Pull. 11. Vlll. Oi). MELITAEA. By Dr. A. Sf.itz. 213 



not rarely among trne maluriia\ from the Salzach valley. Specimens with a cobalt-blue gloss on the dark 

 markings of the upperside are named by Schultz ab. fulgida, from the neighbourhood of Vienna. In ah. schlum- fulgida. 

 bergeri Sclndtz the pale yellow spots of the forewing are prolonged to streaks, the reddish yellow marginal spots sdi'"m- 

 of the hindwing are wanting, the hands on the underside of the forewing are reduced, and the hindwing beneath ^''S^'''- 

 has an evenly curved median band composed of pale smears; Austria. — As Graser bi'cd the Amnr-form 

 intermedia Men. from w«/(/r/i(7-larvae, these two forms must provisionally be kept united, ichnea Bdv. is nothing idmea. 

 else but a very brightly coloured intermedia in which the black dots in the reddish yellow submarginal band 

 of the hindwing are especially prominent. In the very similar but more uniformly red-brown mongolica Stgr. mongolica.. 

 (65b), whose $ has a very hghl coloured marginal band to the hindwing, these dots, though often visible, are 

 but dull above, more distinct beneath. These last three forms, ichnea, intermedia and mongolica, are not sharply 

 separated. They occur in Aniurland, ])artly together, true maturna being absent, intermedia may be considered 

 a transitional form, which leads from uralensis and altaica over to the idiina- resp. cynthia-aerica. From China 

 proper and Japan no forms of maturna are known. — Egg elongate-ovate, ribbed, dull white. Larva black, 

 glossy, with thick soft black thorns, on tlie back a double, on the sides a simple row of small light yellow spots, 

 between which there are small dots; until May on a great variety of plants, as Veronica, etc., but especially 

 on bushes of, for instance, poplar, willow, ash, etc.; very often ichneumoncd (Ruhl). Pupa dirty white, with 

 dispersed minute black spots and yellow tubercles on the back. The butterflies from the end of May until 

 July in one brood; they do not often occur in great numbers, but fly more singly and are very local, being 

 found in meadows and on clearings in tiie woods; they are not siiy, do not fly fast, and love to settle on 

 young liuslies of alder and juniper. 



M. iduna Dalm. (= maturna Hbn.) (65b). This butterfly represents the preceding species in the high idima. 

 north of Europe and in the mountains of Northern Asia. cJ a"tl $ not essentially different. All the spots of the 

 central area are ivory yellow above, with the exception of the cell, which contains 2 red-brown spots on the 

 fore\\ing and one on the hindwing. The underside similar to that of cynthia, but the pale yellow median and 

 marginal bands much broader, the former moreover not being divided by a black line as is the case in maturna 

 and cynthia. In Lapponia, Central and North-East Siberia, not rare. Specimens from the Altai differ from 

 European ones in tlie stronger silvery gloss of the light markings, esjiecially beneath. In ab. sulitelmica Schultz sulitelmica. 

 (65b) the light median band is narrower and the hind\\ing above is dusted with black. — The species flies 

 early in July in abundance on barren alpine meadows at altitudes from 6—8000 ft. in company witii uurinia 

 and cinxia. 



M. cynthia Hbn. {= trivia Esp., mysia Hbn.) (65b, c). ^ and ? very different, cj above with milky cynthia. 

 white markings in the centre of both wings and in the basal area of the forewing; ? above either uniformly 

 red-yellow, marked with black, or nearly as variegated as marturna, hut always recognizable by the much broader 

 discal band on the hindwing above. The reddish yellow submarginal band of the hind\Ning above and beneath, 

 in both sexes, may bear black dots (65c) or may be without them (65b). The white rnaikings of the S(S vary 

 likewise, 'specimens with an additional row of white spots before the distal margin on the upperside occurring 

 side by side with individuals in which these spots are wanting. Spuler has based a form pallida on specimens pallida. 

 from Piedmont with the upperside particularly pale. — cynthia appears to be restricted to. the mountain- 

 ranges of the Alps (records from other districts are doubtful); from the snow-line to below the tree-line. — 

 Egg white, minutely ribbed. The larva black, the body as well as tlie thick fleshy processes so densely covered 

 with black bristly hairs that the larva viewed from above resembles that of an Arctiid; the intersegmental 

 incisions yellow, the sides and back bearing yellow dots, which are united to short streaks above the prolegs 

 and on the first three segments. From July until the next June on low herbage (Viola, Plantago, Alchemilla), 

 hibernating in a common web; according to R{jhl more than 90% of the caterpillars are ichneumoned. Pupa 

 suspended on grass and low foliage (Bromilow), whitish grey with yellow striae. The butterflies are on the wing 

 in July and August, being found particularly on the pastures above the tree-line, especially in places where 

 a brooklet has produced a more luxuriant growth of grass. They love to repose on stones warmed by the sun 

 and congregate on clusters of flowers. It is not easy to follow with the eyes the ^(^ as they dart close above 

 the ground rather fiuickly about the flower-covered alpine meadows. 



M. aurinia. This wide-spread and common species varies so much that it is hardly possible to give a 

 generally applicable diagnosis. Most forms bear in the cell of (lie forewing lighter yellow spots, which alternate 

 with more red ones, and before the brighter red sulimarginal liand a considerably paler one. The underside 

 is much more uniform in colour, with the light contrasting colour of the preceding species. In the brick-red 

 submarginal band of the hindwing there are always distinct black dots, which are surrounded by a pale halo 

 I 27 



