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OPSIPHANES. By H. Fruhstorfer. 



Group Catoblepia Stick. 



Differs from Opsiphdties chiefly in tlie Becoudary sexual characters, the only important structural 

 difference being the narrower cell of the hindwing. A few other details have no generic value, and the 

 group is connected on the one hand with Opsiphanes by O. versitincta Stick, and on the other with the grouji 

 Selenopknnes Stgr. by 0. anipkirkoe. Submedian mostly with felted hairs proximally. Costal and subcostal 

 distinctly though narrowly separated. Subcostal 5-branched, two branches arising shortly before the end of 

 the cell, the first in one case {0. am.phirkoe) somewhat further proximad, running into the costal margin, the 

 third branch midway between the end of the cell and the apex, the fifth branch forked with the fourth and run- 

 ning into the distal margin. Cell broad, anterior angle rounded, upper discocellular moderately long, continued 

 by the middle one in a gentle curve proximally, the lower oblique, elongate. Median shortly inflated at 

 the base. Hindwing nearly oval, apex rounded. Costal close to and parallel with the costa. Precostal cell 

 broader than long, rhomboid or transverse rhomboidal. Cell narrow, about half the length of the wing. Membrane 

 at the side of the lower median in the cJ more or less wrinkled close to the cell, the lower median in one case 

 (0. ampkirhoe) strongly inflated. Cell with a hair-pencil in the posterior part or a hair-tuft in the anterior 

 part behind the subcostal. In all cases at the submedian on a smooth friction-area a smaller hair-pencil, some- 

 times a brush-like tuft of hairs in or on a fold between submedian and lower median, or with a stripe of long, 

 smooth, distally directed hairs on a mealy area between these veins. Abdomen short and slender, in one case 

 {0. ampkirhoe) more robust, with a swollen friction-patch at each side. 



versitincta. 



a) Section Diophthaltni. 



TJnderside of the hindwing with two ocelli, 

 a) (^ w i t h a hair-pencil before the apex of the cell on the hindwing. 



0. versitincta Stick. (66 a) stands in the closest relationship to the species of the group Opsipkanes 

 on account of the broad cell of the hindwing. ^ : body above brown, collar and frons red-brown, palpus yellow- 

 brown. C4round-colour of the wings dark brown. Forewing with a deep ochre-yellow postdiscal band, in the 

 a23ex three small obscure white dots. Hindwing unicolorous. In the cell, close to the median, a long hair- 

 pencil, a brush-like tuft of hairs projecting from a fold before the submedian, a small hair-pencil on a 

 scaleless friction-])atch behind it. Under surface brown, forewing in the distal half striated with 

 whitish, the band of the upper surface vaguely indicated by a lighter tone of colour. Between the ra- 

 dials a black, yellow-ringed, apical eye-spot with white puijil. Near the distal margin and parallel with it 

 two black, slightly dentate submarginal lines, somewhat incurved below the eye-spot, the proximal one slightly 

 bordered with orange-yellow for its whole length. In the cell three ill-defined undulate transverse lines. Hind- 

 wing striated with white with the exception of the grey-brown distal margin. Length of the forewing 43 mm. 

 $: larger, brown, shot with delicate violet except at the apex of the forewing, most strongly at the base. Band 

 of the forewing broader, lighter, proximally running through the end of the cell, at the anal angle somewhat 

 pointed. In the black-brown apex three small white spots. Under surface as in the ^J, but lighter and with a 

 yellowish tone. Length of the forewing 49 mm. Only 1 ^ and 2 $$ from Surinam and 1 $ from Cayenne 

 known. 



b) J w i t h a h air- ji e n c i 1 



the cell of the ii i n d w i n g. 



0. xanthus bears especially conspicuous hair-brushes at the submedian and a tuft of very 



long hairs in the cell of the hindwing. Three well differentiated local races, of which tlie most southerly 



xanthus. in particular is characterized by its size and by steel-blue sheen on the hindwing. — xanthus L. (63 b). 



