EVERES ALCETAS. 265 



direction of the dots ou the underside, and adds that " asymmetry in 

 the spotting of the undersides appears to be very prevalent. He gives 

 (//( lift.) the following tabulation of the specimens in his collection :■ — 

 Reverdin adds that, in all his examples of anjiades and alcetas, 

 either J s or J s, the two basal points of the posterior wings are 

 present except in one very small $ from the Bois Taille, June 1st, 

 1905, in which they appear to be wanting, but, as the example is not 

 very fine, oce possibly ought not to consider it. Of the size variation 

 of the same insects, Reverdin notes : — 



Blachier states that, on July 26th, 1907, a single example of alcetas 

 was taken at Versoix, in the same locality, and at the same time, as the 

 second-brood of artjiades, whilst another single example also was taken 

 near Geneva, but on French territory, viz., on Mont Vuache, on July 

 25th, 1908. He also notes, in confirmation of the statement that 

 alcetas sometimes has faint traces of the coloured lunules near the 

 anal angle of the hindwing, that he has, or has seen, examples from 

 Digne, JMartigny, Brides-les-Bains, etc., that have traces of the 

 coloured lunules more or less developed, viz., some brownish-red or 

 "sienna "-coloured scales between the black point (carrying metallic 

 scales) and the arc w^hich surmounts it, whilst, in two specimens, there 

 is a trace of colour above the next black point. He considers it 

 confirmatory of the distinction of alcetas and argiades that these lunules 

 are of a tint approaching orange-yellow in argiades, and burnt-sienna 

 in alcetas. Verity quotes as additions to the Italian distribution of 

 alcetas, Modena, Avezzo — Casentino, Florence and Eome (Rostagno). 

 A named colour-aberration of alcetas appears to be confined to south- 

 eastern Europe. This is — 



ab. decolorata, Staud., " Stett. Ent. Ztg.," xlvii., p. 204 (1886); Riihl, 

 " Pal. Gross-Schmett.," pp. 230, 751 (1895); 'J utt, " Brit. Butts.," p. 185 (1890); Rebel, 

 "Lep. Balkans," pt. l,pp. 18G-7 (1896) ; pt. 2, pp. 181-2 (1903); Staud., "Cat.," 

 3rd ed., p. 77 (1901); Ilirschke, "Verb, zool.-bot. Gesell. Wien," pp.88, 270 

 (1903). — I have received specimens of argiades from Vienna, Hungary and Bulgaria, 

 with a similar greenish-blue coloration to the var. decolor, Staud., from Margelan. 

 The former, however, appear to Ije merely accidental aberrations, but seem always 

 to be somewhat larger, and may occur in these coimtries as a constant form of 

 variation. The six males before me, from these countries, show no trace of red 

 spots before the outer margin on the underside of the hindwings, and must, there- 

 fore, be referred on this character to the ab. coretas. They may, however, perhaps, 

 be called ab. (or rather may be var.) decolorata (Staudinger). 



This is a colour aberration of alcetas, g . Hirschke notes its occur- 

 rence in the Czerna Valley, near Herculesbad, between May 21st and 

 June 2nd, 1901, with an almost spotless underside aberration of E. 

 argiades, which he named ab. depnncta. Rebel observes {Lep. Balkans, 

 pt. 1, p. 186) that, " in Bulgaria and East Roumelia, the spring speci- 

 mens appear to be of the form jiobjs/iercJton. In the summer brood, at 

 Slivno, are found examples which, in the 3 s, have the uppersides green- 

 blue =(/fco^orflta, Stdgr.; these are, on the undersides of the hindwings, 

 of the coretas form, lacking the marginal reddish-yellow submarginal 



■■■■■ Measurements made from apex of wing to centre of thorax, and doubled, 

 these measnremeuts being some 4nim. to 7mm. greater than those made from apex 

 to apex of the forewings of the set insects. 



