ERVPHANIS. By H. Fkuiistorfer. 311 



(liscocellular and the lower are not so long as in CdJkjo, not so transversely placed, luil ohliquelv joining' tli^' 

 median at its 3rd branch. This same is the case with the cell of the hindwing, but the precostal cell is iiiiite 

 as small as in Caligo. The 3^,^ possess at the inner margin of the hindwing a strikingly large elongate or roin)d- 

 ed, yellowish pilose spot, consisting of long, spatulate scent-scales. In addition they have, like rV(7?f/o, a sliinv 

 area, of lackered appearance, at the sulimedian, corresponding with a gland on tiie abdomen; the li:'ii-- 

 pencil is wanting. The clasping-organs show more analogy with Opsiphanes than with ('td'ujo. to which the genus 

 is other\\'ise apparently nearer. Tegumen as in Opsiphanes and the Siityridne with a hook-siiaped uncus which 

 bears two lateral, ventrally smooth points. The valves long, slender, dorsally sharply dentate. The range of 

 this genus extends over northern South America and through Central America to Mexico. Jn the soutli, 

 like the genus Opsiphanes, it docs not extend beyond Rio Grande do Sul and Bolivia. — Egg the same size 

 as those of the Morphids, spherical, somewhat flattened above and lieneath and on these flattened parts dark 

 brown, otherwise whitish grey. Round the greatest circumference runs a broad, deej) dark brown stripe, whicii. 

 however, at one side is not closed l)ut remains open for about U nim. Larva on bamboo. It keeps the anal 

 fork compressed, so that it looks not unlike a Sphingid horn. Pupa elongate and as pointed at the head as at 

 the anal end. According to Dr. Hahxel the butterflies present a magnificent show of colour when in the sliade 

 of the woods they suddenly let their wonderful deep dark blue flash out. According to my experience in Santa 

 Catharina the Eri/phnnis are fond of feeding at the sap flowing out of trees in the undergrowth, on the stems 

 of which they sit with the wings folded, and it is also occasionally possible to attract them with overrijje bananas. 

 They are, however, nowhere found in large numliers. — Only 6 species are yet known. They are divided into 

 two unequal groups according to whether a brush of hairs is present on the friction-area of the hindwing. 



a) ,_J without liair-pencil on the bare inner-marginal area of tlie hindwing. 



E. polyxena, distributed in collections under the n;ime aniomedon Cr., inhal)its the whole of Soutii 

 America frcnn \'enezuela to Paraguay, also Central America and Colombia to Ecuador and Peru, and splits up 

 into five known branch-races: lyconiedon Fldr. Fore^^'ing in the J blue-violet in the discal i)art, distal margin lycomcdon. 

 dirty ochre-yellow, band washed-oiit; hindwing dark brown with narrow yellow-brown distal margin and dull 

 lilacine gloss; ? dull browni, the end of the cell darker, in the dark lirown distal area a rather shaqj, ochreous 

 undulate band, anteriorly forked, but the outer Ijrancli washed-out. Disc of the forewing Avith a dull, grey- 

 blue gloss; in the cell sometimes 2 diffuse spots. Disc of the hindwing with blue-green reflection. Central 

 America and Colombia. — polyxena Meerh. (64 b ,^, c $ as autonmJon). Above black-brown; S nearly black, pulijxcna. 

 discal part of both wings with beautiful blue reflections; forewing before the distal margin often with narrow 

 yellowish band, forked towards the costa. 9 duller, costal and apical borders yellow-broMii, basal half grey- 

 brown, distally with slight blue-green reflection. Venezuela, Trinidad, Cluiana, North and Central Brazil, 

 about as far south as to Riode Janeiro. — ward! i?(/j'., originally coming from Matto Grosso, but at first described xcanli. 

 by its author himself with the erroneous locality "Guatemala", was a lost form, of which I first received 

 authentic examples last yeai, from the neighbourhood of Cuyaba, Matto Grosso. vurdi is distinguishable above 

 from polyxena by a slight violet shade, somewhat agreeing with that of lyconiedon, and the more marked, 

 ]iale yellowish, but still obsolescent submarginal band connects it with novicia from Ecuador and lyconiedon 

 from Colombia. The 9 niay readily be distinguished from the Brazilian polyxena amphimedon by an extended, 

 nearly light yellow subapical (transcellular) area and two isolated yellow patches before the apex of the cell 

 of the forewing. — amphimedon Fldr. has very extended indigo-blue gloss on the up])er surface, encroaching on auiphi- 

 the obscure yellowisli band before the di.stal margin and on the hindwing oidy leaving a narrow margin. Distal ''«''""• 

 margin of the hindwing less strongly angled at the loAver median vein; 9 with the blue colour more extended 

 and more brilliant. Hindwing purer blue-grey in the basal part, the latter more shari)ly defined. According 

 to VON BoNNiNGHAUsEN vcrv rare in shady places at Rio. Larva described in the generic diagnosis. From 

 Blumenau, Santa Catharina, in my collection: according to Stichel also in Paraguay. — novicia <S//r/(. Some- noricia. 

 what smaller than lyconiedon. Above darker, predominantly brown, with only a slight violet tinge in the 

 central area of the forewing. The band near the distal niargin of the latter purer. Hindwing distinctly 

 angled, narrowly but rather sharply margined with ochre-yellow. La China, province of Los Rios (Ecuador), 

 — tristis »S7grr. The 3^ differing from the preceding subspecies in having much less blue on the hindwing. This lristi.-<. 

 dusting is here only present near the apex as a small spot, which at an oblicpie angle of light occupies a larger 

 space. Southern Peru. — cheiremon siibsp. nov. closely approaches irardi Bdv. from Matto Grosso, as is so com- chfimnon. 

 monly the case in Bolivian subspecies, but is larger and bears a much longer yellow mealy spot in the anal fold 

 of the hindwing. The blue of the upper surface is brighter, on the hindwing more sharply defined. The under 

 surface more resembles that of lyconiedon Fldr. from Colombia, but the subbasal part of the forewing and the 

 basal area of the hindwing are silver-white instead of yellowish resp. grey-brown, (iround-colour in general 

 also lighter, rather to be called grey than brown. Coroico, Bolivia, 1200 m. — spintharus i^rw/fs^. A conspicuous spinttonis. 



