Publ. 5. VI. iyi3. HELICONIUS. By Dr. A. Seitz. 385 



they are frequently caught, but never leave the chrywalis like that; even while alive, this butterfly rapidly 

 fades under the influence of sunshine and rain, a fact which is not often observed among tropical ins:cts 

 the colours of which generally resist for a long time to the weather. At the same time of the year and in the 

 same localities we find together with vielpomene a large number of butterflies belonging to the most heteroge- 

 neous families, as Papilio, Pierids, Adelpha, Eresia etc., all of which display on the forewing in the same 

 place a carmine band on black ground. Whether all the Heliconius that have been described as local, seaso- 

 nal or aberrative forms of melpomene, really belong to one and the same species, is neither proved nor likely. 

 RifFARTH, in his Monography on "Heliconius", after an exact study of this group, refers to it about 

 40 forms, some of which deviate considerably, and not in colouring alone. Other systems outside that of 

 RiFFARTHs not being recognised, we follow here his most painstaking Work. — In melpomene L. (75 a) the melpomme. 

 oblique spot is moderately large and blood-red (in the collections generally scarlet or minium-red), starting di- 

 rectly under the costa and descending below the first median nervule, where it is cut off almost parallel with 

 this and projects outwardly to near the termen. — ab. atrosecta Biff. (75 a) is an aberrative form mentioned airoscda. 

 by RiFFARTH from Obidos, by OberthItr from French Guayana, but which surely occurs within the entire 

 range of the species; the red band is divided into segments by the black veins. — ab. melpomenides Riff, melpome- 

 (75 b) has the spot much narrower, outwardly convex and likewise frequently interrupted; mentioned from ""^e*- 

 Guayana. — lucinda Riff (75 b) from Guayana and the Amazon, has the band irregularly defined inwardly and hicinda. 

 its upper portion proximally laved with lemon-yellow. — In karschi Riff., likewise from Guayana and the Lo- kar.schi. 

 wer Amazon, the ba.nd is yellow above and red beireath. — lucia (Jr. (75 b) has the band oiitwardly and below lucia. 

 red, inwardly and above yellow, preceded by a lemon-yellow spot traversing the cell. Guayana, Aniazonas. 

 — melanippe Riff. (75 b) has both the oblique cell-spot and the generally narrow band yellow, often with tra- melanippe. 

 ces of red; therein it approaches the form timaretaivom western 8outh America, but may be easily distinguished 

 by the shape and position of the yellow spot. Surinam. — diana Riff. (75 c) from Guayana has both cell-spot diana. 

 and band lovely red, with additional red rays from the base of the wings, greatly varying in extent. — deinia deinia. 

 MoscM. (mutabilis Btlr.) (75 c) is quite similar, but the cell-spot is very large and lemon-yeUow; Gua^yana. 

 In funebris Moschl. from Surinam only the fiery-red basal rays are remaining, cell-spot and band having disappea- jmuhris. 

 red. — faustina Stgr. resembles the following cybele, but has the cell spot ma'rgined with red distally. — ■ iaustina. 

 cybele Cr. (75 c) from Guayana and Aniazonas has nearly the entire basal half of the forewings brillant red, cybe'e. 

 the cellspot and the oblique macular band yeUow; hind wing with a red subcostal streak. — tyche Bat., iyche. 

 from Aniazonas and Guayana; almost exactly like diana (75 c), but the hindwing with red rays radiating 

 from the base below the red subcostal streak towards the termen. — hippolyte Bat. (75 c) from the same lo- hippolyte. 

 cality is similar, but lacks the cell-spot and has the oblique band as well as the other markings of the forewing 

 red. — angusta Riff. (75 d) is very similar to tyche, but has on the forewing the band inwardly yellow, angusla. 

 outwardly red; from Guayana. — ab. aglaopeia titgr. (75 d) from Guayana has the entire distal half of the aglaopeia. 

 forewing black, at the most with only a few traces of red. whereas the basal half of both wings and the rays 

 on the hindwing are beautifully red and well developed. — thelxiope Hbn. (75 d) from the Amazon has the ihelviope. 

 basal half of the forewing and the entire hindwing red, in some localities vermilion (Para), in others rather mi- 

 nium-red (Manaos); but the system of spots in the outer half of the forewings is lemon-yellow. — thelxiopeia thelxiopeia. 

 Sfgr. from Guayana has the red niarlcings arranged as in thelxiope, but very deep and dark, even brown-red or 

 violet. — In aglaope Fldr. (75 d) the red markings resemble those of aglaopeia. but are more brownish, and the aglaope. 

 black distal half of the forewing encloses a pale yellow, hook-shaped .semi-band; occurs on the Amazon all the 

 way up to Peru. — In niepelti Riff, the colouring is brillant crimson, with a fine black dot in the cell of the niepelli. 

 forewing. — isolda Niep. has this spot, particularly in the o, larger, the apical spot white, slightly edged isohta. 

 proximally. Ecuador. — In rubripicta Niep., likewise from Ecuador, the apical macular band as well as that rubripic'a. 

 part of the discal spot which is not red, is heavily dusted with red scales. — adonides Niep., from Ecuador adonidea. 

 approaches ple&se.ni fa. adonis; on the forewing the discal spot within the cell yellowish, densely sprinkled 

 with black scales; "the apical macular l>and distally edged with red, broadly shaded with yellow proximally; 

 the ff^too^Je-pattern red, the red basal colouring of niepelti very extensive as in aglaope, likewise the fiery rays; 

 underneath it resembles isolda, but, like aglaope, with a transverse streak of rufous over the red rays, which 

 is not found either in isolda or niepelti''. — gisela Niep. is cpiite similar, "representing a transition from aglaope gist-la. 

 Fldr. to plesseni pura Niep.; the spots on the ujjper surface of the forewings white, the discal one proximally 

 sprinlded with black scales and defined by a heavy, black spot. Hindwings as in adonides"; Ecuador. — 

 elevatus Ndldn. from the Upper Amazon looks almost precisely like a typical aglaope, but the red basal colouring elevatus. 

 extends somewhat farther on the forewing and the lemon-yellow semi-band is rather broader. — anna Neust. anna. 

 is the form from Ecuador, distinguished by having the white band of the forewing slightly margined with red 

 distaUy. — equadoriensis A^eust. from Sarayacu has this white macular band reduced. — ab. dione Neust.. equadorien- 

 likewise from Ecuador, has the outer niacidar band of the forewing yellow edged with brown; cell 3 and the '^^^^^^ 

 middle cell tinged with brow'n. — Another form from Ecuador described by Niepelt as "fraterna" I am ^ 

 unable to identify; the forewing is said to have a white apical spot, edged with red proximally, and a discal 

 spot "which, being strongly encroached u^jon by the black ground-colour, has its entire inner portion red". ■ — 



V 49 



