LYCANIDA,. TARAKA. 57 
DescrIPTION. “MALE. UPPERSIDE, lolh wings violet-brown. Forewing with a slightly 
darker disco-cellular lunule. UNDERSIDE, doth wings greyish-white, with waved transverse 
blackish lines, and basal marks. FEMALE. UPPERSIDE, both wings paler than in the male. 
Forewing with a very small indistinct paler space beyond the cell.” 
<‘ Distinguished from S. epius, Westwood, by the absence in the male of the prominent white 
discal spot, and the broad white discal area in the female ; the markings beneath are more 
numerous and waved. It is also distinct from S. dilama, Moore,* from Hainan.” (JZoore, 1. c.) 
I possess but a single female of this species, taken in the Andamans by Mr. R. Wimberley. 
It differs from that sex of S. epius, Westwood, in having a small ochreous discal patch on the 
upperside of the forewing instead of a large whitish one, The markings of the underside seem 
to be much the same in the two species. 
Genus 105.—-TARAKA, nov., Doherty, MS. (PLATE XXVI). 
Differs from Spalgis, Moore, in the FOREWING having the third subcostal nervulz shorter, 
as it is emitted from the subcostal nervure considerably furtherfrom the apex of the discoidal 
cell thanit is in Sfalgis ; the disco-cellulay nervules, instead of being in one straight line and 
perpendicular, are differently arranged ; the middle one is slightly concave and nearly perpendicu- 
lar, the lower straight but inwardly oblique: in the male the apex of the wing is less acute, and 
the outer margin slightly convex instead of straight. In the HINDWING the outer margin in 
the male is more rounded, the aval angle less produced, the internal nervure is short, in 
Spaigis it is unusually long, nearly reaching the anal angle, and is very much longer than in 
Taraka. The style of markings on the underside is quite different, in Sfalgis the entire 
surface is crossed by numerous fine zigzag dark brown lines, with a somewhat prominent 
whitish oval spot in the discoidal cell of the forewing ; in Taraka there are numerous more 
or less rounded large black spots arranged evenly over the entire surface placed on a white 
ground ; the cilia checkered instead of being concolorous. Type, 7. Aamada, Druce. Two 
species only are known, one of which is found in Sikkim, Assam, Burma, Eastern Java, 
China and Japan ; the other in Perak, 
I append as a footnote a very full diagnosis of this genus drawn up by Mr. W. Doherty 
about two years ago, but which was not published.t It was founded on his new species 
T. mahanetra. He has also recorded the following observations on the genus: ‘‘ Next to 
Spalgis I place the singular genus Taraka, of which the type is Miletus hamada, Druce. 
This genus greatly resembles Meopithecops, and like it is probably protected. It may be 
separated from it by the narrower discoidal cell of the forewing placed nearer the costa, and the 
{UE ee EE eee ee 
* Lucia dilama, Moore, Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond., 1878, p. 701. 
+ Wings remarkably fragile and thin. FoREWING, costa regularly rounded, afex rather acute, outer margin con- 
vex, immer margin concave ; costad nervure not touching the first subcostal nervule, a little swollen at the base; /z7s¢ 
subcostal nervule originates two-fifths before the end of the discoidal cell; second subcostal arising twice the dis- 
tance from the base of the first as from the base of the upper discoidal ; 47rd subcostal arises midway between 
the apex of the cell and of the wing ; disco-ced/ular nervules slightly produced outwardly, dower disco-cellular longer 
than the middle one and very slender, meeting the median nervule just beyond its last forking. Htnpwinc, long 
and narrow; cos¢a long, outer margin rounded, composed of two curves meeting at the end of the second 
subcostal nervule, zzmer margin convex for most of its length ; costad nervure long, extending to the apex, run- 
ning close to the margin ; discoidal cedd abruptly truncate ; disco-cellular nervules meeting the subcostal nervure 
just beyond its bifurcation, and the median nervure opposite its last bifurcation. Ayes naked. Antenne with 
thirty joints or more (I counted thirty in hamada, and thirty-two in »zahanetra, but I find it very hard to be 
accurate in this particular), slender, the last ten (approximately) gradually forming a moderate club, abruptly 
truncate at the tip, the last joint elongate. Padi, last joint covered with long appressed scales, rather 
short, less than halfas long as the preceding joint, fusiform, pointed, not clavate. Legs covered with very long white 
hairs, the middle and hind femora longer than the tibiz which are greatly swollen in the middle, the tarsi as long 
as the tibia, the first joint nearly twice as long as the others united, the-last joint with simple claws and paro- 
nychia, Fore-tarsi of the male slender, equal in length to the tibize, without spines or articulations, the claws 
united for most of their length, diverging at the end. Fore-tarsi of the female longer than the tibie, without 
spines, the claws as in the male, no distinct articulations ; the separation of the last joint is slightly indicated but 
is quite immovable.” 
“This genus belongs to the naked-eyed division of the Lycenine. So far as I know, the species of this 
genus occur in the low-country; they are found in forest, and are very weak and moth-like in flight, and 
amongst the smallest and most delicate of butterflies. From Meofithecops, Distant, this genus differs in the 
remarkable structure of the fore-tarsi, which in doth sexes are without articulations, and have the claws 
united at the base, This also distinguishes it from Pithecofs, Horsfield, as well as by the free costal nervure 
of the forewing.” (Doherty, MS.) 
8 
