CONSTANTINOPLE AND SYRIAN BUTTERFLIES. 139 



Constantinople and Syrian Butterflies. Corrections and Additions. 



By P. P. GRAVES, F.E.S. 



Hesperia armoricanus, Oberthur, AT Constantinople. — After 

 seeing the figures of HeHjieria armoricanus, Obth., in M. Ch. Oberthiir's 

 Fourth Volume of the Etudes de Lepidopterolof/ie (Jomparee and in the 

 last number of the Bulletin of the Geneva Lepidopterological Society, 

 I began to suspect that the Hesperia which I somewhat doubt- 

 fully described as H. alveus in the Ent. Rec, vol. xxiv., p. 12, was 

 really H. ariiioricanus. Nine specimens taken between May and 

 September, and sent by me to Dr. T. A. Chapman, F.E.S. , for 

 examination of the genitalia, i.e., 40 per cent, of my series, prove to 

 be ]L ariiioricanus. I believe all, or nearly all, my '•^alveus" to be 

 the newly-discovered, or, rather, newly separated species. H. armori- 

 canus would seem to be double, or perhaps triple-brooded here. I 

 have taken specimens from May to October, as recorded in the Ent. 

 Bee, vol. xxiii., p. 317. 



Ageiades thersites, Cantener at Constantinople. — This redis- 

 covered species must bo added to my Constantinople list, the F. 

 icarus ab. icariniis, which I described as being "almost racial," at 

 Kiitchiik Tchekmedje, on August 12th, 1911, proves to be A. thersites. 

 Dr. Chapman has kindly verified the genitalia. The (? form of A. 

 thersites, from Tchekmedje, on the European side of the Sea of 

 Marmora, differs rather considerably from the local o F. icarus. 

 The wings of the male are more compact, the insect is smaller, 

 the ground colour of the upperside is a far more reddish lilac than 

 local ]'. icarus, and that of the underside more yellowish. The 

 female seems also to have rather a darker underside than the local 

 females of F. icarus. I have taken one genuine icanniis here, in 

 every way resembling ordinary F. icarus, save in the absence of the 

 basal spots on the underside forewings, and in a marked tendency to 

 obsolescence in the case of the submarginal row of spots on the 

 underside hindwings. It will be interesting to see whether the spring 

 emergence of A. thersites bears a closer resemblance to F. icarus. 



The difference between the ? s of the two species, as found here, 

 is not marked, if the distinguishing marks of A. thersites, and the 

 somewhat darker average of its ground colour on the underside, as 

 taken here, are left out of consideration. 



Urbicolids in Syria. — The small " G. nostrodamus" recorded by me 

 as taken at Beirut, on August 23rd and 24th, 1910, prove to be lefehcrii. 

 I should be glad to know if this species has been previously recorded 

 from Syria. I have since received specimens from Signor F. 

 Cremona, of Beirut, taken in May-June and in August. I have also 

 taken G. nostrodamus, at Beirut, on the Dog River, in July, 1907. I 

 think all or nearly all my Egyptian Gei/enes are nostrodamus. From 

 my notes I am inclined to think that the latter is less of a dry ground 

 insect than G. lefebmi, or, to put it difl'erently, that G. nostrodamus is 

 more likely to be taken in gardens, clover fields, and irrigated lands 

 than its smaller relative. May I add that, thanks to the kindness of 

 Dr. Chapman, who identified my G. lefebvrii for me, I learn that the 

 " form of U. alveus" recorded by me from Ain Zahalta Cedars (6,000- 

 6,800 feet), end of July and beginning of August, 1907 {Ent. Rec, 

 xvii., p. 231), and from the Cedar Mountains at nearly 10,000 feet. 



