RHOPALOCERA MALAYANA. :j.l;j 



H ELEN US Group. 



g. Helmiis-gi-ow]}, Wallace, Trans. Linn. 8oc. vol. .\xv. p. -19 |1S(]5). 

 Sect. LX., Sub-sect. B, Fekler, Spec. Lepid. Pap. pp. 31, 79 (18Gi). 

 Charus, Moore, Lep. Ceyl. vol. i. p. 149 (1881). 



This is a somewhat extensive group of sombre-hued Papihos, which are tlistributed liom 

 Continental India to the contines of the Malayan Archipelago. Four species are found iu tins 

 fauna, the sexes of which are more or less similar, but other species are contained iu the group 

 in which the greatest sexual dissimilarity is manifest. Prof. Wood-Mason, remarking on this 

 fact, infers " the probable descent of all the members of this group from an ancestor with 

 tailless, rounded wings in both sexes, closely resembhng /'. dnividanun,- liut with diHused discal 

 markings in the hind-wings, and probably also in the fore-wings; the conspicuous wing- 

 blotches of P. hclemis, P. castor, \ &c., having apparently resulted from the concentration, so to 

 speak, of such diffused colouring iu the direction of the breadth of the wing, just as have the 

 discal bands of spots in F. dravidarum and 1'. niuhadena I from a similar process of modilicatiou 

 in the opposite direction." § 



Mr. Wallace, who observed this group in their natural condition, states that P. iswara, and 

 another species allied to F. helenus,\\ "have an undulating flight, very like that of the South 

 American Morphos, or even sometimes approaching that of the large Noctuidw, and they rest 

 with the upper wings deflexed over the lower." H 



8. Papilio helenus. (Tab. XXIX., hg. 3 <? .) 



Papilio Hdenus, Liimeeus, Mus. Uir. p. 185 (17C4) ; Syst. Nat. i. 2, p. 745, u. 4 (17G7) ; Cram. Pup. Ex. ii. 



t. 153, A, B (1779); Clerck, Icoues, t. 13, f. 2 (1764) ; Fabr. Syst. Ent. p. 443, n. 5 (1775) ; Spec. 



Ins. ii. p. 8, n. 7 (1780) ; Esper, Ausl. Sclimett. p. 18, t. 2, f. 2 (1784); Jabl. Naturs. Scbmctt. ii. 



p. ICG, n. 40, t. 14, f. 4 (1784) ; Godt. Enc. Metb. ix. p. G8, u. 117 (1819); Boisd. Sp. Gun. i. p. 211, 



u. 25 (1836); Gray, Cat. Lep. Papil. p. 18, u. 77 (1852) ; Ilorsf. & Moore, Cat. Lep. Mus. E.l. C. 



vol. i. p. 101, u. 205 (1857); Veil. Tijd. Ent. iii. p. 74, n. 28 (1860) ; Keak. Proc. Eut. Soc. Pbil. iii. 



p. 4G4, u. 18 (1864) ; Wall. Trans. Linu. Soc. vol. xxv. p. 50, u. 56 (1865) ; Moore, Proc. Zool. Soc. 



1865, p. 757 ; ibid. 1878, p. 840 ; Druce, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1873, p. 357, u. 13 ; Butl. Trans. Linn. 



Soc. ser. 2, Zool. vol. i. p. 553, n. 13 (1877) ; Oberth. Etudes d'Ent. Quatr. Livr. p. 45, u. 68 (1879) ; 



SneU. Lep. v. Midd. Sum. p. 25, n. 7 (1880) ; De Nic. J. A. S. Beng. vol. l. p. 53, u. 60 (1881) ; 



Aurivill. Kongl. Sv. vet. Akad. Handl. Baud 19, no. 5. p. 10 (1882i ; Gosse. Trans. Linn. Soc. ser. 2, 



Zool. vol. ii. p. 300, t. 29, f. 1—3 (1882) ; KbeiL Kbop. der lusel. Xias. p. 37, n. 140 (1884). 

 Achillides Helenus, Hiibu. Verz. bek. Scbmett. p. 85, n. 875 (1816). 

 Chants Helenus, Moore, Lep. Ceyl. vol. i. p. 149, t. 58, f. 3 (1881). 



Male. Wings above blackish ; posterior wings with three large, fused, discal, pale stramineous spots, 

 separated by the subcostal nervules and a more or less obscure marginal series of reddish lunulas not 

 reaching the apical area. Anterior wings beneath with longitudinal greyish rays in cell, and an outer 

 series of similar but broader greyish rays, becoming paler towards outer angle ; posterior wings with the 

 discal spots much whiter than above, the outer marginal series of reddish lunules continuous to apex, 

 those at anal angle enclosing black spots, and above anal angle are two others, one being macular ; fringe 



* A species found in Continental India. t Another species found in Continental India. 



t A Bm-mese species. § J- A. S. Beng. vol. xlix. p. 149 (IBSO). 



II Probably the P. prexaspes, FeU. ^ ' Zoologist,' p. 4037 (1885). 



