138 EPINEPHELE. By Dr. A. Seitz. 



The Epimphele, on account of the large number of individuals, belong to the characteristic insects 

 of the Palaearctic summer-landscape. It is very remarkable that they are almost entirely absent from 

 North America, only one single species, E. xicaque, occurring in Mexico and the adjacent Arizona. The 

 genus, however, is represented by quite a number of species in temperate South America, in the valleys 

 of the Andes of Chile, which forms agree entirely with their Palaearctic congeners in the character of the 

 pattern and colour, of the flight, habits, time of appearance, etc. Whereas the Palaearctic forms can be 

 separated into two distinct groups — cf cf with and without brand — , recent researches on the South 

 American species have had a negative result as regards the generic separation American from the 

 Palaearctic forms. 



janiroides E. janiroides U.-Scltiiff. (46b ?). Dark brown, ^vith reddish yellow pubescence; forewing with a 



red-yellow distal band which does not reach the margins, encloses the apical ocellus and is proximally 

 bordered by the scent-stripe, which is difficult to perceive; ? paler on the disc. On the hindwing a reddish 

 yellow distal band which posteriorly is strongly widened. Underside of the hindwing with a median band 

 which is proximally and distally well-defined and distally to which there may be 1 — 5 pale ill-defined ocelli, 



abbreviata. some or all of which sometimes bear dark pupils. — In ab. abbreviata fm-in. nov. (46 b) the band on 

 the forewing does not extend to the apical ocellus, but disappears below the same, the ocellus therefore 

 being isolated. — On the northern slopes of the Atlas, in the Kabylie, from May till July, on hill-sides 

 with vegetation , plentiful. During the hot noon the butterflies assemble in large numbers in holes of the 

 ground and ditches. 



passiphae. E. passiphae Ksp. (= bathseba Godt.) (46 b, c). Above similar to the preceding species, but much 



smaller and the underside of the hindwing quite different ; the latter uniformly earth-brown, with a white middle 

 band, beyond which there is a variable number of ocelli. In South France and the Pyrenean Peninsula, in 

 .Tune and July. — In the specimens from North Africa (Algeria, Morocco) the band on the underside of 



philippina. the hindwing often much reduced in width; this is the form philippina AaM. (46c), ot which we figure the 

 nymotype; we add, however, that also in Europe there occur not rarely c/cf with the band strongly 



tessalensis. narrowed. — In the form tessalensis Aiist. (46c). which usually stands as philippina in collections and 

 which is likewise from Mauretania, this narrowed band is moreover dulled with smoky brown or almost the 

 flava. same colour as the ground. — A light yellow form has been described by Wheeler as ab. flava. — 

 Larva short, brown-gre\', with pale longitudinal lines and brown head; till June on grasses. Pupa red- 

 brown, with lighter markings. The butterflies are local, flying singly as a rule and sometimes occur in 

 the same place as idu, which they resemble, but fly earlier (RfJHL). 

 icia. E. ida Exp. (= actaea L(tng) (46c). Bright red-yellow, the apical ocellus bearing two pupils; hind- 



wing beneath clouded with brown, striated, with bands. The much smaller o" has in the disc a black 

 brand, which is traversed by a number of yellow veins. In South Europe. Asia Minor and North Africa, 

 Cecilia northwards extending into the Alps and Roumania. — cecilia Vnh is the form from the northern slopes of 

 the eastern Atlas, hardly deserving a name of its own. The ground-colour is somewhat deeper red-yellow, 

 the underside of the hindwing, especially in the smaller cT, more uniform in colour, but the forewing is 



hipidipeta. more pointed than in European specimens . in contrast with the following form. — lapidipeta form. nor. 



(46 d) is a very small form with rounded forewing, widened brand in the c/', and unicolorous underside; 



only in the south of Algeria where there is hardly any vegetation, in the oases of the Sahara, flying in 



albo- stony places. — ab. albomarginata is the name given by Fali.ou to an albino which was obtained in 



marginata. South France. The red-yellow colour is not changed, but all black is replaced by dull white, not only the 

 margins of the wings but also the basal area and the brand being of this colour; the underside of the 

 liindwing is likewise whitish and the apical ocellus pale-bordered. — Larva dull reddish grey, with grey 

 head, dark dorsal line, pale longitudinal lines and white double side-stripe bearing dark dots; till April on 

 grasses. Pupa brown, with dark dorsal dots and yellowish gi'ey wing-cases. The butterflies fly from June 

 till August, in the plains as well as the mountains, having a hopping and rather slow flight. They always 

 keep near the ground and settle with preference on the ground in the shade of tufts of grass and low 

 shrubs. They are mostly very common, being the commonest butterflies in the densely overgrown northern 

 slopes of the Atlas. 

 titlwnus. E. tithonus L. (z= tithonius Hbsf., tiphon Kiihn , pilosellae F., herse IT. I'., phaedra Esp., amaryllis 



Bkh.) (46(1). ? above like ida; the cf too is similar to ida-cf. l)ut the brand is not divided up by yellow 

 veins. Underside of hindwing brownish olive-green, somewhat diluted in the distal area, often bearing dot- 

 like ocelli. Central and South Europe, Sardinia, Southern Italy, Greece, northward to Great Britain, the 

 Netherlands and the Baltic provinces; also in Asia Minor. — There occur various degrees of all)inism in 

 this species, such specimens being apparently most often found near the sea-coast (England, Portugal); for 

 instance, individuals are known in which the ochre-yellow of the ground-colour is replaced by fight yellow 

 mincki. (ab. miticki Seebom), pale yellowish white (ab. subalbida ^Wit;/) or white (ab. albida Riis.'iel). — On the 



subalbida. other hand, ab. obscura Srindtz has the basal area of the forewing and the upperside of the hintlwing 

 ^bsciira ^^^''^^ned. — Moreover, the] ocelli may all be absent except the apical one, or, as in nearly all Satyrids, 

 accessory ocelli may appear on either wing (ab. cjccessa Tnit), cfo^ being known which Inne u]) to 



dlisciira. 



