138 NVMrHALID.il. SATVRIX.^. LETHE. 



Ecy to the Groups of Lethe, 



A. Males with a long narrow patch of differently formed scales from those of the rest of the wing, placed 



on the upperside of the forewing below the median nervule. 



B. Males without seiual glands and tufts on either wing. 



o. The apex of the cell in the hindwing at the origin of the second median ner\'ule. 

 b. The apex of the cell in the hindwing beyond the origin of the second median nervule. 



C. White with rufous brown markings * 



The difierentiation of the sexes in this genus, as regards colour and markings, is consider- 

 ahle and varied, but in most cases the general pattern and style of colouration of the underside 

 of the hindwing is identical in both sexes. The usual difference consists in the presence in 

 the female of a conspicuous white bar or series of spots in the forewing, which in the male 

 is absent ; but this is not universal ; in some the colouration of the upperside also differs, while 

 in three at least, L. rohria, L. verma and Z. masoni, the white bar is found in both sexes. In 

 the first species, L. scantfa, the sexes are of totally different colours on the upperside, the male 

 being indigo-blue, and the female dark brown, neither sex having white markings. In Z. 

 /avian's, the female has a narrow pale ochreous fascia on the forewing, which is wanting in the 

 male ; and in the other four species of the first group, the female has white markings, which 

 are altogether absent in the males. 



The first group contains six Indian species, and is further divisible into three subgroups 

 based on the different nature and position of these sexual tufts, and these subgroups correspond 

 exactly with the geographical distribution of the insects ; three species from North-East India 

 have a conspicuous tuft of hairs on the hindwing, in addition to the narrow raised patch near 

 the inner margin of the forewing ; one species from Burma and Malayana has the conspicuous 

 tuft of hairs on the hindwing, but in a different position ; and, lastly, two species from Ceylon 

 lack the tuft on the hindwing altogether. The principal characters of the species of the first 

 group, found within Indian limits, are given in the key below. 



Key to the Indian species of Lethe. 



J^i'si Group. 

 A. Males with a long narrow patch nf differently formed scales from those of the rest of the wing, placed 

 on the upperside of the forewing below the median nervure. 



a. The narrow patch of raised scales placed on either side of the middle of the submedian 

 nervure. 



a'. Males with a conspicuous tuft of long black hairs placed upon a glandular 

 patch on the upperside of the hindwing immediately below the cell, and 

 on the base of the second median nervule ; the apex of the cell beyond the 

 origin of the second median nervule. The ocelli on underside of hind- 

 wing not disintegrated, but some of the ocelli bearing several white dots 

 besides the pupil. 

 a^. Male, upperside rich deep indigo-blue, paler on the margins. 

 Female dark brown, with only two indistinct yellowish sub- 

 apical marks on the upperside of the forewing. 

 iig. L. SCANDA, Sikkim. 

 6', Male, upperside rich rufous brown, crossed at the middle of the fore- 

 wing by a band of darker brown Female, with the darker brown 

 band outwardly margined by a series of pure white spots. 



120. L. BiiAiRAVA, Sikkim. 



c*. Ma'e, upperside pale dull brown ; forewing without markings. 

 Female, similar in colouration, but the forewing crossed by a 

 transverse oblique ochreous band. 



121. L. LATiARis, N.-E. India, Burma. 



i' , Males with the tuft of hairs on the hindwing placed between the first and 

 second median nervules. The apex of the cell at the origin of the second 

 median nervule. Ocelli on underside of hindwing disintegrated. 



122. L. MINERVA, Tenasserim, Malayana. 



• The proper position of this species caunot be ascertained in the absence of specimens for examinatiin. 



