( 60 ) 



Agape Snellen. 



Hupm, Walker (,itc Hubner), Up. Ilel. B. M. II. p. 455 (1854). 



Aqiipe Felder, lieise. Xoeara Lep. II. (1874) {nom. nud.) \ Snellen, Tij/hclir. r. Ent. XXXI. 

 pp. 115. Ill", |18«8;. 



This is a very peculiar genus, and stands iinite isolated amongst the Ilypsids 

 in the absence of the cavity from the forewing and the corresponding patch of 

 scabrous scales from the upperside of the hindwing which are found in the allied 

 genera. Snellen was the first to find this out : Meyrick, Proc. Linn. Soc. N. S. 

 Wales 1886. p. 771, has Agape chlwojyyga (Wik.) under the genus Hypsa, which 

 he characterises intei- alia by the presence of that supposed stridulatory organ ; 

 Hampson has Agape also as a synonym of Hypsa. Agape differs, moreover, in the 

 absence of the costal retinaculum in the male, either sex only having the retina- 

 culum at the median uervure, which is again an exception amongst Aganaidae. The 

 antennae are similar to those of Asota Mb. described on p. 61. The terminal joint 

 of the palpi is shorter than the second joint. Vein 7 of forewings originates from 

 the apex of the areole, or is shortly stalked with 8. 9 ; veins 6 and 7 of the hindwings 

 are shortly stalked or arise from a point. 



To Agape Snellen belong two species, chlm'opyga (Wlk.) and leonina Hutl. ; the 

 other two species which stand in Kirby's Catalogue under Agape, javana Cram, and 

 celeltensis Hopff., have nothing to do with this genus. 



The Moluccan and Australian specimens of A. chloropyga (Wlk.) can generally 

 be distinguished from one another by the shape of the exterior brown spot on 

 the forewings. In our extensive series of clilorojjygn (Wlk.) from (Queensland that 

 spot is round and alwavs well defined ; out of our thirteen specimens from 

 Amboina it is only in one example rounded, in all others it is anguliform or it is 

 so much prolonged as to form a comi)lete band which extends from the costal to 

 inner margin, as descrilied by Snellen, I.e. The two spots lieyond cell are some- 

 times very feebly marked in Jloluccan examples, and on such sjiecimens A. analis 

 Wlk. .seems to be based. 



0{ Agape leonina Butl. there are two males only in the Tring Mu.seum from 

 New Britain, which differ from the male of chloropyga (\Mk.) in the black spots 

 on the thorax being very feeble, and in the two preanal segments of the abdomen 

 being ochreous with bluish lilack basal marks instead of being above entirely 

 blue-black. 



A male specimen from Alu Island, Solomon Islands, captured by Captains Cotton 

 & Welister, has a conij)lete brown transverse band across the basal fourth of the 

 wing, and another band in the apical fourth similar to that of the above-mentioned 

 variety of chloropyga (\\'lk.) ; the spots on the thorax are scarcely traceable under 

 a lens; the s|)ot on the first joint of the palpi is very small and isabella-colour, not 

 black ; the blue-black colour at the bases of the alKlominal segments is reduced, and 

 absent from the preanal segment. 



Another m,<de from Lifu, Loj'alty Islands, is still more different from leonina 

 Butl. The thoracic spots iire entirely obliterated ; the eighth and ninth abdominal 

 segments are alx)ve much more extended bluish black, in fact the upperside of the 

 eighth segment is bluisli black with only the hinder edge yellow. As this Lifu 

 exami)le is, besides, smaller and has broader forewings than leonina, it belongs most 

 probably to a subsjiecies of leonina ; we can, however, not give a name to it until we 

 have more material. I"^- •'■ 



