354 LYCANID&. APHNAEUS. 
907, Aphnzus lilacinus, Moore. 
A. lilacinus, Moore, Journ. A. S. B., vol. liii, pt. 2, p. 28 (1884) ; A. @stivus, Swinhoe, Proc. Zool. Soc. 
Lond., 1886, p. 428, n. 61, pl. xl, fig. 1, female. 
HasitaT: Bholahat, Malda ; Bombay ; Mhow. 
EXPANSE: @, I'l to1'43 9, 12 to 1'5 inches. 
DESCRIPTION: ‘* MALE. UPPERSIDE, doth wings brown. Forewing with the basal and 
discal areas, including the cell, pale lilacine-blue, a blackish spot at the end of the cell. Hind- 
wing with the basal and medial areas pale lilacine-blue, anal lobe ochreous, with a very small 
silver-speckled black spot. UNDERSIDE, doth wings pale brownish-ochreous. Forewing with 
two black rings in the cell, a band at the end of the cell dilated beneath and extending obliquely 
to the submedian nervure, aringlet spot beyond the end of the cell, an upper discal inwardly 
oblique double ringlet spot, and a submarginal broad chain-like band, the lower ends dusky, 
and each traversed by a black silvery streak. AHindzwing with very indistinct traces of darker- 
coloured transverse subbasal, discal, and submarginal bands, which are traversed by silvery and 
black streaks ; anal spots minute, silver-speckled. The silvery streak traverses the middle of 
the markings, except on the submarginal band of both wings, where it extends along the 
outer border.” (dJoore, 1. c.) FEMALE. UPPERSIDE, both wings dull brown, and of course 
lacking the iridescent blue colour present in the male, the wings broader, the outer margins 
much more convex. UNDERSIDE, doth wings as in the male. 
The type of this species is in the Indian Museum, Calcutta, and where it came from 
is unknown. It appears to be a very common species at Bholahat in the Malda district, 
whence Mr. W. H. Irvine has sent mea very fine series showing its great variation. The 
type specimen is moderately-prominently marked on the underside, but I possess specimens 
which have all the markings nearly obliterated (much as in A. e/ima, Moore) and others 
in which they are very prominent (much as in 4. écéis, Hewitson) ; this latter is the form 
Colonel Swinhoe has described as below* as A. e@estivus. This species is quite peculiar, and 
has no near ally. The upperside of the male being marked with pale iridescent blue is a very 
curious feature ; the markings of the underside are perhaps nearest to those in A. hypargyrus, 
Butler. The colour of the ground on the underside varies a good deal, prominently-marked 
specimens having it much paler (almost primrose-yellow) than have those in which the markings 
are obsolete, in which latter it is ochreous inclining to brick red. Its distribution is curious, 
Bholahat and Mhow being the only two certain localities from which it has been recorded, 
but I possess a strongly-marked male specimen labelled ‘* Bombay ’”’ received from the 
Bombay Natural History Society. 
Since the above has been in type, Mr. Irvine has sent to me the following interesting note 
on his Malda experiences of this species :—‘‘ I noticed two broods of A. /i/acinus in Malda, one 
occurring very numerously during the hot months after all the grass-jungle is burnt, when the 
butterflies are found in numbers settled on the burnt up stems of various grasses, particularly 
the Saccharum spontaneum, in the early morning, when the burnt grasses are still moist with 
the night’s dew. A smaller brood, but of much larger size, prevails during the rains, also to be 
principally found amongst grasses. Both broods shew the usual seasonal changes in colour 
and markings, the early one being paler and more blue, with lighter markings underneath ; 
es 
* Aphneus estivus, Swinhoe. Hasirat: Mhow, May. Exranse: 1°4 inches. Description: ‘* Upprr- 
SIDE, forewing pale reddish-grey, with the bands on the underside showing faintly through the wings, marginal 
line brown. Cilia silvery-white. Hindwing with two brown spots on the anal angle ona slightly reddish 
ground. Unpersipr, Joth wings pale yellowish cream colour, bands pale reddish-brown with metallic marks, 
Forewing with two short bands before the middle which do not go below the cell . a median band broken in 
the middle. followed by a costal spot like a figure of 8, followed by two more larger spots, one touching the 
costa and the other below it like a figure of 8 broken off in the middle ; then a submarginal and a_ marginal 
band, marginal line dark brown. /indwing withaninner median and discal band, and with a submarginal 
and marginal band like those on the forewing ; marginal line brown, and some brown marks on the abdomi- 
nal margin. Both wings have all the bands margined with dark brown on both sides, and havea peculiar 
zigzag appearance in consequence of the zigzag formation of their borders.” (.Szz#hoe, |. c.) P 
Colonel Swinhoe does not state the sex of the specimen he descr.bed and figured, bit it was probably 
afemale. In his collection is a very delapidated female specimen from Mhow, > 
