468 



DESC'RIPTJONS OF NEW FORMS OF BUTTERFLIES FROM THE 



SOUTH PACIFIC. 



Br G. A. Watebhouse, B.Sc, B.E., F.E.S. 



For some time past 1 have been receiving bvitterflies from the islands of the 

 South Pacitic, and amongst them there have been many new records and several 

 new races The pur])ose of this paper is to record the more impoi-tant of these, 

 particularly as my friend Mr. H. W. Siminonds has succeeded in capturing, in 

 Piji, some species of liigh interest. In the Transactions of the Entomological 

 Society of London, 1004, I gave an account of some collections from Fiji, and 

 Fruhstorfer, in Stett. ent. Zeit., 1902, also gives a list from the same islands, 

 ■whilst in the Proceeding's of the Zoological Society of London. 1892. Mr. H. H. 

 Druce gives a list of the Liicaeniflne of the South Pacific. Besides the new races 

 described below. Mv. Siunuonds was aide to caiitui'c the rare Eidrpix caphinitls 

 Hew. 



XVMPHALINWE. 



Ridepis pyrrlnis libcrins, n. subsp. 



?. Above, this race differs from sempraiiius in l)eing paler and the orange 

 tornal patch of the liimlwing is not so prominent. 



Beneatli, the forewing is paler, the dark l)ar across nuddle of cell is narrower. 

 In tlie hindwing the central white area is larger, the three, red-brown, crescent- 

 shaped spots towards the tornus are much smaller, the black sulitcrminal spots 

 are faint and the orange-brown terminal line is very pale. 



7/«6.— Lord Howe Is., Feb., 1915. One female. 



When T received this sjiecimen, I at once recognised that a distinct race in- 

 habited the island, being nnich palea' above and the markings beneath being 

 obscure. Its chief difference is the great reduction of the dark subterminal spots 

 of the hindwing lieiieath. There are two other specimens recorded from the island, 

 but they seem to have been lost. The late Mr. Geo. "Masters, who !i:id seen 

 tliese specimens, ahv.-iys considered they were different from sfiii /iriiniii.'i. 



Hypolimnas hiDpimita. n.sp. 



(S. .\}>ovp. Forewing- rich black; a broad disi'al liand l)eyond <'ell, from 

 oosta to vein 3, white margined with iridescent purple; a band of four subapical 

 spots, white; sometimes two small discal white spots below vein 3. Cilia white, 

 at veins black. Hindwing rich black; a very large central spot, iridescent 

 purple. Cilia white, at veins black. 



Be)irath. Forewing red-brown; tornus shading to l)lack; markings :is ;d)ove 

 but wliite liaiid not margineil |inrple; lowest, nf suba])ical spots and two towards 



