MYCALESIS. By Dr. A. Seitz. 81 



The larvae remind one of those of our Epinephele ; they area known of but few species. Tlie 

 caterpillars so far known are pale green when young, with dark head bearing two obtuse tubercles; after 

 the last change of skin they are variegated with greenish and brown, the first 3 — 4 segments Ijearing light 

 longitudinal lines, the others lateral oblique diffuse bands. Like many larvae they devour the egg-shell 

 after hatching. They live on grass and feed at night, lying concealed in day-time. In the warmer countries 

 the larva is full grown in hardly 3 weeks, in the most northern districts inhabited by this genus the 

 caterpillar appears to hibernate (judging from the time of flight). They change into a transparent green 

 or brown pupa which very closely resembles that of Ephit"phrle, being fastened by the long cremaster at a 

 stalk or stone and hanging stiff downwards. The butterflies occur in warm countries throughout the year 

 in numerous broods, which overlap; in northern East Asia I found the butterflies but from the middle of 

 the summer till the antenna. In species with decided seasonal dimorphism the various forms do not alter- 

 nate with each succeeding brood, as in our Araschnia, but one form tlies exclusivel}' till a certain month 

 and from that time, in several broods, the other. 



The species of Mijculesis are restricted to the Old World, extending in the east of the Palaearctic 

 Region northward to Japan, Gorea, and Central and West China. The genus also inhabits the mountains 

 of Kashmir. They are absent from the western half of the Region, as they are not able to cross the 

 desert-belt formed by the Sahara, Arabia and Iran. In biological respects they correspond to the genus 

 Eiiptijchia of the New World. 



M. mineus. A widely distributed common Indian butterfly whose cf has on the underside of the 

 hindwing at the submedian vein a brush of hairs situated in a j'ellowish silky patch. On the uniformly 

 dark brown upperside there is a large ocellus proximally to the centre of the distal margin of the forewing. 

 The first described form, mineus L. (29 b), is the form occurring in India during the rainy season. It has mineus. 

 on the underside of the forewing a small eye near the apex and a large one proximally to the middle of 

 the distal margin ; the hindwing bears a rather evenly curved submarginal row of ocelli different in size 

 and extremely variable in number and shape; this yellowish brown marginal area which bears the oceUi is 

 separated by a straight white line from the darker brown discal and basal areas of the wings. In East 

 China, from the mouth of the Yang-tse-kiang southwards, as well as on the lower course of this river; 

 from South China extending all over India into the Malayan districts. The Chinese specimens are smaller 

 and somewhat duller than Central Indian ones, the ocelli forming a submarginal row on the hindwing are 

 smaller, their light rings paler yellow, the row being often incomplete. — confucius Leech (29a) is a confucius. 

 northern form with the underside more violet-grey and the submarginal ocelH smaller and sometimes 

 strongly reduced. — In June (further south, at Hongkong, already in May) and again from July till 

 autumn, in shady places and clearings, very common. — In India, where the species occurs in yet greater 

 abundance, also a dry season form is found, which is entirely without ocelh, the underside having assumed 

 the colour of dry leaves. 



M. sangaica BfJr. (29b). Similar to the preceding, but the eye of the forewing above much sangaica. 

 smaller, especially in the o""; the underside less evenly coloured, the submarginal ocelli of the hindwing 

 below reduced to small shadows sometimes still bearing pupils; the light line traversing both wings much 

 duller. Mongolia and almost throughout China , not rare. — parva Leech (29 b) is still somewhat smaller parva. 

 than the corresponding sexes of miif/aica ; the underside, especially on the hindwing, is paler grey and 

 the submarginal row of ocelli edged with white proximally and distally; at Omei-shan in West China. 



M. perdiccas Hew. (= penicillata PouJ.) (29b). Above similar to the preceding, but both wiugs perdiccas. 

 much more rounded; most specimens possess on the upperside besides the large submarginal ocellus, a 

 minute but sharply defined apical ocellus, and another less well-defined one above the anal angle of the 

 hindwing. Undei'side strongly shaded with violet; all the ocelli reduced to dots or minute rings, except 

 the submarginal one of the forewing. China , Corea and Japan ; in summer and autumn , in many places 

 flying together with .1/. gotamn, but much rarer. In the specimens from the interior of China the violet 

 gloss of the band of the underside often strongly reduced. — The form magna Leech is larger, and below magna. 

 more russet, the upperside of the forewing bearing 3 distinct apical ocelli; in Western China. — The 

 representative of M. perdiccas which extends furthest towards west is sanatana Moore, which occurs as sanatana. 

 far as South Kashmir and differs from perdiccas in the row of ocelli being complete on the underside of 

 the hindwing. 



M. gotama Moore (29 c). Botli wings below with a large submarginal ocellus above the anal angle, gotama. 

 the hindwing ])earing in addition an anal ocellus. The species is at once recognizable thereby, though 

 some species have occasionally small accessory dot-like ocelli. Japan; Gorea. — Specimens from Shanghai 

 in which the fringes are whitish and the narrow discal hne is proximally strongly darkened, are borealis borealis. 

 Fldr. — Very common, in June and again from August, in China and Central Japan, on wooded hill-tops, 

 especially underneath Cryptomerias, in the so-called sacred groves of the Japanese. 



