'«^ 



THE ENTOMOLOaiST 



Vol. XL.] 



SEPTEMBEE, 1907. 



[No. 532. 



VARIETY OF MELITJEA ATHALIA vak. EOS, Haw. 

 By F. W. Frohawk, M.B.O.U., F.E.S. 



The accompanying figures represent a very beautiful variety 

 of Melitcea athalia which I had the pleasure of capturing on 

 June 23rd last, in Sussex. As will be seen by the drawing, the 

 black basal markings of the primaries are intensified and 

 suffused, and are almost absent over the rest of these wings 

 except the dark marginal band ; excepting the small indistinct 

 discal spot, a submarginal series of fulvous spots and a streak 

 of the same colour along the inner margin, the secondaries are 

 wholly blackish. The under surface is unusually handsome ; 

 the primaries have two large discal black spots and bold black 

 bars through the central area, and a submarginal series of 

 small black spots ; the secondaries have the basal portion boldly 

 marked with black and fulvous, a broad, plain, creamy- white, 

 median baud, followed by series of fine black crescents and 

 fulvous spots, and a submarginal row of small dusky lunules on 

 a bright straw-yellow ground colour. All the fulvous colouring 

 is particularly bright and rich. The specimen is in very perfect 

 condition, apparently emerged just previous to capture. 



In the 'Entomologist' for June, 1877, vol. x. p. 145, are 

 figures of both upper and under sides of an almost identical 



ENTOM. — SEPTEMBER, 1907. S 



