46 NYMPHALID/E. NYMPHALINiE. SEPHISA. 



Thorax, robust, wooly ; abdomen, rather small. Forewing, with the casta gently arched ; outer 

 margin emargiiiate below the apex and waved, a little shorter than the inner margin which 

 is straight. Costal nervure reaching the margin about the middle of the costa ; the first sub- 

 costal nervnle given ofif from the subcostal nervure a short distance before the end of the cell, 

 second a little beyond the end of the cell, the third given off nearer to the cell than to the base 

 of the fourth, reaching the apex, fourth reaching the margin below the apex. Upper disco- 

 cellular nervule very small, directed obliquely outwards, middle disco-cellular also very short, 

 about three times the length of the upper, directed obliquely inwards, lozver disco-cellular 

 wanting, thus leaving the discoidal cell entirely open. Third tnedian nervule moderately and 

 evenly arched. Siibmedian nervure stra.\ght. Hindwi.vg, triangular-ovate, c^j/^z gently curved, 

 outer margin sinuate, inner margin emarginate at the anal angle, deeply channelled to receive 

 the abdomen. Prcecostal nervure simple, strongly curved outwards. Discoidal cell open. 



This is a genus of very small extent, two species only being known, which are confined 

 to Northern India extending into Burma. They are handsome insects, the males black and 

 yellow in about equal proportions, one species with some white spots on the forewing. The 

 female of one species {S. chandra) is extremely variable. 



Key to the species of Sephisa. 



A. Male with a discal series of white spots on forewing, female with a single orange spot in cell, no 



discal spots. 



326. C. CHANDRi. N.-E. Himalayas, Assam, Burma. 



B. Male with all the markings of the forewing orange, female with discal orange spots in addition to the 



cue in the cell. 



327. C. DicHROA, Western Himalayas. 



326. Sephisa clxandra, Moore. 



Castatia chandra, Moore, Horsfield and Moore, Cat. Lep. Mus. E. I. C, vol. i, p. 200, n. 409, pi. via, 

 fig. 4, 7nale (1857) ; id., Waterhouse, Aid to the Ident. of Ins., vol. i, pi. 8, feiitalc (iSSo) ; Sephisa chandra, 

 de Niceville, Journ. A. S. B., vol. li, pt. ii, p. 60, n. 164 (1882). 



Habitat : Nepal, Sikkim, Upper Assam, Burma. 



Expanse: <?,3'oto3'3; ?, 3-40 to 3*65 inches. 



Description: Male. " Upperside : ./^7;vw/«^ jet-black, with a greenish gloss at the 

 apex ; a transverse curved row of four orange-coloured spots from costal margin one-fourth of 

 the wing to middle of posterior margin ; a straight row of five white spots from middle of costal 

 margin to near posterior angle ; also two small and one minute 7vhite spot near the apex ; a 

 marginal and submarginal row of spots, those at the apex whitish, the marginal ill-defined, the 

 submarginal rather large and clearly defined, and those to the posterior angle small and bluish. 

 Hindwing clear orange-colour, with rather broad black posterior margin, centred with a marginal 

 row of small whitish [bluish] spots ; also a parallel inner zigzag black band from anal angle to 

 anterior angle, and extending along the costal margin, the black extending along the veins 

 upwards and downvvards to marginal band ; a small black spot nearly at the base of and within 

 discoidal cell [sometimes absent], and another in the middle of the wing ; on the thickest part of 

 the inner band near anal angle is a small medial bluish-white spot [sometimes absent] ; abdominal 

 margin broad dusky-white. Body black ; frontal tuft and neck spotted with white. Underside 

 as above, but on the foreiving the colours are brighter ; the costal margin greenish-white, and 

 there is also a whitish triangular spot at base of discoidal cell : on the hind%i,ing along the mar- 

 ginal band is a row of bluish-white lunated spots ; the spot on the thickest part of the inner band 

 is large, as is also the medial black spot within the discoidal cell ; at the base of the wing are 

 a number of greenish-white spots ; all the veins are broadly lined with black ; body and 

 aWowwj on the sides spotted with white." (Moore, \. c) " Fkmale differs from the m.ile in 

 the outer margin of the forewing being less emarginate, the hindwing broader and less 

 denticulate. On the upperside the rich orange colour of the male has entirely disappeared, 

 except the spot in the cell of \hs. fomving, which, however, is much reduced in size. Beyond 

 the cell in that wing in one Sikkim specimen, but hardly observable in another Sikkim ex- 

 ample, and in one from Nepal there are four longitudinal white streaks between the nervules, 



