198 ^ PYRAMEIS. By H. Stichel. 



reduced, the anterior one being usually blind, the distal margin is bluish, more rarely wliitish, being traversed 

 by two dark lines as in the nymotypical form. The hindwing of the $ is bluish black-brown and the ocelli are 

 fully developed. Asiatic Turkey, Arabia. — In the Indo-Australian countries occur further subspecies, which 

 will be described among the Exotics. 



7. Genus: Pyraiiieis Hbn. 



Medium-sized butterflies with bright colours and simple outline of the wings. Eyes hairy; palpi with 

 short hairs only, without long bristles, the end-segment pointed, porrect; antennae above half the length of the 

 forewing, with flat club, which is almost knob-like. The forewing a right-angled triangle, the apex narrowly 

 rounded (cardui) or slightly angulate -fatalanta), the hindmargin straight; subcostal 5-branched, 2 branches 

 close together before the apex of tlie cell, the 3. at a considerable distance beyond the same; upper discocellular 

 very short, the 2. joining the middle radial in a shallow curve; cell of both wings closed by a thin oblique 

 crossvein (3. discocellular). Hindwing nearly triangular, the costal margin straight, slightly lobate at the 

 base (cardui) or here strongly convex and then shallowly concave (atalanta); apex obtuse, anal angle acute, 

 distal margin undulate, without tooth at the 3. radial; precostal forked. — Larva cylindrical, with branched 

 thorns. Pupa suspended, with beak-like projection on the back, with metallic spots, the head being bifid. 

 The butterflies have an active flight, suck at flowers, some also at the sap exuding from trees. They are 

 distributed over Europe, North Africa, and Asia, some species occur in North and South America, others are 

 found in the Indo-Australian Region as far as New Zealand, one species (P. cardui) flying in all countries with 

 the exception of South America. 



atalanta. P. atalanta L. (62c). The forewing of this butterfly bears on a black ground an oblique vermilion band 



and a group of white subapical spots. On the hindwing the larger portion of the distal margin is red, with 

 a row of small black spots and at the anal angle an elongate blue spot. The underside is partly varie- 

 gated with blue; the forewing is on the whole similar in markings to the upper, while the hindwing is brightly 

 variegated and clouded, bearing black markings, of which those in the cell resemble a figure (on the left wing 

 18 or 98, on the right 81 or 89); in the middle of the costal area there is a pale patch and in the distal 

 marginal area a row of ocellus-like spots. Sometimes, especially in the $, the red band of the forewing bears 

 a small white spot in the middle. A dwarfed form, recorded from Biskra (Algeria) and the Riviera, but 



nana, probably occurring everywhere in the distribution-area of the species (e. g. Italy, Albano) is named ab. nana 



fracta. Schultz. Specimens in which the red band of the forewing is interrupted at the median vein are ab. fracta Tutt; 



occur likewise here and there among the main form, especially in southern districts (Italy), also obtained in 



klemensie- temperature-experiments (treatment with heat). In ab. klemensiewiczi Schille*) the white costal spot situated 



wiczi. beyond the band of the forewing is dulled with blackish scaling, the red band is widened and shortened, the 

 subapical row contains 7 spots instead of 4 or 5, the spots being partly diffuse, the middle ones shaded with 

 blue, the last placed in the red band. Beneath the red band particularly broad, the outer portion of the costa 

 and the apex of the wing bluish; the hindwing also bluish, slightly marmorated, with the black ground shining 

 through. Occasionally in nature: Galicia, Silesia, Tyrol, England, etc., also in transitions to the main form 

 and as artificial product of the treatment with low temperature. The extreme of this direction of development 

 klymene. is represented by ab. klymene Fisch. (62c, as klemensiewiczi), which so far appears to be only known as a 

 product of experiments with low degrees of temperature. In this form the white costal spot of the forewing 

 is entirely obsolete, the band and the distal spots are as in the preceding form, but the marginal band of the 

 hindwing is reduced and tlie Jilack dots in the same are absent or hardly indicated; underside dark grey, similar 

 to that of the previous aberration. By exposure of the pupae to heat a further form is produced which recalls 

 Cyclops, vulcania and which I name ab. cyclops ah. nov.\ the red band of the forewing is strongly widened throughout 

 and has on its proximal side in llie cell a projection which encloses a black double spot that is only slightly 

 indicated in the other forms: at the base and apex reddish or even bright red scaling on the slightly brownish 

 ground, and the white submarginal spots of the forewing somewhat reduced (type: Plate VII. fig. 7 in Stand- 

 merrifieldi. fuss, Handb. Pal. Gross-Schmett., 2. edit. 1896). ab. merrifieldi Stdfss. is characterized by the reduction of 

 the red band and the enlargement of the white costal spot, which basally shades off into grey; the ground- 

 colour of the upperside is deep blue-black, the ornamental band is twice interrupted, the sinuate middle portion 

 being sometimes altogether obsolete, the posterior tip of the band is usually separated by the black vein and 

 sometimes also quite absent; between the enlarged white costal spot and the blue band there is blue scahng. 

 On the hindwing the dots of the marginal band are enlarged and dusted with blue, the blue spot at the anal 

 angle being particularly strongly developed, and at the proximal edge of the marginal band appear several 

 blue spots. Beneath the blue in the apical area of the forewing is better developed; the markings of the hind- 



*) The form named hlemmsietciczi on PI. 62 c is = klymene. 



