88 NYMPHALID.^. DANAINVE. EUPLCEA. 



73- Buploea delons, Westwood. 



E. deione, Westwood, Cab. Or. Ent., p. 76, pi. xxxvii, fig. 3 (1848), maU ; E, poeyi, Felder, Rcise Nov., 

 Lep., vol. ii, p. 340, n. 471 (1867), fentalc. 



Habitat : Sikkim, Naga Hills, Assam. 



Expanse : 3'6 to 44 inches. 



Description : Uppekside : Male, black (or deep swarthy, with a slight rufous tinge on 

 forevviiig, highly rufesceiU on hiiidwing). Forewing, in certain positions splendidly glossed 

 with blue, having two small white spots, one near the middle of the wing, below the third 

 median nervule, and the other near the middle of the costa above the end of the cell ; a large 

 and conspicuous silky brown streak runs parallel to the inner margin near the fust branch of 

 the median nervure. hindwin^ unspotted (but in some specimens an obsolete marginal and 

 submarginal row of small spots is distinctly traceable). Underside, both wings brown, 

 outwardly paler. Forewing with a few minute white spots at the base. A subcostal spot 

 just above the end of the cell, a spot near the lower end of the cell, a series of spots outside 

 the cell, one between each pair of the nervules, the lowest the largest and oblong, the second 

 less than half the size and round, the third small and linear, all lilac-white. Hin.hving with a 

 spot in the cell and a series of four or five spots outside it, all lilac-white ; sometimes a row 

 of minute submarginal white dots, almost obliterated in ihz forewing. 



In a series of the males in Colonel Lang's collection, all from Sikkim, the subcostal spot on 

 the upperside of \.\\t forewing is wanting in some specimens ; in others there is a faint cell spot, 

 and in two or three specimens there is a fourth spot between the first and second median ner- 

 vules. The hindwing in all is strongly tinged rufescent, the base and middle ihnkcr and faintly 

 shot with blue, the/c^r^w/w^ alone being black. In one specimen the apical i>ortion of the 

 forewing is distinctly powdered with pale blue in broad streaks between the nervules. 



Female (separately described as E. poyei by Felder). " Upperside : Forewing deep rufes- 

 cent swarthy, a little paler on the apical area and margin, in certain positions splendid violet 

 blue almost to the margin ; with a subcostal dot, another in the cell, and two median spots 

 (the lower powdery, evanescent) white, margined with violet. ffindwing\ess intense and paler 

 on the margin, with the costal margin paling and powdered with hoary ; with small obsolete 

 external spots in a subangulate series, and others before the outer margin dot-shaped, 

 powdered with white, a little more distinct, on a paler ground. Underside much paler, the 

 usual spots at the base. Forewing with a subcostal spot, another in the cell, two beyond it 

 (the upper narrow, minute— the lower small), two lower, small; and others, before the outer 

 margin, white, more or less powdered with blue, and circled with swarthy ; a rather large 

 median spot, and two long internal ones (the upper almost linear), violet-white. Hindwing 

 with a spot in the cell, and five beyond it in an angulate series, small, violet-white and circled 

 with swarthy ; the external spots, and others before the margin as on the upperside, but 

 whitish and larger." {Felder, 1. c.) 



There can be little doubt but that this is the female oi E. deione which is found more com- 

 monly in the same localities, and the female of which is otherwise unknown. A pair of females 

 in Colonel Lang's collection agree with this description, except that the uppersidb of the fore- 

 wing has, in one specimen, a fifth spot, shaped like a very small streak, below the first median 

 nervule. On the underside, in iht forewing, the spot in the cell is double, the inner margin 

 is whitish, a long whitish streak below the median nervure, a large oval spot above it, a 

 prominent round spot above that, a minute streak above again at end of cell, and a subcostal 

 spot, are all the markings. There is no trace of any spots beyond the discal row. On the 

 underside of the hindwing there are the following markings : a spot in the cell, a series of six 

 round the end of the cell, that nearest the costa smallest, and the next to it the largest; four 

 small submarginal spots near the anal angle, and nine small marginal spots from the 

 anal angle (two between each pair of nervules in each row) ; the cilia prominently white- 

 spotted. 



