l\ibl. 17. r. I'Jir,. NESSAE.A; MYSC'ELrA. By. .1. Ruber. 4S1 



curved costal margin, a strikingly expanded apex and a very concave distal margin of the forewings, and an 

 almost straight costal margin and undulated border of the hindwings. The $$ are also larger corresj)ouding to 

 the (J(J, but with respect to their shape, markings and colouring not essentially different from the typical acon- 

 tius-^'^. — The larva is, according to the figure, in the last stage green with 4 rows of brown branched spines 

 on each segment; the two long horns on the head, branched out in three grades, are of the same colouring, the 

 head is black, in the middle white, the ventral part and the legs are dull yellow. The pupa, according to 

 the description of W. Mi'ller. resem])les on the whole that of ■jicHthia. and like this reactsalso upon the influence 

 of the light. 



C. orites Stich. (98 b) from Panama to Peru ( ?), though there is also a .j'-specimen from (Southern uri/,:-:. 

 Brazil (Santa Catharina) in our possession. The golden-yellow median band of the forewings is in front bordered 

 recti linearly and the androconium of the hindwings is grey-coloured. In the $ the yellow spots are less sharply 

 separated than in the acontius-^'^. This species, on an average, is also larger than the acontius flying in the 

 same districts and there are even very remarkably large specimens among the $$. — C. acontius and orites also 

 differ somewhat in the shape of the male secondary sexual organ, it is, however, possible that the two forms 

 might be temporal forms of one and the .same species. 



37. Genus : ^essaea Hin. 



This genus, which only a few years ago was justlj^ separated again from Ciitoiie'phele bj" H. Stichel, 

 has but few species differing very little in their exterior. It is distributed from Mexico to tlie Anuizon River. 

 Compared with Cdtonepheh there is but little difference in the veins. Bates says about A'^. obrinus: ,,This char- 

 ming butterfly frequents swampy places in the woods of Para and, with the exception of some districts, is less 

 often found in the whole Amazon valley. Its flight is extremely impetuous, but it is fond of resting on leaves 

 where a ray of sunshine breaks through the shade." This description apparently applies to all the species of this 

 genus. The larva of ohrinus was known already to the ancient authors. If the description be right, this larva 

 essentially differs from the well-known lai-vae of Catonephele by the considerably shorter and stronger spines 

 on the head and liy only one row of spines (instead of 4 as in CatoiifjiJiele) being, however, on the back. 



N. obrinus L. (99 b) from Guiana, the Amazon and Bolivia, is the most beautiful species of the genus, nbriims. 

 the fj being adorned on the hindwings by a broad oi-ange-yellow band, which in other species is seen only 

 less developed or nf)t at all. The $, as already indicated, has not got this orange-yellow band, but it has an 

 elongated green spot in the apex of the forewings. — The larva is green, has a dark red lateral stripe, a red 

 head with two moderately long branched spines of the same colour and, on each segment of the body, in the 

 middle of the doisum a short green ramose spine. 



N. batesii FIdr. (99 c), also from Cayenne and the Amazon, differs in the male sex from ohrinus by hnirsii. 

 liaving a short straight band instead of the broad yellow band of the hindwings. and hy a short gi-een ])and 

 in the apex of the forewings. 



N. aglaura Dbl. and Hen-. (99 c) from Mexico and Guatemala,, differs considerably from the preceding iKjIdnni. 

 forms by the c^uite different position and sliajie of (he yellow band of (he hindwings; (he under surface, however, 

 is quite similar. 



N. regina Salv. (99 b) from Venezuela and (^'oioudjia is on the forewings like aglaura, but the hind- rcii'ma. 

 wings are unicolorously black, except a small brown spot at the inner angle. The 99 '^re of a more subdued 

 colour (greyish-black) and, like the J of ohrinus and hen-itsoni, iiave 2 red-bro\\n little spots in the middle cell 

 of the fore^\ings. 



N. hewitsoni FIdr. (99 b) from Colombia. Ecuador, Peru and the Upper .Vmazon is above black witli licirii.'<iiiii. 

 one green band on each of the wings. The $ has no green band on the hindwings. 



38. Genus: Mj'scelia Did. 



The species of this genus are distributed from Mexico to Southern Brazil, They are easily to l)e recog- 

 nized by the shape of the wings, for both forewings and hindwings have corners and spikes. By this shape they 

 differ from Catonephele in which thus shaped wings do not occur; moreover the Catonepkele-ti'pei-ieti, with 2 

 exceptions, are considerably larger. In the J/(/.«ce/y'rt-species an iridescent-blue upper surface of the (^(J is 

 prevalent. As to their veins etc. they are not different from the Cafonephele-fipecieii . One species, capenas, 

 having hitherto been united with Catonephele, has been removed to Mi/scelin by H. Stichel. We also place here 

 sophronia because, according to its exterior as well as according to the formation of its veins and palps, it better 

 belongs here than to Cybdelis. — According to Muller the following is to be said about the early stages. Food- 

 plant of M. arsis is Dalechampia triphylla Lam. The egg is about hemispherical, a little oval and, with a broad 

 basis, sticks on to the leaf, it has fine transversal stripes, is covered \\ith lU or II longitudinal veins growing 



V 01 



