LYCAENA. By Dr. A. Seiiz. 303 



Minor, and Armenia. — In akbesina Oherth.. from Syria, the (j has the colour of the iipperside more ctkhexina. 

 transparent and the bhick margin of the hindwing reduced, almost hair-like, and possesses beneath red- 

 yellow spots before the margin, which are present also above in the $. — zephyrinus Christ. (78 h) has zephyrinus. 

 the black margin broader above and the ocelli of the underside larger; from Pamir and Turkestan. — 

 In ab. nicholli Ehv., from Syria and Mesopotamia, the hindwing above bears like the underside orange nicholli. 

 spots before the margin. Also in the $$ the orange spots are always more conspicuous and form a complete 

 band. — hesperica Rbr. (78 h) is above sky-blue instead of violet-blue; from Spain. — lycidas Trapp.{7Si) ^^^^penca. 

 is above much darker violet-blue and has a broad dull black margin; in Valais, from Courvoisier also 

 found in the Val de Cogne (Graian Alps). $$ of this form from the Valais with blue upperside are ab. 

 caerulea Coun-.: they are not very rare. Also specimens with the ocelli of the underside modified into rays caerulea. 

 are sometimes met with (= ab. radiata). Occasionally specimens of lycidas have been found which are 

 said to bear glossy scales in the anal area of the hindwing beneath and are considered to be perhaps 

 the product of hybridisation with L. argus. — The butterflies occur in mountainous districts, in the 

 summer, doubtless in several broods. They are not rare, but confined to the places where the food-plant 

 (Astragalus exscapus) grows, although not always found where this plant occurs. 



L. aliardii Oberth. (78 i) has so far only been found in Western Algeria, especially near Sebdou. allardii. 

 As large as the preceding, but darker on both sides, beneath almost coffee-brown, with large and numerous 

 ocelli, of which particularly the submarginal row of the forewing is prominent. — - In April and May, 

 appears to fly but singly. 



L. loewii Z. (= empyrea Frr.) (78 i). Has the appearance of a small form of the preced- loewii. 

 ing; ^ above very vividly glossy blue, almost as in bellargus but darker; the $ above brown with yellow- 

 ish red spots in the anal area of the hindwing. Underside with an abundance of ocelli, behind the red 

 submarginal band of the hindwing there are metallic dots. Asia Minor, Armenia, Persia and Turkestan. — ■ 

 The large form gigas Stgr. (78 i, k), from Syria, resembles especially lycidas, but the ocelli of the hindwing gigas. 

 beneath are larger and placed closer together; moreover, the characteristic intense blue gloss, which no 

 other Blue has in the same tint, is as strong in gigas as in true loewii. — But another form, 

 which flies at Sharud and in Baluchistan and agrees in size with true loewii, is said to be paler 

 violet-blue and has been named chamanica Moore. In May and June, locally plentiful. chamanica. 



L. fergana Stgr. (78 k). ^luch smaller and the ,^ above duller blue, of the colour of icarus; $ above fergana. 

 all l)rown, feebly dusted with blue at the base. If the q is so placed to the light that the vivid violet 

 gloss is weakened, the markings of the underside shine through very distinctly, particularly the discocellular 

 spot of the forewing and the marginal spots of the hindwing. The underside strongly recalls loeuni, but 

 all the spots more delicate and the metallic scaling in the anal area of the hindwing stronger. — tor- torgouta. 

 gouta Alph. is a smaller form of this species from the Tian-shan and the Achal-Tekke country; the ocelli 

 of the underside smaller and but little contrasting M'ith the dust-green ground, so that there is a super- 

 ficial resemblance to a small specimen of the following species. In Turkestan, in May and June. 



L. martini All. (78 k). Above recalling icarus, on the underside, particularly on the hindwing, the martini. 

 ocelli and dark spots in the marginal area are entirely absent or are represented by hardly visible vestiges ; 

 but the small red spots before the margin of the hindwing beneath are retained. The species is very 

 characteristic and does not appear to come specially near any other; it has certainly nothing to do with 

 semiargus Bott., with which Obeethur classifies it. I found the species singly Ijut not rarely in June, at 

 Lambessa in Algeria, where it occurs together with L. bellargus jninctifera and flies about clusters of 

 Thymus at the so-called lion-source. 3* and $ are equally frequent; the flight is exactly as in L. icarus. 



L. staudingeri Christ. (78 k). Above distinguished from the preceding insect by the more dark staudingcri. 

 blue than violet-blue ground-colour; beneath more uniformly ashy grey, the very straight chain of ocelli of 

 the forewing nearer the outer margin than in martini. — In Persia, according to Chrtstuph on the flowers 

 of Acanthophyllum. 



L. christophi Stgr. (78 k). ^ above dusted with violet-blue, $ with blackish blue. Beneath the christophi. 

 row of ocelli of the forewing is somewhat irregular, being much further away from the margin than in 

 staudingeri, standing almost in the centre of the wing. The ocelli of the hindwing small and feebly con- 

 trasting. In Persia and Turkestan. — The form from the Issykkul, agnata Stgr. (78 k), is larger, darker, agnata. 

 the (J particularly being deeper dark blue, with a broader black margin. — rogneda Gr.-Grsh.. from Kash- rogncda. 

 gar and the Pamir, is very much larger, being almost twice the size of true christophi, with very 

 small spots and an orange band before the outer margin. — samudra Moore (79 a) is hardly larger than samudra. 

 christophi, but is ashy grey beneath instead of pale brownish; from Kashmir and southern China. In May 

 and June, particularly on the flowers of Peganum haemida. Bingham considers samudra identical with 

 the form bracteata of argyrognomon. 



