320 LEMONIID.E. NEMEOBIIN^. ABISARA. 



l\\e s/(6cos/a/tie/z'u/eshih\rcn{ing beyond the end of the cell, discoUal cell long and broad, 

 the apex oblique, disco-cellular nervnles of equal lengtii in A. echerius and allies, the upper 

 shorter than the lower in A. fylla and A. neophron and allies ; the lower disco-cellular joining 

 the median nervure after the origin of the second median nervule, almost in the same straight 

 \\\\t'\\\ A . Jylla zwti A . «^<7//i/wi and allies, but forming an obtuse angle with the middle one 

 in A. echerius and allies. Body, somewhat small, -^t'^r/ small, eyes hairy, antennce exactly half 

 the length of the forewing, distinctly annulated. with a distinct spatulate club, palpi minute. 



Larva \^A. echerius and allies] onisciform.* " Pupa recumbent on a leaf or other object, 

 and secured by the tail and a girdle across the middle." {Moore, 1. c) 



" Abisara is distributed over a wide area ; it is found in Tropical Africa and Madagascar, 

 inhabits Continental India, Ceylon, the Andaman and Nicolmr Islands, Burma, and the 

 Malay Peninsula, being also represented generally throughout tlie Malay Archipelago." {Distant, 

 1. c.) The type of the genus, A. echerius, Stoll, was described from China. In India the genus, 

 as pointed out by Bates, falls into three distinct groups ; the first group which was placed in the 

 gQnws, Sospita by Hewitson contains a single species in India, it has an oblique discal band across 

 the forewing, yellow in the male, and white in the female, and the hindwing evenly rounded, not 

 angled (except slightly so in the female) or tailed. The next group, which contains A. neophron 

 and A. chela in India, and A. savitri in the Malay Peninsula, has not, as far as I am aware, been 

 generically separated ; these species also have an oblique discal band across the forewing, but 

 it is white in both sexes, and the hindwing is produced into a long tail at the end of the third 

 median nervule, the base of it wide, extending to the first median nervule ; both these groups 

 are absent from Peninsular India, Ceylon, and the Andamans and Nicobars, but occur 

 throughout the Eastern Himalayas and eastwards to Assam, and thence southwards to the Malay 

 Peninsula. The last group, which contains the typical Abisaras, is rich plum colour in 

 the male, and magnificently glossed with purple in certain lights, generally paler in the female 

 with no purple gloss, usually with some pale bands across the forewing, parallel to the outer 

 margin, not obliquely placed, the hindwing bluntly angled, but not tailed at the end of the 

 third median nervule, the outer margin being produced from the tip of the angulation to the 

 anal angle, giving a quadrate appearance. They occur sparingly in the outer Himalayas, Assam, 

 and almost throughout Eastern and Peninsular India, in Ceylon, the Andamans and Nicobars, 

 Burma, the Malay Peninsula, Java and China. The species of this group are all closely 

 allied, many of those which have been described are doubtfully distinct. 



Zey to the Indian species of AMsara. 



A. With a conspicuous pale transverse band placed obliquely on the forewing in both sexes. 



a. Outer margin of hindwing evenly rounded and scalloped, not produced into a tail, and only 



slightly angulated at the termination of the third median nervule in the female. 



608. A, (Sospita) fylla, Himalayas, Assam, Sylhet, Upper Tenasserim, Upper 



Burma. 



b. Outer margin of hindwing produced into a long tail at the termination of the third median 



nervule. 

 a'. Of large size, the tail long, the subraarginal line on the upperside of the forewing not 

 terminating anteriorly in a white spot. 



609. A. NEOPHRON, Sikkim, Assam, Sylhet, Upper Burma. 



^', Of smaller size and darker colour, the tail half as long, the submargiual line on the 

 upperside of the forewing terminating anteriorly in a wrhite spot. 



610. A. CHELA, Sikkim, Sylhet. 



B. With several obscure pale bands nearly parallel to the outer margin of the forewing, obsolete in the 



male. 

 a. Outer margin of hindwing bluntly and broadly angulated at the termination of the third median 

 nervule. 



611. A. bifasciata. South Andamans. 



612. A. angulata. Upper Tenasserim. 



613. A. abnormis, Upper Tenasserim. 



614. A. SUFFUSA, Sub-Himalayas, Eastern and Peninsular India. 



615. A. FRATBRNA, Bombay. 



616. A. PRUNOSA, South India, Ceylon 



* For explanation of onisci/onn, sec page 305, 



