely Neotropical, and none of the species pass beyond the Mexican 

 State of Vera Cruz. 



a. Third median segment of the secondaries very short. 

 a'. Primaries with a transverse diaphanous band. 



1. Thymele fulgerator. (Tab. LXXVlll. fig. l.) 



Papilio fulgerator, Walch, Naturf. vii. p. 115, t.l.ffja^ 1 ; Cram. Pap. Ex. t. 284. ff. A, B\ 



Telegonus fulgurator, Butl. & Druce, P. Z. S. 1874, p. 366 3 . 



Hesperia mercatus, Pabr. Ent. Syst. iii. p. 332 4 . 



Eudamus mercatus, Pldtz, Stett. ent. Zeit. 1881, p. 502 \ 



Papilio fulminator, Sepp, Surin. Vlind. i. t. 34 e . 



Eudamus misitra, Plotz, Stett. ent. Zeit. 1881, p. 502 7 ? 



Alis fusco-nigris ad basin cum capite et thorace nitide viridi-cyaneis ; anticis fascia mediana transversa venis 

 sexpartita et punctis quatuor subapicalibus semihyalinis : subtus fuscis ; anticis ad basin nigricantioribus, 

 costse parte basali viridi-cyanea ; posticis costae dimidio basali albo, fasciis duabus indistinctis fuseis, una 

 discali altera cellulari ; palpis et tborace infra ochraceis, bis pallidioribus ; abdomine nigricante ; plica 

 costali obvia. 



5 mari similis; anticis latioribus, posticis minus elongatis, fascia mediana anticarum subtus ad angulum 

 analem albo terminata. 



Hob. Mexico 7 , Tampico (Richardson), Misantla (F. I). G.), Cordova (lloge), Atoyac, 

 Dos Arroyos, Teapa (H. H. Smith), Putla (Rebouch) ; British Honduras, Corosal (Roe) ; 

 Guatemala, Forests of Northern Vera Paz, Polochic and Chisoy Valleys, Buenas 

 (F. D. G. & 0. S.), Cubilguitz, Chiacam, Panima, Las Mercedes, Zapote (Champion) ; 

 Nicaragua, Chontales (Belt, Janson) ; Costa Eica, ( Van Patten 3 ), Eio Sucio, Cache 



