42 BRITISH BUTTERFLIES 
SPECIES 6.—MELITAA DIA. 
Plate ix. fig. 5—7. 
Synonymes.— Papilio Dia, Linneus, Stewart, Turton. 
Melitea Dia, Stephens, Jermyn. Loudon’s Mag. Nat. Hist. vol. v. 751, fig. 124. 
Argynnis Dia, Ochsenheimer, Hiibner. (Verz.) 
This species, which is also closely allied to M. Selene, is about an inch and three quarters in expanse. The 
upper surface of both pair of wings has the black spots and markings larger and stronger, the base of the 
posterior being nearly black ; so that the whole assumes a darker appearance than in M. Selene. But the principal 
difference consists in the under side of the posterior wings, which are of a brownish purple, interspersed with 
darker markings of the same colour, and numerous irregular semi-metallic spots ; of which there are six or seven 
of small size at the base, intermixed with minute yellowish dots ; a band composed of silvery and yellowish spots ; 
then a purplish white streak, in which is a series of circular spots slightly pupillated ; and finally, in the margin 
is a series of silvery lunules. 
The caterpillar is black, with the spines white and reddish; the back greyish, with a longitudinal line. It 
feeds on the Viola odorata, and there are two broods in the year. 
Found by Mr. Weaver several times in Sutton Park, near Birmingham, and also near Alderley, in Cheshire, 
by Mr. Stanley. 


GENUS X. 
ARGYNNIS*, Fasrictus. 

Referring to the observations under the genus Melitzea relative to the characters of that and the present genus, 
we may define this to be distinguished chiefly by the larger size of the insects, the silvery spots which ornament 
the under side of the wings, which are broad and of ample size, the ordinarily concave posterior margin of the fore 
wings, the tessellated appearance of their upper surface, and the dilatation of the branches of the median and the 
anal vein of the fore wings in the males of most of the species. The antenne are terminated by a suddenly-formed 
broad compressed, or rather spoon-shaped, club; the head is broad, the eyes are large and naked, the fore legs 
rudimental +. The ungues of the four posterior tarsi are formed as in Melitzwa, and their structure has been 
carefully illustrated in the Crochard Edition of the Regne Animal, Insects, plate 135. I have purposely omitted 
all mention of the form of the palpi in the above characters, as this character does not appear to me of any value 
in separating the Fritillary butterflies into two genera, the true types of Melita, or those without silvery spots, 
having the terminal joint as large and acute as it is in the typical Argynnes, whilst Mr. Stephens has observed 
that Lathonia and Euphrosyne agree together in their palpi. Lathonia moreover differs from the other Argynnes 
in several other important respects, so that it must evidently be regarded as an intermediate form: I therefore 
place it at the head of the genus, in order that it may be brought into connexion with the silvery spotted 
Melitxe. 
“A fanciful name, being one of the denominations of Venus (Vollm. Vodlst. Worterb. der Mythol. Stuttg. 1836). 
} The fore legs are described by Curtis as ‘¢ alike in both sexes.’’ They differ, however, in the sexes, in the same manner as the fore legs of 
Melitawa described in a preceding page. I have represented their structure in P, Paphia, in my Introd. to Mod. Classific. vol. 2 p. 353, fig. 98, 
PTA MeN 
