RHOPALOCERA MALAY AN A. 205 



Hab.— Continental India; Daijeeling (coll. Hewits.). Malay Peninsula; Malacca (Pinwill — Brit. 

 Mus. ; Biggs— coll. Dist.). Borneo; Sarawak (coll. Hewits.). Gilolo;* Dodinga (Lorquin— Felder). 



This is always a somewhat scarce species. I have only received one (a female) 

 specimen, and for this I am indebted to the entomological exertions of the Rev. L. C. Biggs. 

 Capt. Pinwill also found it at Malacca, but it has not been received from those other parts of 

 the Malay Peninsula in which considerable collections have been made. 



Genus GERYDUS. 



Gerxjdus, Boisduval, Sp. Gou. i. t. 23, f. 2 (183G). 



Symetha, Horsf. Cat. Lep. E.I.C. p. 59, t. 2, f. 2 (1828). 



Miletus (nee Hiibn.), Westw. (part), Gen. Diuni. Lep. p. 502 (1852). 



Anterior wings elongate and ovate, costal margin arched and convex, apex subacute, 

 outer margin obliquely convex, inner margin nearly straight, very slightly concave ; 

 subcostal nervure with four nervules ; first emitted about one-fourth before end of cell, 

 second near end of cell, third a little beyond cell, and fourth minute, starting from third 

 a little before apex. Posterior wings elongate and ovate, costal margin nearly straight, 

 posterior margin convexly rounded, distinctly angulated in the female. Eyes naked, palpi 

 very long, terminal joint long and slender ; legs scaly and compressed, the first joint of 

 the tarsi remarkably elongated, widened and compressed ; antennte slender, terminating 

 in a slightly formed club. 



Fig. 59. — Posterior 



This is a truly remarkable genus, the enlarged and widened basal joint of the '«? °^ Gerydm 



•' ^ o J sijmethus. 



tarsi being a phenomenal character in Rhopalocera. The focus of the distribution 

 of Geryclus appears to be in the true Malayan region. 



It has been erroneously stated that one species inhabits ants' nests, but no real facts can 

 be adduced in support of the assertion, f 



1. Gerydus symethus. (Tab. XX., fig. 2 <? , and Tab. XXII., fig. 14 2 .) 



PapiUo Symethus, Cramer, Pap. Ex. ii. t. 149, B, C. (1779) ; Stoll, Suppl. Cram. t. 37, f. 3, 3 C (1790). 



Polyommatus Symethm, Godt. Enc. Meth. ix. p. G75, u. 180 (1823). 



Symetha Pandu, Horsf. Cat. Lep. E.I.C. t. 2, f. 2, 2(f (1828). 



Gerydus Symethus, Boisd, Sp. Gen. i. t. 23, f. 2 (1836); Butl. Traus. Liuu. Soc. ser. 2, Zool. vol. i. p. 516, 



n. 3 (1877). 

 Miletus Symethus, Kirby, Syn. Cat. Diurn. Lep. p. 836, n. 2 (1871) ; Snell. Tijd. Ent. xix. p. 152, ii. 87 (1876). 



* Felder (Reise Nov. Lep. ii. p. 219) ^ives the habitat as " Hakuaheira." According to Crawford (Diet. Ind. Islds., &c., 

 pp. 147 & 10) this name can be either spelt " Hakaahera" or " Ahnahera," and is the equivalent of Gilolo. 



f In 'Cassell's Natural History' (vol. vi. p. 44) it is stated that Gerydus {Miletus) symethus is "said to inhabit ants' 

 nests." On askinf;; my fi'iend the author, Mr. W. F. Kirby, for the original authority of this statement he referred me to an 

 article in the ' Entoniologisfs AVeekly Intelligencer' (No. 142, p. 89), written by Mr. Stainton, where it is stated on the 

 authority of Dr. Herrich-Schiiffer, that the buttoriiy " took up its residence peruianeutly within the nests of ants," and that 

 " the accounts he had received of its habits led in-esistibly to the conclusion that this singular butterfly never disported itself 

 on the wing, but wandered Hstlessly in the labyrinths of the ants' nests." Mr. Stainton has obligingly informed me that 

 "the infonnation was no doubt acquired in conversation with Herrich-Schiiffer." It only remains to say that the information 

 given by that excellent entomologist must have become erroneously transposed, either — as is most probable — really referring 

 to the larva of the butterfly, or— as is equally possible— to some other insect, perhaps a moth. For the butterfly is common in 

 the Malay Peninsula, and I have received it' from so many different collectors, sent home with other Ehopalocera captm-ed on 

 the wing, that had it been found only in ants' nests I must have received information of so uncommon an occun-ence. 



May 31, 1884. 3 g 



