30 NYMPHALID.E. NVMPHALIN.E. ATELLA. 



as on tlie forewing. Body above coiicolourous with wings, beneath greyish or very pale 

 ochraceous." {Distant, 1. c). Female rather darker than the male, the violaceous colouring 

 of the UNDERSIDE less prominent. 



Von Hiigel described this species from specimens taken in Masuri. It occurs in Nepal, Sik- 

 kim {Otto MolUr'), Orissa (/F. C. Taylor), Sibsagar (S. E. Peal), Khasi Hills in the autumn 

 iyohnson'),'i!^d.ga. liWU, Qo.c\\d,x ( lVood-Mason),?,y\\\Qt, Mergui Archipelago (^Dr. Anderson), 

 Upper Tenasserim, and Moulmein* a " melanoid variety" ( Limborg). Captain Bingham found 

 it common in the Thoungyeen forests in February, March and April ; it occurs throughout 

 Malayana. 



A. egista, Cramer, from the Moluccas and New Guinea is a closely-allied species. 



The figure, showing both sides of a female example from ShiUong, is taken from a specimen 

 in the Indian Museum, Calcutta. 



3^. Atella phalanta, Drury. (Plate XX, Fig. 88^). 



Pa/>iliaphalanta,'Drwy,l\\ Ex. Eat., vol. i, pi xxi, figs, i, 2 (1770); Argynnis phalanta, Godart, Enc. 

 Meth., vol ix, p. 259, n. 10 (1819) ; Atella phalanta, Horsfield and Moore, Cat. Lep. Mus. E. I. C-, vol. i, p. 

 151, n. 313, pi. v. fig. 7, larva, 7<i, pupa (1S57) ; id., Moore, Lep. Cey., vol. i, p. 62, pi, xxxi, figs, i, imago, 

 la, larva and pupa (1881) ; id., Distant, Rhop. Malay., p. 173, n. i, pi. ix, fig. 4, fnale (1882) ; Papilio 

 columbina, Cramer, Pap. Ex., vol. iii, pi. ccxxxviii, figs. A, B (1779) ; vol. iv, pi. cccxxxvii, figs. D, E (1781); 

 Phalanta Argynnis phalanta, Horsfield, Cat. Lep Mus. E. L C, pi. vii, figs, s, larva; ^a, pupa; sb-g, 

 details of itnago (1829). 



Habitat : Throughout India, Ceylon, the Maluy Peninsula, Siam, Sumatra, Java and 

 China. • 



Expanse : rg to 26 inches.' 



Description : " Male and female, Upperside bright ochraceous, with the following 

 blackish markings :—y&''<?7<://«^ with the apical half of the costal margin, four narrow waved fasciae 

 (arrano-ed in pairs) crossing cell, a waved and broken spot beyond cell extending from costa to 

 the lower discoidal nervule, an oblique series of four spots divided by the median nervules ; a 

 straif^ht discal series of six spots placed between the nervules, followed by a similar series of 

 four spots, the upper of which is placed between the discoidal nervules and the fourth between 

 the second and first median nervules ; a submarginal and much- waved fascia terminating at the 

 first median nervule, where it is followed by an irregular spot, and which is more or less con- 

 nected along the nervules with a marginal series of spots preceded by a narrow line. Hindioing 

 with some transversely waved linear fasciae on basal area ; a discal series of four rounded 

 spots, the two upper divided by the lower subcostal nervule, and the third and fourth by the 

 second median nervule ; two waved submarginal fasciae, the innermost particularly waved and 

 sinuated, and a marginal series of elongate spots. Underside as above, but with most of 

 the dark markings paler. Foreiuing with the black spots near outer angle very large and 

 prominent ; the straight series of spots beyond cell are outwardly margined with greyish, 

 and beyond this the wing has a violaceous suffusion. [The spaces inclosed by the dark 

 lines across the cell are also violaceous.] Hindwing with the outer medial linear dark 

 fascia reddish and outwardly margined with greyish, beyond which the ground-colour has a 

 violaceous tinge, and the black spots are very minute and surrounded with reddish. Body 

 above somewhat concolourous with wings, beneath greyish. Legs ochraceous, the femora 

 greyish." ( Distant, 1. c.) The intensity and extent of the markings are somewhat variable, 

 specimens from the region of heavy rainfall being as usual darker than those from more arid 

 districts. 



The LARVA as figured by " Horsfield is cylindric, green above, whitish below, with the 

 head brown ; each segment bears on the back two branched spines, and those segments which 

 have neither legs nor prolegs have also a similar spine at the side." (^Doubleday in Gen. 

 Diurn. Lep., vol. i, p. 166 ). Mr. Moore ( Lep. Cey., vol. i, p. 62) describes the larva as 

 '•purple-brown ; head armed with two delicate branched spines, each segment with two dorsal 

 rows of similar spines and two lateral rows of shorter spines. Feeds on Flacourtta, Salix, &c.'' 



• Moore, Troc. Zuol. Soc Loud., 1878, p. 828 



