26 



PARNASSIUS. By H. Stichel. 



fasciata. 



flavo- 



maciilata. 



bninneo- 



maculata. 



novarae. 



philippsi. 



atbo- 



maculata. 



intertexta. 



graphica. 



nexilis. 



excelsior, 

 decora. 



wiskotti. 



davidis. 



aberration, deserving to be recorded under a special name, ab. fasciata nor. (13a). — Yellow instead of red 

 ocelli in fresh specimens, which are not faded, are the distinction of ab. flavomaculata Drck. — The rare 

 case of the ocelli being filled in with deep brown-red instead of carmine was the reason for proposing the 

 name ab. brunneomaculata 6Y/c;;. (13a). — Individuals with entirely black ocelli are designated ab. novarae Oberth. 

 (13b); the elimination of the red colour is accompanied in the less well-known cT'c/' also by a disappearance 

 of the costal spots and the hindmarginal spot of the forewing, in tlie type-specimen even the anterior ocellus 

 of the hindwing being missing. — By the name al). philippsi Schultz a form is designated in which the 

 ocelli are devoid of a black border, while in ab. albomaculata Mia^ch. the black ocellar ring is entirely filled 

 in with white, without any red; and ab. intertexta not-, those specimens may be named in which the ocelli 

 bear an additional yellow or very rarely white ring between the red centre and the black border, the ocelh 

 therefore being either quadricolorous, or concentrically black-white-red with white pupil. — In ab. graphica 

 Stich. (12 c) the white centre of the posterior ocellus is separated into two spots by a red streak situated 

 upon the median nervule. — ab. nexilis Schultz is characterized by a bridge-like bar connecting the ocelli 

 with one another, or the anterior ocellus with a basal spot, or the posterior ocellus and the anal spots. — 

 The presence of a distinct red basal spot on the hindwing above distinguishes ab. excelsior Stich. (13 a), 

 while specimens with an abundance of red within the anal spots of hindwing belong to ab. decora Schultz, 

 this occurring not rarely in the ?, sparingly in tlie o" (13b). — A plentiful distributio'n of red on both wings 

 was the main reason for the introduction of the name ab. wiskotti Oherth. ; the hindwing bears in this form 

 at the base broad red tear -shaped spots which extend between the veins into the wing, especially on the 

 underside, and the anterior, enlarged, red ocellus is continued to the posterior one by means of a complete 

 chain of other red spots. 



The egg is fiat, chalky white, glossy, covered with small pustules, hibernating according to recent 

 observations (Kheil), and the larva appearing early in spring when there is still snow lying, but the food- 

 plants have already young shoots. This observation is in accordance with what was formerly assumed to 

 be the case, while it has been stated by others that the larva hibernates (Selmoxs, Ruhl). The adult larva 

 is 48-50 mm long, velvety black, finely pubescent, with steel-blue warts on the back and a row of reddish 

 yellow spots on each side, stigmata also reddish yellow, surrounded by black dots. Head small, black, a 

 reversible, yellowish, fleshy fork in the neck; feet black. On Sedum album and S. telephium, also Semper- 

 vivum tectorum. Gregareous when young, especially in bad weather gathering together in small clusters in 

 covered places; feeds only in bright sun-shine, and turns in June into a chrysalis on the ground, under 

 stones, etc., in a soft loose cocoon. Pupa obtuse and thick, about 25 mm long, bluish hoary: duration of 

 pupa stage 8—10 days according to the weatlier. The butterfly yellowish when leaving the pupa -shell, 

 being soon bleached white by the intluence of day-light. Time of appearance diff"erent according to altitude 

 and weather, under normal conditions from mid June till the end of July, but specimens have been ob- 

 served already in May, even in April, and as late as August and September. Development very irregular, 

 all stages of the species being found together at certain times of the jear (Selmons). The flight is fluttery 

 and clumsy , faster at noon , at other hours similar to that of Aporia crataegi L. The butterflies suck at 

 flowers and show a predilection for the flower-heads of thistles. A few rays of the sun are sufficient to 

 awake them from their rest, and one encounters tliem till late in the afternoon on flowering meadows, 

 alpine pastures and inclines covered here and there with vegetation. The instinct of pairing is developed 

 to a high degree, copulation occurring as a rule soon after the emergence of the ? from the chrysalis. One 

 meets rarely with a ? at large without a pouch, the sign of copulation having taken place; but we have 

 repeatedly found ?? singly or in copula of which the wings were still damp and flabby, though the abdomen 

 had already the pouch. 



P. davidis Oberth. appears to belong with the two following insects to a special group of forms. 

 Anyhow , it is no more tenable to unite this insect , wliich is known only from one ?, with F. iioitiion than 

 to place honnUhi and dux in nearest relationship with apvllonius. P. davidis diff'ers as follows from the form 

 following next: vitreous margin of forewing somewhat narrover, the dark submarginal band broader, en- 

 larged across disc as far as cell by means of black dusting, the first costal spot beyond cell broader, almost 

 square, hindmarginal spot likewise angular, with broader black border. There are no noteworthy differences 

 in the hindwing. On the underside the two forms approach each other still more in characters, especially 

 in the hindwing, but here the distal marginal band is less distinct, the basal spot situated l)ehind the costal 

 vein has a white centre, and the ocelli are a little narrower and more sharply bordered with black. Fringes 

 of both wings black according to the original description , *) but whitish midway between the veins accord- 



*) This character which is mentioned in the diagnosis as specially characteristic cannot be considered as being of 

 specific value. The colour of the fringes is not rarely considerably variable in the forms of Faniassiiis. We have before us, 

 for nistance, specimens of P. apollo from various places in which the fringes are for the greater part whitish, or chequered, or 

 entirely black, and also individuals of P. delius with uniformly white and with chequered fringes; likewise, in species in which 

 the fringes are white with black spots at the tips of the veins, the black dots vary in extent (see hom-athi). Further, the colour 

 of the antenna is also a very unsafe guide in drawing conclusions as to speciKc distinctness or the place where a specimen 

 belongs, since moisture and other mechanical causes are liable to destroy partly or entii-ely the while colouring of the antenna 



