NYMPHALID^. NYMPHALIN^. MELIT^EA. 27 



312. Melitsea rolsertsi, Butler, 



M. robertsi, Butler, Proc. Zool Soc. Lond., 1880, p. 406, n. 8, pi. xxxix, f5g 2; M. r^<5^r/.//, Swinhoe, 

 Irans. Ent. Soc. Lond , 1885, p. 339, n. n. 



Habitat : Candahar, Chaman, Afghanistan ; Campbellpur, Attock, Punjab. 

 Expanse : 12 to 1-5 inches. 



DESCRlPTroN : Male : Upperside bright fulvous, markings much smaller and generally 

 less prominent than in M. balbita ; cilia white, alternating with black ; veins concolou.ous with 

 the ground, not black as in M. balbita ; base of wings with a few blackish scales ; both wings 

 with a narrow black marginal band entirely separate from the submarginal series of blaclc 

 lunules which are small, separate, and on the hindwing often evanescent (in M balbita these 

 latter are confluent with each other and with the marginal band). /^c;m.//«^ with two small 

 black streaks across the cell and continued to the submedian nervure, two enclosing the 

 disco-cellular nervules, a twice angulated discal band of spots, the upper four more or less" con- 

 fluent, three or four subapical spots beyond more or less confluent, and a submarginal series of 

 lunules. Hindwing with some irregular basal lines, an angulate series of discal spots (in 

 M. balbita these are sometimes traceable, bat usually entirely absent), and a submar-inal series 

 of lunules, often obsolete, black. Underside paler : fore-mng marked as on upperside the 

 exterior markmgs fainter and evanescent on the anal portion, the apex pale ochreous ; hinLing 

 wuh pa e ochreous veins (almost white), and the b.ands pale ochreous much whiter than in 

 ^/.A./^:/<.; the base of the wing and along the inner margin pale ochreous, the disco-cellular 

 spot extended downwards and coalescing with the ochreous margin, a broad curved discal 

 band and the outer margin broadly pale ochreous, the marginal band is bounded inwardly 

 by the submarginal lunules and bears a marginal series of separate spots besides the inter- 

 rupted marginal line by which it is bounded ; the discal band is bounded on both sides by 

 fine black lunules and bears an interrupted line of black lunules ; and on each side of the 

 discoidal nervule it is extended outwardly, the extension being again bounded by two black 

 lunules. 



The black lines bounding the pale ochreous bands are in all cases composed of separate 

 narrow lunules, while in M. balbita the lines are continuous and the bands are yellow, not 

 whitish ochreous. 



The above description is taken from the specimens in my collection from Afghanistan 

 and the Punjab, the black markings vary considerably, but in all cases they are more decidedly 

 macular and less confluent than in M. balbita, the veins not being black in M. robertsi at 

 once distinguishes it from M. balbita ; it is also a smaller insect. 



Butler's original description is given below.* M. a'/</i'Wrt: is a larger and very variable 

 insect of the same group found in Europe and Western Asia ; the markings are similar in 

 pattern, but much larger, more numerous and more intense, the ground-colour is also much 

 darker fulvous. 



" Rather common on the bare uncultivated wa stes at the foot of the hills at the end of May 



* ^elitcea robertsi. " Allied to M didyma. ; colouration and general aspect on the lpperside more lilcTlT 



^frrflV ."^ '^"'^°"i = ''!"°' Th "?^ "^"^ ^"^''^ ^P°"^'i ""''h buck, these%pots united at their bases bJ^a 

 black line; a marginal seties of black spots alternating with the soots on th,. ril,-, rr^ll.-Z.\. 



bfacrZub'l^icard^'"'^^- ')= '^^^' "^f '"^ "^^ "^"^' ^'»^-^ senes^'o'/Vomine^t '^black Z^r^^'X^t^^^ 

 back subap.cal dots. Hindzving with a few scattered black scales in the ceU and an angular series of sevln 

 ^■,^r ^V ^^"''.'I'^'l '"i'^'^'" =, "° '"'^ ?*■ '^^ "^"^'"^^y ^^"" °f submarginal lunules. u"feRsm/ paler than 

 ^^^M d.dyma the black markings much smaller, the submarginal series of spots in the>,vr<./«l reduced as o^ 

 .-n .ii*^ .'h"^^ to four subapical dots^dheast two geminate). Hhuhcing with both blackind red spots reduced 

 ■ • w\ k"'^^ °u 'P°'' placed ordinarily half way between the two red bands closely approvfmated to the 

 ser.es which bounds the inner edge of the outer band and continued across the wing, so as ^o mX .a ser es of 

 sh-htly .n errupted annular markings ; the series usually bounding the outer ed^e of the same rtAfnT f 

 represented by a few black scales." (Butler, Proc. Zool. boc. Lond.,l88o, p 4^ n. 8, p[ xx-xix-'fig 2)!'^ °"'^ 



t Melit<^a persea, Kollar, Denksch. Akad. Wien, Math.-Nat CI., vol i n .;2 n f, f ,R-'^l w 

 Persia. Exp..vnss : 1-5 inches. Description : - UppERsins fulvous. Fore\^.?„l wFth thre; bhVk'^lV Habitat : 

 hind^ving with two; .he former on the UNnEKsms with the ape-C^he latte ent reTv nal^^^^^^^ 

 macu^ar^fasc. in the forewing as on upperside, .1. the hindwing with' two pale ydl^v f"sc^«':*''a'„^^'',T:ek "lunules 



is .:^J^%. S^.!t;i!^:^ ^st^ S^i^T^".f ':::.^'^^^'z^^ ^ti^^^ 



